UKPOL.CO.UK

Category: Speeches

  • Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments about Loans to Businesses in Difficulty

    Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments about Loans to Businesses in Difficulty

    The comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary, on 30 July 2020.

    Any help in breaking down the obstacles to loans is welcome but this has all taken far too long with too many businesses left out in the cold. Time will tell whether this sorts out the growing backlog of CBILs loans.

    There also remain serious, unaddressed problems of loans for larger firms, CBILs, and growing evidence of firms being shut out of bounce back loans unless they are an existing customer of a major high street bank.

    Every week that passes with these problems being allowed to continue puts at risk the future of businesses, the livelihoods of workers and the strength of our economy.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments on Latest ONS Statistics of Excess Deaths

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments on Latest ONS Statistics of Excess Deaths

    Comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, on 30 July 2020.

    The official confirmation today that England has had the highest level of excess deaths in Europe is a devastating moment.

    Every life lost is a tragedy and leaves behind grieving families. We can no longer hide from the fact the Government has not handled this crisis well and needs to urgently learn lessons from its mistakes.

    Boris Johnson must now take responsibility for why we were so badly prepared. As we start to see a resurgence in other parts of the world, ministers need to urgently outline the steps they are taking to better protect people and save lives in the months ahead.

  • Lord Falconer – 2020 Comments on Low Level of Rape Prosecutions

    Lord Falconer – 2020 Comments on Low Level of Rape Prosecutions

    The comments made by Lord Falconer, the Shadow Attorney General, on 30 July 2020.

    These measures are welcome, however it is extremely concerning that rape convictions have now fallen to the lowest level on record in England and Wales, with no adequate explanation to why the figures have dropped so sharply.

    More needs to be done to ensure that victims have the confidence to come forward to report these crimes, and have faith that the criminal justice system will be there to support them throughout.

    The CPS needs to urgently identify the causes of why prosecution levels are so low, learn these lessons quickly and act swiftly to reverse this worrying deterioration of prosecution levels to ensure that victims of rape and sexual violence are not denied their right to justice.

  • David Lammy – 2020 Comments on Self-Harm Incidents in Custody

    David Lammy – 2020 Comments on Self-Harm Incidents in Custody

    Comments made by David Lammy, the Shadow Justice Secretary, on 30 July 2020.

    The fact that we are witnessing record levels of self-harm in our prisons is deeply alarming. It comes following 10 years of cuts that have left prisons overcrowded and understaffed.

    These statistics show the massive scale of this problem even before emergency lockdown measures were introduced to the prison estate. With prisoners isolated in their cells for 23 hours per day during the pandemic, the number that are self-harming may have further increased.

    It is vital that prisoners get access to the mental health support they need, which will also help them rehabilitate.

  • Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on the NHS People Plan

    Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on the NHS People Plan

    The comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 30 July 2020.

    Ministers have outlined some worthy commitments on staff wellbeing, but without extra funding staff will continue to be overstretched and overworked.

    The Government promised a full five-year People Plan with detailed, costed action. This falls a long way short of that.

    The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how valuable and loved NHS staff are – it’s time the Government put together a proper solution for recruitment and retention, including the pay talks that NHS workers deserve. The rhetoric on support for NHS staff needs to be matched with action.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Customs Lorry Park in Kent

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Customs Lorry Park in Kent

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 30 July 2020.

    This giant lorry park will stand as a symbol of the Government’s failure to plan properly for Brexit, with so little achieved in four years and only five months to go before the end of the transition period.

    Ministers need to explain how much this park will cost and how it will operate, and reassure residents who understandably fear it will make their lives a misery.

    When Boris Johnson talked about relaxing planning laws, no one thought he meant turning part of the Garden of England into a lorry park the size of about 15 football pitches.

    The Prime Minister promised an ‘oven-ready’ deal and said there would be extra cash for major projects. No one imagined that meant concreting over the countryside to build a lorry park.

  • Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments on the UK’s Energy Statistics

    Ed Miliband – 2020 Comments on the UK’s Energy Statistics

    Comments made by Ed Miliband, the Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary, on 30 July 2020.

    The figures are moving in the right direction, but not yet at the pace befitting the scale of the climate crisis facing us all.

    As COP26 hosts, the UK should be blazing the trail in the global fight against climate change with a Green New Deal. Yet we are falling behind our European neighbours, whose investment in a green recovery has dwarfed this government’s.

    With billions of taxpayer pounds being channelled by ministers into fossil fuels abroad and the UK still off track for meeting our targets, the Government’s actions are clearly still too piecemeal and inconsistent.

  • Energy Saving Trust – 2020 Statement of Apology on their Management of the Bike Voucher Scheme

    Energy Saving Trust – 2020 Statement of Apology on their Management of the Bike Voucher Scheme

    The statement made by the Energy Saving Trust on 29 July 2020 after problems with their management of the Bike Voucher Scheme.

    Energy Saving Trust would like to apologise for the frustration and inconvenience at the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme website being taken offline. This was due to unprecedented high demand at launch, the site was inundated with users attempting to gain access at the same time. The website was designed for high volumes of traffic, however, at the time of the scheme launching, demand in fact far exceeded even our highest expectations.

    Our team continue to work hard to resolve these issues and have the Fix Your Bike Voucher Scheme available as soon as possible. We will post any updates on the website and on our social media channels.

  • Anna McMorrin – 2020 Comments on Humanitarian Assistance in Syria

    Anna McMorrin – 2020 Comments on Humanitarian Assistance in Syria

    Comments made by Anna McMorrin, the Shadow International Development Minister, on 29 July 2020.

    We believe, the UK must show global leadership and work with our partners on the international stage to ensure every action is taken to guarantee current aid remains unimpeded and that we play our part in the global response to COVID19. We are also urging the Government to increase its efforts to bring about an end to hostilities in Syria.

  • Marsha de Cordova – 2020 Comments on Virus and Ethnicity

    Marsha de Cordova – 2020 Comments on Virus and Ethnicity

    Comments made by Marsha de Cordova, the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, on 29 July 2020.

    Of course further research is always welcome and will provide an evidence base, but we all know this should have started months ago.

    Given the Government’s poor track record on taking action, let’s hope this time the findings translate into real change.