Pre-Budget Statement from the Shadow Chancellor

Speaking ahead of the Budget, the Shadow Chancellor has demanded
that the government finds the funding our NHS and social care needs, and that
he must not make women bear the brunt of Tory economic policies as they have
for the last 7 years.

In addition, he said that the chancellor cannot risk building
our economy on the shaky ground of a WTO deal that endangers jobs and growth.

He also, calls on the government to deal with the rising cost of
living, and tackle the problem of chronic low pay for many working families in
our country.

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, said:

“Philip Hammond’s first Budget comes at a crossroads for our
country ahead of the triggering of Article 50. It cannot be a Budget, where
like his predecessor, he over claims on the government’s economic record, and
under delivers on its promises.

“That is why it is vital he must use his first Budget tomorrow
to provide the adequate funding our NHS and social care system desperately
needs.

“The Tories say they are on the side of working families, but
they are going ahead with cuts to in-work benefits, and presiding over an
economy where six million people earn less than the living wage, and four million
children are in poverty.

“The Budget falls on international women’s day; and although it
is great we have a female Prime Minister, Theresa May has supported every tax
and benefit change in the last seven years, which has meant 86 per cent of the
cuts have fallen on women.

“Therefore, Philip Hammond needs to ensure that his first Budget
breaks with this terrible statistic, and works for women, not one that makes
them bear the brunt of Tory tax giveaways for a wealthy few.

“Finally, the Chancellor cannot risk building our economy on the
shaky ground of a WTO deal that risks jobs and growth, so he must now rule this
out and commit not to turn Britain into a tax haven off the coast of Europe.

“Labour is opposed to any Tory Brexit deal that favours tax
dodgers and the big banks, and would force working families to pick up the tab.

“The Chancellor has to ensure his first Budget is a break from
the past, and not a continuation of the same failed economic policies of the
last seven years.”

Ends

Justin
Madders MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Minister, responding to the NHS Staff
Survey 2016, said:

“The
latest NHS staff survey demonstrates again the enormous pressures facing the
people working in our health service in the face of Theresa May’s neglect and
lack of interest. The Government’s endless underfunding of the NHS and demands
on staff to do more and more with less is taking its toll and stretching
workers to breaking point.

“The
Government urgently need a plan to give our brilliant NHS staff the support
they need at work. It should be a badge of shame for Theresa May that morale in
the NHS is so low. The Prime Minister ought to be using her first Budget to
help NHS workers so that they feel valued in their work and are able to care
for patients to the best of their abilities without the fear of illness or
harassment. The winter crisis would have been so much worse without the
dedication of NHS staff but this survey is a clear warning that they cannot go
on endlessly without more support.”

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, speaking in response to
the launch of a UK report from the Refugee Council, said:

“This
report is a damning indictment of how this Tory Government treats refugees.

“The
complex, arbitrary and hostile processes they have introduced have created a
bureaucratic mess, with a backlog of almost 25,000 cases.

“Ministers
urgently need to implement a streamlined system that assesses claims fairly and
in a timely way, and treats asylum-seekers humanely.”

Labour’s
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Emily Thornberry
MP, responding
to the US administration’s updated travel ban said:

“Despite
some cosmetic changes, this remains a retrograde step for the United States.

“By
abdicating its responsibilities under international law, the administration
continues to send a terrible message to the rest of the world on the refugee
crisis. While it remains to be seen whether or not this new executive order
will stand up in court, nothing in today’s announcement changes the fact that
these measures are unnecessary, divisive and wrong.”

A Jeremy Corbyn spokesperson said:

“Jeremy’s tax return is complete
and accurate. He has declared all income and paid the appropriate amount
of tax.

“The payment he received in
2015-16 as Leader of the Opposition of £27,192 appears on the return as a
‘benefit’ rather than as pay because that is how it is categorised by
HMRC.

“This figure is calculated after
deducting the waivers Jeremy has made of earlier increases to the benefit.
These waivers were also made by his predecessor, Ed Miliband. A parliamentary
pension contribution of £3,395 was also deducted (see note).

“We are disappointed the Cabinet
Office did not clarify this and explain the figure used on the P60 yesterday in
answer to media inquiries they received.

“It is also a matter of concern
that some media organisations made entirely false claims without verifying or
confirming the facts, and we expect these now to be corrected.

“The owners of the media companies
that have attempted to cast doubt over Jeremy’s transparent and accurate tax
return are of course among those who could stand to lose from the tax
transparency and justice the British people demand.

“Jeremy believes firmly in
transparency. These media barons have tax questions of their own to
answer. Tax avoidance and evasion deprive the public purse of billions in
revenue for vital services and is unfair on those with much lower earnings who
pay a higher proportion of their income in tax.”