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Here's what our peers got up to this week.
Monday 22nd February
Each day in the Lords begins with four oral questions to the Government on different topics. Dee Doocey took the Government to task for often taking many weeks, or even months, to answer Written Questions submitted by peers. They are a critical tool for parliamentarians, she said, and government departments are working in a way that is detrimental for others trying to hold ministers to account.
Welcome to the Weekly Whip. Your one-stop shop for Lib Dem Parliamentary updates, covering the week that was and the week to come.
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Weekly Whip w/c 22nd February
Monday 22ndFebruary
All eyes were on the Prime Minister on Monday as he delivered an address to Parliament, setting out a roadmap of rolling back restrictions as the pandemic heads into a new phase.
25 years ago our former leader Paddy Ashdown laid out the stakes for Britain's position in the world:
Britain's role as the bulwark against tyranny in two wars this century was not a product of isolationism. It was the natural response of a nation used to engaging in the world and certain about its role as a European power.
Just like with Black History Month (October) or Disability History Month (which runs from November into December), it's typically filled with events (check ours out here) and discussion. LGBT+ History Month reminds us of the progress we've made, but also warns us about the injustices that we have only recently escaped - and injustices that are still with us.
During this pandemic, millions of people have stepped up heroically to look after elderly, disabled and vulnerable people.
Most carers are simply exhausted during coronavirus. Most haven't had a single break since the pandemic began.
A recent survey by Carers UK found that 81% of carers are spending more time on their caring responsibilities during the pandemic, mainly because the needs of the person they are caring for have increased or because the local care services they rely on have been reduced or closed.
For all of us, 2020 was a difficult year; some of us touched by death and many by loss of income, wellbeing and self-worth. So much has changed, and yet not changed.
Those of us with memories of SARS watched in concern at the British Government late and botched efforts to tackle COVID. We saw COVID-related hate crime spike as Chinese people were shunned, and verbally and physically assaulted. Internet memes depicting Chinese people as sources of COVID were widely shared.
