John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to Philip Hammond’s speech at the Conservative Party conference today in Manchester, said:

“After 40 wasted minutes speaking, and seven wasted years of Tory economic failure the country expected to see the Chancellor change course. But instead, after a year, in the job he is continuing down the path of his predecessor and clinging to an old economic model that fails the many. It was a speech that contained more baseless smears on Labour than Tory policy announcements. But it betrays how fearful the Tories are of the challenge posed by Jeremy Corbyn.

"There was nothing of real substance on infrastructure, on tackling the housing crisis, the funding shortfall in our NHS and care system, and nothing at all for hard working families who are struggling to keep up with rising prices.

"The Chancellor this morning admitted he will borrow £10 billion for a housing policy that will only help a few, and which is derided by many of his predecessors even in his own party. Yet he will do nothing for the low paid struggling under the Tories Universal Credit mismanagement, or hard pressed public-sector workers. Real wages are lower today than when the Tories first came to power.

"On infrastructure spending, he has no plans to end the north-south divide on infrastructure spending. Philip Hammond has announced a mere drop in the ocean compared to what has already been cut, with government investment spending £19 billion lower than in 2010. Communities in the North of England will not be fooled when this Government plans to invest in transport just one-fifth in the North of what it will spend in London.

"The next Labour government will bring an end to the Tory economy built on debt, and create a country of high wage, high skill jobs, for the many not the few.”

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s
Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, commenting on the continuation of
Universal Credit roll out announced by the Secretary of State for Work and
Pensions saying; 

“It is an insult to those being
pushed into debt and rent arrears by this Government’s punitive six week wait
policy that the Work and Pensions Secretary is suggesting they get another loan
to make ends meet.

“The Work and Pensions Secretary
could and should immediately end the misery caused by the six week wait for
payment of Universal Credit.

“Weeks ago, I wrote to the
Secretary of State calling for a pause to Universal Credit roll out. Even 14
Conservative MPs and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have recognised that the
programme is failing, yet today Gauke has confirmed he will not act.

“Over a year ago, on the steps of
the Downing Street, the Prime Minister claimed she would help those struggling
to get by. The Government is failing the many by refusing to help the 13
million people living in poverty in the UK.” 

Andy McDonald MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, commenting on the cancellation of Monarch flights, said:

“The Government must do all it can to ensure the safe return of passengers and to make them aware of the compensation to which they are entitled.

"The Government should also look at how they can support Monarch staff, including by helping facilitate alternative employment in the aviation industry.

"With Ryanair recently cancelling thousands of flights, in part because of unfair treatment of staff, and Monarch having ceased trading, the sector is in a period of uncertainty. It is critical that the Government provides greater clarity.

"Our aviation sector is the largest in Europe but it is dependent on agreements secured through our EU membership. A failure to secure an essentially unchanged operating environment post-Brexit will mean grounded planes, cancelled holidays and disaster for UK aviation. The Government must provide the certainty and leadership that has so far been missing.”

John
Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, responding to
Sajid Javid’s Conference speech:

“Theresa
May admits seven years of Tory failure on housing was a big part of why her
Party did so badly in the Election.

“Yet four
months on, Sajid Javid’s speech shows there’s no new Tory thinking on housing.
His pledges are feeble and fail to offer help or hope to millions who can’t get
the home they need or aspire to.

 “There’s
nothing new from the Conservatives which will tackle the country’s housing
crisis or fix the broken housing market. This is yet another speech that aims
to help the few, not the many.

 "Young
people held back by a broken housing market don’t need Theresa May’s empty
empathy but a consumer rights revolution for renters, new discount homes for
first time buyers and the big-scale building programme of genuinely affordable
homes to rent and buy that Labour set out in our Election manifesto.“

Emily
Thornberry MP, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, commenting on events in
Catalonia today, said:

“Police
violence in Catalonia today is shocking, and the Spanish government should take
action to end it now.

"While
we believe disputes over sovereignty should be resolved in accordance with
rules and laws, and any referendum on these issues needs to be both democratic
and fair, it is unacceptable for the Spanish authorities to overreact to
today’s events through aggressive police action and the forcible closure of
polling stations.

"They
must respect the right to peaceful protest, and all sides must strive to come
together and reach a political solution to this constitutional crisis. Violence
of any sort will simply worsen divisions, and make a resolution harder to
reach.”