John McDonnell, Labour’s Shadow
Chancellor, commenting
on the OECD’s economic outlook for the UK economy that has revised down future
growth, said:

“This is a hammer blow for
the Tories’ economic credibility. Only Italy is set to be a worse performer
than Britain amongst the major economies, and the Tories’ cliff-edge Brexit
will trash business investment.

"The OECD’s calls for
increased investment in our economy is a ringing endorsement of Labour’s
economic policy in this election, and shows the clear choice voters have on
Thursday. It is between a Labour plan for serious investment in our economy,
with a focus on living standards and a jobs-first plan for Brexit; or a Tory
plan that would hold our nation back with continued cuts to vital public
services and chronic under-investment.”

Labour is today taking its message to
voters from all corners of the country by hosting six simultaneous rallies,
showing we truly are the party for the many and not the few.

The rallies, which are due to take
place this evening from 7pm in: Barry (Wales), Birmingham, Brighton, Glasgow,
London and Warrington, will bring people
together and show there is strong support for an
alternative to the seven lost years of Tory
rule.

Jeremy Corbyn, set to attend the
Birmingham rally, will simultaneously appear via satellite link at the five
other events to deliver his message that only a Labour Government will deliver
a fairer Britain that works for everyone, not just the privileged few. 

Those coming to lend their support
include members of Labour’s Shadow Cabinet, big name electronic acts Clean
Bandit and DJ Floating Points, celebrity supporters Steve Coogan, Ben Elton and
Maxine Peake, and chart toppers Wolf Alice and Reverend and the Makers.

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour
Party said:

“Since the election was called,
we have taken Labour’s message of hope to towns and
cities across the UK. Tonight, we will speak to tens of thousands of
people across the country about the clear choice facing the British
people during this election.

"While the Conservatives promise
five more years of a country run for the super-rich and cuts for everyone
else, Labour will transform Britain by
investing in infrastructure and new industries and rebuilding the NHS and our
public services.

“Labour will abolish tuition fees to give everyone
a chance to fulfil their potential and create a fairer Britain by introducing a £10 an hour minimum wage, banning zero hours
contracts, protecting winter fuel payments and safeguarding state pensions through the triple lock.

"On Thursday, the British people
will go to the polls and have the chance to vote for a government that will
transform our country for the many, not the few.”

John
McDonnell, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the
latest retail figures from the British Retail Consortium showing a slowdown in
sales, said:

“These
figures are deeply worrying, and are further proof that seven years of Tory
austerity has resulted in abject failure. Wages are still lower than they were
in 2010. The Tories have no plan to tackle the fact that prices are rising
faster than wages. This is leading to living standards
being squeezed and working families being hit the hardest, with the impact now
reaching the high street.

“Growth is
slowing, retail sales are down, business investment and wages are falling back.
Under the Conservatives the economy is neither strong nor stable. And a
vote for the Tories on Thursday is a vote for more of the same, and no solution
to the problems their economic policies are clearly creating for our economy,
and working households.

“Only a Labour Government will
take the action needed to end the Tories’ economic failure by introducing
a Real Living Wage of £10 an hour, and by investing
in an economy that works for the many, while the
Tories are only prepared to protect big business and a wealthy few.”

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow
Health Secretary,
responding to leaked reports in the Health Service Journal said: 

“With 48 hours to go until
the General Election the true scale of the secret Tory plan for cuts and
closures across the NHS has been revealed by the Health Service Journal.

“We now know if the Tories are
re-elected on Thursday we’ll see hospital wards closed, waiting times growing,
treatments rationed and staff cut.

“The fact that NHS bosses have
described this as the ‘most extreme and difficult NHS finance process they had
experienced’ and would ‘challenge the value basis of the NHS’ will make
chilling reading for patients and their families who deserve the very best
levels of care.

“Every single day the Tories are
in power hospitals are being left to crumble, staff are being let down, waiting
lists are growing and patients are being denied the care they need and
deserve. 

“Let’s be clear: these new, secret
Tory plans will only be stopped by electing a Labour Government on Thursday.

