Labour

Angela Rayner, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on reports that Theresa May is facing her first uprising of the election as the Tories urge her to abandon school funding plans, said:

“It speaks volumes that even Theresa’s own backbenchers realise her approach to school funding is simply an exercise in moving inadequate sums of money around. On top of this, their cuts to per-pupil spending will mean fewer teachers, cuts to school support staff and larger class sizes; while some schools are not even able to afford basic school repairs.

“Labour supports the principle of moving towards a fairer funding formula for schools and will ensure that all schools have the funding they need. Only Labour will build an education system accessible to everyone, not just the privileged few.”

Labour’s Andrew Gwynne said:

“This is yet more nonsense from a Tory campaign that’s all slogan and no substance.

“Their claims are so flimsy that even the most cursory reading reveals error after error: claims that don’t add up, things they say are Labour policy which aren’t and blatant misrepresentation of policies which we have clearly set out how to pay for. The whole thing isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.

“That Philip Hammond is willing to put his name to this nonsense is deeply worrying given it suggests he’s unable to tell the difference between capital and revenue spending.

“Frankly this is just the latest desperate attempt by the Tories to distance themselves from their failures and to distract from the fact that they’ve not ruled out hitting those on lower and middle incomes with further tax increases.

“Labour’s policies are fully-costed and properly paid for. Our plans will be set out in our manifesto. Don’t trust the Tories: they are the party of the few, not the many.”

Labour will today announce that a future Labour Government will immediately halt the proposed closure of A&Es in England and carry out a full scale review of all proposals. 

Having listened to campaigners and concerned patients up and down the country, Jonathan Ashworth, as Labour health secretary will immediately halt the Tories chaotic ‘sustainability and transformation plan’ (STP) programme. 

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth, will say: 

“Labour will put the best interests of patients at the heart of our NHS so today I’m announcing we will halt planned closures to hospitals and other services. We will have a moratorium on the STPs. 

“We have listened to the hundreds of patients and campaigners up and down the country that have been pleading with the Government to hear their concerns about their local services. Threats of hospitals being closed, A&E services moved miles up the road, and children’s wards being shut, have caused widespread concern and confusion. What is more, these decisions have been decided behind closed doors, with no genuine involvement of local people. It’s a disgrace.

“The public deserves better. My first job as Secretary of State will be to review every single STP proposal looking at what’s in the interest of quality of patient care.

“We’ll ask a new body – NHS Excellence – to lead that review. And patients and local communities will be involved at every stage. Local people should be at the heart of decisions about how care is provided.”

Emily Thornberry, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary of State, speaking on Channel 4 News, said:

“The truth is that Theresa May paints herself as a bloody difficult woman or a Margaret Thatcher figure, but I think this is less Margaret Thatcher and more Veruca Salt. You can’t just stand there and simply say: ‘I want, I want, I want’ when you are negotiating.

“What you have to do is to persuade the other side that you have some ideas that would be good for both sides. You need to be able to calm down and you need to be able to make friends and be prepared to compromise.

“Otherwise we are heading for a hard Brexit; we are heading for no deal and she must back off. A strong Brexit is about a deal that works for the British economy. We are talking about people’s jobs – that’s the important thing.”

Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour’s National Election Chair, commenting on reports that local reporters were “locked in a room and banned from filming” during Theresa May’s visit to Cornwall today, said:

“Theresa May’s campaign is going to extraordinary efforts to avoid any form of public scrutiny.

“What is especially worrying is that we’ve still not even heard from the Prime Minister on the alarming leaks from Brussels, which expose just how reckless her Brexit plans are.

“Rather than hiding away, the Prime Minister needs to come out and explain just what on earth is going on.”