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arguably been superseded by the Common Fisheries Policy which the UK will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.”