Labour

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the Institute for Global Prosperity’s report on Universal Basic Services, said:

“Rapid technological changes are a profound challenge for our economy and society. This report offers bold new thinking on how we can overcome those challenges and create an economy that is radically fairer and offers opportunities for all.

“It makes an important contribution to the debate around Universal Basic Income, and will help inform Labour’s thinking on how we can build an economy that truly works for the many not the few.”

Tom Watson, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, commenting on the Government’s Internet Safety Strategy, said:

“Everyone agrees on the need to deal with abusive and harmful content online. Parents worry about what their children see on the internet, and too many people experience cyberbullying and online intimidation.

“We’re pleased the Government has accepted Labour’s call for compulsory sex and relationship education in schools, including online safety education, as well as for codes of practice for social media companies to prevent abuse.

“But this announcement is short on detail. The Government needs to say more about who exactly will pay the proposed levy, how much they will pay and how it will be spent. And they need to explain what transparency information they will be asking social media companies to provide.”

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the Institute for Global Prosperity’s report on Universal Basic Services, said:

“Rapid technological changes are a profound challenge for our economy and society. This report offers bold new thinking on how we can overcome those challenges and create an economy that is radically fairer and offers opportunities for all.

“It makes an important contribution to the debate around Universal Basic Income, and will help inform Labour’s thinking on how we can build an economy that truly works for the many not the few.”

Barry Gardiner MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, commenting on today’s ONS Overseas Trade Statistics, said:

“Today’s record widening of our trade deficit by 36.7 per cent shows we have a government ill-prepared for the global trading economy post-Brexit.

“The Tory approach of depending on ad hoc commercial deals and the depreciation of Sterling is not a trade strategy.

“Yesterday’s Trade White Paper has not helped business or moved the situation on. It contains broad platitudes but no serious detailed proposals for integrating trade and industrial strategy or for trade defence measures.

“Only Labour has a consistent trade policy integrated with our industrial strategy that will protect and expand jobs as well as improving social and environmental standards.”

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the IMF’s report out today, said:

“The IMF report out today is yet another blow to the Chancellor’s already crumbling economic credibility – it is no wonder many of his fellow colleagues in his own party are calling for him to be sacked.

“With nearly all other advanced economies recovering at a faster rate than the UK, alarm bells should be ringing at the Treasury. Philip Hammond’s plans to continue the austerity policies of his predecessor are failing.

“The IMF’s confirmed downward revision to the UK’s growth has also made clear that seven years of Tory economic failure has left our economy fundamentally weakened. On a day when other worrying data and reports have been published highlighting the failure of Tory austerity, this directionless Chancellor needs to follow Labour’s lead and urgently change course.

“The next Labour government will provide the proper investment our country needs, underpinned by our Fiscal Credibility Rule, to build a high wage, high skill economy for the many not the few.”