Labour

Jon Trickett MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, responding to warnings from the Institute for Government about deficiencies in the Government Transformation Strategy, said:

“Ministers need to pay attention to these warnings. There’s a real lack of ambition and clarity in the government’s digital transformation strategy.

“While the Government tried to avoid criticism by sneaking it out after the Brexit debate, they cannot ignore the details which they’ll be judged on in the long term.

“Theresa May and her Government should throw their weight behind this strategy to make sure a digital transformation actually takes place – and this isn’t just another flashy strategy that falls by the wayside when Ministers realise they haven’t thought through the details.”

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Debbie Abrahams MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, commenting on the findings of the Intergenerational Commission report, said: 

“We welcome the news that pensioners are now much less likely to be in poverty, continuing the trend put in place by the last Labour Government which saw a huge decline in poverty among older people.

“Nevertheless, this report recognises the ‘high level of inequality’ among pensioners. We cannot allow this Government to hide behind talk of a wealthy older generation, while these inequalities remain.

“Unlike the divisive Tories, we will not trade one generation off against the others by claiming that an improved social security settlement for older people must come at the expense of working families.

“That’s why Labour has committed to extending the triple lock and protecting social security for older people until 2025, and reversing cuts to Universal Credit Work Allowances supporting people in low paid work.”

ENDS

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, welcoming the publication of Labour’s independent Kerslake Review into the Treasury this morning, said:

“I welcome this report, which has been produced by some of the leading experts in our country who have worked closely with the Treasury. And Labour will be responding in full in the coming weeks to the review.

“Labour asked Sir Bob Kerslake to head up a review into the Treasury because we needed to have a serious and thorough examination of one of the most important pillars of government, and the cornerstone of economic policy making in our country.

“The Treasury is our most important economic policymaking institution, but one that has been criticised by some for its approach and attitudes.

“This review will help shape Labour’s economic policy, as well as being an first important step in setting a new direction for the Treasury in the 21st Century. As the views of the former head of the Civil Service are ones that should be taken on board right across the economic and political spectrum in our country.

“As Sir Bob has made clear, we need the Treasury in the 21st century to be not only able to meet the big challenges of the day such as Brexit, but also one that focuses on all corners of our country, so that no one and no community is left behind. Therefore, I am deeply concerned that the review has raised this as areas which need reform.

“Given the severe challenges that our economy and our country face in the coming years, it is vital that we have a Treasury that is up-to-speed and is able to match them. The next Labour government will need to deal with many of these challenges, with what by then could potentially have been 10 years of Tory economic failure, and it will fall to us to ensure that the Treasury is ready and properly equipped for the 21st century.

“I am are deeply grateful for the contribution from all the independent members of the review’s panel, who represented many different fields of expertise, and who gave up a considerable amount of their time to take part. And I would also like thank Sir Bob Kerslake for his time, energy and expertise in producing this report for Labour.”

Lord Kerslake, former head of the Civil Service, who headed up the review, said:

“The Treasury is a small but very powerful department. To make the most of its very capable staff, it needs to fundamentally change both what it does and how it does it. It should  focus on its core economic and financial roles and work in a much more open and collaborative way. The impact of Brexit reinforces this need for change”.

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Angela Rayner, Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on the Education Select Committee’s report into the evidence for grammar schools, said:

“When even the Conservative-dominated Education Selection Committee calls Theresa May’s new grammar schools an ‘unnecessary distraction’, it’s time that ministers finally sat up and took notice.

“There is a crisis in teacher recruitment, schools budgets are being cut for the first time in decades and hundreds of thousands of pupils are in super-sized classes. The Tories should be keeping their pledge to protect school funding rather than pressing ahead with this policy which will only make things worse for the majority of children.”

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Richard Burgon MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, responding to Justice Secretary Liz Truss’s speech at the Centre for Social Justice, said:

“It’s about time Justice Secretary Truss stopped mud-slinging and took responsibility. Liz Truss knows full well it is not and never has been Labour’s policy to halve the prison population. Labour’s policy is to properly fund and run our prison and probation service, make the safety of prison staff a top priority and make society safer by jailing those who are a threat to public safety. Labour will make rehabilitation work.

“Conservatives in power have made a mess of our prison and probation service and have created the current prisons crisis. This is dangerous for staff, dangerous for inmates and dangerous for the public.  We await with interest the Prisons and Courts Bill which will hopefully have some of the detail Liz Truss’s White Paper failed to provide.“

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