Labour

Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, commenting on a report from the Committee on Fuel Poverty, said:

“The rise in fuel poverty is simply not good enough – we are going backwards. As the report points out, in 2019 there will still be thousands of fuel poor households living in Band F and G properties. A cold, poorly insulated home doesn’t just mean that lots of heat is wasted resulting in a high bill, it means getting ill, it means repeated visits to the doctor, a much longer recovery time and a greater pressure on the NHS.

“Labour will insulate four million homes as an infrastructure priority to help those who suffer in cold homes each winter. We would also introduce an immediate price cap so an average dual-fuel household energy bills remains below £1,000 per year while transitioning to a fairer system for bill payers”

Ends

John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor, responding to the publication today of the OECD’s Economic Survey of the UK, said:

“The OECD has been damning of the Tories’ bungling of the Brexit negotiations, and they are fearful of what a Tory Brexit could mean for the UK economy.

“They also paint a damning picture of the Conservatives’ economic failure across a range of measures, with forecast growth now expected to be amongst the lowest in the developed world, weak productivity and huge regional inequalities all highlighted as major problems that this government is failing to tackle.

“Like Labour, the OECD recommends a programme of major regional infrastructure investment to unlock the potential of our economy, backed up by increased research spending and improved training. There is now a political consensus on the action needed to turn our economy round after seven years of Tory failure.

“If this weak Tory government continues to refuse to act then the next Labour government will implement the plan needed to build an economy that works for the many, not the few.”

Rebecca Long-Bailey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, commenting on Bombardier partnering with Airbus on C-Series jets, said:

“This partnership is a welcome step in the right direction for Bombardier, Airbus and their workers and the pairing of two cutting edge product lines is exciting for the future of aerospace manufacturing.

“However, this should in no way justify the Government taking its foot off the pedal in the US tariff dispute with Boeing. The Government must ensure that unjust tariffs are removed and existing jobs protected.”

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

“Inflation has reached its highest level in five years, while real earnings are still lower than in 2010, following seven years of Tory economic failure.

“Only Labour will deliver a £10 per hour Real Living Wage, investment in infrastructure, and an effective industrial strategy to raise living standards and build an economy for the many, not the few.”

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to today’s Home Office figures on hate crime, said:

 “This rise in hate crime is unacceptable, especially after a drop in police referrals has seen a fall in prosecutions.

 “The Tories have made great claims about tackling burning injustices. But they are clearly not tackling the great injustice of being attacked simply because of your religion, your sexuality, the colour of your skin or your disability.

 “Labour will hire 10,000 extra police to ensure there are sufficient officers working in the community who can help tackle crimes like this. The Tories continue to make police cuts and, in their own words, they have created a ‘hostile environment’ for migrants. Amber Rudd needs to urgently come to Parliament and explain what the Government’s response will be to address this serious failing.“