Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : MOD launches independent inquiry to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by British Armed Forces in Afghanistan [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 December 2022.

The Ministry of Defence has today established an independent statutory inquiry to investigate and report on allegations of wrongdoing by the British Armed Forces in relation to their conduct of deliberate detention operations in Afghanistan. The inquiry will investigate alleged activity during the period mid-2010 to mid-2013.

The inquiry will also look at the adequacy of MOD’s response to those concerns and assess what lessons can be learned. This will take into account the progress that has already been made across defence in holding our Armed Forces personnel to account for their actions, and the handling of allegations that were later found to have insufficient evidence for any prosecutions.

The inquiry will be chaired by Lord Justice Haddon-Cave, a Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales. Lord Justice Haddon-Cave has previous experience in defence, having been appointed by the then Secretary of State for Defence to conduct The Nimrod Review into broader issues surrounding the loss of the RAF Nimrod MR2 aircraft XV230 in Afghanistan in 2006.

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace said:

Defence has made a number of changes in recent years when dealing with serious allegations of wrongdoing against our Armed Forces. Many of these are already in operation, including the creation of the Defence Serious Crime Unit.

While there have been several comprehensive investigations into the events in question, if there are further lessons to learn it is right that we consider those fully to ensure all allegations are handled appropriately and in equal measure to ensure our personnel are adequately protected from unnecessary reinvestigations.

Defence has worked hard to ensure the processes in place to maintain justice in the Armed Forces are effective, and allegations of criminal wrongdoing arising from any future operations are raised and investigated appropriately.

This includes implementing recommendations from the independent Henriques Review in 2020, led by former judge Sir Richard Henriques. The purpose of that review was to ensure that in relation to complex and serious allegations of wrongdoing against UK Armed Forces on overseas operations, the UK has the most up to date and future-proof framework, skills and processes in place, and that improvements can be made where necessary.

Approximately a third of the recommendations focused on the establishment of the Defence Serious Crime Unit, under a newly appointed Provost Marshal, which is now operational and will further strengthen the operational effectiveness of the service police and Service Justice System to deal with serious offences reported in defence.

MOD is committed to supporting its people. All members of the Armed Forces, including the Reserves and civilians, plus veterans, will be entitled to legal and welfare support where they face allegations that relate to actions taken during their employment or service, and where they were performing their duties.

Next steps for the inquiry will be detailed in due course.

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Lib Dems – No one should lose their home this Christmas [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 13 December 2022.

Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, has called for an emergency ban on repossessions and evictions this Winter. This comes after the Conservative Government’s mismanagement of the economy caused spiralling mortgage and rental prices.

These measures would stop banks from repossessing people’s homes who have been hit the hardest by soaring mortgage prices as well as bringing forward the promised ban on no-fault evictions, alongside a ban on evictions for arrears over the winter.

We are deeply concerned that both renters and homeowners could face homelessness during one of the most difficult Winters in living memory.

We are making these urgent calls on the Conservative Government as only days of Parliament remain before Christmas for the Prime Minister to take responsibility for the mess his Government has caused.

The Conservatives have failed time and time again to bring forward the ban on no-fault evictions they promised and have made no attempt to stop repossessions caused by their disastrous mini-Budget. They must act now before it is too late.

No-one should face losing their home this Christmas because the Conservative Government crashed the economy.

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Liberal Democrats Force Vote to Block Voter ID Laws [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 13 December 2022.

Today, Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords are using a rare Parliamentary procedure called a ‘Fatal Motion’ to try to block the new Voter ID regulations.

A ‘Fatal Motion’ is the strongest possible opposition we can have to legislation and now is absolutely the right time to use it.These regulations would mean that photo identification would be required in order to vote – something that millions of people in the UK do not have.

These changes are supposed to stop voter fraud, but in 2019 there was just one conviction for in-person voter fraud in the entire country. Liberal Democrat Council Leaders have also been raising these concerns with the Government. We cannot allow the Government to undermine the fundamental principles we stand for as Liberal Democrats.

They are nothing more than the Conservative Government’s thinly veiled attempt to suppress the votes of people across the UK.To beat the Conservatives in tonight’s vote, we need Labour to back our motion. If they support us then we will defeat the Government – but, worryingly, they’re yet to confirm that they’re going to come on side.

Whatever the case, they can’t stop us from standing up for what is right.

Tonight, we will oppose these harmful laws, and ensure these Trumpian measures have no place in British democracy.

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Lib Dems – Giving rural communities a stronger voice in government [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 1 December 2022.

Rural communities and businesses are being consistently neglected and let down by this Conservative Government.

The cost-of-living crisis is hitting rural areas hard, but the Conservatives have rejected Liberal Democrat calls for a cap on the cost of heating oil and an expansion of the rural fuel duty relief scheme.

They are undermining British farmers with the chaos and uncertainty around the roll-out of the new environmental land management schemes, and have sold them out by signing trade deals with Australia and New Zealand that undermine the UK’s high food standards.

They are doing nothing to solve the big staff shortages in agriculture, hospitality and tourism – key sectors of our rural economy.

