As the MoD announces its new strategy for reserves, Liberal Democrat research has shown that the UK’s reserve forces are still deployed at twice the level that they were before the invasion of Iraq.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said: “Our reserves are working at twice the level they were before the invasion of Iraq. The minister is fooling no one when he claims that reserves are not being used to plug gaps in our overstretched full-time forces.

“The simple fact is that this Government’s disastrous decisions have massively overstretched our Armed Forces. The future of the reserves must be driven by what is best for them and for the Armed Forces.

“While there is a need for modernisation of our reserve forces, any cut in numbers could be like a slap in the face considering the massive contribution they have made.”

Nick Clegg will tomorrow call on Gordon Brown to reverse the shameful Government decision that will see thousands of retired Gurkhas forcibly deported. 

In the Liberal Democrat Opposition Day Debate in the House of Commons, MPs will have the opportunity to vote on last week’s decision to limit the number of retired Gurkhas who can stay in Britain. 

Joanna Lumley and a large group of Gurkhas will demonstrate outside the House of Commons while the Liberal Democrats continue the fight inside Parliament. Nick Clegg will join the protesters after the debate. 

Commenting, Nick Clegg said: “People who are prepared to fight and die for our country should be entitled to live here. Yet even this basic principle is broken by this out of touch and morally bankrupt Government. 

“Our debate will force the Government to come and explain its insulting decision to turn its back on these brave soldiers. MPs of all parties will be able to vote against the Government and force Gordon Brown to back down, even at this late stage. 

“Gordon Brown has a chance to rediscover his moral compass and reverse the betrayal of these loyal veterans. I invite MPs of all parties to join with the Liberal Democrats in seeking justice for the Gurkhas.” 

Find out more about our long running campaign in aid of justice for the Gurkhas >> 

The following motion will be debated during the Liberal Democrat Opposition Day:-

That this House condemns the Government’s recent statement outlining the eligibility criteria for Gurkhas to reside in the United Kingdom; recognises the contribution the Gurkhas have made to the safety and freedom of the United Kingdom for the past 200 years; notes that more Gurkhas have laid down their lives for the United Kingdom than are estimated to want to live here; believes that Gurkhas who retired before 1997 should be treated fairly and in the same way as those who have retired since; is concerned that the Government’s new guidelines will permit only a small minority of Gurkhas and their families to settle whilst preventing the vast majority; further believes that people who are prepared to fight and die for the United Kingdom should be entitled to live here; and calls upon the Government to withdraw its new guidelines immediately and bring forward revised proposals that extend an equal right of residence to all Gurkhas. 

According to the Telegraph online there is mounting pressure on the Home Secretary to ditch the ID cards; even David Blunkett who initially raised the prospect of compulsory ID cards in 2001 when he was Home Secretary is no longer convinced. On Tuesday the Labour MP signalled that mandatory biometric passports could provide a replacement for the controversial scheme, which people have now nicknamed the “sacred cow” but will the government be forced into yet another U-turn. His comments have come at a bad time, and will be embarrassing for the Government.

It follows reports that senior Cabinet ministers are privately discussing abandoning the £5bn programme in the wake of the economic recession and cuts now needed in public spending. 

Opposition MPs said ID cards were in disarray and dubbed them an “abandoned orphan” after the “father” of the scheme has now spurned them.  

It comes a day after the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was forced to ditch plans for a super communications database because of privacy concerns in a significant row back over the growth of the Big Brother state.  

Mr Blunkett has already suggested ID cards would only work for Britons if they were compulsory. At a security conference in London yesterday he was asked whether ID cards could be dropped. He replied: “I think it is possible to mandate biometric passports”.  

Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “When even the father of ID cards spurns them, the idea is truly an abandoned orphan.  

“Only the most profligate of governments would lavish billions on this programme in such a deep recession where hard choices are needed on public priorities.  

“There is no face-saver with passports, which were becoming biometric in any case. It would be ridiculous to insist that people pay for new passports whether they need them or not.  

“The Government should remember that the British state belongs to the British people and not the other way around.”  

One senior Cabinet minister was reported yesterday as warning ID cards will be binned because some “sacred cows” will have to go to reduce the growing public debt mountain.  

The minister said it would be better to target those schemes that are unpopular with the public such as ID cards.

Responding to the Children’s Commissioner for England’s call for the Government to stop detaining the children of failed asylum seekers while they await deportation, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “It is a stain on Britain’s proud record of providing sanctuary to the world’s persecuted that we imprison the children of failed asylum seekers.” 

“It is deeply inhumane that we routinely lock up children who have committed no crime, often in awful conditions.

“This cruel practice is only going to be stopped if we create an asylum system that is firm but fair. That means taking responsibility away from the Home Office and giving it to a Canadian-style independent agency.”

