Yesterday the Prime Minister announced that the Foreign Office and Department for International Development are set to merge.

By working internationally we can achieve so much more than we can alone.

The Liberal Democrats have always made absolutely clear our unequivocal support for Britain's role as a world leader in providing aid to those most in need.

The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, but now the Conservative Government is turning its back on child refugees and failing to live up to our obligations to them.

That's why over 40 Liberal Democrat parliamentarians have signed letter to the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary, urging them to uphold the UK's proud tradition of providing sanctuary to unaccompanied refugee children from elsewhere in Europe and to deliver on the Government's commitment to continue reuniting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from across the EU with their families in the UK.

In a letter to the Independent Press Standards Organisation, the Liberal Democrats have condemned today's front page of The Sun as "appalling and unacceptable" and urged the independent regulator to make clear there must be no place for the "glorification of violence" in our media.

Liberal Democrat MPs Christine Jardine, Daisy Cooper and Ed Davey, the Party have also called on The Sun to donate all its revenue from today's paper to the charity Refuge, to support its vital work helping survivors overcome their abuse and rebuild their lives.

A group of cross-party MPs and charities have come together to condemn the front page of The Sun for giving a voice to an alleged perpetrator of domestic violence, J.K. Rowling's former husband.

As we move through the coronavirus pandemic, reflecting on the last three months has exposed deep roots of inequality and unfairness in our society. I believe we must seize this opportunity to provide real change and a fresh start. Now must be the time we ensure no one is left behind, whether that's protecting workers who have lost jobs, families who have lost loved ones, or students who have lost valuable education.

Yesterday the Government announced it would undertake a cross-governmental commission to address the inequalities that BAME communities face.

It is vital that the commission has full representation from across different BAME communities.

The Liberal Democrats have joined with BAME communities in calling for a government-wide race equality strategy, so this commission is a welcome first step.

The Liberal Democrats need a New Direction. This is why I'm standing for leader.

In this election, we need to make a clean break with the coalition

Ten years ago, we were filled with great optimism for our future as a party. However, we have ended the decade with real disappointment; eleven MPs, the most right-wing government in recent history, and a departure from the EU.

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 8th June

Monday 8th June

Alistair secured the first emergency debate of this Parliament. The previous week, the government had not scheduled time to debate the plans for proxy voting, nor its motion for virtual participation for self-selecting members. Given the importance of the matter, Alistair's application for a debate was granted and on Monday he led a two hour debate on the subject.

The Black Lives Matter protests have demonstrated the urgent need to tackle racial injustice and address the pain and harm these injustices cause.

A Black person is 47 times more likely to be stopped and searched than a white person.

We are urging the Prime Minister to look again at some of the harmful policies his Government is pursuing. One of these is his expansion of Stop and Search powers.