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.“