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.”