Labour

Keir Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, commenting on latest round of negotiation talks between David Davis and Michel Barnier, said:

“Once again, there has been no acceleration in the Brexit talks. With the December deadline just weeks away, the British people and businesses are no clearer about what the next phase will look like or how it will affect them.

“Both sides need to work flat out between now and the next EU Council meeting to ensure sufficient progress can be made and the talks can move to the next phase. Labour are committed to a Brexit deal that puts jobs and the economy first. Failure to reach an agreement would be catastrophic for people’s living standards. The longer there is no progress in the Brexit talks, the greater the risk of no deal.”

Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, commenting on Uber losing its court appeal against ruling that drivers should be treated as workers rather than self-employed, said:

“This landmark ruling is a hard-fought victory for worker’s rights and I congratulate the drivers and trade unions for taking this all the way to the courts.

“Uber, and companies like it, must now stop exploiting its workforce. They must immediately implement changes to ensure that workers receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled. 

“The next Labour government will support workers with equal employment rights and clamp down on bogus self-employment.”

Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Social Care, commenting on new figures which show the number of NHS delayed days due to a lack of social care are up by nearly a quarter compared with last year, said:

“These are alarming figures. The chronic underfunding of social care since 2010 is having a severe impact on local authorities under pressure to find social care for vulnerable people, which in turn increases pressure on the NHS.

“The Tory Government must listen to the will of the House of Commons expressed in our recent debate on the funding of social care and as such we call on the Chancellor to use his Budget and end the crisis in social care which Labour recognised when we pledged an additional £8bn of funding in our election manifesto. 

Ends 

Notes to editors:

Text of motion 

“That this House notes the Conservative Party’s manifesto commitment to a funding proposal for social care which would have no cap on care costs and would include the value of homes in the means test for care at home; further notes that this proposal would leave people with a maximum of only £100,000 of assets; calls on the Government to confirm its intention not to proceed with this commitment; and further calls on the Government to remove the threat to withdraw social care funding for, and stop fines on, local authorities for Delayed Transfers of Care and to commit to the extra funding needed to close the social care funding gap for 2017 and the remaining years of the 2017 Parliament.”

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, commenting on new statistics showing the number of new social rented homes has fallen to the lowest level since records began, said:

“After the Grenfell Tower fire Theresa May admitted the Conservatives haven’t given enough attention to social housing. These shocking figures show she was right. 

“The number of new social rented homes being built is now at the lowest level on record, and the number of new low-cost homes to buy is at just half the level it was under Labour.

“After seven years of failure on housing the Chancellor must use the Budget to tackle the housing crisis.”

Barry Gardiner MP, Shadow International Trade Secretary, responding to concerns from the steel industry over the government’s Trade Bill, said:

“There is a real danger that our steel industry could be fatally compromised if the government fails to deal with unfair trading practices by other countries. Proper structures must be put in place as our exit from the European Union is planned. 

“Labour is committed to a robust and comprehensive trade remedies regime that will ensure we can defend British manufacturing jobs from unfair competition. 

“We understand the fears expressed by industry and trade unions at the prospect of job losses in such an important sector. A Labour government would act. This government must not stand idly by.”