Following a disastrous appearance at the Home Affairs Select Committee last week, Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes was brought before the House of Commons yesterday, but was still unable to answer what immigration checks EU citizens will be subject to after Brexit, and how these will apply to those who are already here are therefore entitled to 'settled status'.
The Home Office is currently trialing the scheme for applying for settled status, but it isn't due to be fully open until March 2019. Nokes boasted that the Home Office has now granted settled status to 1,000 EU citizens, less than 0.03% of the 3.6 million EU citizens currently living in the UK.
Following the debate, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:
"Millions of EU citizens in the UK have been living under a cloud of uncertainty for more than two years. After being quizzed by MPs on two separate occasions, the Immigration Minister has utterly failed to offer them any clarity.
"The one thing the Minister did admit is that the Conservatives will not be able to implement their much-vaunted immigration red lines for years to come.
"The Conservatives are sleepwalking into another Windrush scandal, where hostile environment checks destroy the lives of people who have every right to be in the UK. The Government's chaotic approach to Brexit risks subjecting EU citizens to those same injustices.
"Conservative Ministers must end this uncertainty and offer a way out of this mess entirely by giving the people a final say on the Brexit deal, with the option to remain in the EU."
The Annual General Meeting of Ipswich Liberal Democrats has been booked for Friday 16th November at the Collinson Room, Quaker Meeting House, 39 Fonnereau Road, Ipswich IP1 3JH. We have the room from 6:30pm so will aim to start at 7pm. More details to follow nearer the time.
Commenting on reports that the Government will allow patients cannabis based medicines in exceptional circumstances, Former Liberal Democrat Health Minister Norman Lamb said:
"This is very welcome and long overdue change, which will be a relief for many patients and their families. It is disgraceful that people have been left to suffer for so long, because the Conservative Government have refused to accept evidence of the benefits of cannabis based medicines.
Congratulations to Councillor Inga Lockington who has today formally received her certificate of naturalisation. Inga said "I am, of course, delighted to have received my certificate which I received together with several other new British Citizens."
Following the farce of the Home Office refusing Councillor Inga Lockington citizenship she has had further contact from them.
Inga said "It has been good to have contact from an Official at the Home Office. I have not been asked to supply any more information for my Citizenship Application to be reconsidered. To me that proves I had submitted enough information in the first place. I will of cause be very happy to supply any other information needed should it be asked for.
Since the word "brexit" was coined, there have been many discussions on EU law. On how it holds us back, is imposed upon us undemocratically, and limits our competitiveness.
One of the core arguments for brexit is that we can become a more agile trading nation, and that we can sign new free or preferential trade agreements (FTAs) that replace and exceed our lost EU trade.
The EU has a significant head start here, already having FTAs with 52 countries, and is partway through negotiations with another 72, including nations such as the United States. The UK would therefore need to negotiate 124 new agreements, plus one with the EU itself, just to be in the same position it is in today.1
One way for us to become significantly more competitive, is to rip up much of the EU law that "holds us back". One example is the Working Time Directive2. Brexiteer Michael Gove is now pushing for this to be scrapped when we leave the EU.3 This would, we grant, allow employers more flexibility, and save employers money - by taking it directly from the pockets of working people.
Ipswich Liberal Democrats recently received this message via our facebook page, quoted here verbatim:
"Hi guys, I just wanted to draw your attention to something, the working time directive is under threat and Michael Gove seems to be in favour of scrapping it. I worked in a supermarket for 8 years on a contract under 20 hours working around 35 with overtime, the average pay awarded to me when I took holiday greatly benefited me and allowed me to take holiday freely without worry and I enjoyed my life, I was mistaken to vote leave as this law alone would have been enough to vote remain.
Please raise this issue it dramatically changed my life another point is add is more money paid to me is more tax for the government, more cash to spend in shops (boost for retailers) and was the greatest change my life has ever seen.
In or out millions of us are in great peril, please don't let us down and give us a voice we can't be exploited like this again!
I have voted for you in the local and general elections, a life long Labour voter but this brexit madness must be stopped.
The economic argument is lost, tens of thousands of jobs lost, loss of investment etc also too many eu migrants putting the nhs under strain too far too few eu migrants left the the nhs.
The laws the eu implemented greatly improved my life as well as hundreds if millions of others. Please do what ever you can to keep the working time directive you have my full support."
This one, anecdotal, experience is just one person's perspective. But it highlights a larger issue. Even in the outside if brexit leads, in the long term, towards a strong economy, who will be the casualties of this economy? Who will reap the rewards of brexit, if indeed there are any? The Liberal Democrats believe that those working people least able to afford it will be the ones to pay for brexit. Be it directly with reduced holiday pay after the repeal of the working time directive, indirectly with lower wage growth, shorter holidays, shorter rest periods and longer working hours, or through higher taxes to fund our creaking public services.
Those that benefit, will be the employers and shareholders who don't have to pay their workers properly anymore.
While the Conservatives flounder about publishing misinformation - such as the white paper claiming British workers currently receive 14 weeks annual leave4 - and Labour mirror Conservative brexit policy with minor adjustments, the Liberal Democrats are the only ones fighting for the rights of working people.
Liberal Democrat Inga Lockington received more than 50% of the vote in St Margaret's Ward in yesterdays Ipswich Borough Council elections. Inga said: "I think this shows the value of local knowledge and knowing your ward. People know me and I am really pleased that they have given me this great result."
"There are many reasons I am proud to be a Liberal Democrat. One of these is the powerful championing by Norfolk Lib Dem MP, Norman Lamb, of mental health service provision in this Country. Norman has long demanded, that there should be equal treatment for some of our most vulnerable people, with mental health problems, as can be expected by those requiring physical care. I was reminded of Norman's passion and personal support for people with mental health problems when he spoke at a recent joint meeting of the Ipswich and District Clinical Society and Medicolegal society, at Ipswich Hospital. A shameful feature of recent times has been the forced relocation of severely ill people to Units a long way away from home. It is clear from the recent announcement that the closure of Lark Ward, on the Ipswich hospital site will lead to more out of County placements or patients placed in inappropriate wards. This is a tragedy for those involved and for anyone who cares about mental health services in Suffolk." said Inga Lockington.
