I would like to send warm wishes to Muslims in the UK and around the world celebrating Eid al-Fitr.

Eid marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan – a month of prayer, personal reflection, and self-denial.

I’m sure that this Ramadan must have felt unusual and I know that observing a socially distanced Eid will not be easy either.

I’m sure that this Ramadan must have felt unusual and I know that observing a socially distanced Eid will not be easy either.

This year, I joined some of our MPs and party members in fasting for one day of Ramadan and this culminated in a Lib Dem Iftar – the first for our party. The fast was challenging at times, but I’m so proud that we were able to do this one small act as a symbol of our solidarity with British Muslims at this time.

I want to thank the doctors and nurses who have sacrificed their lives in the battle against COVID-19. We will always remember them, and we must never forget that many of them were British Muslims. A thorough investigation into why BAME communities have been disproportionately impacted by this virus is needed now more than ever.

Of course, Eid is known as “the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast”. It’s usually a time to come together with loved ones to enjoy festive meals and share gifts but instead, people will remain isolated in their homes, going out only for essential food and brief periods of exercise. Though this will be tough, I’m sure that the sacrifices we all make now will reduce the impact of this virus.

So to everyone celebrating Eid, I wish you joy and peace. Eid Mubarak!

The latest Immigration Statistics, published this morning, show that 51,906 people are waiting for an initial decision on their asylum claims, an increase of 33% since last year. 31,516 have been waiting for more than six months, a 68% increase.

People who’ve come to the UK having fled war or persecution should welcomed, not trapped for months on just £5.39 a day

Currently, asylum seekers are banned from working while they wait for a decision and forced to rely on asylum support payments of only £37.75 a week – just £5.39 a day.

All of our MPs have written jointly to the Home Secretary urging her to increase asylum support by £20 a week during the coronavirus crisis – in line with the increase to Universal Credit. This matches calls from charities Refugee Action, the Salvation Army and others.
 
In the letter, we also called for asylum seekers to be given the right to work if they are waiting for a decision for more than three months.

This would allow them to fill essential roles during the pandemic, as well as to support themselves, integrate in their communities and contribute through taxation.
 
Our Home Affairs Spokesperson, Christine Jardine said:

“The coronavirus crisis is leaving the most vulnerable in our society at risk. We must ensure no one is left behind.
 
People who’ve come to the UK having fled war or persecution should welcomed with compassion and enabled to contribute to our society, not trapped for months on just £5.39 a day – especially now during this pandemic.
 
The way the Home Office is treating these vulnerable people is appalling and unacceptable. The Government must urgently increase support for asylum seekers in line with the emergency increase for people on Universal Credit.
 
Ministers should also finally give asylum seekers the right to work, allowing them to fill essential roles during the pandemic, as well as giving them a sense of dignity, more money and the ability to contribute to the economy.”

Today we have introduced a Bill to require the Government to seek a two-year extension to the Brexit transition period, in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.

To choose a No Deal Brexit and crash out, when the option to extend the transition is possible, would be an act of national self-harm – especially when our NHS, economy and food supply chains are already stretched and struggling.

To crash out of the Brexit transition period when our NHS & economy are already stretched due to COVID-19, would be unthinkable

Speaking ahead of the Bill’s presentation, Liberal Democrat Acting Leader Ed Davey said:

“It is clear the government have not made nearly enough progress on the Brexit trade talks.

To crash out of the Brexit transition period when our NHS & economy are already stretched due to COVID-19, would be unthinkable.

It is time the Prime Minister did the right thing. That is why Liberal Democrats are today presenting legislation that would enable the government to seek an extension to the transition period.”

To crash out of the Brexit transition period when our NHS & economy are already stretched due to COVID-19, would be unthinkable.

While Gove has admitted there will be checks on goods going from Britain to NI, there is still significant detail lacking in these documents.

With just weeks to go until the deadline, the Government must extend the transition period as a priority. https://t.co/I8z6e5laPm

— Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) May 20, 2020

European Union Withdrawal (Implementation Period) Bill:

 A Bill to require Her Majesty’s Government to seek a two-year extension of the implementation period under Article 132 of the Withdrawal Agreement; to repeal the prohibition on agreeing to such an extension under section 33 of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020; and for connected purposes.

The Presentation Bill will face its second reading on 12th June 2020. However, the extension request has to be made by the UK before the end of June.

With just weeks to go until this deadline, it is clear that the Government must extend the transition period as a priority.

Last week, we published the frank independent review into the 2019 general election. It rightly received plaudits in the media for its candour.

This review challenges us to change as a party and to change the country for the better.

We now need to get on with that work – and that’s what we’ve done with a set of key decisions by your Federal Board.

In the midst of the Covid 19 crisis it is easy to think it is the only issue in town. But there is another issue that as Liberals we should not need reminding of.

One aspect of it was highlighted to me this week when a friend told me that he cannot give blood.

My friend would like to help by providing blood from which plasma could be used in the fight against COVID-19 but regardless of how rare his blood group might be, of how healthy he is, he cannot donate because he is gay.

I was stunned.

We must surely recognise that there are still elements of our lives which label and marginalise the LGBTQ community

So I checked and, to be fair, the NHS site says all men must wait 3 months after having sex with another man before donating. It doesn’t claim to be a ban, and says it is regardless of sexuality. But the reality is that as someone in a long term committed single-sex relationship that almost automatically excludes him. 

And it is not the only example.

More than once in the past three years I have pressed the Government to fulfill the promise of its LGBT action plan and ban gay conversion therapy.

Today is International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.

I would not suggest for a minute that safeguards to ensure donated blood is healthy is by its nature homophobic. I cannot say the same about the lack of a ban on gay conversion therapy.

We must surely recognise that there are still elements of our lives which label and marginalise the LGBTQ community and that this is one of them.

As Liberals we should be aware of the danger of assuming that everybody feels equally respected and protected in the current crisis. These past two months have posed problems for us all that we never thought we would have to face, and demanded strength we did not know that we had.

But we are not there yet.

In striving to reach that moment we would do well to remember the words of US politician Daniel Patrick Moynihan:

“The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society.
The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.”

That is the task we must set ourselves.