Labour

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, speaking in response to the US air strikes on a Syrian air base, said:

“The US missile attack on a Syrian government air base risks escalating the war in Syria still further. 

“Tuesday’s horrific chemical attack was a war crime which requires urgent independent UN investigation and those responsible must be held to account. 

“But unilateral military action without legal authorisation or independent verification risks intensifying a multi-sided conflict that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people. 

“What is needed instead is to urgently reconvene the Geneva peace talks and unrelenting international pressure for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. 

“The terrible suffering of the Syrian people must be brought to an end as soon as possible and every intervention must be judged on what contribution it makes to that outcome.

“The British government should urge restraint on the Trump administration and throw its weight behind peace negotiations and a comprehensive political settlement.”

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary, commenting on reports that Britain is looking for ways to scrap its 2020 clean energy targets while maintaining everyday trade in Europe’s energy market, said:

“The Conservative’s reckless Brexit shows they’re prepared to gamble the UK’s ties to EU energy markets simply to wriggle out of their climate change commitments. They’re failing one of Labour’s six tests by watering down environmental and climate change protections, and leading a race to the bottom.

“The fact is that the Tories would risk our lights going out in order to create a low-wage, deregulated, bargain basement Britain.

“Theresa May needs to give Britain’s energy security and our commitment to renewable energy investment the status it deserves. At present it seems that only Labour would guarantee investment in our future energy needs that meet our climate change commitments, and build a new working partnership with the rest of Europe.”

Ends

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Affairs Secretary, commenting on reports in the Independent that Theresa May blocked attempts to highlight the impact migration can have on the economy and public services during the EU referendum, said:

“This raises serious questions about the Prime Minister’s priorities.

“Exiting the EU will mean reforming our entire immigration system. But doing so should not be at the cost of jobs and the economy.

“Unfortunately, Theresa May seems determined to turn a blind eye to inconvenient facts.

“This report should be published in full.”

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on the Public Accounts Committee report into Concentrix, said:

“The findings by the Public Accounts Committee reaffirms the Government’s continued inability to take responsibility for the shambolic decision to contract out tax credits to Concentrix. It is now crystal clear that Concentrix should never have been awarded the contact.

“This damning report reveals what many of us have long suspected, first that neither HMRC nor Concentrix bothered to check for error or fraud before suspending tax credits to some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“ Secondly, that Concentrix’s claims of mass savings were inflated from the start; they have barely recouped one fifth of their initial savings figure. Third, that HMRC is woefully ill-equipped to outsource such important decisions to the private sector, instead of penalising Concentrix for mistakes HMRC tripled its commission. 

“This whole saga makes a mockery of the current tendering process. Given these damning findings, Concentrix should be banned from any future Government contracts and the Government should seek to recoup the majority of its commission.”

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on the Public Accounts Committee report into Concentrix, said:

“The findings by the Public Accounts Committee reaffirms the Government’s continued inability to take responsibility for the shambolic decision to contract out tax credits to Concentrix. It is now crystal clear that Concentrix should never have been awarded the contact.

“This damning report reveals what many of us have long suspected, first that neither HMRC nor Concentrix bothered to check for error or fraud before suspending tax credits to some of the most vulnerable in our society.

“ Secondly, that Concentrix’s claims of mass savings were inflated from the start; they have barely recouped one fifth of their initial savings figure. Third, that HMRC is woefully ill-equipped to outsource such important decisions to the private sector, instead of penalising Concentrix for mistakes HMRC tripled its commission. 

“This whole saga makes a mockery of the current tendering process. Given these damning findings, Concentrix should be banned from any future Government contracts and the Government should seek to recoup the majority of its commission.”