Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the
Labour Party,
said:

“We are all shocked and horrified
by the brutal attacks in London. My thoughts are with the families and friends
of those who have died and the many who have been injured. Today, we will all
grieve for their loss.


“I would like to thank the police and emergency services for their bravery and
professionalism in acting to save lives and deal with these appalling acts of
terrorism, as well as NHS staff and members of the public who sought to protect
others.

“The Labour party will be
suspending national campaigning until this evening, after consultations with
other parties, as a mark of respect for those who have died and suffered
injury.


“Those who wish to harm our people, divide our communities and attack our
democracy will not succeed. We will stand together to defend our common values
of solidarity, humanity and justice, and will not allow terrorists to derail
our democratic process.”

Ends

Labour has
launched its manifesto with and for disabled people.

The
manifesto was produced following Labour’s Disability Equality Roadshow,
involving extensive consultation with disabled people and their carers across
the country.

Over the
last seven years, disabled people – including people with physical or mental impairments and long-term
health conditions – have borne the brunt of the Conservatives cuts, which has seen
the number of disabled people living in poverty rise to 4.2 million.

Labour will
reverse the cuts to disability support, transform our social security system
from one that demonises disabled people to one that is supportive and enabling,
scrap the punitive sanctions regime and replace ineffective, degrading
assessments. The manifesto sets out Labour’s plan to tackle the barriers facing
disabled people and to build a society in which everyone has the same
opportunities and choices.

Jeremy
Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, said:

“Last night
at the BBC Question Time Leaders’ Special, an audience member gave a harrowing
account of her traumatic and degrading experience undergoing the Work
Capability Assessment. Like many others, I was incredibly moved by the film I,
Daniel Blake, which tells the story of those who have been demonised and
dehumanised by the Conservative’s devastating cuts and a social security system
which punishes, rather than supports, disabled people.

“Labour
will ensure that disabled people and people with mental health conditions have
access to the support they need and will work with disabled people to build an
inclusive society, where no one is held back from fulfilling their potential
and realising their aspirations.”

Launching
the manifesto in Manchester today, Debbie Abrahams, Labour’s Shadow Work and
Pensions Secretary, said:

“We
are proud of the manifesto that we have developed with, and for, disabled
people. For seven long years, disabled people have borne the brunt of the
Conservatives’ austerity cuts and been pushed further into poverty. Our comprehensive and costed policies
set out in this manifesto, will ensure that disabled people are properly
supported to live full and independent lives.

"Enough
is enough, only a Labour government, offering a real alternative, will work in
partnership with disabled people to ensure no one in our society is held
back.”

Notes to editors:

Please find a link to our disability manifesto here: http://www.labour.org.uk/page/-/manifesto-for-disabled-people.PDF

The Conservatives election campaign
is in chaos as the extent of their millionaire-backing is revealed, Labour
Leader Jeremy Corbyn says today.

In the latest in a string of errors
and about-turns, Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon’s pledge that people would
pay no more tax under the Tories was immediately contradicted by Theresa May,
who refused to rule out a tax hike on working people, through rises in income
tax or higher National Insurance contributions.

The Tories were already reeling from
the chaos and confusion over their plans for social care and where they would
set the cap they originally said they had rejected, and were forced to withdraw
their school breakfasts policy after it was exposed they had only set aside
6.8p per meal.

The threat of further Tory tax rises
on working people comes as it was revealed just 49 individuals have donated
more than a third of all Tory party funding since Theresa May became Prime
Minister.

In contrast, Labour’s manifesto
clearly commits to no income tax, National Insurance or VAT rises for 95 per
cent of taxpayers, with big businesses and those paid more than £80,000 a year
asked to pay a bit more to reverse years of underinvestment in our NHS, schools
and other public services.

Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Leader, said:

“First social care and school
breakfasts, now the Tories are in chaos over their tax plans for the super-rich,
as it is revealed they are entirely dependent on them for their funding. While
Michael Fallon claims there will be no tax rises, Theresa May refuses to rule
them out. You can’t trust a word the Tories say.

“Labour is the low tax party for the
many while the Conservatives are the low tax party for the few. We won’t raise
taxes for 95 per cent of taxpayers but will ask high earners and big businesses
to pay a little more so we can give nurses and other public servants a pay
rise, and invest in the public services we all rely on.”

Andrew Gwynne, Labour’s Joint National Campaign
Co-ordinator, said:

“The Tories are bankrolled by
millionaire bankers, tycoons and hedge fund bosses – the very people they’ve
given tax breaks to while everyone else pays more. In contrast, Labour is
funded by thousands and thousands of people making small donations because they
want a better society for everyone.

“Labour’s plans are fully costed and
fully set out in our manifesto for everyone to see. The only numbers in the
Tory manifesto are the page numbers. The wheels are coming of the
Conservatives’ election campaign, with Theresa May hiding from the public,
refusing to debate Jeremy Corbyn, and backsliding on social care, NHS and
schools funding, and now their tax plans.”

Labour is
calling on the Tories to come clean on how many pensioners will be hit by their
plans for a dementia tax and means testing for Winter Fuel Payments.

With six
days to go until voting, Theresa May has still not ended the uncertainty facing
millions of pensioners.

Tory
plans to scrap universal Winter Fuel Payments could hit as many as 10.8 million
pensioners, according to a Labour analysis of Pension Credit data.

Meanwhile,
the Tories are still refusing to give a figure for the cap they will put on
their dementia tax, the name given to their plan to force people to pay for
social care with their homes.

An
analysis by the Labour Party shows the effect of the Tory dementia
tax on older people living in a house worth the average UK price of £217,500 if
the cap is set at £72,000 or £100,000 and they find they need home care at the
capped level.

At a cap
of £100,000, a person in this situation needing the capped amount of care would
lose 42 percent of the value of their estate. The more someone’s house is
worth, the lower the percentage they would lose.

Labour
has set out its pledges to older people – maintaining the triple-lock on state
pensions to protect incomes, investing £37 billion into the NHS and £8 billion
into social care over the next parliament and protecting Winter Fuel Payments
and free bus passes.

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the
Labour Party,
commenting on this analysis, said:

“It is staggering that just six
days from polling day millions of pensioners still don’t know what’s in store
for them if they are unlucky enough to get dementia or any other condition that
needs care in the home.

“The dementia tax is itself unfair
but what’s made matters even worse is the way Theresa May announced a cap and
then failed to say how much it would be.

“Alongside this, older people face
the additional uncertainty of not knowing who will be eligible for a Winter
Fuel Payment. The introduction of a means test could mean more than ten million
people losing the payment.

“Theresa May’s only offer to
pensioners is insecurity and cuts. Labour will stand up for older people by
maintaining the triple-lock on state pensions, investing £8 billion into social
care over the next parliament and protecting winter fuel payments and free bus
passes.”

John McDonnell, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to
Michael Fallon’s claim to protect a wealthy few from income tax changes, while
not ruling out tax hikes for low and middle earners, said:

“The mask has finally slipped. The only guarantee
the Tories are prepared to give at this election is to big business and high
earners. While low and middle income earners have seen no guarantee from
Theresa May that their taxes won’t be raised. And pensioners are left to worry
about whether they will be able to heat their homes or even keep their homes,
with no clarity on cuts to winter fuel payments or the dementia tax.

"This confirms that the Tories truly are the party
for the few not the many. As only Labour can guarantee no rises in NICs or VAT, while 95 per cent of income taxpayers will be protected from tax hikes in the
next parliament.”