Labour

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to reports in today’s Financial Times that the NHS is facing a £100m agency bill to boost GP numbers, said:

“This is yet another example of the Government’s financial mismanagement of our NHS and their lack of action when it comes to the GP workforce.

“Under the Tories, general practice is being stretched to breaking point, and patients are being let down as a result.

“This Government needs to come up with a workable plan for boosting the number of GPs and investing in frontline services, otherwise under the Tories, more and more taxpayers’ cash will be spent on expensive agency bills.”

Alan Whitehead MP, Labour’s Shadow Energy Minister and Climate Change, responding to reports that Ofgem will implement an energy price cap for two million vulnerable households, falling short of Theresa May’s General Election promise, said:

“Theresa May misled voters during the election by pledging to cap energy bills for 17 million households before quickly backtracking. Now she is trying to mislead people again by claiming the responsibility to introduce a cap for all households on standard variable tariffs lies with Ofgem, despite the regulator making clear it needs the government to legislate.

“Unlike the Tories, the next Labour government will offer more than empty words by introducing an immediate emergency price cap to keep household bills down, while we transition to a fairer system for bill payers.”

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on the Public and Commercial Services union announcement that protests about pay are due to take place across the UK, said

“These protests reinforce the unfairness of the public sector pay cap and the poor treatment that civil servants and other public sector workers have faced at the hands of this Tory Government. Civil servants and other public sector workers have seen their real wages fall constantly over the seven years of Conservative pay freezes and caps.

“It is shocking that our public servants have been forced into protesting their poor treatment and falling wages caused by the Tory Government’s pay freezes and caps. 

“Meanwhile, the Conservative’s cabinet of chaos continues to stand up for a privileged elite – handing out tax cuts for the rich and failing to properly tackle tax avoidance.

“The next Labour Government will lift the public sector pay cap and give all workers the pay rise they deserve so that the economy works for the many and not the few.” 

Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Shadow Business Secretary, responding to Aston Martin’s investment announcement, said:

“Aston Martin’s £500m trade deal  announced today is welcome, as is the continued investment of other car manufacturers such as Nissan and Toyota. However, the continued success of British automotive sector, the jewel in our manufacturing crown, is being put at risk.

“The Government’s failing Brexit strategy twinned with a weak industrial strategy and secretive bespoke deals within the sector is the antitheses of the robust strategy the last Labour government put in place for the sector.

“Labour’s properly resourced industrial strategy and jobs-first approach to leaving the EU is what is needed to ensure the continued prosperity of the automotive sector’.”

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, responding to the release of terms of reference for the independent inquiry into building regulations following the Grenfell Tower fire, said:

“Ministers have been off the pace at every stage in responding to the terrible Grenfell Tower fire.

“While better late than never, it’s now eleven weeks since Grenfell and over four years on from two Coroners’ reports into previous high rise fires recommended an overhaul of building regulations. Ministers promised a review in May 2013 but have failed to act since.  

“Rather than waiting for the findings of this inquiry, Ministers should start acting on these existing recommendations immediately and incorporate any proposals from Dame Judith Hackitt.

“More broadly, Ministers must now use this inquiry to ensure that our system of fire checks and regulations has the clarity, accountability and proper standards needed so that no-one feels unsafe in their home.”