Following
Labour’s advances in the general election and increased number of MPs, Jeremy
Corbyn is today announcing 20 appointments to the shadow front bench. These
include new and returning MPs.

Jeremy
Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“I’m
delighted to be filling Labour’s shadow front bench with a wealth of talent.
Our new shadow ministers will bolster the excellent work of Labour’s shadow
cabinet and departmental teams.

“These
appointments are further evidence that Labour is not just the opposition – we
are the government in waiting.”

The
new appointments are:

DEFRA

David
Drew

Holly
Lynch

Home
Affairs

Nick
Thomas Symonds

Chris
Williamson

Afzal
Khan

Louise
Haigh

Scotland

Paul
Sweeney

Justice

Gloria
de Piero

Imran
Hussain

International
Development

Roberta
Blackman Woods

Transport

Rachael
Maskell

Karl
Turner

Treasury

Anneliese
Dodds

Housing

Tony
Lloyd

Melanie
Onn

Women
and equalities

Carolyn
Harris

Defence

Gerald
Jones

Local
Government

Yvonne
Fovargue

Education

Tracey
Brabin

Wales

Chris
Ruane

Further
appointments are expected in due course.

Rebecca
Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy, responding
to Ofgem’s announcement on an energy price cap, said:

“Ofgem’s watered down proposals go nowhere near the promise made by the
Prime Minister to adopt Labour’s principle of a price cap. In the general
election, she pledged unequivocally to knock £100 off the bills of 17 million
customers but then didn’t include the promise in the Queen’s Speech.

“After reports that the Prime Minister has been lobbied by senior
cabinet members and the big six energy companies to drop the price cap
commitment, ministers must tell the British people why they treat
fair pricing for energy consumers as such a low priority and if they are
going to make yet another u-turn. “

Ends

Editors Notes

1.       Theresa May made a strong declaration to an energy price cap for 17
million customers, saving £100 in The Sun – link below:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3512895/theresa-may-energy-cap-promise/

2.       Ofgem’s press release

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-announces-plans-deliver-fairer-more-competitive-market-all-consumers

Commenting
on today’s reports that Ministers will trigger exit from the London Fisheries
Convention, shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Sue Hayman MP, said:

“Labour
opposes a hard Brexit that would jeopardise jobs, environmental sustainability
and the future prosperity of the British fishing industry. 

“The
London Convention predates British membership of the EU by a decade and has
arguably been superseded by the Common Fisheries Policy which the UK will
withdraw from automatically following our leaving the EU.

“Given
that the majority of fish caught by UK vessels are within the Atlantic (fishing
area 27) which includes the edge of Greenland to North Russia and as far south
as the bottom of Spain/Portugal, it is vital that any Brexit deal does not
jeopardise access to these waters for our British fishing fleet.

“This
provocative decision at this stage of the negotiations puts at risk those
necessary and far more valuable fisheries management arrangements we will need
to agree on leaving the EU as well as a tariff free trade deal so vital to our
British fishing exports. It is another example of the Tories’ reckless approach
to Brexit.”

Responding
to allegations of a cover up of unlawful killings by U.K. forces in
Afghanistan, Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“The
allegations of unlawful killings and war crimes in Afghanistan are extremely
serious and must be fully investigated.

"Our
armed forces have a reputation for decency and bravery. If we do not act on
such shocking allegations we risk undermining that reputation, our security at
home and the safety of those serving in the armed forces abroad.

"Our
values and respect for the rule of law require full accountability. We owe it
to our armed forces and the victims and their families to ensure that a
thorough investigation takes place.

 "There
can be no question of a cover up. The government must now establish an
independent inquiry into what has taken place.”

In
response to Kensington and Chelsea council suspending rent payments for
Grenfell residents, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government, Andrew Gwynne MP, said:

 "It
is unacceptable that it has taken until now for the council to suspend rent for
displaced residents in Grenfell Tower and the surrounding area that were
evacuated from their homes.

 "People
have been made homeless in this tragedy, lost family, friends and everything
they own – Sajid Javid needs to finally show some leadership and send in
commissioners to take control of this council.”