Labour

Keir Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, responding to Tory calls for a ‘root and branch’ review of EU regulations, said:

“The report that Iain Duncan Smith cites describes basic employment rights as costly regulations.

“On the eve of triggering Article 50 it is increasingly clear that rights and protections are seen by many senior Tories, including in the Cabinet, as an “expensive” luxury that British workers and consumer consumers can do without.

“That is why one of Labour’s six tests for the Brexit deal is that it defends hard fought for rights and protections and doesn’t lead to a race to the bottom.

“The Prime Minister must stand up to the growing voices in her Party that see Brexit as a once in a generation opportunity to dismantle the rights and protections that underpin our economic model.”

Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body 2017 Report, said:

“This report highlights the serious effect that changes to pay and conditions are having on our Armed Forces. According to the report’s authors, rent rises and changes to tax and benefits have created a “perfect storm” that is putting real pressure on service personnel and their families. 

“We have known for some time that Conservative cuts to our Armed Forces have had a crippling effect on morale, but this report issues the stark warning that these pressures must be dealt with, otherwise there will be a widespread effect on recruitment and retention, which could in turn threaten operational effectiveness.

“It is clear from this report that personnel feel overlooked in favour of cost-cutting by the MoD. Our Armed Forces and their families deserve the very best support, it’s time for the Government to treat them with the respect that they deserve.”

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on new Government plans that would allow civilians to compete for chief constable jobs, said:

“Caution is required with these plans. There is a continuous need to modernise the police, making it more diverse and representative of society as a whole, but many able officers will now wonder whether their own career paths could be blocked.

“This Tory Government have already reduced officer numbers by over 20,000 and broken their pledge to protect police funding in real terms.

“Neither the police nor the public will want to see people recruited from outside the service simply because of their willingness to implement further swingeing cuts.”

Teresa Pearce MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, commenting on an Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) report showing that one in six roads in England and Wales are in poor condition, said:

“Up and down the country, motorists, cyclists and passengers regularly have their safety compromised by dangerous and recurring potholes. Whilst councils are doing their utmost to repair these swiftly, huge cuts to local government budgets are making this ever more difficult.

“The Government must act to close the funding gap in local services so that people are able to travel freely and safely throughout their communities. And the utility companies who regularly dig up the roads must also be an active part of the solution to this problem.

“The Tories’ chaotic and cack-handed approach to local government funding is creating a system whereby councils can only afford to provide the bare minimum in statutory social care, safeguarding and homelessness services. Consequently, we are seeing everything else, from libraries to roads, suffer as a result.”

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, commenting on reports that NHS England is to develop new guidelines in order to stop GPs from prescribing certain medicines, said:

“This Government has forced the NHS through the longest period of financial squeeze in its history. Indeed, hospital bosses have recently warned it will be ‘mission impossible’ to achieve the standards of care the public demand given the scale of the underfunding.

“We have long warned this underfunding would lead to greater rationing of services and treatments. Ministers need to explain what today’s restrictions will mean for those eligible for free prescriptions such as the elderly, pregnant and those on low incomes.

“Of course, NHS bosses are right to demand the best possible value for money from the medicines they buy so that every penny can go towards patient care. But let’s be clear: the greater restrictions and rationing proposed today are a direct result of Theresa May’s underfunding of the NHS.“