Commenting on yesterday’s report from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) which calls for immediate action to transform the building sector and meet climate change targets, Liberal Democrat Housing Spokesperson, Sarah Teather said: “Complacency about climate change is not an option. Tougher regulations to set high standards for all buildings is vital if we are going to avoid an environmental catastrophe.”

“The Government must scrap its pointless VAT cut and invest the money in thousands of zero carbon social homes, offering families low fuel bills and a major programme to improve the energy efficiency of schools and hospitals. This is the green fiscal stimulus the country needs.”

Commenting on today’s Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) research that reveals pensioners get relatively poorer as they get older, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Steve Webb said: “Labour’s changes to the pension system will do nothing to prevent pensioners becoming poorer as they get older.”

“Ministers have refused to say when the link between pensions and earnings will be restored.

“The basic state pension is simply too little to live on for the millions of pensioners who have no other income. Pensioners should not be forced to rely on complex means-tested benefits in their retirement, which has put many off from even claiming.

“We need a more generous, universal pension based on citizenship which would give all pensioners enough to live on, whatever their age.”

Only seven people caught selling alcohol to children in 2007 were given the maximum fine, figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats show.

The information, contained in a Parliamentary answer, shows that:

Ø       No one was fined the maximum amount for selling or allowing the sale of alcohol to under 18s

Ø       No one was find the maximum amount for persistently selling alcohol to children

Ø       Only seven were fined the maximum amount for selling alcohol to children for consumption on the premises

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: “The Government likes to talk tough, but these figures show people being let off lightly for selling alcohol to children.

“Rather than more posturing, ministers should enforce a strict policy to ensure those caught selling alcohol to children lose their licence.”

Within hours of delivering his Budget speech last week to the House of Commons; the Chancellor was delivered news that the recession was worse than the official statistics had originally revealed. We have also heard that mortgage lending for March was lower than in February, significantly affected by a lack of consumer confidence.

The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) released the latest figures this morning, and they found gross mortgage lending was at its lowest level since April 2001, standing at just £8.9 billion.

Apparently consumer confidence was holding back the decision to take on a mortgage, and overall all measures of the banks’ mortgage lending were “marginally weaker” for the month.

There was a fall in the number of house purchase mortgages approved, from 28,024 in February, to 26,097 in March, according to the BBA.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: “This is further evidence that contradicts the chancellor’s rosy picture of the economy.

“As people know from bitter experience under the last Conservative government, the economy doesn’t simply bounce out of recession.

“Millions of people are worried about their jobs and as a result buying a new house is one of the last things on their mind.

“In the midst of a deep recession, it is inevitable that we’ll continue to see further falls in the housing market for some time.”

Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg and campaigner Joanna Lumley yesterday held talks to discuss the next steps in their campaign for justice for the Gurkhas. Nick Clegg confirmed that the Liberal Democrats will hold an opposition day debate on the issue in Parliament on Wednesday following last week’s Government announcement to limit the numbers of Gurkhas allowed to settle in the UK. Joanna Lumley and other campaigners have agreed to support the debate on the day by staging a protest outside the House of Commons.

Nick Clegg said: “I have today spoken to Joanna Lumley who is delighted that the Liberal Democrats have secured a parliamentary debate on the Gurkhas on Wednesday.

“This means that a Minister has to come and explain the Government’s insulting decision to turn their back on these brave soldiers, and MPs of all parties will be able to vote against the Government. This is our best chance to force Gordon Brown to back down, even at this late stage.

“Joanna and a large group of Gurkhas will demonstrate outside the House of Commons while the Liberal Democrats continue the fight inside Parliament. I hope MPs of all parties will join us on that demonstration.

“People who are prepared to fight and die for this country should be entitled to live here. Yet even this basic principle is broken by a Government desperate to cover its back and wriggle out of its commitments.

“I have campaigned with the Gurkhas for some time and was on the steps of the High Court when their hopes of finally getting justice were raised. It has been heartbreaking to see these hopes dashed by such a cruel Government decision.

“Gordon Brown once said he had a moral compass. If so, he should find it quickly, do the right thing and give the Gurkhas the recognition and dignity they deserve”.

Responding to David Cameron’s speech at the Conservative Spring Forum, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: “What I find depressing about today is that all we have had is just more Tory rhetoric with little clarification of what they would actually do and the hard choices that they would take.”

“The Tories seem to think that they can coast their way to Downing Street because the Government is so unpopular but at some point, they are going to have tell the British people just what they have up their sleeves.

“With collapsing growth and a burgeoning deficit, it is more necessary than ever for all parties to follow the Liberal Democrat lead and have an open, honest debate about what Governments won’t be able to afford to do in the future – tough decisions about public sector pensions, the affordability of the complex tax credit system, whether we can keep sending one in two young people to university when graduate jobs are drying up and our defence commitments.”