Hinckley & Bosworth Liberal Democrats

With the country about to go into lockdown for another month two local councillors have signed a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequor Rishi Sunak urging him to test run Universal Basic Income pilots as a way of supporting people through the pandemic.

Hinckley Lib Dem Borough and County Councillor Michael Mullaney who signed the letter said "Many people in Hinckley and Bosworth have the agonising double worry of both worrying about their own and their families health during the Covid-19 pandemic but also worrying abouth their finances during these difficult times. With another month's lockdown and the possiblity it could be extended for longer many people are facing the risk of losing jobs if businesses cannot survive repeated lockdowns. Whilst the government has extended the furlough scheme there is no guarantee it will last longer and could leave many people in huge financial difficulites when it ends. Meanwhile many self-employed people are excluded from support schemes.

Liberal Democrats in Hinckley and Bosworth have called on Bosworth's Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans to this week back British farming and vote to protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards.

Hinckley and Bosworth Liberal Democrat Councillor Michael Mullaney warned that Conservative MPs must not "risk farmers' livelihoods locally by continuing to loyally vote the party line on the issue.

The votes come on Wednesday 4th November in amendments to the Agriculture Bill. The Liberal Democrats want MPs to ensure any post-Brexit trade deals meet UK animal welfare and food safety rules.

According to the NFU, over a million people have also signed their petition calling for the UK Government to put laws in place that prevent imports of food that is produced in ways that are illegal here in the UK.

Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron said:

"Farmers across the country are incredibly worried that the UK is about to be flooded with poor quality food undercutting their high quality produce.

"It doesn't need to be this way. Liberal Democrats back British farming and want to work in partnership with our farmers to help cut greenhouse gas emissions, support the recovery of our natural environment all while continuing to produce the food that fills our cupboards."

Hinckley and Bosworth Liberal Democrat Councillor Michael Mullaney added:

"The Conservatives must not risk farmers' livelihoods. It's time for them to support the campaign backed by the NFU, over a million people nationally and thousands of people here in Hinckley and Bosworth who want to maintain standards on imported food in any future trade deals.

"If Dr Luke Evans is to truly back Bosworth's farmers, he must vote to ensure any post-Brexit trade deals meet UK animal welfare and food safety rules."

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council have backed a motion supporting giving NHS workers carers, nurses and other workers a pay rise before April 2021. The Council Chief Executive will now write to the government urging them to give an early pay rise to NHS staff.

Proposing the motion Hinckley De Montfort Lib Dem Councillor Michael Mulllaney said "Our country and our local community here in Hinckley and Bosworth appreciate the incredible work that nurses, carers and other support staff in the NHS have done during the Covid-19 pandemic. We applauded them on our doorsteps on Thursday nights and the government gave them a badge. But our nurses and carers need more than badges and claps they need a decent pay increase that really appreciates the work they've done.

There's been an angry response to the seven Leicestershire Conservative MPs, including the MP for Hinckley and Bosworth voting down proposals for free school meals to continue during the holidays.

Over 7,000 children in Leicestershire are entitled to free school meals and are likely to be affected by the decision.

I/we the undersigned call for Leicestershire County Highways to urgently extend the cyclepath from the A47 in Hinckley through to St Martin's School in Stoke Golding. The route to the school is currently dangerous for those children that cycle to school that way and a deterrent to others to cycle to school because of the dangers. A safe cycle route is needed for pupils, parents and residents of Stoke Golding and Hinckley who need to travel this route and we urge the County Council to extend the cycle path here.

The Liberal Democrats have warned malicious calls to the ambulance service are putting lives at risk as they reveal 3,325 hoax calls have been made over the last three years.

With the UK in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson has warned Ministers must ensure ambulance services have "the resources they need to educate people over the dangers that malicious calls pose."

Figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats under freedom of information reveal there have been 23,942 hoax calls recorded by nine out of England's ten ambulance services in the last three years.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said:

"Anyone who maliciously calls for an ambulance is putting lives in danger. An ambulance that is diverted to a hoax is one that is unavailable to save a life elsewhere.

"With the Covid-19 pandemic, we all know the strain that our health staff are under. Ministers must therefore ensure ambulance services have the resources they need to educate people over the dangers that malicious calls pose."

Hinckley Liberal Democrat Councillor Michael Mullaney said:

"The Coronavirus crisis is an unprecedented threat. It is leaving the most vulnerable in our communities at risk and people are rightly worried about their loved ones.

"The people in our ambulance service are putting their lives on the line every single day to protect us. In turn, we have a moral obligation to do all we can to protect them.

Over 100 Liberal Democrat councillors from across the East Midlands have signed a letter to the Secretary of State for Local Government, Robert Jenrick MP, calling for a halt to controversial Government plans to abolish Borough and District Councils across the region and replace them with larger Unitary authorities.

Plans to scrap Hinckley and Bosworth and the other Districts and Boroughs of Leicestershire and create one Unitary authority for all of Leicestershire were condemned at this afternoon's meeting of Leicestershire County Council.

Conservative leader of the County Council Nick Rushton's leaders statement included putting the case for a single Unitary.

Liberal Democrats have warned that the Government's planning proposals will "disempower" local authorities like Hinckley and Bosworth and allow developers to "run roughshod" over local communities' wishes.

A motion agreed at the Party's Autumn Conference, making it official party policy, lays bare the risks of the Government's proposals, which the Party argue amount to a Government "power grab" that will reduce investment in affordable housing in Hinckley and Bosworth and elsewhere.