Labour

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to the Budget, said:

“Philip Hammond has used his first Budget to claw £2 billion in tax on those self-employed who are on low and middle incomes. But he continued to boast about the £70 billion worth of tax giveaways at the top announced by his predecessor.

“Labour will oppose this unfair £2 billion sole traders tax on the self-employed low and middle earners. 

“Rather than provide the funding that would end a social care crisis in which 1 million vulnerable people go without adequate care, or calling an end to the state of emergency in our NHS, the Tories are doing next to nothing and don’t seem to recognise the scale of the crisis they have created.

“The Tory rigged economy continues for households in our country, who face being £1,800 worse off by the end of the forecast period, and if you are on the National Living Wage by the end of this parliament you face a 25p per hour cut.

“This Budget does not address the problems created by seven years of Tory failure, and it has failed the fairness test for women who will be hit by a cuts in public services, and the national living wage.

“Instead of equipping our country for Brexit, he is building our economy on sand, and the little he has announced today will mean we are less prepared for the challenges we face outside of the EU.”

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Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, delivering a message of support to people lobbying for Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), said:

My best wishes and International Women’s Day greetings to everyone supporting today’s WASPI lobby.

You are highlighting a grave injustice. The Coalition Government’s decision to move the goalposts, by bringing the equalisation of the state pension age forward by a further two years to 2018, was plain wrong.

It was a betrayal of tens of thousands of women who had planned for their retirement based on the 1995 legislation.

It was justified by claims Britain needed a dose of austerity – yet at the same time tax cuts worth billions have been given to big companies and the very wealthy.

Today, we can expect the Chancellor to boast that the economy is doing better than expected. But will he do anything to right this wrong? I very much doubt it.

Labour is already committed to extending Pension Credit to help those worst hit by this callous change.

We are also developing solutions for those affected who would not be entitled to Pension Credit. And we will continue to consult with WASPI and others on this as part of our planning for government.

I am sorry I cannot join you today. I will be in the Chamber of the House of Commons for the Budget statement, ready to respond.

My speech will challenge the Government’s policy of endless austerity for the many, alongside generous tax giveaways for their wealthy and privileged friends.

My thoughts are with you today. I congratulate you on your stand and look forward to working with you to achieve justice.

Best wishes

Jeremy Corbyn

Leader of the Labour Party

Gareth Thomas, Shadow Minister for Local Government Finance, in response to evidence that Surrey County Council came to a ‘gentleman’s agreement with the Government over their budget, said:

“This recording proves what we have long suspected. The Government came to a secret “gentleman’s agreement” with the leadership of Surrey County Council, whilst the rest of country faces a crisis in social care and brutal cuts to council budgets.

“Theresa May and her ministers, including Sajid Javid, have been playing political games, conducting backroom sweetheart deals for their friends, whilst councils across the country struggle to cobble together the money to adequately fund social care. Meanwhile, there is a crisis in social care with a £1.9billion funding gap and elderly people living without the care they need.

“Theresa May must come clean about the terms of the deal offered to Surrey County Council, apologise for her Government’s misleading suggestion that there had been no such deal and ensure other local councils get the same treatment.”

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Sarah Champion MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, responding to an expected budget announcement of funding to mark the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, said:

“Labour is pleased that funding will be provided to mark the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act.

“It’s right that we mark and celebrate the achievements of so many women who risked their homes, families and freedom to fight for democracy and economic equality.

“However, 99 years later, women are still having to fight for economic equality under this Tory government. From cuts to universal credit and 54,000 women losing their jobs through maternity discrimination, to the treatment of thousands of women born in the 1950s who have been left with a crisis in their retirement planning, this government is systematically turning back the clock on gender economic equality.

“Labour is committed to conducting a gender audit of all our financial statements in government and to bringing forward an Economic Equality Bill to address the structural and cultural barriers that prevent women achieving their full potential.”

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Editor’s Notes:

1. Analysis conducted by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Equality and Humans Rights Commission estimated that up to 54,000 women every year are forced out of work due to maternity discrimination

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/managing-pregnancy-and-maternity-workplace/pregnancy-and-maternity-discrimination-research-findings

2.Independent House of Commons analysis has shown that as of the 2016 Autumn Statement, 86% of net savings to the treasury through tax and benefit measures since 2010 have come from women

Pre-Budget Statement from the Shadow Chancellor

Speaking ahead of the Budget, the Shadow Chancellor has demanded that the government finds the funding our NHS and social care needs, and that he must not make women bear the brunt of Tory economic policies as they have for the last 7 years.

In addition, he said that the chancellor cannot risk building our economy on the shaky ground of a WTO deal that endangers jobs and growth.

He also, calls on the government to deal with the rising cost of living, and tackle the problem of chronic low pay for many working families in our country.

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, said:

“Philip Hammond’s first Budget comes at a crossroads for our country ahead of the triggering of Article 50. It cannot be a Budget, where like his predecessor, he over claims on the government’s economic record, and under delivers on its promises.

“That is why it is vital he must use his first Budget tomorrow to provide the adequate funding our NHS and social care system desperately needs.

“The Tories say they are on the side of working families, but they are going ahead with cuts to in-work benefits, and presiding over an economy where six million people earn less than the living wage, and four million children are in poverty.

“The Budget falls on international women’s day; and although it is great we have a female Prime Minister, Theresa May has supported every tax and benefit change in the last seven years, which has meant 86 per cent of the cuts have fallen on women.

“Therefore, Philip Hammond needs to ensure that his first Budget breaks with this terrible statistic, and works for women, not one that makes them bear the brunt of Tory tax giveaways for a wealthy few.

“Finally, the Chancellor cannot risk building our economy on the shaky ground of a WTO deal that risks jobs and growth, so he must now rule this out and commit not to turn Britain into a tax haven off the coast of Europe.

“Labour is opposed to any Tory Brexit deal that favours tax dodgers and the big banks, and would force working families to pick up the tab.

“The Chancellor has to ensure his first Budget is a break from the past, and not a continuation of the same failed economic policies of the last seven years.”

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