Author Archives: GovWorldMag

Keir Starmer MP, Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, responding to the publication of the European Commission’s guidelines on the next phase of the Brexit negotiations, said:

“The immediate priority for the Brexit talks must be to secure sensible transitional arrangements that will protect jobs and the economy.

“Labour has been clear that it would seek a time-limited transitional deal that maintains the same basic terms that we currently enjoy with the EU. That means we would seek to remain in a customs union with the EU and within the single market during this period. It means we would abide by the common rules of both.

“The Government must now follow Labour and the EU and set out its own proposals. Theresa May cannot allow herself to be wrong footed again by refusing to set out in detail the terms of the transitional deal she wants to reach. Businesses need certainty and stability from the Government, not more confusion and chaos.”

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the IMF’s report out today, said:

“The IMF has today played the role of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future to remind the Chancellor that the last seven years of Tory economic failure is undermining our economy.

“They confirmed the downbeat assessment last month by the OBR, highlighting low growth, the Government’s productivity failure and neglect of the regions. The report also confirmed what we all know, that Conservative governments are good at cutting public services to give tax cuts to a wealthy few, but hopeless at investing in the skills and infrastructure our country needs to develop an economy for the many.

“As the IMF rightly points out, despite strong global growth, UK economic growth is revised down, and business growth is down despite Tory tax giveaways to big business; while working households this Christmas are struggling with rising prices and lagging wages.

“In addition, this report can be seen as further proof that the Tories have completely lost the economic argument. Austerity has failed and will only continue to undermine our economy during the Brexit negotiations.

“The next Labour government will end austerity and provide the proper investment our country needs, underpinned by our Fiscal Credibility Rule, to build a high wage, high skill economy for the many not the few.”