We’re demanding better for Britain with these progressive policies the Government don’t want you to know about.

The following article was written by Christine Jardine and published on the Lib Dem Website.

Many of these private members’ bills simply fell off the parliamentary order paper this week – the Tory government failed to give us to debate these vital issues. Others were outright blocked. We must demand better than this broken government, distracted by their Brexit mess.

Here are our 14 progressive private members’ bills the government doesn’t want you to know about.

Cutting down plastic pollution

We need radical action to cut down on plastic pollution. Alistair Carmichael’s bill does just that.

His bill would  require the government to commit to ambitious targets to reduce plastic pollution and report back on progress annually. It also aims to get rid of single use plastics by 2025.

If we are to truly confront climate change and pollution, our ambition must match the enormity of the challenge ahead. 

Providing end of life care for the homeless

We must do much more to help those who are rough sleeping or homeless. That means a new approach to low cost and social housing, as well as scrapping the odious Vagrancy Act that criminalises the homeless.

It also means we do more to ensure those who are terminally ill, and living on our streets, have appropriate medical care and housing support. Ed Davey’s bill would do just that.

Ending the gender price gap

It’s a travesty that women have to pay more than men for basic products like razors when there is virtually not difference in the product. It’s just not fair.

Christine Jardine’s bill to end the gender price gap seeks to end this malpractice.

Immigration armed forces bill

Serving in our armed forces is a statement of pride and commitment, and we are lucky to have members of the Commonwealth in our military. Why, then, do we levy fees on those men and women who then seek to make Britain their home after serving?

Ed Davey doesn’t think this is right. His bill would remove the £2,389 per person fee for ex-service men and women to make Britain their home. Almost £10,000 for a family of four to move to the UK after their parent has served our country? It’s simply wrong.

Improving access to radiotherapy 

A cancer diagnosis places a tremendous amount of stress on an individual or a family. It is one of the difficult things to face, and the government must do more to help.

Tim Farron’s bill seeks to make it easier for patients to access vital radiotherapy for cancer treatment, including a maximum travel time of 45 minutes for patients to travel. 

Parental leave bill

Each year 54,000 women are forced out of their jobs due to pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the UK.

It’s time to get serious about workplace discrimination against new mothers and pregnant women. Jo Swinson’s bill would compel employers with over 250 people to publish information about parental leave, and their pay during the course of such leave. 

We must demand better for families across Britain and tackle this fundamental injustice.

Making it easier for asylum seekers to find work

Why are we making it harder for asylum seekers to find work? For those people forced from their homes, we should be welcoming them into Britain and giving them the opportunity to start contributing to society.

That’s what Christine Jardine’s bill would do. Everyone deserves the right to work and play their part. If you agree, join our campaign here.

Gender neutral school uniforms

Gendered uniform policies send a message that boys, in their more practical clothes, should be running around and playing sport, and girls should not.

Layla Moran wants to change this. Her bill would make sure that any child can choose to wear trousers, skirts, shorts or dresses.

Recognition of Palestine 

The situation in the Middle East is a humanitarian crisis, but Layla Moran’s bill would seek to redress some of the injustice faced by the Palestinian people by recognising Palestine’s statehood.

‘House of Peers’

Politics and government should reflect the society it represents. Despite this, half of our legislature retains the archaic name House of Lords. 

It’s time for a change. That’s why Christine Jardine’s bill would rename the body to the House of Peers. 

Giving people the final say on Brexit

Tom Brake’s bill would give the people the final say on the Brexit deal. 

The government has made a complete mess of Brexit. It’s cost more, been more complicated, and taken far longer than expected. To make matters worse, Theresa May is now trying to threaten MPs into backing her deal by running down the clock. It’s a national embarrassment.

The politicians have shown they cannot fix this mess themselves. Tom Brake’s bill would give the people power over their own future through a People’s Vote.

Railways franchises 

Thousands of people had their working lives made impossible due to the southern and northern rail timetable chaos in 2018.

We need to make it much easier for the government to strip companies of their franchises for poor performance, and put power over rail decision making back in the hands of local authorities. That’s what Tim Farron’s Railways (Franchises) Bill would seek to do.

Improving transport to hospitals

Tim Farron’s bill demands a full-scale review of patient journey times for elderly people across the country. For people in rural areas, accessing medical support can be a huge struggle.

We have to demand better. We need a major re-think in how older people travel to hospital appointments.

Postnatal health care check ups

New mothers can experience serious mental health challenges, but sadly we have not seen real action from the government on this issue. They are simply not doing enough to improve mental health care.

Wera Hobhouse’s bill would require routine six week National Health Service check-ups for new mothers to include mental health assessments and advice. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and our support for new mothers must reflect that.

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