Issues we should be talking about as well as Brexit

In the last week I have been immersed in the subjects which we ought as a country be talking about, but which attract minimal attention where they do not impinge on Brexit or the Hunt-Johnson roadshow.

I went to Manchester to speak to the NHS Confederation: essentially the people who run the NHS, from Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive, down. I tried to get my head around the underlying politics of the NHS: this is a much loved pubic service which politicians tamper with at their peril, but it also feels itself to be in a permanent state of crisis and underfunding.

This strange picture of political complacency and angst has also been reinforced by the recent financial settlement which ensures that, unlike the rest of the public sector, the NHS has guaranteed real growth for several years ahead; but, still, it is not enough. And the NHS is conscious of having been the most emotionally potent argument for leaving the EU: the £350m per week extra as promised on the side of a bus.  Yet the reality has been that the service is one of the main Brexit casualties as crucial EU staff drain away.

The NHS feels like it is in a permanent state of crisis and underfunding.

Talking to key people in the sector it is clear that there are three, big, unresolved issues.

One is the question of who is to pay for social care: especially the frail elderly who sit, unhealthy and expensively, in hospital because of lack of help at home or in affordable, quality, nursing homes. Councils are supposed to provide services but are desperately short of money; families resent means-tested charges which can eventually cost the family home; the NHS does medical not social care.

Politicians need to find a cross-party solution which will involve both higher taxes and better off families paying their share; so far the fear of being attached for advocating a ‘death tax’ or ‘dementia tax’ has created paralysis. I assured the audience that Lib Dems are committed to higher income tax to raise revenue and a cross-party solution.

The second is mental health.

All agree that this is a Cinderella service which has been neglected as long as we can remember. We all have had relatives and friends who succumbed to breakdowns and have seen the havoc it causes. During the Coalition, my Lib Dem colleagues at the Department of Health prioritised mental health and helped shift attention and resources to it.

Since then neglect has returned. Restoring mental health to a proper priority requires much more attention to preventative work, especially amongst young people of school and college age. In Twickenham, I hear that 1 in 4, or 1 in 5, young people are now experiencing eating disorders, self-harm or other manifestations of mental stress: roughly the national average. Creative local charities are filling the gaps in counselling and advice left by the rather threadbare NHS. but they have a hand-to-mouth existence and need support.

Making mental health a priority means giving much more attention to preventative work

And third, there is the retention and recruitment problem for nursing staff and doctors: 100,000 vacancies including 40,000 nurses.

Brexit has added a new negative element but it is superimposed on system already under strain. Staff complain about rigid work routes, lack of notice for holidays, lack of flexible family friendly working arrangements. Care for the sick can’t be reduced to a 9 to 5 job but can’t, equally, be an excuse for poor human resources management. I quoted from the comedian and ex-doctor Adam Kay with his horrifying but occasionally hilarious stories of life as a junior hospital doctor. And I probably got a few backs up by pointing out that in a room of 300 top NHS managers and trust directors, there were possibly at most half a dozen people from ethnic minorities, in contrast to what we see on the wards.

After an evening with the medics I joined a campaign the following morning by Manchester Lib Dems on homelessness.

The Labour council in Manchester, portrayed nationally as a beacon of enlightenment, has a harsher reputation at home. Its latest idea is a ‘homelessness tax’ (a system of spot fines at people who sleep rough in the town centre). Together with Big Issue North, our team have mobilised a big petition against a measure which follows a long tradition – embodied in the Vagrancy Act – of punishing the down and outs for being down and out. Or perhaps the Labour council think they just don’t fit the image of a successful, economically developing city and have to be cleaned out of sight.

The political reaction to the campaign – organised by three Lib Dem councillors up against 97 Labour – has been enormous.

It reminds us that while we have been celebrating Lib Dem victories across the South of the country and in London in particular, the real heroes of our revival are the activists in Manchester, Liverpool, Oldham, Sheffield, Hull, Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland – among others – who stuck with us through the politically hostile environment of Labour dominated cities, and are now on the way back.

