Labour

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on today’s figures showing a 2 per cent fall in real household disposable income, said:

“Falling household incomes are just the latest example of the economic failures of this government.

“The largest fall in household income per head in six years is deeply concerning as it further suggests that wages are not keeping up with prices, and the government have no answers to this serious problem.

“Along with stagnant GDP per person, it’s more bad news for working families. And it further exposes the economic record of the Tories, who have overseen falling living standards since coming to power in 2010.

“It’s clear we need investment to create the high skill, high wage economy of the future. The Tories could start to help ease the burden on hard working people by lifting their public sector pay cap, and end the cuts to in-work benefits.”

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Speaking in response to the Home Office statement today on a partial amnesty for Grenfell survivors, Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said:

“I raised this question in parliament on Monday and am pleased there has been some response from the Home Office. But the partial amnesty is limited to twelve months, which does not go far enough.

“Some victims have literally lost everything in this horrific tragedy: all their possessions, homes and loved ones. The idea that on top of this they could be deported later is grotesque.

“To access all the support they need without fear of deportation, any survivors concerned about their status must be given indefinite leave to remain. Otherwise, they may just disappear off the grid.”

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John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, speaking after his Urgent Question in the House today on the mixed messages coming from the government on public sector pay, said:

“Millions of public sector workers will have been left disappointed today after the Chancellor refused to make a statement to Parliament to clarify Government policy.

“Our dedicated public sector workers have suffered enough and deserve more than the empty words being offered to them by this weak and unstable cabinet of chaos.

“Today neither the Prime Minister, the Chancellor nor the Chief Secretary to the Treasury was able to tell us when a decision will be made about the future of the pay cap.

“The Chancellor should now formally inform the Pay Review Bodies that they are free to do what is right by the public servants and the services we depend upon by making a fair pay award. If they won’t the Tories should stand aside for a Labour Government will give our public sector workers the pay rise they deserve and end austerity in the national interest.”

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Jon Trickett, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, has written to the First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office, Damien Green, asking why the Government has allowed a third of Special Advisers to be paid more than the Prime Minister’s SpAd pay cap of £72,000, while limiting other public sector workers to 1 per cent.

It comes as No10 is set to appoint a new Director of Communications, a role which previously attracted a salary in excess of £100,000.

Jon Trickett said:

“This Government is happier spending money on spin doctors than real doctors. It’s the same for nurses, firefighters and police who are trying to make ends meet.

“Theresa May had some nerve telling an underpaid nurse who’d seen a 14% real term cut in pay there was no “Magic Money Tree”, only to find an extra billion pounds down the back of the settee for a grubby deal with the DUP to cling to power.

“It’s a disgrace that a third of the Tories’ spinners and advisers are being paid more than Theresa May’s declared pay cap of £72,000 whilst hardworking public sector workers are limited to a miserly 1% pay increase. Even the Prime Minister’s own joint Chiefs of Staff were paid £140,000 – almost double her declared cap. And now she’s looking for a new Director of Communications, a role previously paid £125,000.

“The Prime Minister has ignored calls to lift the public sector pay cap. But it seems that like with David Cameron, some people can access the Magic Money Tree in the Downing Street garden as long as they have the right pass to get to it.

“The Government has forced pay restraint on public sector workers; but there is no such restraint inside Theresa May’s Number 10.”

Full text of letter to Damian Green:

Dear Damian Green,

Today in Cabinet Office Oral Questions I asked you about Special Advisers’ pay and the public sector pay cap. You failed to answer my question.

To recap, following the Government’s refusal to lift the pay cap for thousands of nurses, police and firefighters, among many other public servants, I am writing to enquire about the pay for Special Advisers to Secretaries of State.

When Theresa May became Prime Minister she promised the pay of Special Advisers would be capped at £72,000, unless authorised by her personally. However, the Government’s own figures from December 2016 showed that of the 83 Government Special Advisers, 27 breached this limit. In fact, former advisers to the Prime Minister, her two Joint Chiefs of Staff, were both paid £140,000 a piece, 95% more than the cap she promised.

With much public interest in the issue, how much has the total expenditure of Special Advisers increased since May 2015?

There has also been significant attention paid to the value of severance payments awarded to Special Advisers when they leave. What is the total number of severance payments Government has paid out for advisers who have left Downing Street since June 2015?

Would you let us know, as First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Special Advisers you now employ and if they breach the £72,000 pay cap set by the Prime Minister.

Finally, I now understand that No10 will soon appoint a new Director of Communications. The previous appointment was paid £125,000. Can you provide any assurance that salary will not rise any further?

Yours sincerely,

John Trickett.

Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and Shadow Lord President of the Council

Speaking in response to the report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Inspectorate on the failures in dealing with victims of stalking, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, Diane Abbott, said:

“This report is deeply troubling. It highlights a series of failings to tackle stalking, which can have serious or even fatal consequences.

“Government has cut the police by over 20,000. It tries to hide behind the claim that crime is falling. But many serious crimes are rising, including crimes of violence.

“Cuts have consequences. Police forces are over-stretched and this leads to pressure to downgrade crimes, or not fully investigate them, as the report highlights. The government should stop cutting core police budgets and give forces the resources they need. Labour has pledged to restore 10,000 police officers when in government.”

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