Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the Government’s plans for disabled people, said:

“The Tories’ cuts to social security support are pushing more and more disabled people into poverty. Last week’s Budget failed to do anything for disabled people even though the recent Equality and Human Rights Commission report showed a disabled adult is over £2,000 a year worse off since 2010. Even the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities condemned this Government for causing a ‘human catastrophe’ in their failure to uphold the rights of disabled people.  

“This ‘plan’ from the Government looks like nothing more than a guise for more cuts. The Tories have already hit disabled people who are not fit for work but who may be in the future in the Work Related Activity Group. I hope they are not going to now target the most disabled people in the support group, as their Green Paper hinted at.

“At the 2015 General Election, the Tories promised to halve the disability employment gap. Since then they have dropped this commitment.

“If this Government really cared about disabled people they would end austerity now which is disproportionately impacting upon disabled people and reform and extend Access to Work for those disabled people who are able to work.“

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on testimonies from PCS Union and the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration at the Home Affairs Select Committee, expressing concerns about the Home Office being under-prepared for Brexit, said:

“Those working on the frontline of immigration, visas and border security paint a grim picture of the current chaos at the Home Office. They say it is directionless and unprepared for the challenges of Brexit.

"Amber Rudd needs to get a grip. The Tories have axed 1,000 members of the Border Force and have added new burdens to visa and immigration staff.  An efficient immigration system and secure borders can’t be done on the cheap.  Tory cuts have serious consequences.”

As the EU’s chief negotiator warns Britain over law enforcement and security cooperation, new analysis reveals 10,000 deported thanks to European Arrest Warrant

As Michel Barnier warns Britain that it will have to leave Europol, new analysis by Labour underlines the extent of the UK’s cooperation with the EU on law enforcement.

• The UK has deported over 10,000 suspected criminals under the European Arrest Warrant (EAW)
• 1,455 suspects have been returned to Britain to face justice.
• 2016-17 was the seventh consecutive year in which the UK deported over 1,000 suspects.

Louise Haigh MP, Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister, said:

“Close cooperation with our European neighbours is vital in taking dangerous criminals off our streets and ensuring offenders cannot evade justice simply by crossing a border.

“So for Britain to leave Europol or end other cooperation arrangements it would be a huge blow, threatening our national security and risking critical information falling between the gaps.

“And yet the Tories’ inflexible approach risks us being turfed out of the security apparatus we helped create and which has contributed to our safety and security for many years.  

“It is absolutely imperative to our future security that Britain remains an integral part of these vital arrangements. The Prime Minister needs to start putting the best interests of the country ahead of those in her party who would be happy to see us crash out of Europe without a deal on security.”

Andy McDonald MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting on the Government’s rail plans announced this morning, said:

“For someone who is in such a desperate rush to sever links with Europe at any cost, Chris Grayling seems to be determined to put the state-owned railway companies of Germany, France, Holland and Italy in control of both our national rail infrastructure as well as our trains.

“Train operating companies, some of which run abysmal services, should not be invited to take responsibility for the safety-critical infrastructure of Britain’s railways. We don’t want to see a return to the bad old days of Railtrack, where underinvestment and a poor safety record led to customers being put at risk and a number of fatalities.

“Track and train partnerships have been tried recently on the railway and have failed. The public overwhelmingly supports our railways being run under public ownership, in the public interest. Today’s announcement will take us further away from that.”

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the new Trussell Trust Christmas figures, said:

“Despite what the Government might think, it is absolutely unacceptable that so many families rely on foodbanks to get through Christmas.

“We know that the Tories’ botched Universal Credit roll out, and their freeze to social security are causing people to visit foodbanks to make ends meet.

“The social security system should not increase the need for foodbanks.

“Labour is calling on the Government to pause and fix Universal Credit before Christmas, and lift the harmful social security freeze.”