The comments made on Twitter by Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, on 12 August 2020.
Even during a recession, everyone should have the security to live life as they choose. We need a Universal Basic Income, decent investment in public services and a greater focus on wellbeing – for a sustainable, fair recovery that leaves no-one behind.
The comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 12 August 2020.
Nurses have been at the heart of the fight against Coronavirus, working day and night to protect the NHS and save lives. It is a positive that the great work they have done has received greater recognition and more applications, but with over 40,000 nurse vacancies we are still nowhere near the scale required to end the staffing crisis.
Too often we hear of nurses leaving in their droves because they are overworked, underpaid and underappreciated. If this government is serious about attracting people to work as nurses then they need to show that it values those who already do, give them the equipment they need and give them the pay talks they deserve.
The comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 12 August 2020.
We’ve already got the worst excess death rate in Europe – now we’re on course for the worst recession too. That’s a tragedy for the British people and it’s happened on Boris Johnson’s watch.
The Prime Minister will say there’s only so much he could do during a global pandemic, but that doesn’t explain why our economy is tanking so badly compared to other countries.
It was his government that snatched away wage support for businesses that hadn’t even reopened yet. And his government that failed to get test, trace and isolate working despite claiming it’s a ‘world-beating’ system.
A downturn was inevitable after lockdown – but Johnson’s jobs crisis wasn’t. Now he must take responsibility, scrap the one-size-fits-all withdrawal of wage support and bring the health crisis properly under control.
The comments made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, on 11 August 2020.
Britain is in the midst of a jobs crisis. As Universal Credit hits 5.5 million the Government must reconsider its position on sanctions and conditionality, which risk plunging millions into hardship and do nothing to help people back to work.
In particular, it is extremely worrying that this increase in unemployment has hit older workers, the self-employed and part-time workers hardest.
Every job lost is a tragedy and we must do all we can to safeguard people’s livelihoods. The Government must wake up to the scale of this crisis and adopt a more flexible approach targeted at the sectors who need it most.
Labour believes Universal Credit should be replaced with a system which offers a proper social security safety net and decent support to all.
The comments made by Chi Onwurah, the Shadow Science, Research and Digital Minister, on 11 August 2020.
It cannot be right that hundreds of thousands of businesses have been shut out of the support promised to them in this time of crisis. Ministers need to sort their system out and urgently accelerate access to support. Failure to do so risks the future of all these businesses, the bread and butter of Britain’s economy, as well as scores of livelihoods across the country.
Comments made by Edward Argar, the Health Minister, on 11 August 2020.
Our NHS did an amazing job to ensure emergency care continued to be available for everyone who needed it during the peak of this pandemic.
Today, we are announcing the details of the Trusts across the country who will receive a share of £300 million to upgrade their A&Es and support emergency care to help them to continue to deliver safe and accessible services throughout the normally busy winter period.
This funding is part of our record investment in NHS infrastructure to ensure our health services continue to meet the needs of the present and to be fit for future demands placed upon it.
Comments made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 11 August 2020.
We continue to deliver on our promise to build back better and faster, with £300 million allocated today for NHS trusts to upgrade their facilities and improve A&E capacity.
These upgrades will help our fantastic NHS prepare for the winter months, helping them to deliver essential services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.
Thanks to the hard work and tireless efforts of NHS staff throughout the pandemic, our A&Es have remained open for the public.
It’s vital that those who need emergency treatment this winter access it, and for those who remain concerned about visiting hospitals, let me assure you that the NHS has measures in place to keep people safe.
The comments made by Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 11 August 2020.
I’m confident the system Ofqual has put in place is fundamentally a fair one, that will award the vast majority of students a calculated grade that genuinely reflects the grade they would have achieved. Provisional data published by Ofqual suggests that the number of As and A*s being awarded will increase compared to last year and moderation has ensured students from all backgrounds have been treated fairly.
We know that, without exams, even the best system is not perfect. That is why I welcome the fact that Ofqual has introduced a robust appeals system, so every single student can be treated fairly – and today we are asking universities to play their part to ensure every young person can progress to the destination they deserve.
The comments made by Preet Gill, the Shadow International Development Secretary, on 11 August 2020.
The Government should be completely focused on getting on with its job of governing the country and steering us through the huge challenges we face.
Getting rid of an independent Department for International Development during a global pandemic is irresponsible, counter-productive and wrong. It is consistently rated as the most effective and transparent department at delivering real value for money for British taxpayers, whereas the Foreign Office routinely ranks far worse.
At a time when we need the global health expertise to drive the global response to Covid-19 and avoid further deadly waves, abolishing the department will undoubtedly put the lives of people here in the UK and those abroad at serious risk.
The comments made by Jo Stevens, the Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on 11 August 2020.
Labour believes that technology has already changed lives for the better, but it also provides a space where disinformation, hate speech and other online harms have been allowed to flourish.
This is something that should worry all of us. The corrosive effect of this harm does not stop when we put down our phones, it has a significant impact on our everyday lives.
There are also growing signs that too much power is being concentrated in the hands of unaccountable tech companies whose decisions increasingly affect our rights, freedoms, and the political system itself.
We can and must demand more from the tech we use and build a digital future that is safer, fairer and more inclusive. We are asking people to take part in our consultation and help us make that happen.