They have let ambulance delays and GP waiting times soar out of control, and are allowing thousands of criminals to get away with stealing farm equipment, heating oil and lead from roofs.

Meanwhile, from Cornwall to Cumbria, more and more second homes sit empty, while people cannot afford to buy homes from their families. And rural areas lag behind urban ones when it comes to superfast broadband and 4G.

That neglect has to end. It’s long past time the Government recognised the importance of rural communities and started tackling the challenges they face.

So today, Ed Davey has called on Rishi Sunak to appoint a new, cross-departmental Minister for Rural Communities. In his keynote speech at the Country Land and Business Association (CLA)’s annual conference today, Ed said:

“We need to start with a change to the way the Government thinks about rural communities.

“Siloing off ‘rural affairs’ in DEFRA plainly isn’t working. It leads to the neglect we are now witnessing of rural communities across government.

“Why aren’t rural businesses a priority for the Department for Business? Why isn’t rural transport a priority for the Department for Transport? Why aren’t rural health services a priority for the Department for Health? Why aren’t rural schools and colleges a priority for the Department for Education? Why isn’t rural connectivity a priority for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport?

“In part at least, it’s because they all think ‘That’s DEFRA’s problem’.

“Meanwhile, within DEFRA, ‘rural affairs’ is relegated to being just one of nine responsibilities of a single Minister in the House of Lords. That’s not good enough.

“So today, I’m calling on the Prime Minister to appoint a cross-departmental Minister for Rural Communities, to make sure that rural voices are heard across Whitehall when decisions are made. So that rural communities aren’t forgotten or ignored by any part of government ever again.”

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : On this day in 2001 – 50,000 for home rule in Cornwall [December 2022]

The press release issued by Mebyon Kernow on 12 December 2022.

Twenty-one years ago today, a delegation from Cornwall visited 10 Downing Street to deliver the list of names (on a CD) of the 50,000 people who had signed declarations in support of a Cornish Assembly. The delegation included MK leader Cllr Dick Cole and leading figures from the Cornish Constitutional Convention.

Looking back to the declaration campaign, Cllr Dick Cole said: “It was an immense statement that 50,000 people signed individual declarations seeking greater powers for Cornwall, and it remains a disgrace that the Westminster establishment ignored the declarations.”

The anniversary comes just days after the launches of the so-called “devolution deal” from the Conservatives, which was all about local government tweaks rather than devolution, and Labour’s “A New Britain: Renewing Our Democracy and Rebuilding Our Economy,” which did not mention Cornwall once!

Cllr Cole added: “While we look back to 2001, it is most important that we redouble our efforts to campaign for meaningful devolution to Cornwall.”

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Consultation on “devolution deal” for Cornwall [December 2022]

The press release issued by Mebyon Kernow on 11 December 2022.

Cornwall Council has just commenced a ten-week consultation on its so-called “devolution deal,” which Mebyon Kernow has rightly described as “not devolution at all.”

Speaking on behalf of MK, Party Leader Cllr Dick Cole has criticized the consultation as “biased,” but he has also called on supporters of greater powers for Cornwall to use the consultation to demand proper devolution.

He said: “The so-called ‘devolution deal’ is not devolution at all. It is simply a range of accommodations between central government and their Conservative allies on the unitary authority. Now is the time to challenge Cornwall’s Tories to ‘go back to the drawing board’ and deliver a more meaningful democratic settlement for Cornwall – and that needs to include our own national parliament.”

The consultation runs until 17th February and can be found at https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk.

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Disappointment at Labour’s “devolution” plans for Cornwall [December 2022]

The press release issued by Mebyon Kernow on 5 December 2022.

Just days after the Conservatives published their weak and inadequate “devolution deal,” the Labour Party has published “A New Britain: Renewing Our Democracy and Rebuilding Our Economy.” It is the report from their “Commission on the UK’s Future.”

Speaking on behalf of Mebyon Kernow, Party Leader Cllr Dick Cole said:

“This new Labour document, which sets out their approach to constitutional change, is a massive disappointment from a Cornish perspective. There is no proposal for a Cornish Parliament. In fact, the document does not mention Cornwall once! Not once!

“Proposals include a ‘Council of the Nations and Regions,’ as well as the replacement of the House of Lords with a new second chamber, which would be called ‘An Assembly of the Nations and Regions.’ Such proposals may be worthy of support, but the nations referenced in the document are England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, while the regions are the English regions (as defined by the UK Government). The nation of Cornwall is invisible in this document.

“At the press conference, it was pointed out that the 12-strong Commission represented “every region and every nation of our country.” Cornwall was not represented. The nearest member of the Commission was the mayor of Bristol!

“Mebyon Kernow will be studying the document in more detail, and making representations during the promised consultation on it.”

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Mebyon Kernow statement on proposed “devolution” [December 2022]

The press release issued by Mebyon Kernow on 2 December 2022.

Earlier today, a Government Minister (Dehenna Davison) and the leader of Cornwall Council (Linda Taylor) signed a “devolution deal” for Cornwall.

The Conservatives will soon be launching a ten-week consultation on the document, which will start on Friday 9th December.

