2025: Week 45 - Dawlish Aviary and Asylum reform

This week we received the upsetting news that avian influenza had infected and killed a number of the ornamental waterfowl at Dawlish, including some of the black swans. As a result of this the Animal and Plant Health Agency implemented a monitoring zone and sadly all the birds housed in the aviary in Dawlish had to be humanely culled, in strict accordance with current legislation and animal health guidance.

I’d like to express my thanks and support to all who look after the waterfowl in Dawlish, from the wardens, volunteers, councillors and council staff at this difficult time, and I know that Dawlish Town Council will review the future of the aviary carefully and in conjunction with the relevant experts and authorities to ensure that every possible step is taken to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.

In Parliament the Home Secretary set out the Government’s plans to reform the asylum system. Whilst it is clear our current system is broken and needs urgent reform, this needs to be tackled sensitively to try and prevent further divisions and hostility.  With the announcements yesterday ranging from limiting refugees to temporary stays, to overhauling human rights law to help increase deportations, and threatening countries with visa bans unless they accept the return of criminals and illegal immigrants.

There was also talk about confiscating valuables from asylum seekers such as watches and jewellery, which goes against everything that the British people are, a nation that has historically responded with compassion to those fleeing atrocities. 

The Lib Dems have long called for our asylum systems to be fit for purpose, currently they are failing everyone due to the catastrophic mismanagement by the Conservatives, and the continued failures to speed up the process by the Labour Government.  We are calling for Nightingale style processing centres, which will make the whole process as quick and efficient as it can be, whilst ensuring dignity for those seeking asylum. 

We heard the news last week that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) are to be scrapped as part of the Local Government Reorganisation.  After years of calling for that position to be scrapped, this is a huge Liberal Democrat win. However, giving PCC powers to Mayors, who have dubious democratic mandates and very little scrutiny, is not the way to bring this failed Conservative experiment to an end. Policing and Politics must be kept separate, the Police must be allowed to operate independently of any political party in order to preserve the integrity of the service.  The Government must allow crime and police boards to take over and ensure that the resources wasted on these costly PCCs go into what really matters - improving frontline policing and properly staffing community policing and rural crime teams