Governments must work together to keep Ceredigion families safe at Christmas, say Lib Dems

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a “four nations summit” to consider a united approach to keeping family gatherings safe during the festive season.

In a joint letter to the four governments of the UK, the leaders of the Liberal Democrats in Wales, Scotland and England, and the Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, warned the “interlinked nature of life in the United Kingdom means no one government can devise guidance for the festive season in isolation.”

The letter follows uncertainty about students returning for Christmas and conflicting comments about family gatherings, with Scotland’s National Clinical Director Jason Leitch branding multi-household gatherings “fiction” while the Prime Minister indicated rules could be relaxed.

To enable travel to happen safely, the Liberal Democrat and Alliance politicians believe a “four nations summit” must agree:

“People across Ceredigion will be sorely hoping they can welcome family members home for Christmas, whether from elsewhere in Wales or further afield.

“Governments across the UK need to work together to enable families to reunite safely for the festive period, after what has been a tough year.”

Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds said:

“I cannot imagine a Christmas without spending it with the people I love. I am therefore pleased Liberal Democrat Education Secretary Kirsty Williams is bolstering mental health services and made students returning for Christmas a priority.

“While the priority must continue to be keeping people safe and ensuring no one is left behind, the four governments of the United Kingdom would do well to do all they can to bring some Christmas cheer to a tough year.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

“No one country can manage this challenge in isolation. The fractured rules across the UK have already been incredibly difficult to piece together.

“We need a four nations summit to agree on one set of uniform guidance for Christmas that works for families across the UK. Ministers across Britain need to start work on it now.”