At a time when millions of small businesses are struggling to survive, to offer them just £5 billion would be an insult.

We need to see a budget with a bold and ambitious compensation package

From beauticians to builders, florists to café owners - the small businesses in our communities are on the brink and the Chancellor must do more.

"Farnborough Leisure Centre should reopen and stay open" says Alan Hilliar, local community campaigner and Parliamentary Spokesman for Rushmoor Liberal Democrats.

At last week's Cabinet meeting, Rushmoor Conservatives voted not to reopen the Leisure Centre, maintaining that they could not afford the extra money the current operator had demanded.

Farnborough Leisure Centre is being closed. The proposed new centre won't open for at least 4
years. The loss to the whole Farnborough community is immeasurable, leaving the town without
the benefit of all its sporting facilities and children without an accessible place to learn to swim.

Conservative run Rushmoor Borough Council do not appear to think the physical health and
mental well-being of the local population is worth the cost of underwriting any losses arising from
the re-opening of the centre after the Covid lockdown. Your local Liberal Democrats believe we
can't afford not to reopen as we try to recover from the devastating effects of Covid-19 in our
community.

For more up to date information from the Lib Dem Lords, follow us on twitter: @LibDemLords

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.

For up to date information from the Lib Dem Whips Office, follow us on Twitter: @LibDemWhips

Weekly Whip w/c 22nd February

Monday 22nd February

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.

For years, the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning to scrap the archaic Vagrancy Act, which makes it illegal to sleep rough.

And yesterday, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick conceded that we were right, and that it's time to get rid of this cruel and outdated law.

Delighted to hear Robert Jenrick thinks the outdated, cruel Vagrancy Act should go.

Together with @tracey_crouch @CarolineLucas @ToniaAntoniazzi @LSRPlaid @Jamie4North @timfarron I've introduced a Bill that would repeal it in a heartbeat.

Time to pick it up and #ScraptheAct. pic.twitter.com/zeNE9yzVsE

- Layla Moran 🔶 (@LaylaMoran) February 25, 2021

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.