Margaret Greenwood MP, Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister, commenting on the
Office of National Statistics Working and Workless Households figures, said:

“While any increases in employment are positive, under this
Government work is no longer a reliable route out of poverty with over half of
those living in poverty coming from a working household.

“There are four million children growing up in poverty in the UK; two thirds of
these children live in working households.

“A
Labour government for the many, not the few, will introduce a Real Living Wage
to end in-work poverty once and for all, while investing in childcare to allow
parents to get back to work once they are ready.”

Jeremy
Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“I’d like
to thank Kezia Dugdale for her work as Scottish Labour leader and the important
role she has played in rebuilding the party in Scotland.

“Kezia
became Scottish leader at one of the most difficult times in the history of the
Scottish Labour Party, and the party’s revival is now fully under way, with six
new MPs and many more to come.

“I want
to thank Kez for her tireless service to our party and movement, and look
forward to campaigning with her in future for a country that works for the many
not the few.”

Ends

Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, responding to
forecasts that the prison population is set to rise to 88,000 by 2022, said:

“Under the Tories, overcrowding and understaffing have brought the
prison system to a crisis.

“These figures demonstrate that this Conservative Government has
no real plan to fix the mess they’ve made and that overcrowding is only
set to get worse over the coming years.”

Peter
Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on new ONS figures
that show household spending growth has slowed to its weakest pace for two and
a half years, said:

“The figures from the ONS today are a stark reflection of
seven years of Tory economic failure.

“The Conservatives’ Cabinet of chaos is now presiding over the
slowest growing country in the G7 – household spending is slowing, the number
of young people not in work or education remains largely unchanged and business
investment has stalled.

“It is time for a Labour government that will create an economy
that works for the many not the few.”

Diane
Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on today’s migration
statistics, said:

“Tory
migration policy is a shambles. Against all advice, Theresa May continues to
insist in maintaining an arbitrary net migration target of under 100,000, which
has never once been met.

“Now
it seems that her long-running campaign to malign international students is
based on fantasy, with no evidence of a major issue with students overstaying.

“Some
in government appear to be waking up to the idea that overseas students make a
valuable contribution to our country and have belatedly asked the Migration Advisory
Committee to gather evidence.

"Labour
will offer fair rules and reasonable management of migration; prioritising
jobs, growth and prosperity, not bogus net migration targets.”