Peter Dowd MP,
Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, responding to today’s
inflation figures by the ONS, said:

“Today’s inflation
figures are further bad news for working households. Inflation remains around a
five year high, while real earnings are still lower than in 2010, following
seven years of Tory economic failure.

“The next Labour
government will introduce a £10 per hour Real Living Wage to tackle the
wages squeeze, and build a high wage, high skill economy for the many, not the
few.”

Andy McDonald MP, Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting on the implications of Carillion’s collapse, said:

“Following the disastrous East Coast franchise decision, giving a contract to Carillion is yet another example of the negligent and carefree approach towards awarding contracts from Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling.

“The government should step in and take over Carillion’s rail contracts to ensure rail renewal and enhancement work is brought in-house within Network Rail along with maintenance work.”

Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the Urgent Question on the National Security Capability Review in the House of Commons, said:

“It is completely unacceptable that the Defence Secretary cannot answer the most basic questions about the Government’s defence review, which many fear is just a thinly veiled attempt to force more cuts on Britain’s Armed Forces.

“Under this Government, we have seen a dramatic fall in the size of the Army and there is a gaping black hole of £20bn in the defence equipment plan.

“The simple fact is that you cannot do security on the cheap and the British public expects the Government to ensure that defence and the Armed Forces get the funding that they deserve.”

Jon Trickett MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, responding to Carillion going into liquidation, said: 

“The Government must act quickly to bring these public sector contracts back in-house to protect public services and ensure employees, supply chain companies, taxpayers and pension fund members are protected.

"Given £2 billion worth of Government contracts were awarded in the time three profit warnings were given by Carillion, a serious investigation needs to be launched into the Government’s handling of this matter.

"It is vital that shareholders and creditors are not allowed to walk away with the rewards from profitable contracts while the taxpayer bails out loss-making parts of the business.”

Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, responding to reports that the UK Justice Secretary is seeking legal advice over John Worboys’ release, said:

“It is important that the victims of Worboys’ crimes, as well as the wider public, have faith in our justice system. So it is right that the Ministry of Justice seeks advice on a Judicial Review of this case, as the rules permit.

"A Judicial Review would look at whether the Parole Board’s decision was taken properly, but there are wider questions that must also be answered. The Worboys case raises many serious questions that anything less than an independent end-to-end review into the handling of the case—from the first report to the police of an attack right through to the Parole Board hearing—would let down the victims and the wider public."