Labour

Commenting on the first National Clean Air Day in the UK, Sue Hayman, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said:

“With nearly 40 million people in Britain living in areas with illegal levels of air pollution and more than 2,000 schools and nurseries close to roads with damaging levels of diesel fumes, the first ever National Clean Air Day today is a timely and welcome reminder of the scale of the problem of illegal air quality in the UK.

“Labour welcomes this first National Clean Air Day to raise awareness about the need to cut harmful vehicle emissions and fight pollution.

“On this National Clean Air Day, Labour reaffirms our commitment to bringing forward a new Clean Air Act and calls on the government to stop ducking and diving on this issue and take responsibility to end the public health scandal of poor air quality.”

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“I am delighted to announce four appointments to fill shadow cabinet vacancies. I look forward to working with the strengthened shadow cabinet as we prepare a government in waiting to carry out our manifesto for the many not the few.

“Our party is now on a permanent campaign footing in anticipation of the failure of Theresa May’s attempt to establish a stable administration with the support of the DUP.

“I am therefore appointing Ian Lavery, Co-National Campaign Coordinator, to the additional role of Labour Party Chair to strengthen our campaigning and party organisation, as we prepare to contest a new general election and form the next government.”

Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Co-National Campaign Coordinator – Andrew Gwynne MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland – Lesley Laird MP

Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland – Owen Smith MP

Shadow Minister for Diverse Communities – Dawn Butler MP

Co-National Campaign Coordinator and Party Chair – Ian Lavery MP

Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, responding to news that senior Conservatives are urging a u-turn on their energy price cap manifesto promise, said:

“If correct, this is potentially another stunning U-turn from a weak and wobbly Prime Minister.

“One in ten households are living in fuel poverty and customers are being overcharged a whopping £2 billion every year. Theresa May unequivocally guaranteed a price cap before the general election but now it appears she is preparing to row back on that promise. It now looks like this price cap was simply an election gimmick and that the Conservatives were never serious about taking action to keep energy bills down.

“Britain needs a serious and long term approach in order to bring energy costs down, not cheap gimmicks that may simply be thrown into the bin just a week after the General Election.”

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Labour’s Shadow Solicitor General, responding to calls from senior Tories to drop a key manifesto pledge to scrap the Serious Fraud Office, said:

“This is yet more evidence of the chaos at the heart of the Conservative Party.

“Good corporate governance is essential to the UK’s reputation at home and abroad; the Serious Fraud Office plays a vital part in this and should not be cast aside.

“Senior Tories are right to be alarmed at Theresa May’s attempt to undermine the fight against big-ticket economic crime. She urgently needs to think again.”

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on today’s labour market stats from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), said:

“We welcome the overall increase in employment, but are deeply concerned that millions remain in low paid, insecure work.

“The Government has also failed to close the employment gap faced by women, disabled people and BAME groups, who have too often borne the brunt of austerity cuts.

“With the cost of basic essentials rising by 2.9 per cent, while wages stagnate, too many of Britain’s families are struggling to get by while Theresa May focuses on holding her unstable coalition of chaos together.

“Only a Labour government will ensure working people’s living standards are protected with a real Living Wage of £10 per hour, and an immediate end to austerity spending cuts.

“The Prime Minister must stand aside and let a Labour government build an economy that works for the many, not the few.”