Politics

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Health, commenting on the CQC’s State of Hospitals report, said:

“The CQC’s stark warning that our NHS stands on a ‘burning platform’ must be at the forefront of the Chancellor’s priorities ahead of next week’s Budget.

“Our hardworking and stretched NHS staff cannot be expected to pick up the pieces from this Government’s failure to properly fund our NHS and social care system.

“After the worst winter crisis in years, in which nine out of ten hospitals were left dangerously overcrowded, the public expects urgent action to rectify years of damaging Tory neglect.”

Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on the Family and Childcare Trust Childcare Survey 2017, said:

“When parents working full-time are spending almost half their income on childcare, it’s clear the Tories are failing to deliver fair, affordable and sustainable childcare for hardworking families.

“The survey shows that the Tory election promise to provide 30 hours free childcare is now in further trouble with many local authorities reporting major shortages of available places.

“There are simply not enough places to meet demand, especially after school, or if parents are working shifts or have disabled children.”

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, commenting on the publication of the report ‘New Civic Housebuilding’ by the housing charity Shelter, said:

“This welcome report lays bare our broken housing market and highlights just how inadequate the Government’s plans are in meeting this challenge and building the new good quality, affordable homes we need.

“After seven years of failure on housing, there is the lowest level of affordable housebuilding in 24 years, homelessness has more than doubled, private rents have risen faster than incomes and home-ownership has fallen. Ministers must face up to their failures and back Labour’s plans to build thousands more affordable homes to rent and buy.”

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on today’s IFS report, said:

“Today’s damning indictment on the outlook for living standards is yet more evidence of the Tory Government’s economic failure.

“The IFS concludes that ‘we are in the middle of a historically weak period of growth in living standards’, with median income set to be up to 16 percent lower in 2021-22 than it would otherwise be if the Tory Government had continued long-run trend growth.

“With a dreadful record on living standards, and inequality and poverty set to increase, it is clear that after seven years of economic failure the Tory Government will continue to fail working people.

“Only Labour will take the action needed to end the Tories’ economic failure by introducing a Real Living Wage of £10 an hour by 2020.”

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Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to The King’s Fund’s latest Quarterly Monitoring Report, said:

“This comprehensive overview from the King’s Fund demonstrates again the enormous strain which the Government has created for the health service this winter.

“Cuts to social care have left people stuck in hospital when they’re well enough to go home, increasing pressure on A&E units. Hospitals are increasingly having to rely on short term measures like agency staff and outsourcing to balance the books.  

“NHS staff are working around the clock to keep the service running but their efforts are being undermined by the neglect of the Government. The King’s Fund make clear that without better support NHS finances will get worse and waiting times will increase. Theresa May urgently needs to set out a sustainable plan for health and social care so that patients never have to suffer a winter like this again.”

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