Broadland Liberal Democrats

For all of us, 2020 was a difficult year; some of us touched by death and many by loss of income, wellbeing and self-worth. So much has changed, and yet not changed.

Those of us with memories of SARS watched in concern at the British Government late and botched efforts to tackle COVID. We saw COVID-related hate crime spike as Chinese people were shunned, and verbally and physically assaulted. Internet memes depicting Chinese people as sources of COVID were widely shared.

Welcome to the Weekly Whip. Your one-stop shop for Lib Dem Parliamentary updates, covering the week that was and the week to come.

For up to date information from the Lib Dem Whips Office, follow us on Twitter: @LibDemWhips

Weekly Whip w/c 8th February

Monday 8th February

Two Urgent Questions were accepted on Monday morning.

Silencing the BBC shows that the Chinese government has no intention on stopping its human rights abuses.

The Chinese government's BBC ban, in response to their reporting on the Uyghur genocide and other abuses, marks their latest move in an unacceptable crackdown on fundamental freedoms.

We've already seen the consequences of this in Hong Kong.

This year we welcome The Year of the Ox - an animal known for its strength, diligence and hardworking nature. These are positive values to which we should all aspire to live our lives by.

The New Year is usually a time of large family get-togethers. This year however, intimate, virtual celebrations will be the norm. I know the adjustment won't be easy but let us keep doing our part to suppress this virus.

Our values work best

Tackling the coronavirus epidemic, and minimising the tragic loss of life, is primarily a public health issue. But there's also a consistent political lesson from it too.

The approaches that work best use international cooperation. Viruses don't stop at borders, and scientific cooperation and vaccine supply chains work best when they don't either.

Mass vaccination is our best way of pulling through this terrible pandemic.

Sadly there has been a worrying rise in fake news and disinformation about the vaccine. Often this is spread by social media, with no scientific evidence.

That's why it's so important that we have dedicated councillors like Rabina Khan going into her community, meeting with people in a socially distanced way, and addressing their concerns directly.

Our first ever online conference in September was a huge success - so we'll be back online for our Spring Conference from 19th to 21st March. You can find out more and register for it here.

Register for conference

As usual, we'll be debating and deciding party policy on a whole range of hot topics, from creating jobs as we recover from the Covid pandemic to providing sanctuary for vulnerable refugees. Here's a quick rundown of all the policy motions:

The Liberal Democrats have long called for a rethink on plans on for a new coal mine in Cumbria and I am delighted that's exactly what has happened.

If Boris Johnson is serious about climate action he will call on Cumbria county council to scrap the mine

Cumbria County Council now need to do the right thing and throw these plans out, or the Prime Minister must intervene to make sure the coal mine is scrapped.

It's astonishing that a new coal mine in Britain is even being considered - particularly the year we are hosting the vital COP26 conference.

If Boris Johnson is serious about climate action he will call on Cumbria county council to scrap the mine.

The Government needs to transform its attitude to the climate emergency. That is why I have proposed a £150 billion green coronavirus recovery plan, reshaping our economy to protect the future of our country and our planet.

Welcome to the Weekly Whip. Your one-stop shop for Lib Dem Parliamentary updates, covering the week that was and the week to come.

For up to date information from the Lib Dem Whips Office, follow us on Twitter: @LibDemWhips

Weekly Whip w/c 1st February

Monday 1st February

On Monday, strangely, there were no UQs or Ministerial Statements announced. This is the second week in a row where this has happened and, following the weekend's news about Article 16 and vaccinations, MPs were a little perplexed.

We published the 2019 Election Review as the pandemic swept the UK and, sadly, I write this update during an even harder third wave. We are reminded every day of the failures of this government and the pressing need for convincing alternatives.

I am encouraged by the steps that have already been taken within the party and the plans ahead for reform. In terrible circumstances, activists, volunteers and staff have stepped up to the challenge my review posed. We identified three overarching themes in the review, all of which needed profound improvement: re-building campaigning excellence, clarity of leadership and decision making, and vision and purpose.