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.”

Richard
Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, commenting on the Howard League for Penal Reform’s
response to a joint inspection report of Medway secure training centre, said:  

“This damning report is a sharp reminder
that the prisons crisis remains unchecked. 

“The new Justice Secretary must act quickly and
explain how he is going to fix prisons and secure training centres which are
violent and unsafe.  

“The public is less safe as a result of seven
years of Tory prison mismanagement.

“The next Labour Government will recruit 3,000
extra prison officers to improve safety and end the understaffing.”