Back to Twickenham and to an event which was one of the pleasures of being a local MP.

A local primary school was staging an exhibition of sculptures, paintings and writings advertising the dangers of plastic pollution. The children had all written to me (all of them!) inviting me to the evening display and I made it just in time, returning from Manchester. The place was humming with energy and enthusiasm from children, teachers and parents.

Dozens of selfies with the children and I was left with a feeling of real appreciation that I had been able to lend support.

I tried to have a quiet weekend but this is the season of fetes and festivals and any conscientious MP has to be there at the tombola stalls and drinking Pimms.  I was lucky with the tombola, which yielded a train ticket to Edinburgh, a free haircut and several bottles of plonk.

On Sunday morning I joined a group of walkers promoting sensible drug policies: something the Lib Dems have long prioritised.

I wasn’t prepared for the emotional force of the campaigners. I talked to one woman who had lost two sons to heroin addiction. She was now devoting her life to this campaign. Public opinion has swung behind the campaigners; prohibition has failed massively. Other countries in Europe and North America are trying solutions which are based on evidence. But UK politicians are very nervous of being seen to be ‘soft on drugs’.

I have had a frustrating time recently locating a good novel. But I have found a fine thriller written in the Le Carre mould: Charles Cumming writes novels about the spying world with gripping plots and topical interest. Try A Foreign Country.

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7 things the Lib Dems have done for the LGBT+ community

June is LGBT+ Pride Month!

LGBT+ Pride events are being held across the country to recognise the impact LGBT+ people have had in the world and the struggle they still face for equal recognition. The Liberal Democrats have always championed the rights of the LGBT+ community. Here are 7 things that we have done:

1. Opposed section 28

In the 1980s the Liberal Democrats were the first party to openly oppose Section 28 – an act which prohibited the so-called promotion of homosexuality. In 2003, the Lib Dems were the first to introduce legislation to repeal the act. After over 20 years since the act was introduced, parliament finally voted to abolish it!

2. Supported lowering the age of consent to 16 for same-sex relationships

In 1994, the Lib Dems unanimously supported amendments to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill to reduce the age of consent for homosexual sex to 16, bringing it in line with heterosexual sex.

3. Supported Same-Sex Couples adopting children

Children Diversity GIFThe Liberal Democrats supported amendments to the Adoption and Children Act 2002 to allow adoption by unmarried couples, including same-sex couples. We unanimously opposed Conservative attempts in the Lords to reject these amendments.

4. Led on Trans Rights

Human Rights Trans Sticker by Troupe429
Allowing trans people to change the gender on their birth certificate had been Liberal Democrat party policy since 1998. It was six years until the Gender Recognition Act came along, and it was wholeheartedly supported by the Lib Dems. The Tories in the House of Lords tried to destroy the legislation but were successfully opposed by Liberal Democrat peers.

5. Introduced the equal marriage bill

God Bless America Rainbow GIF
In 2013, the Same Sex Marriage Act was introduced because of the hard work of our MP Lynne Featherstone in coalition government. Since then, thousands of same sex couples have been able to get married.

6. Campaigned for blood donation rules to be based on science not sexuality

https://giant.gfycat.com/DimwittedFlawedBantamrooster.webm

Currently gay and bi men are excluded from donating blood. In light of this, we adopted a policy in 2011 for Britain’s blood donation rules to be based on the risk of the individual, not on sexuality.

7. Campaigned for LGBT inclusive workplaces

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We are fighting for businesses with more than 250+ employees to be made to monitor and publish data on BAME and LGBT employees, not just gender. We hope that this will end unfair discrimination against LGBT employees at work.

 

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5 weeks to get Jane Dodds into Parliament

We have a date for the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election!

After days of delay, the Conservatives finally caved this morning and moved the writ to allow the by-election to go ahead. It’ll be held on Thursday 1st August – exactly 5 weeks from today.

