Nia
Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the
Government’s statement on locally employed staff who worked alongside British
forces in Afghanistan, said:

“Afghan
citizens who worked with British forces as interpreters or drivers put themselves
in extreme danger and many continue to face threats and intimidation today.

“It
is hugely disappointing that the Government has refused to extend support
packages to those who completed their duties between 2006 and 2011. This
arbitrary approach risks letting down those who put their lives on the line in
support of our Forces. The Ministry of Defence should re-examine this
short-sighted decision as a matter of urgency.”

Diane Abbott
MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, commenting on the Government admitting that the current system
for EU citizens applying for permanent residency in the UK is unfit, said:

“Labour
consistently argued that the Government’s plans were unfair and unworkable. Now
the government has conceded as much.

"But
a lot of uncertainty remains, which affects both UK citizens living in the EU
as well as EU citizens here. The Government needs to give clarity on what it
has agreed, and to stick to its word. Labour has always argued for guaranteed
rights for UK and EU citizens.”

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Tom Watson MP,
Labour’s Shadow Secretary State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, responding to the
Gambling Commission’s ‘Young People and Gambling 2017 Survey’, said:

“This new
research from the gambling commission shows that there are still far too many
young people gambling in Britain today.

“It is worrying
that children continue to be bombarded with adverts promoting gambling through
TV, online and via social media. 80 per cent of young people say they see
gambling adverts on TV each week.

“The rise of
‘skins’ gambling and other forms of gambling online or in games which encourage
children to trade-in cosmetic online items for cash, only serve to demonstrate
that our gambling laws are woefully out of date.

“The next Labour
government will bring in a new Gambling Act that ensures our gambling laws are
fit for the digital age and finally tackle Britain’s hidden gambling epidemic.”

Labour Leader sends message of hope and peace for Christmas

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn is sending out a message of hope and peace in his 2017 Christmas card.

The design echoes the cover of the party’s general election manifesto, ‘For the Many, not the Few’, that helped inspire Labour’s biggest increase in vote share since 1945.

The message inside reads: “Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful 2018.”

Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“Christmas is a time to reflect on the urgent need to transform our society to eradicate homelessness, loneliness and poverty, and bring about peace around the world.

“This year we defied the pundits and in the snap General Election overturned Theresa May’s majority and her mandate, giving hope to millions of people that things can and will change.

“We look forward to 2018 as a government in waiting, ready to take over and serve the interests of the many, not the few.”

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

“Today’s rise in
inflation to its highest level in over five-and-half years is extremely
concerning, and once again reveals that after seven years of Tory economic
failure, this Government has no answers to the problem of wages continuing
to fail to keep up with prices.

“We shouldn’t
forget that there will be millions of working families who will be struggling
this Christmas already as a direct result of government policies such as the
benefits freeze and the public sector pay cap; this is a further reminder of
just how bad this double whammy of rising prices and Tory austerity policies
will be this month for them.

“The
next Labour government will ensure working people’s living standards are
protected with a Real Living Wage of £10 per hour, ending the public sector pay
cap, and by building a high wage, high skill economy that works for the
many, not the few.”

Ends