Cat Smith MP, Labour’s Shadow
Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs, commenting on the Electoral
Commission report on the 2017 UK Parliamentary General Election, said:

“We welcome the Electoral
Commission’s report which shows that 46.8 million people were registered to
vote at the 2017 UK General Election, making it the largest electorate for a
UK-wide poll.

“To build
a healthy democracy we need active participation of all citizens, which is why
the Labour Party delivered a ground-breaking digital campaign which sought to
maximise the number of young people to register to vote during the election
period. In contrast, the Conservative party assumed that young people were
apathetic to party politics. They made no effort to encourage voter registration,
or to put forward policies that would offer real opportunities to young people.

“We agree
with a number of the key recommendations put forward by the Electoral
Commission. Double voting is a serious crime and it is vital that the police
have the resources they need to bring about prosecution. However, we urge
caution when looking at measures to tackle this issue – a blanket ban on being
registered at two addresses would exclude those who for reasons of work or
study need to be registered in two places. This cannot be an attempt to make it
harder for young people and students to register to vote.

“During
the General Election, the Labour Party put forward an inclusive, optimistic and
transformative manifesto, which we will continue to strengthen and communicate
to voters, in order to build a Britain that truly works for the many not the
few.”

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow
Health Secretary, responding to reports in Nursing Times
that universities are reducing the size of their nursing courses in the wake of
the removal of bursaries in England, said:

“The Government’s decision to remove
the bursaries for health degrees is a terrible misjudgment. They have failed to
deliver the extra 10,000 nursing places they promised and in fact some
universities are now planning to offer fewer places.

"Applications for nursing degrees
have fallen by 23% this year and now universities say they have not yet
received enough responses from prospective students to fill the number of
training places they are offering. 

"The Government has created a crisis in the nursing workforce which is causing
chaos for patients. They should urgently revisit their decision to charge fees
for health degrees before it is too late.”

Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, commenting on the appointment of Sir Ian Burnett as the new Lord Chief Justice, said:

“I congratulate Sir Ian Burnett on his appointment as Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales from October 2017.

“One of the Lord Chief Justice’s key responsibilities is representing the views of the judiciary to Parliament and the government.

“I look forward to working with Lord Justice Burnett in upholding the independence of the judiciary, which is a cornerstone of our legal system.”

Diane Abbott MP,
Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the acid attacks that took place
across London yesterday evening, said: 

“The
recent spate of acid attacks have shocked the nation, but sadly they are
nothing new. With a steady rise in attacks since 2010 and a steep increase of
70 per cent from 2015 to 2016, it is clear that the Government urgently needs a
new approach to tackling this heinous crime.

"Just like knives and guns, acid is being used in murders, robberies and
rapes. The problem is the weapon of choice is often a common household product.
With very few prosecutions it is clear that we do not have the tools necessary
to investigate and prevent these attacks.

"While the Tories arrogantly insist that they have protected the police
budget, the reality is they have cut numbers by over 20,000, leaving our forces
overstretched as they work tirelessly to keep the public and our communities
safe.”

Diane
Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the launch of the
Government’s new drugs strategy, said:

“Rising
drug-related fatalities, drug crime and a cocktail of new drugs means that a
new effective strategy is overdue. But this isn’t it.

"Commitments
to treat addiction and tackle the social ills that accompany it are meaningless
from a Government which has cut drug treatment services and centres. There is
no new money now.

"At
the same time, this Tory Government expects law enforcement agencies to deal
with multiple new drugs and sources of supply, but has spent seven years
slashing funding to the police and border force with further cuts in the
pipeline.

"Warm
words won’t tackle the drugs crisis. Resources are needed, and mustn’t be
diverted from other hard-pressed budgets. Labour in government will tackle the
drugs crisis and review the priorities to ensure they are appropriate.”