The statement made by Sir John Major, the Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997, on 13 July 2021.
The Government has blatantly broken its word, and should be ashamed of its decision.
It seems that we can afford a “national yacht” that no-one either wants or needs, whilst cutting help to some of the most miserable and destitute people in the world.
This is not a Conservatism that I recognise. It is the stamp of Little England, not Great Britain.
The comments made by Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Shadow Home Secretary, on 14 July 2021.
The long awaited Online Harms Bill has been continuously promoted as a way to solve this problem by the Government but, not only do delays mean it is unlikely to come into force before 2024, but the current bill would not stop this vile abuse.
The racist abuse on social-media faced by our England players is unacceptable, social-media companies need the toughest of sanctions to do more to take down this awful material.
The time for change is now, more delays will only prolong the abuse that takes place on social media. This must be a priority for the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary.
The comments made by Jo Stevens, the Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on 12 July 2021.
The horrific racist abuse of the England penalty-takers had a disappointing inevitability to it.
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have the means to stop this hatred on their platforms and yet they decide to do nothing.
Meanwhile the Government’s long-promised Online Safety Bill has yet again been delayed with progress unlikely to get underway until after the summer.
No one should have to put up with this abuse online, social media companies’ self-regulation has to end and instead we need tough new laws.
The Prime Minister has previously done no more than turned a blind eye to racism against our players. Warm words and gigantic England flags are no substitute for using the power he has, to make it stop.
The comments made by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, on 12 July 2021.
While the country was commiserating our great team, Tory MPs were sneering at an inspirational player who stepped up to feed hungry kids when they voted to leave them without food.
Whether it’s their failure to support the vulnerable, or booing our boys after they have done our whole country proud, the Nasty Party is back.
The question every Conservative MP needs to answer is – did they call out these appalling comments? And after his failure to support our players in their stance against racism, Boris Johnson must publicly condemn these disgraceful messages. Whose side is he on, the lion hearts on the pitch or the Tory MPs who attack them.
The comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, on 12 July 2021.
Time and again the Conservatives have delayed action on exams creating two years of chaos and uncertainty. Schools, colleges and pupils must know how they’ll be assessed by the return to school in September not weeks into the autumn term.
The Conservatives’ proposals include nothing on levelling the playing field for pupils who’ve missed most school, while their “feeble” catch-up plan will leave 11 out of 12 school pupils without any support next year.
Ministers have again demanded school and college staff to work into the holiday all while they’re managing the end of the school year and getting preparations in place to keep kids in school come September. Ministers cannot continue to pass the buck but must set out comprehensive plans which match Labour’s ambition for our children’s futures.
The comments made by Tulip Siddiq, the Shadow Minister for Children, on 13 July 2021.
Feeding hungry children cannot be a part-time activity, yet this Conservative Government is again stripping away the support that millions of families rely on.
Ministers have had to be shamed into providing food for hungry children throughout the pandemic and it is a disgrace that we are having to do this all over again.
Ensuring no child goes hungry is at the heart of Labour’s Children’s Recovery Plan, which includes guaranteeing free school meals support over all school holidays during the pandemic.
The comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Business Secretary, on 13 July 2021.
Once again, businesses have been left to scramble with confusing and contradictory advice, with Ministers ducking doing the right thing and loading responsibility onto Britain’s firms.
Ministers are passing the buck to businesses and individuals with vague and unclear advice, encouraging but not mandating the use of masks as well as the NHS Covid Pass, with no details about how this would work, and the sectors and businesses in scope. Inexplicably they are also ending the provision of free workplace testing.
Ministers should continue to mandate the use of masks, continue to provide lateral flow testing for workplaces, and give workers the right to continue working from home if they can. And they must also urgently consult with businesses and trade unions about vital new guidance to keep employees safe.
The comments made by Jo Stevens, the Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on 10 July 2021.
England’s success in this tournament has made us all proud and shown again how much joy football can bring.
Sadly ticket prices have been outrageous, pricing out genuine fans.
As we bid for 2030, we must make it affordable to watch the World Cup on home soil for the first time since 1966. Let’s bring football home.
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 10 July 2021.
To Gareth Southgate and our England heroes, I want to say thank you.
On and off the field, you’ve shown the best of England during this tournament.
You’ve been as fearless as the three lions on our crest. You’ve lit up this tournament. And in spite of those who tried to undermine you, you’ve used your platform to stand up for our shared values as a country.
In doing so, you have become role models not just to a generation of young people, but to an entire nation.
I want you to know that as you line up at Wembley today, the whole of England will be bursting with pride watching you.
We still believe. Bring it home.
The statement made by Ranil Jayawardena, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, in the House of Commons on 8 July 2021.
Today, Norway’s Trade Minister Iselin Nybø, Iceland’s Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson, Liechtenstein’s Foreign Minister Dominique Hasler, and I are signing the United Kingdom-Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in London. This is another trade deal that the United Kingdom has struck as an independent trading nation, in which our partners have gone further and faster than they have with anyone else in a number of areas, demonstrating what is possible between trusted trading partners.
It is the first time these three European countries have included dedicated chapters on small businesses and digital trade in any trade deal, including some of the most liberalising and modern digital trade provisions in the world, which simplify customs procedures, cutting red tape and making it easier than ever for our businesses to export across borders. Electronic documents, contracts and signatures will result in less paperwork, saving British firms time and money. Their offer to the United Kingdom on services and investment goes beyond what they have offered other FTA partners to date. Innovative FinTech firms will be able to provide financial services into Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, without having to provide that service elsewhere first, helping the United Kingdom to maintain its status as a financial services hub.
The agreement contains robust commitments on trade and sustainable development, demonstrating our shared global leadership on pressing issues such as climate change and protects our “right to regulate”, supporting us in meeting our ambitious domestic climate targets, including net zero for the United Kingdom.
Building on our current goods agreement, this agreement will cut more Norwegian tariffs on high-quality British food and farm products and could help support British fish processing industries from Grimsby to Grampian with further reductions on our tariffs on certain white fish, shrimps and prawns. The agreement could help support businesses in every corner of our country, helping to grow a trading relationship already worth £21.6 billion in 2020.*1
This deal will deliver more opportunities for key British sectors especially those providing financial, legal, and other professional services. It will allow businesses in all sectors to send their staff on business visits or to provide services contracts to these countries, as well as the ability to transfer them for longer term projects. It means those with professional qualifications will have clear routes for the recognition of their qualifications for regulated professions. In addition, the agreement opens up new opportunities for British businesses to bid for a wider range of Government contracts in these countries.
HM Government is committed to transparency and the effective scrutiny of our trade negotiations. Following today’s signature of the FTA, I can announce that the Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be formally presenting the signed treaty text and related documents to Parliament before the summer recess for scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance (CRaG) Act procedure. Laying ahead of summer recess ensures that the House has the maximum amount of time to scrutinise the detail of our trade deal.
Alongside the treaty text, we will lay an explanatory memorandum. An impact assessment of our trade deal, and a parliamentary report providing an overview of the deal, will also be placed in the Libraries of both Houses at the same time. All of the documents will be published on gov.uk in parallel.
*1 ONS, UK total trade: all countries, non-seasonally adjusted: October to December 2020