Happy Hanukkah

Today, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, I want to wish our Jewish friends in the UK and around the world a Happy Hanukkah.

As you head into eight days of festivities, gathering with family and friends, I am sure there will be joy, light and laughter.

It is of course impossible to ignore the fact that this year, Hanukkah follows a difficult time. So, I am sure that as you reflect on the past year, amongst the joy there may also be a sense of solemness. The darkness of the past few months will be felt, as it has touched everyone in different ways.

As the warmth and glow of the candles grow each evening, I hope it may serve as a reminder that even in the darkness, there is hope. Hope for a brighter tomorrow.

This week I visited the Jewish Free School with our spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Layla Moran, to chat with sixth form students. We were both so heartened by the brightness and kindness that the students demonstrated. Together, we covered everything from politics to world affairs, including the crisis in the Middle East. The students showed such strength and kindness, speaking of how we can move forward together, using shared pain to build a brighter future together.

So, in the spirit of growing brighter together, from your friends at the Liberal Democrats we wish you a safe, bright and Happy Hanukkah.

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Rwanda plans are an affront to democracy and human rights, say Greens

6 December 2023

Responding to the government publishing plans to disapply sections of the Human Rights Act to get around a Supreme Court ruling banning the deportation of people seeking asylum to Rwanda for processing, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“The fact that the government is going to try to use its parliamentary majority to over-ride established human rights protections is an affront to democracy.

“We need a system that welcomes refugees through clear, open, safe and legal routes, that offers quick and efficient determinations and support for resettlement into local communities with properly funded local services.”

“Instead of creating an asylum system that works, the government is deliberately making it chaotic and inaccessible to put people off using their right to seek asylum.

“It is the use of cruelty and inhumanity as a tool of public policy and cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.

“Everyone deserves to be treated in a way that is fair and humane. This new legislation will remove fundamental legal protections designed to protect us all from the arbitrary power of the state.”

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Green Party response to new immigration rules

5 December 2023

Responding to new immigration rules which will significantly limit the current shortage occupations list and make it harder for those working in the UK to bring partners or family members to join them [1], Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“The idea that we need to keep immigrants out of the UK is a nonsense. In reality they have been plugging the labour gaps in our country for years, particularly in hard pressed areas like our health and care services.

“Because of that there is both an economic need and just a level of decency, that dictates immigrants should be treated with some respect and made to feel welcome. They should not be met with barriers to building a life in the UK like making it more challenging to bring family members to join them.”

Notes

[1] Tougher visa rules unveiled in plan to cut migration – BBC News

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Appointment of Independent Chair of the review of the roles and responsibilities of councillors in Northern Ireland

The Department for Communities has announced the appointment of Mr Maynard Mawhinney as the Independent Chair of a working group which will review the roles and responsibilities of councillors in Northern Ireland. The appointment takes effect from 1 December 2023.

NI Pupils perform well in mathematics, reading and science in International Survey

A major international survey of educational achievement of 15-year-olds shows that young people in Northern Ireland continue to perform highly compared to young people in other education systems across the world.