Labour

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the release of the latest migration statistics, said:

“The Tories’ immigration policy is a complete mess. Despite their claims, they are still nowhere near to achieving their unworkable target.

“The Tories blame the EU for this, but EU and non-EU long-term migration are the same, and each of them is way over 100,000 by themselves. The ONS are clear there was no statistically significant fall in net migration numbers. 

“The only significant drop was in international students, who enrich our education system and the wider economy and whose decline will make us all worse off.”

Paul Blomfield MP, Shadow Brexit Minister, responding to a BMA report that reveals more than four in ten European doctors are considering leaving the UK following Brexit, said:

“Labour has been warning the Government for months now that its failure to guarantee the status of Europeans living and working here is not in the national interest.

“These findings from the BMA are a stark wakeup call about the consequences of this uncertainty for a health service already at breaking point.

“The Government must act urgently and guarantee the status of Europeans – for our health service, for our economy and to create goodwill amongst our future negotiating partners.

“It’s failure to do so is an act of self-harm.”

Andy McDonald MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, responding to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s refusal to commit to delivering schemes in the Government’s Road Investment Strategy at today’s Transport Questions, said:

“The Office of Rail and Road report into Highways England showed the Government’s Road Investment Strategy to be in chaos. The agency are over budget, behind schedule and serious doubts have been cast on whether promised investment will be delivered on time, if at all.

“The Road Investment Strategy is beginning to look like a wish-list rather than a deliverable plan to improve England’s road network. The government must reassure the public that promised works won’t be cancelled or delayed, and they should explain how they will guarantee road users’ safety following their failure to manage investment in England’s roads.”

Cat Smith MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs, commenting on the ONS Young NEET figures out today, said:

“While it is welcome that the latest figures show a decline in the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), this Tory Government continues to fail young people.  

“There are still  826,000 young people who are NEETs. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds continue to perform worse than their peers in school.

“Those who manage to find work are excluded from the national living wage and many are subjected to exploitative zero-hours contracts.

“Only Labour will prioritise young people’s needs and address these failings.”

Debbie Abrahams MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, commented on the Governments Defined Benefit Green Paper, said:

“Moves to allow employers to erode the value of their workers’ pensions, which could reportedly cost 11 million pensioners thousands of pounds, are absolutely unacceptable.

“Employers shouldn’t be allowed to break their promises on pensions and we will not stand by while the Government gives the green light to companies to downgrade them.

“The Tories are letting older people down, Labour will fight to guarantee a secure retirement.”