It’s going to be a brilliant campaign – I’m looking forward to seeing as many people there as possible. The weather’s lovely and the views speak for themselves!

This is the Begwyns above Clyro in Radnorshire – it’s a really beautiful part of the world.

This is our opportunity to show that the Liberal Democrats are winning on all levels again. We demand better than a Conservative MP who was convicted of submitting false expense claims. The people of Brecon and Radnorshire deserve an MP who understands local issues and will stand up for communities in Parliament.

There’s a lot of work to do to make that happen, though. Can you get to Brecon and help us out?

There’s a wide variety of things to do – from phoning and leafleting to clerical work inside the office. Everything you do helps us win! If you’re interested – just sign up using the link below.

Check out events

But if you can’t make it – don’t worry! The easiest way to help us is to donate to the campaign. Just £25 could help us reach up to 5000 voters online – everything you can give makes a difference.

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Windrush Day

Please be advised that this article contains language that some may find offensive

As a child of the Windrush generation, Windrush Day is hugely important to me. I’m so glad that we, as a society, are marking it.

The term ‘the Windrush Generation’ stems from the arrival, on June 22, 1948, of the ship The Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, just east of London, bringing with it the first immigrants from the Caribbean.

It denotes the large-scale influx of Caribbean immigrants during the years that followed.

There’s been a lot of press about the terrible treatment of people who came here from the Caribbean in the late 1940s and onwards, who now find that their very official existence has been denied.

There’s been a lot of press about the terrible treatment of people who came here from the Caribbean in the late 1940s and onwards, who now find that their very official existence has been denied.

There’s also much discussion about the poor treatment of those Caribbean immigrants upon their arrival in the UK to date.

But there are also some positive stories and memories mixed in with those experiences.

I’ve recorded an 8-minute audio interview with someone who came to this country in 1962. She shared with me some of her memories and they were both good and bad.

The memories they shared included these:

‘I came to the UK after a one month journey from Trinidad by ship with my young stepson and my new baby boy. When we arrived it was the coldest winter they’d had in a long time and we only had summer clothes.’

‘I remember having no furniture, no heating, no washing machine, no fridge, no winter clothes. We had to try to stay warm in one room using a paraffin burner. Then, on Christmas Day, someone gave us a bed for my stepson. I was so happy!’

Since 2018, we’ve celebrated Windrush Day to honour the British Caribbean community.

‘It was hard to find a job because no black people were allowed. The British people didn’t want immigrants – “…no black people”, they said.’

‘I remember a bus driver saying to the passengers that ‘…all these Pakis had come over here to go on the dole. I pointed out to him that not everyone with Asian skin was from Pakistan and that we were all desperate to work.’

‘We had so little money for food that I had to work at a sweet factory in the evenings just so we could eat. I know it was illegal, but I left my young stepson in charge of my toddler and my baby and, one day, I came home to find the baby under the kitchen table. But I had no choice.’

‘Eventually, I got a job in local Government. I was the only black woman working in my department for the Council. They treated me well and helped me to get promotions.’

And so, the stories continue.

Since 2018, we’ve celebrated Windrush Day to honour the British Caribbean community.

Listening to the person I interviewed who spoke about how hard it was to find work, it’s ironic to note that, following the losses of World War II, Britain was in dire need of labourers. This prompted a campaign to entice people from the countries of the British Empire and Commonwealth to immigrate to the UK.

Yet, when they arrived, it seems that they weren’t exactly welcomed.

I’ve read the ‘official lines’ that state, for posterity that ‘…the Windrush Generation and their descendants are honoured for their immense contributions to British society following the trauma of the Second World War’. However, this does not entirely reflect the British Caribbean community’s experience – certainly not those with whom I’ve come into contact.

When Caribbean immigrants first arrived, there were met with extreme intolerance from large parts of the white population.

