Tag Archives: Labour

Debbie Abrahams MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the Prime Minister’s decision to drop her manifesto commitment to ending the ‘triple lock’ on state pensions and cutting the Winter Fuel Payment from ten million pensioners, said:

“We welcome that the Prime Minister has been forced to drop these punitive austerity measures, which would have hit the living standards of millions of older people.

“This marks another decisive blow against this Government’s failing austerity agenda, which was not supported at the general election.

“After refusing to last week, the Work and Pensions Secretary must now rule out any future threat to the ‘triple lock’.

“This Conservative chaos and confusion shows that only Labour can be trusted to guarantee older people a secure and dignified retirement.”

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, commenting on the Tory-DUP deal, said:

“The price of Theresa May’s political weakness is now becoming clear. The same Conservative Party which spent the recent election campaign saying there was no money available for the crisis in the NHS and schools has now found at least £1 billion to buy a Parliamentary majority, with some reports suggesting it could be as much as £2bn.

“As this is additional spending beyond that laid out in the Spring Budget, the Chancellor must now come forward with an explanation as to how it will be funded. In the context of a forecast increase in Government borrowing this year, the public must be told whether this additional spend will be funded through spending cuts elsewhere, additional tax rises or more borrowing.

“There are also important questions to be answered about the implementation and fiscal consequences of devolving corporation tax, VAT and Air Passenger Duty, as well as what this could mean for other devolved administrations.

“Let’s call this grubby deal what it is: this is a straightforward political bribe to desperately prop up Theresa May in office.

“This Tory-DUP deal is clearly not in the national interest but in May’s party’s interest to help her cling to power.”

Owen Smith MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, commenting on the release of the Tory DUP Deal, said:

“Labour argued at the election just a few weeks ago that public services require extra funding across the UK, so I welcome the announcement today that additional funding has now been found for Northern Ireland.

“However, the deal between the Tories and the DUP throws up all manner of questions, not least whether more money can now also be found for schools, hospitals, social care and emergency services in desperate need of cash in England, Scotland and Wales.

“Most important of all, does this deal help or hinder the process of restoring power-sharing in Northern Ireland? Already, it is clear that other parties in Northern Ireland consider the deal to compromise the ability of the British Government to be truly impartial as stipulated under the Good Friday Agreement.“

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, responding to the Conservative-DUP deal, said:

“Austerity has failed. Cuts to vital public services must be halted right across the UK, not just in Northern Ireland.

“The Government must immediately answer two questions. Where is the money for the Tory-DUP deal coming from? And, will all parts of the UK receive the much needed additional funding that Northern Ireland will get as part of the deal?

“This Tory-DUP deal is clearly not in the national interest but in May’s party’s interest to help her cling to power.”

Speaking at the RMT union’s AGM in Exeter on Sunday evening, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, recommitted Labour to public ownership of the railways and measures to improve working conditions, services standards and affordability across rail and shipping sectors.

Jeremy Corbyn said:

“We don’t know when the next election will be.

“But the next Labour government will introduce a Public Ownership of the Railways Bill to repeal the Tories’ 1993 Railways Act that privatised our railways.

“We want our railways run in the public interest, with fare rises capped, service levels improved, and stations and trains safely staffed.

“We also want better integration of all transport and fairer investment across the UK.”

On shipping he said:

“Today is the official International Day of the Seafarer. Labour is committed to working with the RMT to end the shameful exploitation and undercutting in the UK shipping industry.

“We will ensure that the Race Relations Act and minimum wage legislation will apply to the shipping industry.

“Our commitments on workers’ rights in every sector are clear: we will repeal the Trade Union Act and introduce new trade union and workers’ rights.”