Labour

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, responding to the launch of the Conservative manifesto, said:

“Millions of pensioners are betrayed by Theresa May’s manifesto. She is hitting older people with a classic Nasty Party triple whammy:  Scrapping the triple lock on pensions, removing the Winter Fuel Allowance and forcing those who need social care to pay for it with their homes.

“The Conservatives’ record is one of broken promises and failure. They promised to raise living standards, but working families are set to be on average over £1,400 a year worse off. They promised to improve all standards of NHS care, but A&Es are in crisis. They promised to protect school spending, but schools are facing crippling cuts and class sizes are soaring. You can’t trust a word Theresa May says.

“Despite Theresa May’s warm words, she leads a party that has created a rigged economy that only works for the super-rich. The Conservatives have not changed. While the Labour Party has promised to protect low and middle earners from any tax rises, all Theresa May has promised is a cut to Corporation Tax for their big business friends. Unlike the Conservatives, Labour is standing up for the many, not the few.”

Andrew Gwynne, Labour’s National Election co-ordinator, responding to the launch of the Conservative manifesto, said:

“Behind the rhetoric, this is a manifesto that offers the majority of working people and pensioners insecurity with a huge question mark over their living standards.

“The tax guarantee they previously made is gone. While they’ll guarantee Corporation Tax falls to 17p they’re dropping their promise not to raise income tax and National Insurance contributions, raising the spectre of tax rises on lower and middle incomes. No wonder they’ve dropped their previous promise to raising living standards and the phrase “living standards” doesn’t appear at all.

“This manifesto is proof the Tories are ditching any claim to stand up for older people. Pensioners stand to lose the pension guarantee in the next parliament, the Winter Fuel Allowance is being hacked away at and their social care plans could see those who need care forced to pay for it with their homes.

“For our public services – slashed back by the Tories – there’s nothing but insecurity in these plans. They’ve failed to match Labour’s commitment on education and there’s no detail other than a vague promise on giving the NHS funding – a promise they made in the past and broke.

“The Tories stand up only for the few. For the many they offer the prospect of five years of insecurity.”

Ends

Barbara Keeley, Labour’s Shadow Mental Health Minister, responding to the Tories’ social care announcement ahead of their manifesto, said:

“You can’t trust the Tories’ promises on social care. In their last manifesto they promised a cap on care costs. But they broke their promise, letting older and vulnerable people down.

“It’s the Tories who have pushed social care into crisis; their cuts to councils have meant £4.6bn axed from social care budgets between 2010-2015, leaving 1.2 million people struggling to get by without care. And NHS bosses have recently said that the money the Tories promised them won’t help alleviate the problems, with bosses warning the system won’t see anything like the level of resource required.

“We need real action to fix the system, not reheated broken promises with little detail about how they’ll be delivered.

“While the Tories offer more of the same failure and broken promises, Labour has pledged action. We’ll increase social care budgets by £8bn over the lifetime of the Parliament, including an additional £1bn for the first year. We will set up a National Care Service to provide the care that people deserve.”

Ahead of the Conservative Party’s Manifesto launch, Labour is today publishing a document looking at the Tories’ record of broken promises.

The document – entitled: ‘One Tory Manifesto. Two years of Failure. 50 Broken Promises’ – lists 50 examples of when the Conservatives broke their word. From the NHS to education, from living standards to policing, the Tories have broken their promises time and again. 

·         They promised on the economy, but they have missed every debt and deficit target they set themselves

·         They promised to raise living standards, but working families are set to be on average over £1,400 a year worse off

·         They promised to improve all standards of NHS care, but A&Es are in their worst state on record and hospitals are in financial crisis

·         They promised to protect school spending, but per pupil spending is going down and class sizes are soaring

As they launch their latest manifesto, it is a reminder that the Tories can’t be trusted to keep their word.

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

“When Theresa May launches the Tory manifesto we can expect her to make a raft of promises to the British people. But, as the Conservatives make their latest solemn pledge there’s one thing we must bear in mind: we’ve been here before.

“Theresa May pretends otherwise, but she is a politician with a track record of failure and broken promises. From the economy to the NHS, and policing to schools, Theresa May’s Tories have failed again and again to deliver on the pledges they made.

“They made promises, they quickly broke them; they would do so again. The Tories can’t be trusted. Britain cannot afford five more years of them and their broken promises.”

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, commenting on the death of Rhodri Morgan, the former First Minister for Wales, said:

“Tonight we’ve lost a good friend, a great man and, above all, a giant of the Welsh Labour movement.

“I saw Rhodri just last month, campaigning in Cardiff North with Carwyn Jones. 

“Rhodri was an incredibly effective First Minister for Wales. He stood up for Wales, its people’s future and its public services. So much was achieved in his nearly ten years in the post, making a real success of devolution and laying the foundations for what the Welsh Government is accomplishing today.

“I first met Rhodri in 1987 on his election to Parliament and we became good friends. Our thoughts are with his wife Julie and the rest of the family. They can be truly proud of Rhodri’s enormous achievements.”

Carwyn Jones Labour’s First Minister of Wales, said:

“Wales hasn’t just lost a great politician, we’ve lost a real father figure. In very many ways Rhodri wasn’t like other politicians, and that is why people warmed to him, trusted him and felt like they knew him so well. He was funny, clever, engaging on almost any topic and absolutely passionate about all things Welsh.

“I owe him a great deal, just as we all do in Welsh Labour. He did so much to fight for, and then establish devolution in the hearts and minds of the public in our country. His bright confidence was infectious, and we can see so much of Rhodri’s can-do attitude in our modern Wales. That first decade of self-governance, and making distinct choices for Wales will forever be associated with his leadership.

“He will be hugely missed, and my thoughts are with Julie and all the family at this sad time.”

Tom Watson, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“Rhodri was one of the greats and I’m very sad to learn of his death. 

“I was with Rhodri and Julie on Thursday at a dinner in Cardiff for Labour MPs and he was as irrepressible as ever, laughing and joking with friends and guests. 

“He will be remembered for his fierce intellect and his passion for the Welsh people, whom he served with distinction. 

“He was a gifted First Minister of Wales, a respected Labour leader and a fine man. 

“The Labour movement will miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with Julie and the family.”