Tag Archives: Labour

John McDonnell MP Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to news of Google’s tax bill only amounting to just £36.4 million, said:

“This revelation only further proves that Philip Hammond and Theresa May are more interested in cutting Google’s taxes, than making sure they are paying their fair share.

“It seems that the so called “successful” tax deal with Google that George Osborne boasted about last year has meant that they are still not paying their fair share under his successor Philip Hammond. We urgently need clarity on HMRC’s relationship with Google and what reassurances have been provided to the company.

“It is a national disgrace that by paying just £36 million in tax Google could have an effective tax rate lower than many working families in our country. And it exposes the complacency at the heart of this Tory Government, which is allowing this to still continue despite last year’s scandal.

“It’s time that the Tories got a grip of big corporations not paying their way, instead of going ahead with £70 billion in tax giveaways to big business and the super-rich, while cutting in-work benefits for the low paid, and threatening to turn our country into a tax haven.

“The truth is that the Tories have no interest in standing up for working people, only Labour with our Tax Transparency and Enforcement Programme will bring in full, public, country-by-country reporting.

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, commenting on the European Council’s draft negotiating guidelines, said:

“It’s welcome that Donald Tusk has softened the EU’s opposition to talks on trade taking place before the terms of withdrawal are agreed.

“Both sides must be realistic about the scale of the task ahead and the common need to avoid ending up without agreement. Securing a good deal for Britain’s future must be the Government’s priority and we must be realistic about the need for transitional arrangements.

“The European Council President has reiterated the need for a ‘close partnership’ in the future and it is essential to achieve that. But the Prime Minister’s comments about trading off security cooperation and failing to guarantee the rights of EU citizens are not a good start.

“It’s unhelpful for either side to speculate over the scale of any payments. There are obligations on both sides, which must be fairly settled.

“Labour is clear that we must fight for a deal which prioritises jobs, the economy and workers’ rights. And the Government must guarantee that dumping of regulations covering environmental protections, social and employment rights will not happen. People didn’t vote to live in a low wage tax haven which undercuts our neighbours on standards and protections.”

Ends

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on analysis suggesting that major police forces are failing to investigate more than 50 percent of burglaries, said:

“These figures are deeply troubling. The Tories are in denial about the effects of their broken promises on police numbers, police effectiveness and the fight against crime.

“Not only is there more crime under this Government, but falling numbers of officers have meant that the police are becoming less effective at fighting crime.”

Paul Blomfield MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union, commenting on reports that EU nationals are finding it difficult to get mortgages agreed by UK lenders, said:

“How many more reports like this does the Government need before it realises it is committing a huge act of self-harm by not granting non-UK EU citizens certainty?

“EU nationals, many of whom have been here decades, will simply vote with their feet if they can’t secure jobs or homes here.

“This would spell disaster for our economy, our public services and our communities.

“It’s beyond time for the Government to see sense.”

Labour will overturn the Government’s ban on council-owned bus companies as part of a wider strategy to put the public back into buses and deliver affordable, greener, and accessible transport.

Labour unveiled its bus strategy to put people not private profit first after figures revealed that passenger journeys in England outside London have declined by 39 percent and by 53 per cent in English cities since 1986. But over the same period in London, which kept regulation of bus services, passenger journeys increased by 99 per cent.

Labour’s policy includes a commitment to low emissions vehicles, Wi-Fi enabled buses, improved joint and through ticketing schemes, mandatory disability and equality training, and a commitment to introduce a national strategy for local bus services, setting out objectives, targets and funding provisions, including considering concessionary fares for 16-19 year olds.

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“Labour will create the freedom for councils to run first class bus services which the public are proud of. The Tory legacy brought rising fares, plummeting passenger numbers and too many areas where pensioners have a bus pass but no bus.

“Labour wants to see local communities empowered to determine their own priorities and reverse the decline in bus services. Labour will extend franchising powers to all areas that want them and will overturn the ban on new community bus companies, allowing Local Authorities to replicate the successes of the country’s best performing operators.

“For too long the bus industry has put profit before passengers. Labour will change that.”

Andy McDonald MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, said:

“Buses are by far the most important mode of public transport, connecting communities, places of education and businesses like no other.

“In supporting local economies, combatting climate change, addressing air quality and tackling social exclusion, the importance of buses cannot be over-stated. Yet funding for buses across England and Wales has been cut by 33 per cent since 2010 and thousands of routes have been downgraded or cut altogether, meaning passengers across the country have to put up with sub-standard services.

“We want to see clean, hi-tech fleets of buses running accessible and reliable services that meet passengers’ needs. For this to happen, we need to give communities the power to reform bus services to make them work for passengers, as well as ensuring the funding and strategy is in place to ensure no communities are left behind.”

Labour’s policy would:

•                        Create freedom for local authorities to form their own bus companies by removing the Government’s ban.

•                        Extend the powers to re-regulate local bus services to all areas that want them – not just to combined authorities with an elected mayor.

•                        Require all new buses to meet the low-emission requirements set out by the Government-sponsored Office for Low Emission Vehicles.

•                        Require new vehicles to be equipped with Wi-Fi, and install Wi-Fi on existing buses.

•                        Introduce a national strategy for local bus services, setting out objectives, targets and funding provisions. This would include consideration of a reduced fare scheme for young people aged 16-19.

•                        Require all bus drivers and staff at bus terminals to complete approved disability equality and awareness training, including mental and physical disabilities, by a specific date.

•                        Ensure bus services in England make adjustments for any disabled passenger on the bus including policies for priority wheelchair spaces. 

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald are in Tees Valley today (Friday) promoting Labour’s bus policy.