Labour

Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, responding to Ofgem’s announcement on an energy price cap, said:

“Ofgem’s watered down proposals go nowhere near the promise made by the Prime Minister to adopt Labour’s principle of a price cap. In the general election, she pledged unequivocally to knock £100 off the bills of 17 million customers but then didn’t include the promise in the Queen’s Speech.

“After reports that the Prime Minister has been lobbied by senior cabinet members and the big six energy companies to drop the price cap commitment, ministers must tell the British people why they treat fair pricing for energy consumers as such a low priority and if they are going to make yet another u-turn. “

Ends

Editors Notes

1.       Theresa May made a strong declaration to an energy price cap for 17 million customers, saving £100 in The Sun – link below:

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3512895/theresa-may-energy-cap-promise/

2.       Ofgem’s press release

https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/ofgem-announces-plans-deliver-fairer-more-competitive-market-all-consumers

Commenting on today’s reports that Ministers will trigger exit from the London Fisheries Convention, shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Sue Hayman MP, said:

“Labour opposes a hard Brexit that would jeopardise jobs, environmental sustainability and the future prosperity of the British fishing industry. 

“The London Convention predates British membership of the EU by a decade and has arguably been superseded by the Common Fisheries Policy which the UK will withdraw from automatically following our leaving the EU.

“Given that the majority of fish caught by UK vessels are within the Atlantic (fishing area 27) which includes the edge of Greenland to North Russia and as far south as the bottom of Spain/Portugal, it is vital that any Brexit deal does not jeopardise access to these waters for our British fishing fleet.

“This provocative decision at this stage of the negotiations puts at risk those necessary and far more valuable fisheries management arrangements we will need to agree on leaving the EU as well as a tariff free trade deal so vital to our British fishing exports. It is another example of the Tories’ reckless approach to Brexit.”

Responding to allegations of a cover up of unlawful killings by U.K. forces in Afghanistan, Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“The allegations of unlawful killings and war crimes in Afghanistan are extremely serious and must be fully investigated.

“Our armed forces have a reputation for decency and bravery. If we do not act on such shocking allegations we risk undermining that reputation, our security at home and the safety of those serving in the armed forces abroad.

“Our values and respect for the rule of law require full accountability. We owe it to our armed forces and the victims and their families to ensure that a thorough investigation takes place.

 “There can be no question of a cover up. The government must now establish an independent inquiry into what has taken place.”

In response to Kensington and Chelsea council suspending rent payments for Grenfell residents, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Andrew Gwynne MP, said:

 “It is unacceptable that it has taken until now for the council to suspend rent for displaced residents in Grenfell Tower and the surrounding area that were evacuated from their homes.

 “People have been made homeless in this tragedy, lost family, friends and everything they own – Sajid Javid needs to finally show some leadership and send in commissioners to take control of this council.” 

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, has today accused Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt of “trying to cover up” a new round of NHS cuts, which include closing wards and services, extending waiting times and stopping treatments.

The NHS Capped Expenditure Process involves hundreds of millions of pounds of reductions to local health economies, but Government Ministers have so far refused to comment on the proposals.

Jonathan Ashworth said:

“I’ve today written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt asking a raft of questions and outlining in no uncertain terms the major concern that Labour has regarding hundreds of millions of pounds of cuts to local health budgets.

“The process has been going on since at least April but so far there has been no announcement from the Health Secretary, his Ministers or the Department for Health. There is an astonishing lack of transparency around this whole process.

“Across the country patients and their families are living in fear that local services they rely on will be cut back to plug black hole which this government has created.

“This government wants to give the impression that this is for NHS managers to sort out and wash their hands of a process which involves hundreds of millions of pounds of public money. This is an unacceptable abdication of responsibilities to patients and the public and gives the impression of trying to cover up this new round of NHS cuts.”