Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the
International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance report, said:

“This report exposes the Government’s complete and shocking
failure to maintain its commitment on defence spending to our Armed Forces and
to the country.

“Just weeks after the Prime Minister was lecturing our allies
about increasing spending to meet the 2 percent NATO commitment, it is now
clear that her Government is unwilling to commit the necessary resources to our
nation’s defences.

“As the Defence Select Committee has shown, the MoD was already
barely scrapping over the 2 percent mark and had changed its accounting methods
to give the illusion of keeping the commitment. To be spending less than 2
percent of GDP on defence is utterly unacceptable, particularly in this time of
immense global uncertainty.

“Labour is committed to spending at least 2 percent of our GDP
on defence spending, as we consistently did when in government.”

ENDS

Jon Trickett MP, Labour’s
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, responding to warnings from
the Institute for Government about deficiencies in the Government
Transformation Strategy, said:

“Ministers need to pay attention to these warnings. There’s a real
lack of ambition and clarity in the government’s digital transformation
strategy.

“While the Government tried to avoid criticism by sneaking it out
after the Brexit debate, they cannot ignore the details which they’ll be judged
on in the long term.

“Theresa May and her Government should throw their weight behind
this strategy to make sure a digital transformation actually takes place – and
this isn’t just another flashy strategy that falls by the wayside when
Ministers realise they haven’t thought through the details.”

Ends

Debbie Abrahams
MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the findings of the
Intergenerational Commission report, said: 

“We welcome the
news that pensioners are now much less likely to be in poverty, continuing the
trend put in place by the last Labour Government which saw a huge decline in
poverty among older people.

“Nevertheless,
this report recognises the ‘high level of inequality’ among pensioners. We
cannot allow this Government to hide behind talk of a wealthy older generation,
while these inequalities remain.

“Unlike the
divisive Tories, we will not trade one generation off against the others by
claiming that an improved social security settlement for older people must come
at the expense of working families.

“That’s why
Labour has committed to extending the triple lock and protecting social
security for older people until 2025, and reversing cuts to Universal Credit
Work Allowances supporting people in low paid work.”

ENDS

John
McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, welcoming the publication of Labour’s
independent Kerslake Review into the Treasury this morning, said:

“I
welcome this report, which has been produced by some of the leading experts in
our country who have worked closely with the Treasury. And Labour will be
responding in full in the coming weeks to the review.

“Labour
asked Sir Bob Kerslake to head up a review into the Treasury because we needed
to have a serious and thorough examination of one of the most important pillars
of government, and the cornerstone of economic policy making in our country.

"The
Treasury is our most important economic policymaking institution, but one that
has been criticised by some for its approach and attitudes.

“This
review will help shape Labour’s economic policy, as well as being an first
important step in setting a new direction for the Treasury in the 21st Century.
As the views of the former head of the Civil Service are ones that should be
taken on board right across the economic and political spectrum in our country.

"As
Sir Bob has made clear, we need the Treasury in the 21st century to be not only
able to meet the big challenges of the day such as Brexit, but also one that
focuses on all corners of our country, so that no one and no community is left
behind. Therefore, I am deeply concerned that the review has raised this as
areas which need reform.

“Given
the severe challenges that our economy and our country face in the coming
years, it is vital that we have a Treasury that is up-to-speed and is able to
match them. The next Labour government will need to deal with many of these
challenges, with what by then could potentially have been 10 years of Tory
economic failure, and it will fall to us to ensure that the Treasury is ready
and properly equipped for the 21st century.

“I
am are deeply grateful for the contribution from all the independent members of
the review’s panel, who represented many different fields of expertise, and who
gave up a considerable amount of their time to take part. And I would also like
thank Sir Bob Kerslake for his time, energy and expertise in producing this
report for Labour.”

Lord
Kerslake, former head of the Civil Service, who headed up the review, said:

“The
Treasury is a small but very powerful department. To make the most of its very
capable staff, it needs to fundamentally change both what it does and how it
does it. It should  focus on its core economic and financial roles and
work in a much more open and collaborative way. The impact of Brexit reinforces
this need for change”.

Ends

Angela Rayner, Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on the Education Select Committee’s report into the
evidence for grammar schools, said:

“When even the Conservative-dominated Education
Selection Committee calls Theresa May’s new grammar schools an ‘unnecessary
distraction’, it’s time that ministers finally sat up and took notice.

“There is a crisis in teacher recruitment,
schools budgets are being cut for the first time in decades and hundreds of
thousands of pupils are in super-sized classes. The Tories should be
keeping their pledge to protect school funding rather than pressing ahead with
this policy which will only make things worse for the majority of
children.”

Ends