Labour

Sue Hayman MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, commenting on the report of the Special Rapporteur on the implications on environmental protections and standards on human rights in the UK, said:

“This is a damning and shameful indictment of the Government’s lack of action on air quality and a stark warning ahead of Brexit of its flimsy promises on the future of environmental protections.

“The UN Special Rapporteur raises some extremely grave concerns in his report, most notably regarding Michael Gove’s ‘worrying’ lack of commitment to environmental protections post Brexit, the crippling impact of austerity on the UK’s ability to monitor and enforce environmental standards, and the disregard for the health of UK citizens.

“By simply blaming our membership of the E.U. on the long list of failings outlined in the report, the response from the government could not have been more inappropriate or cynical.

“Michael Gove must urgently set out his response to the concerns raised in this report and take stronger and more immediate action on all areas of public health and environmental concern that have been highlighted.”

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on reports that the Tories are to lift the public sector pay cap for specific roles only, said:

“The next Labour government will lift the public sector pay cap for all public sector workers and we are demanding nothing less than that from this shambolic government. The crisis in our public services is a crisis made in Downing Street. The pay review bodies have been operating under the constraint of a Tory 1 per cent cap for seven years. The pay cap must now be lifted across the whole public sector rather than by playing one group of workers off against another.”

Rebecca Long Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, commenting on the drop in offshore wind prices, said:

“Offshore wind has become one of the lowest cost options for delivering large-scale, low-carbon power. It already has sufficient capacity to supply electricity to the whole of London, Manchester and Birmingham and its price has come down by over 50 per cent in the last two years.

“But instead of seizing this opportunity, the Conservatives have not been clear that they are going to fulfil their promise to allocate £730 million to offshore wind and other renewable technologies. This risks hurting consumers who are facing sky rocketing energy prices and weakens our capacity to tackle climate change, which is even more urgent in the wake of devastating hurricanes, floods and mud slides which have affected millions of people. 

“Labour calls on the Government to guarantee the allocation of the full £730 million funding. The next Labour government will ensure that 60 per cent of the UK’s energy comes from zero-carbon renewable sources by 2030, including offshore wind. This will enable us to meet our responsibilities to tackle climate change, while creating jobs and investment in communities across the UK.”

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on reports that the Government has been forced to accept the need for a parliamentary vote on its £1 billion deal with the DUP, said:

“The Treasury’s admission of the need for a parliamentary vote on the £1 billion DUP bribe is a clear indication that the Conservatives’ chaotic attempts to circumvent Parliament must come to an end.

“Hammond must come clean about whether he intends to increase taxes, slash spending, or increase borrowing to fund the blackhole created by the £1 billion DUP bribe and the £2 billion u-turn on his attempt to increase National Insurance Contributions for self-employed workers. The Chancellor could have settled this by including his plans in Tuesday’s Finance Bill second reading, but instead he is still hiding the public finances under a shroud.

“We do not begrudge Northern Ireland getting the spending that it needs, but people all across the UK are crying out for the investment, jobs, and decent pay which will only be delivered by the next Labour Government.”

Kate Osamor MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, commenting on the announcement that Emmanuel Macron will visit St Martin on Tuesday, said, 

“Hurricane Irma is the worst Atlantic storm to have hit in years, and people’s lives have been devastated in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and across the Caribbean.

“Boris Johnson was clear on Sunday that this is a national disaster being treated as though in Inverness, Dover or St. Ives. Donald Trump is headed to Florida, and now Emmanuel Macron will visit St Martin tomorrow. 

“But with the UK response to Irma drawing wide criticism, Theresa May is still to announce whether she or Boris Johnson will visit those most affected, look them in the eye and put their concerns at the centre of her government’s response plan.  

“The British people in the Overseas Territories deserve to see first-hand that the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary are doing everything they can to get a grip on this national disaster.”