Labour

Labour will today announce that a future Labour Government will immediately halt the proposed closure of A&Es in England and carry out a full scale review of all proposals. 

Having listened to campaigners and concerned patients up and down the country, Jonathan Ashworth, as Labour health secretary will immediately halt the Tories chaotic ‘sustainability and transformation plan’ (STP) programme. 

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth, will say: 

“Labour will put the best interests of patients at the heart of our NHS so today I’m announcing we will halt planned closures to hospitals and other services. We will have a moratorium on the STPs. 

“We have listened to the hundreds of patients and campaigners up and down the country that have been pleading with the Government to hear their concerns about their local services. Threats of hospitals being closed, A&E services moved miles up the road, and children’s wards being shut, have caused widespread concern and confusion. What is more, these decisions have been decided behind closed doors, with no genuine involvement of local people. It’s a disgrace.

“The public deserves better. My first job as Secretary of State will be to review every single STP proposal looking at what’s in the interest of quality of patient care.

“We’ll ask a new body – NHS Excellence – to lead that review. And patients and local communities will be involved at every stage. Local people should be at the heart of decisions about how care is provided.”

Emily Thornberry, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary of State, speaking on Channel 4 News, said:

“The truth is that Theresa May paints herself as a bloody difficult woman or a Margaret Thatcher figure, but I think this is less Margaret Thatcher and more Veruca Salt. You can’t just stand there and simply say: ‘I want, I want, I want’ when you are negotiating.

“What you have to do is to persuade the other side that you have some ideas that would be good for both sides. You need to be able to calm down and you need to be able to make friends and be prepared to compromise.

“Otherwise we are heading for a hard Brexit; we are heading for no deal and she must back off. A strong Brexit is about a deal that works for the British economy. We are talking about people’s jobs – that’s the important thing.”

Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour’s National Election Chair, commenting on reports that local reporters were “locked in a room and banned from filming” during Theresa May’s visit to Cornwall today, said:

“Theresa May’s campaign is going to extraordinary efforts to avoid any form of public scrutiny.

“What is especially worrying is that we’ve still not even heard from the Prime Minister on the alarming leaks from Brussels, which expose just how reckless her Brexit plans are.

“Rather than hiding away, the Prime Minister needs to come out and explain just what on earth is going on.”

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on today’s IFS analysis of the public finances, said:

“Today’s analysis by the IFS reveals the failure of seven years of Tory Government.

“Despite promising to balance the books by 2015, the IFS says the UK’s public finances ‘compare unfavourably to other advanced economies’ with the fifth largest deficit and the sixth largest debt pile.

“The IFS points to ‘persistently poor economic growth’ as one of the factors explaining the UK’s poor public finances.

“It is clear that under the Tories working people have suffered from sluggish growth, soaring debt and stagnating pay.

“Only Labour has a proper plan for the public finances underpinned by our Fiscal Credibility Rule, which will allow us to grow the economy and deliver for the many, not the few.”

Labour is today committing to provide funding to the 43 forces across England and Wales to hire an extra 10,000 officers operating in community policing roles. We will provide the framework to enable community engagement and funding to ensure at least the equivalent of one more bobby per electoral ward. 

It will mean an extra police officer dedicated to community policing in each electoral ward in England and Wales to tackle crime for the many not the few.

• Labour will add 10,000 new police officers for England and Wales
• Paid for by reversing cuts to Capital Gains Tax
• Reported crime is rising under the Tories, up for almost every police force
• Under Theresa May, the Tories have cut over 20,000 police officers since 2010
• They have also broken their pledge to protect the police budget
• Labour will protect current police levels and not cut the police budget

Almost every police force in the country recorded an increase in crime over the last year, with worrying rises in some of the most violent offences, including gun and knife crime and homicide. Since 2010, under Theresa May, police numbers have been cut by 20,000. Labour will reverse cuts to Capital Gains Tax which will more than fund these new officers in addition to guaranteeing current police levels.

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, will make the pledge on a visit to Southampton on Tuesday 2 May. He will say:

“Cutting police numbers especially when there is more crime to deal with is unacceptable. That’s why Labour will put 10,000 new police officers on our streets. The safety of our communities is vital to us all.

“Community policing means uniformed officers being visible, local and accessible. They engage with the public, have a detailed local knowledge and build a network of relationships.

“That’s why Labour will reduce crime by putting more police in the community to make sure policing works for the many not the few.”

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, she will say:

“Theresa May failed to protect communities as Home Secretary and has continued to fail them as Prime Minister.

“Labour will reverse the Tories’ tax breaks for the rich, providing new money that can be used to put a bobby on the beat in every electoral ward in the country.  We will reinforce confidence in our police forces, with a renewed focus on working with communities, and for communities to fight crime.”