"The NHS cannot survive five
more years of a Tory government. That is why, Labour will pledge to bring the
health service back from the brink with a multi-billion pound rescue package.
The British people deserve nothing less.”

Ends

Notes to editors

·        
‘Exclusive:
New national savings drive will ‘challenge the values’ of NHS leaders’ [www.hsj.co.uk/topics/finance-and-efficiency/exclusive-new-national-savings-drive-will-challenge-the-values-of-nhs-leaders/7018461.article?blocktitle=News&contentID=15303]

Labour
Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Secretary of State for Housing John Healey will
today (Monday 5 June 2017) launch ‘Labour’s New Deal on Housing’ – the party’s
long-term plan to fix the housing crisis. They will promise to give priority to
those let down most by failings in the housing market and in Conservative
housing policy.  

Setting
out more detail on the Party’s plans to deal with the country’s housing crisis
and build at least a million new homes, the published plan will include: 

·        
A New Deal for first-time
buyers on ordinary incomes, including 100,000 new discounted FirstBuy Homes, a
two year stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers, and an extension and
re-focusing of Help to Buy so that it is only for first-time buyers;

·        
A New Deal for those 1.2
million on council waiting lists with a huge increase in affordable
housebuilding to be building 100,000 genuinely affordable homes a year by 2022,
including the biggest council housing programme in over 30 years;

·        
A New Deal for private
renters with a consumer rights revolution including three-year tenancies
with an inflation cap on rent rises and new minimum property standards.

 Labour
will also criticise Conservative Minsters for “seven years of failure” on
housing, and highlight that since 2010 we have seen:

·        
Housebuilding at the lowest
level under any political party in peacetime since the 1920s;

·        
The lowest level of new
affordable housebuilding in 24 years;

·        
Almost 200,000 fewer
home-owners, with 900,000 fewer under 45s owning their own home;

·        
Rents rising faster than
incomes for many;

·        
More families forced into
temporary accommodation, with 120,000 children spending last Christmas without
a home of their own; and

·        
Rough sleeping homelessness
more than doubled.

 Jeremy
Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

 “A
Labour government will start on fixing the housing crisis immediately. High
prices, excessive rents and the chronic lack of affordable housing are ruining
the lives of young people, families and aspiring homeowners.

“As
part of our massive housebuilding commitment, Labour will ensure 100,000
FirstBuy Homes are available at discounted rates to local first time buyers.
This will transform the housing market and put the needs of younger house
buyers and local workers first.

“Labour
will usher in a new era in council housebuilding to build more council homes
than at any time for over 30 years so that the broken market is fixed to
provide homes for the many, not investment opportunities for a wealthy few.”

 John
Healey, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, said:

“After
seven years of failure, the Conservatives have no plan to fix the housing
crisis and Theresa May only offers more of the same. Labour offers a New Deal
on housing between the people of this country and a new government. It is a
bold, long-term plan for housing to help those being let down most by a broken
housing market and failing Conservative policy – young first-time buyers,
private renters and people needing new social rented homes.

“Our
first Labour housing priority will be help for young first-time buyers. Under
the last Labour government, a million more families became home-owners but now
the Tories are failing first-time buyers on middle incomes. Under the
Conservatives since 2010 homeownership has fallen by 200,000 with younger
families on ordinary incomes the hardest hit.

 “Labour’s
new FirstBuy Homes will give aspiring first-time buyers on ordinary wages
who’ve been failed for the last seven years hope that things can change.

 “After
seven years of failure, a Labour government will shift the housing market
decisively towards first-time buyers on ordinary incomes.”

 Ends

 Notes to
editors

·         ‘Labour’s New Deal on housing’
will be launched today (Monday) by Jeremy Corbyn and John Healey.

·         
More than two-thirds of people
now believe there’s a housing crisis, and Labour has a strong lead as the best
Party to handle the housing crisis: [https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/mdbxkz6bif/YG%20Trackers%20-%20Best%20Party%20On%20Issues.pdf]