Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, following tonight’s votes, said:

“Labour has demonstrated that we respect the result of the referendum by voting to begin negotiations to leave the EU, with the overwhelming majority of Labour MPs supporting our party’s position.

“In recent weeks, Labour has forced the government to reveal what their plan for Brexit actually is.

“Both from their public statements and the amendments their MPs have voted down, the Conservatives have made clear they are determined to use Brexit to turn Britain into a bargain basement tax haven.

“Labour has a profoundly different vision for our country, with a plan to rebuild and transform Britain so that no one and no community is left behind.

“Article 50 is just the start of the negotiating process. Labour will be using every opportunity, both in Parliament and in the country, to protect jobs, rights and living standards, and achieve the best possible deal for Britain.”

Clive Lewis MP, commenting on
stepping down from the shadow cabinet said:

“When I became the MP for
Norwich South, I promised my constituents I would be ‘Norwich’s voice in
Westminster, not Westminster’s voice in Norwich’. I therefore cannot, in all
good conscience, vote for something I believe will ultimately harm the city I
have the honour to represent, love and call home.

“It is therefore with a heavy
heart that I have decided to resign from the shadow cabinet.

“It has been a privilege to
work with Jeremy Corbyn and be part of the shadow cabinet. I will continue to
support our party and our leader from the back benches to the very best of my
ability.”

Jeremy Corbyn MP,
commenting on Clive Lewis standing down from the shadow cabinet, said:

“I would like to thank
Clive for his work in the shadow cabinet, which has underlined what an asset he
is to the Labour Party and our movement.

“I understand the
difficulties MPs representing constituencies which voted Remain have in
relation to the European Union Withdrawal Bill. MPs have a duty to represent
their constituents as well as their party.

“However, the Labour Party
respects the outcome of the EU referendum, so we have asked all Labour MPs to
vote for the Bill at its third reading tonight.

“We have been clear from
the start that Labour will not frustrate the triggering of Article 50, which
represents the start of the process for leaving the EU.

“Labour will use every
opportunity to hold the government to account and protect jobs, rights and
living standards at every stage of the negotiations.

“I wish Clive well and look
forward to working with him in the future.”

Speaking in response to a ministerial statement, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said:

“My colleague Lords Alf Dubs is right, this is shutting the door on the most vulnerable. The Government must end these efforts to prevent refugees arriving here. This is not who we are.”

“The Minister is wriggling out of the government’s obligation to accept child refugees.

“But the internationally agreed principles and the Dubs Amendment were never conceived as a “one-off”. They should continue to commit to meeting their international treaty obligations and our own laws.”

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Shadow Secretary
of Health, has today written to the Prime Minister to ask for clarity regarding
funding arrangements for social care at Surrey County Council.

The full text of the letter is below.

The Prime Minister

10 Downing Street

London SW1A 2AA

Prime Minister,

I am writing to you in light of today’s revelations about
text messages sent by the leader of Surrey County Council which suggest that
the Government has agreed to funding arrangements for social care that allow
the cancellation of a proposed referendum on a council tax increase in this
Council.

Given your failure to provide clarity on the issue when
asked in the Chamber today, and bearing in mind the great importance of this issue
given the crisis faced by social care in our country, I am hereby requesting
for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to make an
urgent statement to the House tomorrow.

This news has caused considerable embarrassment to the Government,
in particular the Secretary of State for Health and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer. To rule out any suggestions of wrongdoing, the Government now needs
to confirm that no special deal has been offered or granted to Surrey County
Council.

 I believe that the British public deserve full transparency
on the issue. In the public interest, I therefore ask you to publish
immediately and without delay;

1. The memorandum of understanding referenced in the text
messages sent by the leader of Surrey County Council;

2. All text message correspondence between Surrey County
Council and Government officials in the Cabinet Office, the Department for
Communities and Local Government, the Department of Health, and the Treasury
regarding social care funding and/or the proposed referendum;

3. All written or electronic correspondence between Surrey
County Council and Government officials in the Cabinet Office, the Department
for Communities and Local Government, the Department of Health, and the
Treasury regarding social care funding and/or the proposed referendum;

4. Details and minutes of all meetings held between Surrey
County Council and Government officials in the Cabinet Office, the Department
for Communities and Local Government, the Department of Health, and the
Treasury regarding social care funding and/or the proposed referendum.

Additionally, as the Prime Minister knows the Ministerial
Code requires holders of public office to “act and take decisions in an open and
transparent manner” and that “information should not be withheld from the
public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for doing so”. I am therefore
asking you to confirm that any misconduct by Ministers related to this matter
will be investigated and treated as a breach of the Ministerial Code.

Given the questions these news raise about proper conduct
and transparency of Government policy-making, I am sending a copy of this
letter to the Director General of the Propriety and Ethics Team. I will also be
publishing this letter.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Ashworth MP

cc. Sue Gray, Director General, Propriety and Ethics Team
and Head of Private Offices Group

Teresa
Pearce, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, commenting on the news that Surrey
County Council is not going to hold a referendum on 15 percent council tax
rise, said:

“The
Government should not be trying to deal with the national social care crisis
through backroom deals with sympathetic Tory council leaders in an attempt to
avoid negative publicity.

“Across
the country, people are facing steep rises in their council tax bills, whilst
the provision and quality of social care is declining. Council tax rises
are nothing more than a short-term sticking plaster for a problem that
needs long-term solutions. And they create a postcode lottery in social care,
because they raise the least money in areas with the greatest
need. 

“There is
an unprecedented crisis in social care, with care providers handing contracts
back to councils, 1.2 million elderly people living without the care they need
and delayed discharges causing huge pressure on the NHS. The Government must
come forward with a long-term strategic rethink of social care funding, as
well as urgent funding to stem the crisis which is hurting elderly and
disabled people right now.”

Ends