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.”