Having initially been encouraged to settle in the UK and take up employment to revive the labour market, many early immigrants were denied access to private employment and accommodation on account of their skin colour. Afro-Caribbean and Indo-Caribbean people were also banished from many pubs, clubs, and even churches.

From today’s perspective, the arrival of The Empire Windrush is considered a major landmark not only for the country’s recovery from the turmoil of war but also for the establishment of modern British multicultural society.

As Liberal Democrats, we must continue to fight for justice for those members of the Windrush Generation whose paperwork – destroyed by The Home Office – means that they have to face a costly, lengthy and sometimes unwinnable battle to establish their right to remain in the UK

Windrush Day is a way of encouraging communities across the country to celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants – I guess that would include me!

But, it also serves as a reminder that, as Liberal Democrats, we must continue to fight for justice for those members of the the Windrush Generation whose paperwork – destroyed by The Home Office – means that they have to face a costly, lengthy and sometimes unwinnable battle to establish their right to remain in the UK, even if this is the only home they’ve ever known.

So, join me on Tuesday 25th June 2019 at an event organised by ‘The Hackney Heroine’, Pauline Pearce, the driving force behind Motion F5 from last Autumn’s Conference ‘Righting Wrongs: Restoring the Rights of the Windrush Generation’.

Alongside former Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year, Kaweh Beheshtizadeh and Professor Paul Reynolds (both key figures within the Liberal Democrats), I will be discussing the issues surrounding the Windrush Scandal and what we, as Liberal Democrats, can do about it.

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Ed Davey: our leadership contest could not be more significant

Brexit is the most serious threat to our country in my lifetime.

Yet the Conservative Party leadership contest shows they still haven’t got it – and are even willing to make things worse. Enthusiastic talk of a No Deal Brexit? Of sending MPs home – proroguing Parliament – so MPs can’t stop a No Deal? By people who want to be our country’s Prime Minister? Whoever wins that leadership contest has to be stopped.

Yet we know Labour won’t do it. Labour have aided and abetted the Tories every step of the way. Jeremy Corbyn demanded after the referendum that the Government should invoke Article 50 immediately and leave as soon as possible. Last week some Labour MPs even voted against a cross-party motion that could have enabled MPs to block a disastrous No Deal Brexit.

The Liberal Democrats are now the leaders of Remain.

Neither Labour nor the Conservatives can be trusted on Brexit.

Fortunately, the European Elections have heralded a dramatic realignment in British politics. Away from the Labour-Tory battles of the past, towards today’s Remain-Leave battle. And the Liberal Democrats are now the leaders of Remain.

So our leadership contest – who is the Leader of the lead Remain Party – could not be more significant.

We need a Leader who understands the EU, who knows how to win and above all who is ready now to take on Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn – and ready to become Prime Minister.

I have the CV for that task. And I’m ready for that task.

I have successfully negotiated in Government – indeed, across Europe, twice – on economic reform and on climate change. In fact, I’ve attended more EU Ministerial Councils in Brussels than any Liberal Democrat in history, during my 5 years as a Business Minister and Cabinet Minister.

My campaigning record over 20 years shows I know how to win – from winning my constituency when I wasn’t even a target seat to my leading role in developing simple messages that connect with voters – from “Stop Brexit” to “a penny on income tax for education” [1991-2001] to “scrap council tax” [2003-05].

I have the ideas and vision to be a Prime Minister who doesn’t just stop Brexit, but stops the causes of Brexit.

And I have the ideas and vision to be a Prime Minister who doesn’t just stop Brexit, but stops the causes of Brexit. From my detailed economic plan to invest in the communities left behind in the past – including massive investment in the regions and nations – to my proposals to tackle the Climate Emergency, we can have a substantial programme for Government.

The leadership to stop Brexit and renew our country is now down to the Liberal Democrats. I’m the Leader who can campaign so we win the right to perform that duty – and the person who is best placed to lead us in carrying out that historic task.

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