Labour

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, speaking ahead of the Budget tomorrow, said:

“The Chancellor has already shown he doesn’t live in the real world. That’s why the Autumn Budget needs to be a real change of direction in economic policy.

“Instead of gimmicks such as driverless cars, or tricks to fiddle the figures just so Philip Hammond can pretend he is reaching his own targets, there must be a recognition of the emergency in our public services and an actual end to austerity.

“The Chancellor must also pause the roll out of Universal Credit, and have a complete reform. It won’t be good enough just to reduce the number of weeks people are waiting, because we will still have families who won’t be paid by Christmas and forced into poverty. We have already seen families faced with eviction due to this delay, so we need urgent action.

“Furthermore, this Budget cannot be one of empty promises and piecemeal measures. He must launch a full scale house-building programme and provide serious infrastructure funding across the whole country, as even his fellow Tory MPs have called for.

“The public sector pay cap must come to an end. We are the sixth richest country in the world and we cannot afford to have our dedicated public sector workers such as nurses, reliant on food-banks. The fact is that wages are not keeping up with prices, and many working families are struggling to make ends meet.

“If Philip Hammond can fund tax giveaways worth billions for the super-rich and big business, then he can properly fund our public services and public sector workers. Austerity is a political choice, not an economic necessity.

“If the Tories refuse to act, then they should step aside. The next Labour Government will provide the proper investment our country needs to build the high-wage, high-skilled economy of the future.”

Ahead of the Autumn Budget, Shadow Transport Secretary, Andy McDonald MP, is calling on the Government to match the Labour Party’s commitment to boost investment in and expand the rail network by filling in the missing rail links.

Re-opening rail lines have local support, are positive for business and can boost areas of economic deprivation. They can also alleviate congestion, reduce social isolation and improve productivity.

Labour has identified the Skipton-Colne Rail line as one such high priority scheme that can help connect additional towns and cities and help to realise the benefits for the planned Crossrail for the North.

Andy McDonald MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, said:

“The social, economic and environmental case for expanding our rail network is clear, but the Tories have starved much of our country of the investment needed for our regions to reach their full potential.

“Under-investment in the regions is holding our economy back, particularly the absence of Northern East-West rail links, which is why there is such a strong case for reopening the line between Colne and Skipton and for greater investment throughout the country. The route is a vital link between East Lancashire and Yorkshire, and when completed would deliver 50 miles of electrified railway line from Leeds to Burnley.

“Reopening this line has the potential to be transformative for the area. It’s exactly the type of scheme that needs exploring as part of a much more significant commitment to boost investment in the North and close regional funding divides.”

Barbara Keeley MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for Mental Health, commenting on remarks made to the Health Select Committee by the Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, and the CQC Chief Inspector of Mental Health Services, Dr Paul Lelliott, said:

“The scandal of children being turned away from mental health treatment because they don’t meet thresholds of mental ill health is a direct cause of the Tory Government’s failure to protect mental health budgets.

“Even where children are able to access services, they can face unacceptably long delays: the CQC recently found some children waiting 18 months for treatment after referral.

“The Tory Government must ring-fence mental health funding in the upcoming Budget: anything less will prove that their pledges to make mental and physical health a priority are just empty words.”

Louise Haigh MP, Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister, commenting on the news that the manipulation of forensics data may have affected up to 10,000 cases, said:

“As the true scale of this scandal becomes apparent, the Tories’ decision to abolish the Forensic Science Service is beginning to look like a catastrophic error of judgement.

“The lack of statutory powers to enforce standards in forensics has given private providers a green light to cut corners.

“It is utterly scandalous to think that decision-making in child safeguarding or criminal prosecutions may have been adversely affected by this alleged manipulation.

“Ministers need to urgently explain what will be done to ensure anyone affected is identified and what steps are being taken so nothing like this can happen again.”

Andrew Gwynne MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, commenting on BBC Radio London’s research which reveals councils across the capital will be spending a total of about £383m to make social housing safer following the Grenfell fire, said:

“The Government must listen to the calls of Labour and councils across London and use tomorrow’s Budget to keep its promise to help cover the cost of the vital fire safety measures needed to make homes safe.

“Forcing these costs onto councils, which have suffered from harsh cuts from the Tories, means that local people will have to foot the bill – and will place an even greater financial strain on our already over-burdened public services.”

 “The Grenfell Tower fire was an entirely avoidable human disaster that must never be repeated.”