Mebyon Kernow leader Dick Cole called on people to take participate in the consultation and challenged the UK Government to support “meaningful devolution” for Cornwall.

In a statement issued today, Cllr Dick Cole said:

“The promise of additional funding for Cornwall in the ‘deal’ is to be welcomed, but the ‘deal’ itself is not devolution at all.

“As someone who has campaigned for meaningful devolution for his entire adult life, I am desperately disappointed that this is the best that governing politicians in Westminster and Truro can come up with. It does not include far-reaching powers being transferred from Westminster to Cornwall as happened in Wales and Scotland, which have their own parliaments. It is simply a range of accommodations between central government and their Conservative allies on the unitary authority.

“Now that the actual deal has been published, MK will be publishing a more detailed critique of the document in the very near-future.

“In the meantime, I would appeal to one and all to use the opportunity of the coming consultation to demand meaningful devolution for the historic nation of Cornwall.”

The devolution deal can be viewed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cornwall-devolution-deal-kevambos-digresennans-kernow

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Urgent pay boost needed to protect families and hold back recession [December 2022]

The press release issued by the TUC on 14 December 2022.

Commenting on today’s (Wednesday) inflation figures, which show CPI inflation at 10.7 per cent, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“With inflation still sky-high, the government should be doing everything possible to get pay rising.

“But instead, ministers are holding down pay across the public sector and refusing to negotiate with workers and their unions.

“This government is making a bad situation much worse. To keep families out of hardship and hold back recession, an urgent pay boost is needed.”

15/12/2022
PRESS RELEASE : High Court green lights union legal challenge against “strike-breaking” agency worker regulations [December 2022]
The press release issued by the TUC on 14 December 2022.
- Judicial review of “anti-worker” regulations which “threaten the right to strike” expected to be heard from late March
- Move is a “major blow” to government attempts to undermine the right to strike for better pay and conditions
The High Court has granted permission for a legal challenge – brought by eleven trade unions, coordinated by the TUC and represented by Thompsons Solicitors LLP – to protect the right to strike.

The unions – ASLEF, BFAWU, FDA, GMB, NEU, NUJ, POA, PCS, RMT, Unite and Usdaw – have taken the case against the government’s new regulations which allow agency workers to fill in for striking workers.

The challenge will be heard along with separate legal cases launched by TUC-affiliated unions UNISON and NASUWT against the government’s agency worker regulations, which have also been given the green light by the High Court. A hearing will be held from late March onwards.

The unions come from a wide range of sectors and represent millions of workers in the UK.

The TUC says the move is a “major blow” to government attempts to undermine workers’ right to strike for better pay and conditions.

With industrial action taking place across the economy after years of declining real pay and attacks on working conditions, reports suggest the government is considering new ways to restrict workers’ right to strike.

In addition to the agency worker regulations brought in last summer, ministers are already pushing through legislation on minimum service levels in transport – with the bill due for its second reading in the new year.

In threatening the right to strike, the TUC has accused the government of attacking a fundamental British liberty and making it harder for working people to bargain for better pay and conditions in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

Unlawful agency worker regulations

The unions argue that the regulations are unlawful because:
- The then Secretary of State for business failed to consult unions, as required by the Employment Agencies Act 1973.
- They violate fundamental trade union rights protected by Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The change has been heavily criticised by unions, agency employers, and parliamentarians.

The TUC has warned these new laws will worsen industrial disputes, undermine the fundamental right to strike and could endanger public safety if inexperienced agency staff are required to fill safety critical roles.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents suppliers of agency workers, described the proposals as “unworkable”.

The Lords Committee charged with scrutinising the legislation said “the lack of robust evidence and the expected limited net benefit raise questions as to the practical effectiveness and benefit” of the new laws.

The TUC recently reported the UK government to the UN workers’ rights watchdog, the International Labour Organization (ILO), over the recent spate of anti-union and anti-worker legislation and proposals, including the government’s agency worker regulations, which it says are in breach of international law.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“The right to strike is a fundamental British liberty. But this government seems hellbent on attacking it at every opportunity.

“Threatening this right tilts the balance of power too far towards employers. It means workers can’t stand up for decent services and safety at work – or defend their jobs and pay.

“With inflation above an eyewatering 11%, ministers are shamelessly falling over themselves to find new ways to make it harder for working people to bargain for better pay and conditions.

“And these attacks on the right to strike are likely illegal. Ministers failed to consult with unions, as the law requires. And restricting the freedom to strike is a breach of international law.

“That’s why unions are coming together to challenge this change in the courts.

“Working people are suffering the longest and harshest wage squeeze in modern history. They need stronger legal protections and more power in the workplace to defend their living standards – not less.”

Richard Arthur, Head of Trade Union Law at Thompsons Solicitors, which represents the TUC-coordinated unions, said:

“This is a timely reminder that the government is not above the law when it tries to restrict the rights of working people to take industrial action.

“The Court has agreed with the trade unions that the government’s decision-making should be scrutinised against UK and international legal standards at a hearing to take place from late March onwards.”
15/12/2022