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South Central Region

Welcome to the web site of South Central Region Liberal Democrats.

South Central Region covers the counties of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and this site contains information about the Liberal Democrats across the region.

  • Could you be our candidate for Mayor of London?
    Article: Aug 13, 2020
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    By Simon McGrath

    the combination of a higher poverty rate than the rest of England, Brexit, COVID-19 and an ineffectual Mayor have presented Londoners with huge challenges

    Nearly nine million people, 300 languages, the second largest financial centre in the world, a power house of culture, media and business and the driver of the UK economy: London is a fantastic place to live and work. But the combination of a higher poverty rate than the rest of England, Brexit, COVID-19 and an ineffectual Mayor have presented Londoners with huge challenges.

  • Statement on the Radical Association Hustings
    Article: Aug 11, 2020
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    On the 1st of August, we notified both Leadership Campaigns of a proposal from the Radical Association to conduct an event.

    An agreed Chair wasn't then identified before Saturday 8th. At this stage, we were advised that the Layla Moran campaign could no longer attend the event.

    The Returning Officer's team believes both campaigns acted reasonably and in good faith, indeed they have been notably helpful and flexible with the shifting arrangements throughout this campaign.

  • Getting children back to school
    Article: Aug 10, 2020
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    The past few months have been incredibly difficult for pupils and teachers. We must ensure no child's opportunities are diminished due to this terrible pandemic - that means getting children back to school safely.

  • UK Government must grant refugee status to all Uyghur asylum seekers
    Article: Aug 10, 2020
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    By Alistair Carmichael

    The world has watched in horror as the persecution of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang has been revealed. From the initial reports of mass surveillance, to evidence of up to 3 million people forced into so called re-education camps, the situation is bleak and all too familiar.

    We remain clear that the UK has a duty to act.

  • Honouring our debt to Afghan interpreters
    Article: Aug 7, 2020
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    During the war in Afghanistan, a number of Afghan civilians served with British troops as interpreters. These brave men and women risked their lives to enable our Armed Forces to do their jobs.

    It was our own Paddy Ashdown who fought to ensure that the Government didn't forget the service of these Afghan heroes.

    Many of them were no longer safe in Afghanistan, facing reprisals for their service to the UK.

    So I was proud that, when the UK began withdrawing our forces in 2012, it was our own Paddy Ashdown who fought to ensure that the Government didn't forget the service of these Afghan heroes.

    Back in 2013, he spoke powerfully about the "debt of honour" we owe them, and argued that they must be offered the chance to live in the UK.

    Thanks to Paddy's campaign and the efforts of Liberal Democrat Ministers, we secured a scheme to allow interpreters to move to the UK.

    However, they faced fierce resistance from Conservative Ministers, who set tight limits on who could benefit from the scheme.

    Only those who were still working for the UK in December 2012 were eligible, and they could only bring family members with them if they moved at the same time - spouses and children could not join them later.

    This left far too many interpreters stuck in Afghanistan and at serious risk of violence, or in the UK but separated from their families.

    So we kept campaigning and, in 2018, the Government promised to expand the scheme to include all interpreters who have served on the frontline with British troops since May 2006.

    It claimed that up to 200 more people would be able to benefit from the changes - but, two years later, just two translators have been able to come to the UK under the new rules.

    The Government also promised in March last year that interpreters who have relocated to the UK would now be able to bring family members to join them.

    Brave individuals in Afghanistan who put their lives at risk for our country deserve the right to stay in the UK.

    Sadly, however, not a single family member had been relocated to the UK under the new rules more than a year after that change came into force.

    These failures represent an appalling breach of the debt Paddy spoke of back in 2013.

    These courageous interpreters must not be left to live in fear of reprisals for their service, nor must they be cruelly separated from their families.

    So, along with my Liberal Democrat colleagues and a number of MPs from other parties, I have written to the Defence Secretary and the Home Secretary, urging them to put this right without further delay.

  • Returning Officer's Ruling 5th August 2020
    Article: Aug 5, 2020
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    A complaint has been made about Ed Davey's campaign's conduct in its communication with members as to their voting intentions, specifically that they instructed canvassers not to disclose the identity of the campaign they were actually calling on behalf in calls made on the 11th and 14th of July 2020.

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