Labour

Barry Gardiner MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, responding to Liam Fox’s Conservative Party speech said:

“Today’s speechwas an opportunity for the Secretary of State to allay business and industry’s fears about the structure of our future trade relations. A serious politician would have addressed the threat to 4,000 jobs in Northern Ireland by the American decision to impose a 220 per cent tariff on Bombardier’s CSeries aircraft.

“His facile suggestion that “Free Trade in Action” will increase variety for consumers and reduce prices will ring hollow to those who fear what it could mean for British jobs, given the Conservative’s failure on Bombardier.

“Fox has had more than a year to bring forward a trade white paper that sets out a proper road map for business export and inward investment. Today would have been a sensible time to introduce some of its key ideas. Instead we got meaningless bravado from the government’s most policy-light minister.“

Kate Osamor MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, responding to Priti Patel’s speech to Conservative Party Conference, said:  

“Priti Patel’s speech was incredibly thin on substance.  

“She made no commitments to better resource and staff DFID so it can properly oversee private sector contractors or to ensure other government departments actually raise their game and fix the cross-government aid spending chaos. Priti Patel implied she will seek to change the international aid rules in October to divert Official Development Assistance meant for the world’s poorest to “British citizens in our British territories”, instead of funding the territories’ Hurricane Irma recovery from across Whitehall.  

“Labour will continue to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on overseas development assistance, and develop a targeted development agenda to tackle global inequality and poverty, to build a world that works for the many, not the few.“    

“David Davis’ damp squib of a speech has offered nothing new on how the Government intends to break the impasse in Brexit negotiations and deliver a new progressive partnership with the EU.

“On the day the European Parliament voted to delay future trade talks with Britain, it is now clear that Tory infighting is harming the Brexit process. Paralysis in the negotiations risks havoc for the British economy and uncertainty for EU and UK citizens.

“Theresa May must use her speech tomorrow to finally face down the fantasy Brexiteers in her party and put the national interest first. If she is unwilling to do so, Labour stands ready to take charge of the negotiations and deliver a jobs-first Brexit deal that works for the many not the few.”

Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, responding to Sir Michael Fallon’s call to raise NATO 2% defence spending target, said:

“The Defence Secretary has finally recognised that the Government needs to invest more in our nation’s security, but it is pretty galling for him to talk about going beyond the 2 per cent commitment when this Government is barely scraping over the line at present.

“Indeed they can only claim to be doing so by counting items, such as pensions, that do not contribute to our defence capabilities and which Labour did not include when in Government.

“Labour is fully committed to spending at least 2 per cent of GDP on defence as we consistently did when in government. If Sir Michael Fallon is serious about putting more money on the table, he should act immediately to give our Armed Forces the real terms pay rise that they have been so cruelly robbed of since 2010.”

Labour research reveals that during Philip Hammond’s first year as Chancellor, he has added £145.8 billion to the national debt – the equivalent of £5,380 per household. 

The eye watering increase of £145.8 billion over the first 12 months of Philip Hammond’s tenure at the Treasury was the largest cash terms increase in the national debt in the first 12 months of any Chancellor for which records are available.  

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, said: “The lack of any plan from this weak Tory government is exposed when it comes to the national debt. After just one year into the job and Philip Hammond has managed to borrow a record amount of money compared to any of his predecessors’ first years. 

“These figures highlight the continued failure of the Tories on the economy, following seven years of falling wages and austerity cuts.

“Only a Labour government would be prepared to strategically invest in our economy, while setting out a serious plan for the public finances, underpinned by our Fiscal Credibility Rule; in order to build the high wage, high skill jobs of the future for the many not the few.”