John
McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the Office for
Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) Fiscal Risks report this morning, said:

“The
Tories want to blame Brexit for their failures on the economy, but what this
report really reveals is that one of the biggest risks to our economy is Theresa
May’s weak government, and the last seven years of Tory economic failure.

“Given
recent poor economic news, showing a lost decade of productivity growth and
falling real earnings, the risks highlighted today by the OBR of slower
productivity growth, a persistent current account deficit, high level of
household debt, and weak business investment are extremely worrying.

“The
OBR have today put the final nail in the coffin of Tory economic credibility. They have confirmed health spending has been falling
under the Tories, social care is in crisis and local authority budgets have
been stripped to the bone. Rather than invest in our public services, the OBR
notes this government’s shambolic ‘periodic policy reversals’ while at the same
time giving away billions in tax breaks to the super rich.

“It
is a dereliction of duty of this government that the OBR can claim that after
seven years of austerity, the British economy, and working people, are less
prepared for the 50/50 risk of a recession in the next five years.

“Only
a Labour Government will negotiate a sensible jobs-first Brexit which does not
risk long-term damage to our economy and has set out a serious plan for the
public finances. Labour’s strategic investment will be underpinned by our Fiscal
Credibility Rule, to help build the high wage, high skill economy of the future
for the many not the few.”

Barbara
Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on
the latest delayed transfer of care figures, said:

“Over
the past seven years the Tories have presided over a crisis in social care.
Today’s delayed transfer of care figures show that crisis is still getting
worse on their watch.

“It
is deeply worrying that delayed transfers of care attributed to social care
have increased by almost 10,000 since last year and have doubled in the last
three years.  We know that keeping older and vulnerable patients in
hospital longer than needed poses significant risks to their morale, mobility
and to their likelihood of contracting hospital-acquired infections. Under this
Government these risks are increasing.

“The
Tory solution of threatening to punish those councils struggling with social
care is not the answer. Taking funding away from councils will only lead to
worsening quality and safety issues in care. Rather than threatening councils,
the Tories need to match Labour’s commitment and provide urgent additional
funding for social care.”

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health
Secretary, commenting on the
Government’s announcement of new ambulance service standards, said:

“This Government have failed to hit any of their
main NHS ambulance targets since May 2015 and an updated system that truly
works for patients is clearly overdue. NHS ambulance trusts must now be given
every support to build a new system which has the support of paramedics and
patients alike.

“The truth is that the Tories’ underfunding and
mismanagement of the NHS has pushed ambulance services to the brink and left
record numbers of patients suffering and in discomfort. The public will want to
know that a new series of standards is truly based on the best clinical
evidence and not just on the money which the Government are making available.

“Sir Bruce Keogh has shown great leadership in
demanding the best for NHS patients. The Government must now match these
ambitions and give ambulance trusts the support and resources they need to
deliver the best possible quality of care for ill and injured patients.”

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour
Party,
commenting on Theresa May’s year as Prime Minister, said: 

“A
year ago today, Theresa May stood on the steps of Downing Street, saying she
wanted a country that works for everyone.

“One
year on, most people are worse off, with vital public services cut to the bone,
falling wages and stagnating living standards, soaring classroom sizes and a
million more on NHS waiting lists under the Tories.  

“Under her government, the privileged
few have benefited from tax give-aways, at the expense of the majority, who
have borne the brunt of Conservative cuts.

“Theresa May now heads a zombie
government, with no ideas, no answers and no leadership. This is a government
in name only, having to ask other parties to “clarify and improve” its
policies and delaying most Parliamentary business until the autumn.

“The
Conservatives have no plan for Britain. Labour is ready to fight the next
election, whenever it may be, to form a government that will build a country
for the many, not the few.”

Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary,
commenting on UCAS figures for UK higher education applications, said:

“These figures show the worrying impact of a Conservative
Government happy to burden young people with over £50,000 of debt just for
getting an education.

“From tuition fees rising with no end in sight, to maintenance
grants being scrapped, and extortionate interest rates on student debt, this
Government’s policies have slammed the door on the aspirations of people across
Britain, and now we are beginning to see the impact that will have on
university applications.

“The decline in nursing applications is utterly shocking, and
shows the results of the Government’s regressive and short-sighted decision to
scrap nurses’ bursaries at a time when our NHS will desperately need more
staff.

“If the Tories want to see more young people go on to university
they would bring back maintenance grants, tackle high interest rates on student
debt, and end their plans to see tuition fees rise each and every year.”