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Category: Speeches

  • Alok Sharma – 2020 Comments on a Vaccine

    Alok Sharma – 2020 Comments on a Vaccine

    Comments made by Alok Sharma, the Secretary of State for Business, on 29 July 2020.

    Our scientists and researchers are racing to find a safe and effective vaccine at a speed and scale never seen before. While this progress is truly remarkable, the fact remains that there are no guarantees.

    In the meantime, it is important that we secure early access to a diverse range of promising vaccine candidates, like GSK and Sanofi, to increase our chances of finding one that works so we can protect the public and save lives.

  • Liz Truss – 2020 Statement on Trade Negotiations with New Zealand

    Liz Truss – 2020 Statement on Trade Negotiations with New Zealand

    Text of the statement made by Liz Truss, the Secretary of State for International Trade, on 29 July 2020.

    We are now one step closer to an ambitious, wide-ranging free trade agreement with one of our oldest friends. An FTA with New Zealand can bring investment, better jobs, higher wages and more affordable prices just when we need them the most. Both teams of negotiators recognised the unprecedented circumstances we find ourselves in and reiterated that more global trade is essential to support post-Covid economic recovery. Negotiations were conducted virtually and covered a comprehensive set of discussions across areas of a trade agreement.

    The discussions covered:

    Anti-Corruption
    Clean Growth
    Competition
    Cross-cutting general provisions
    Customs
    Digital trade
    Domestic Regional Economic Development
    Environment
    Financial Services
    Trade in Goods and Trade Remedies
    Good Regulatory Practice
    Indigenous Trade
    Intellectual Property
    Investment
    Labour
    Procurement
    Rules of Origin
    Services, including Mobility
    Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
    State Owned Enterprises
    Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
    State to State Dispute Settlement
    Technical Barriers to Trade
    Telecommunications
    Trade and Development
    Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment
    Transparency

    Discussions between negotiators were productive and reflected our shared ambition to secure a comprehensive deal to boost trade and investment between our like-minded economies. Teams discussed their respective objectives and agreed a forward plan for future talks. Our positive discussions in round one have laid the groundwork for the UK and New Zealand to achieve high-quality outcomes across the agreement.

    The UK and New Zealand are aligned in many areas which will enable us to make quick progress across many chapters. In discussions, both countries emphasised a desire to be particularly ambitious in areas including enhancing digital trade, boosting cross-border trade in services and investment, reducing uncertainty and burdens on exporters from customs procedures, and promoting good regulatory practices. Discussions also provided an opportunity for both teams to consider how we can work together across the agreement to support important agendas such as women’s economic empowerment, trade and development, indigenous trade, clean growth and climate action, and ensuring Small and Medium sized Enterprises can benefit from the FTA.

    The Government is committed to negotiating a comprehensive agreement with New Zealand and we look forward to making further progress. The Government will make its next statement on progress following the second round of talks, which is currently planned to take place in October. We will explore the option of face-to-face negotiations when it is safe to do so.

  • Jo Stevens – 2020 Comments on Donald Trump jr

    Jo Stevens – 2020 Comments on Donald Trump jr

    Comments made by Jo Stevens, the Shadow Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, on 28 July 2020.

    Twitter’s decision to act quickly to block Donald Trump Junior’s account shows that the platform can take action when it wants to.

    It is entirely right that Twitter has acted swiftly on this occasion to avoid the spread of dangerous misinformation about coronavirus but this doesn’t take away from the fact that these platforms have been extremely slow and lacking in action in tackling other online harms.

  • Cat Smith – 2020 Comments on Voter ID

    Cat Smith – 2020 Comments on Voter ID

    Comments made by Cat Smith, the Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement, on 28 July 2020.

    We saw with the Windrush scandal how some communities struggle to provide official documentation, with the severe consequences. Yet the Government continue to plough on with Voter ID plans, turning a blind eye how this could disenfranchise Black Asian and minority ethnic people.

    The Government have stated repeatedly on record that evidence concludes Voter ID has no impact on any particular demographic group. This is simply not true, the evidence does not exist.

    Ministers must clarify these inconsistencies and commit to instructing government departments to gather data broken down by ethnicity. Whilst Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities remain invisible to public bodies, investigating the impact of Voter ID on Black Asian and minority ethnic people is impossible.

