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Category: Speeches

  • Matt Hancock – 2020 Comments on Blackburn

    Matt Hancock – 2020 Comments on Blackburn

    Text of the comments made by Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 24 July 2020.

    Blackburn with Darwen and Luton councils are doing excellent work with their local communities to address an increase in coronavirus cases and we continue to work collectively with them. Strong community engagement, major boosts in testing and increased support are already underway to manage outbreaks in these areas.

    The latest data shows the incidence of COVID-19 in these areas is higher than in other areas of the country, and we have today agreed to support both local authorities to pause the further easement of lockdown measures in these areas. This means indoor gyms, swimming pools and other sport and exercise facilities will not reopen in Luton or Blackburn with Darwen on 25 July.

    I appreciate this will be disappointing for many people and some businesses in the area but we are in complete agreement with local leaders that the priority must be to protect local residents by stopping the spread of this virus.

    I have every faith in the local leaders’ ability to help their areas return to normal as soon as possible and in local communities coming together during this time.

  • Lucy Powell – 2020 Comments on Latest Retail Figures

    Lucy Powell – 2020 Comments on Latest Retail Figures

    Text of the comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, on 24 July 2020.

    Whilst these figures are encouraging overall it’s clear that large parts of the high street are really struggling, threatening jobs and livelihoods.

    That’s why Labour is calling on Ministers to launch a new £1.7 billion fightback fund to protect businesses and jobs in hospitality and on the high street, by giving local areas more flexibility over how to support their local economies.

  • Angela Rayner – 2020 Comments on Aquind

    Angela Rayner – 2020 Comments on Aquind

    The text of the comments made by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, on 24 July 2020.

    The Russia report laid bare the influence that super-rich Russian oligarchs have sought to exert over our politics.

    Given we already know that over a dozen Tory Ministers are being bankrolled by individuals and businesses with links to Russia, the public have a right to know the identity of the Russian tycoon behind this major UK infrastructure project.

    The Government has questions to answer about the links between party donors and planning applications if we are to believe that money does not buy influence over our politics.

    Labour is sure that the Prime Minister will be keen to reassure the public that bank-rolling the Tory Party does not buy Russian tycoons influence over planning applications and decisions relating to major infrastructure projects supplying our country’s energy needs.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments in Response to Prime Minister’s Interview

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments in Response to Prime Minister’s Interview

    Text of the comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 24 July 2020.

    This finally puts to bed the Prime Minister’s previous claim his Government ‘took the right decisions at the right time.’

    Boris Johnson has finally admitted the Government has mishandled its response to the Coronavirus. It was too slow to acknowledge the threat of the virus, too slow to enter lockdown and too slow to take this crisis seriously.

    The threat of a second wave is still very real. It is imperative the Government learns the lessons of its mistakes so we can help to save lives.

  • Alison McGovern – 2020 Comments on Reopening of Gyms and Leisure Centres

    Alison McGovern – 2020 Comments on Reopening of Gyms and Leisure Centres

    Text of the comments made by Alison McGovern, the Shadow Sports Minister, on 24 July 2020.

    The chance to get back on the treadmill or in the pool means a lot to so many people who have found it hard to keep themselves active during lockdown.

    The health benefits of exercise are obvious but for many, the gym is also about keeping mentally fit and a big part of their social life.

    The Tories have failed to invest in gyms, leisure centres and other services for years which shows how hollow their newfound commitment to ending obesity is.

  • Bill Esterson – 2020 Comments on Government’s Trade Negotiations

    Bill Esterson – 2020 Comments on Government’s Trade Negotiations

    Comments made by Bill Esterson, the Shadow Minister for International Trade, on 23 July 2020.

    The Government’s approach to its trade negotiations is extremely worrying. The only reason to impose these long-term gagging orders is to prevent the public discovering the reality of what the government is willing to give up to get these free trade deals.

    On a practical level, these NDAs will make it impossible for business and union representatives to consult their members on the implications of specific proposals, and make it more likely that damaging provisions will slip into these trade agreements unchecked.

    Instead of operating in this way, the government should increase the transparency of these trade negotiations, and allow effective scrutiny of what is being proposed, by business, by unions, by civil society and by Parliament. If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear.

  • Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on Weekly Track and Trace

    Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on Weekly Track and Trace

    The comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 23 July 2020.

    The Prime Minister promised we would have a 24-hour turnaround for test results by the end of last month but we are a long way off, with the numbers heading in the wrong direction again this week. How can ministers think it’s acceptable that testing is getting slower rather than faster as promised?

    It is also a worry that we are still seeing so many of the close contacts of people who have tested positive not being reached.

    Ministers need to spell out urgently what they are doing to address these huge holes in the contact tracing system.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments on the Flu Programme

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments on the Flu Programme

    The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 24 July 2020.

    Flu, alongside a second Coronavirus wave, could be devastating. That is why Keir Starmer demanded that a comprehensive flu vaccination programme be put in place ahead of the winter, including free vaccinations for the over 50s.

    It’s welcome ministers have listened to Labour but they must offer a guarantee that the programme will be offered to all over 50s this winter. We will do all we can locally and nationally to encourage take-up of the flu vaccine.

  • Gillian Keegan – 2020 Comments on College Collaboration Fund

    Gillian Keegan – 2020 Comments on College Collaboration Fund

    The comments made by Gillian Keegan, the Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, on 23 July 2020.

    I’m delighted to announce the 20 applications that have been successful in securing funding from the College Collaboration Fund.

    Now more than ever, it’s vital that colleges can support their students to gain the skills they need to progress and employers and our economy need to grow. This fund will help colleges work together, to develop cutting edge digital approaches to online learning, to overcome new challenges and continue to deliver high quality education and training for the communities they serve.

    The past few months have been a challenging time for the sector, but they have gone above and beyond to support their students. This additional funding will help to support further collaborative work as we move forward. I look forward to hearing more about their progress and wish them all the best.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2020 Comments on Locust Swarms

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2020 Comments on Locust Swarms

    The comments made by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Secretary of State for International Development, on 23 July 2020.

    Vulnerable communities are on the brink of starvation because of the biggest locust outbreak in decades, made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.

    British expertise is playing an important role in equipping companies with the right tools to combat the swarms and track where they will go next.

    But unless other countries also step up and act now, this crisis will spread and cause even more devastation.