Labour

Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, responding to the announcement of the terms of reference for the Grenfell Taskforce, said:

“Today’s announcement has come too slow and falls far short of the action that is needed. Residents of Kensington and Chelsea have made it very clear in the past weeks that they do not trust the leadership of the council, and nothing from central government has been done to address this.

“The objectives set by the Government for the taskforce show that they are aware of these problems – but there continues to be a real issue of accountability. Delivery of these objectives remains the responsibility of a council that have shown they are not equipped to deal with the task ahead, and Sajid Javid has refused to step in and take on the responsibility himself to ensure that survivors, still homeless after this tragedy, get the support they need.”

Ends

Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, responding to the Supreme Court’s judgement on Employment Tribunal Fees, said:

“We welcome the Supreme Court’s judgement which finds tribunal fees unlawful. The Conservative Government should do the right thing, accept the ruling and consign their immoral Employment Tribunal Fees to the dustbin of history, rather than spending more taxpayers’ money trying to defend the indefensible.

“It’s an important day for access to justice for ordinary working people everywhere. The Conservative Government – which in coalition with the Lib Dems brought in this immoral restricted access to justice – must now pay a £32 million price for attacking workers.

“Labour’s manifesto pledged to abolish Employment Tribunal Fees. Labour’s position has been vindicated by the highest court of the land and Unison should be congratulated on winning a victory for working people everywhere.”

Sue Hayman MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, commenting on further reports of cabinet division, said:

“Liam Fox defended the practice of chlorine washing chicken last night. This morning, in yet another example of Conservative chaos, Michael Gove has ruled out chlorinated chicken imports.

“This casual and inconsistent attitude towards the importing of chlorinated chicken undermines everything British poultry farmers do to produce high quality produce and uphold high animal welfare standards.

“Theresa May must put an end to the internal disarray in her cabinet and set the record straight by publicly supporting British poultry farmers and committing to protect the British public from substandard food produce in a race-to-the-bottom Brexit.

“Labour reiterates our calls for the Government to secure the inclusion of high food and animal welfare standards in all trade agreements negotiated after Brexit.”

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on today’s worse than expected GDP figures, which represent the weakest first half of a year since 2012, said:

“Today’s GDP figures reveal weak growth under a weak government, and expose the last seven years of Tory economic failure.

“Growth for the first half of 2017 is below expectations, and it follows continued data showing working families are being squeezed with wages not keeping up with prices.

“The truth is that the Tories’ austerity cuts have undermined working people’s living standards and weakened the UK economy.

“Only a Labour Government has a strategic plan of investment to boost growth, underpinned by our Fiscal Credibility Rule; which will help build a high wage, high skill economy that works for the many not the few.”

Sue Hayman MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, commenting on the Government’s plans to ban all new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040, said:

“We have had seven years of illegal air pollution under this Conservative Government who have only acted after being dragged through the courts.

“Despite the scale of the problem of illegal air pollution, we are presented today with further consultations and delays, a squeamish attitude to clean air zones, shunting the problem onto local authorities and no detail about how the Government’s 2040 target will be achieved. With nearly 40 million people living in areas with illegal levels of air pollution, action is needed now, not in 23 years’ time.

“This all comes after years of cuts to grants for electric vehicles and just days after the Government announced scrapping the electrification of rail lines and the introduction of diesel trains.

“A Labour Government will introduce a new Clean Air Act to drive challenging emissions reduction targets, introduce a network of clean air zones and invest in greener, integrated public transport systems for the long term.”