    If these US-style voter suppression plans go ahead, we could see Black, Asian and minority ethnic people locked out of democracy. The Government must correct the record and recognise the damaging impact that mandatory Voter ID will have upon Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2020 Comments on Steve Barclay’s Onward Speech

    Bridget Phillipson – 2020 Comments on Steve Barclay’s Onward Speech

    The comments made by Bridget Phillipson, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 28 July 2020.

    Steve Barclay has admitted what everyone already knows: the one-size-fits-all Tory economic policy simply won’t match the challenges we face ahead.

    We urgently need tailored support for the sectors that need it most. It shouldn’t have taken the Government months to work this out.

  • Keir Starmer – 2020 Comments on Support for Domestic Tourism

    Keir Starmer – 2020 Comments on Support for Domestic Tourism

    Comments made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 28 July 2020.

    We are lucky to have many world-class tourist destinations across the UK. But the jobs crisis facing tourist towns is stark.

    There are fantastic domestic options for British holidaymakers, but the crucial summer season has been cut short. With many businesses still unable to reopen fully, the Government’s one-size-fits-all approach to jobs risks these towns falling through the cracks.

    We need a targeted extension of the furlough scheme for the hardest-hit sectors and proper support in place to help those who are unemployed back into work. People are worried about their job prospects. The Labour Party is focused on fighting for every job and every part of the country.

  • Jo Stevens – 2020 Comments on Support for Creative Industries

    Jo Stevens – 2020 Comments on Support for Creative Industries

    Text of the comments made by Jo Stevens, the Shadow Culture Secretary, on 29 July 2020.

    While our world-beating creative industries have been clear about the crisis that is overwhelming them, the Government’s focus has been on creating commissions and taskforces rather than getting money to where it’s urgently needed.

    Theatres, music venues and other organisations have been desperately waiting for nearly four weeks to hear if they are eligible to apply for the £1.57bn but this announcement still leaves many in the dark.

    It’s welcome that the Government has finally taken steps to address the issue of insurance to help get TV and film production up and running, but there are still questions about the detail.

    The missing piece in the jigsaw remains freelancers – some of whom have not had a penny from the Government. We’re four months on from the start of the crisis, we need to know when this money will actually get to the frontline.

  • Liz Kendall – 2020 Comments on Public Accounts Committee Report

    Liz Kendall – 2020 Comments on Public Accounts Committee Report

    The comments made by Liz Kendall, the Shadow Social Care Minister, on 29 July 2020.

    This report confirms what we have known for a long while – that the Government was too slow to act to protect older and disabled people, and that a series of mistakes were made despite clear warnings from what was happening in other countries and the experiences of those on the frontline.

    Staff were left without vital protective equipment, thousands of older people were discharged from hospitals to care homes without tests, and ministers failed to ensure social care was given the focus and grip it needed to get through this crisis.

    The Government must learn from its mistakes to ensure the tragedy of Covid-19 in care homes is never repeated. They must also put in place the long term reforms families desperately need to ensure a social care system that is fit for the future.

  • Grant Shapps – 2020 Comments on a Cycling and Walking Revolution

    Grant Shapps – 2020 Comments on a Cycling and Walking Revolution

    Text of the comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 28 July 2020.

    We’ve got a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a shift in attitudes for generations to come, and get more people choosing to cycle or walk as part of their daily routine.

    The measures we’ve set out today in this revolutionary plan will do just that. No matter your age, how far you’re travelling, or your current confidence on a bike – there are plans to help and support you.

    By helping to fix your bike – or get an electrically powered one; by increasing storage space at stations, on trains and buses; and by introducing more ways to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe, we’re making it easier than ever to make active travel part of your daily life, and leading England to become a great cycling nation.

  • Boris Johnson – 2020 Comments on a Cycling and Walking Revolution

    Boris Johnson – 2020 Comments on a Cycling and Walking Revolution

    Text of the comments made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 28 July 2020.

    From helping people get fit and healthy and lowering their risk of illness, to improving air quality and cutting congestion, cycling and walking have a huge role to play in tackling some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face.

    But to build a healthier, more active nation, we need the right infrastructure, training and support in place to give people the confidence to travel on two wheels.

    That’s why now is the time to shift gears and press ahead with our biggest and boldest plans yet to boost active travel – so that everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling.