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  • Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on the Ockenden Review

    Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on the Ockenden Review

    The comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 10 December 2020.

    This is a heart-breaking report that lays bare the tragic consequences of a catalogue of failures in maternity care.

    Strong leadership, challenging poor workplace culture, safe staffing and access to training are all key to improving safety and we must work to ensure this is in place right across the NHS.

    Patient safety must a priority for both health professionals and Ministers, and the tragedies outlined in this review must be learned from and acted upon swiftly by all maternity services so that all women and children receive the best possible care.

  • David Lammy – 2020 Comments on Pay for Prison Officers

    David Lammy – 2020 Comments on Pay for Prison Officers

    The comments made by David Lammy, the Shadow Justice Secretary, on 10 December 2020.

    This is an insult to prison officers, who have gone into work tirelessly throughout this pandemic in order to keep the country safe. It is a disgrace that the government is overlooking key workers while handing out multi-million pound dodgy contracts to enrich their cronies.

  • Andy McDonald – 2020 Comments on Employment Tribunal Backlog

    Andy McDonald – 2020 Comments on Employment Tribunal Backlog

    The comments made by Andy McDonald, the Shadow Employment Rights and Protections Secretary, on 10 December 2020.

    The government’s failure to get a grip on the Employment Tribunal backlog has left working people waiting years for justice and undermined their ability to uphold their rights at work, leaving them unprotected at a time when they most need protections.

    With so many outstanding cases, many workers might not bother to make claims and will end up denied the pay, annual leave and other rights they are entitled to.

    The government must put forward a real plan to relieve this backlog without watering down rights to ensure that workers are not at the mercy of bad employers. Without rapid action, rights in the workplace will not be worth the paper they’re written on.

  • Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on “Smuggler’s Charter”

    Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on “Smuggler’s Charter”

    The comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 10 December 2020.

    Today the Government traded away the security and safety of UK trade by pushing through new customs rules that are tantamount to a smuggler’s charter.

    This comes on top of failures to deal with a range of business-critical issues that have repeatedly been raised with Government, from rules of origin to systems still not being ready with just days to go till we leave the transition period.

    The Government’s desperate, last-ditch attempt to avoid gridlock at our ports could have been avoided if it had acted responsibly and taken action earlier.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Government Contracts and Tax Havens

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Government Contracts and Tax Havens

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, on 10 December 2020.

    Taxpayers deserve to know their money is being handled with great care – and that any risks of its misuse through tax havens is carefully handled by this government.

    Despite evidence from the National Audit Office that taxpayer money was used to pay well over the odds for PPE, and that this government’s procurement process seriously lacks important transparency, we are seeing no real moves to increase clarity or trust.

    This government cannot continue to brush worrying patterns like this off. They must commit to cleaning up their contracts now and be far more open to restore public confidence.

  • Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on Latest GDP Figures

    Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on Latest GDP Figures

    The comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 10 December 2020.

    Today’s data shows that even before the second national lockdown, growth was grinding to a halt. The UK has had the sharpest recession of any G7 economy and is on course for the slowest recovery.

    This is down to the Government’s irresponsible choices. Its failure to fix test, trace and isolate and chopping and changing over economic support has led to unnecessary job losses and businesses going to the wall.

    The Chancellor must now act responsibly to get us through the spring with effective, targeted support for businesses and individuals right across the country.

  • Rebecca Pow – 2020 Comments on Green Recovery Challenge Fund

    Rebecca Pow – 2020 Comments on Green Recovery Challenge Fund

    The comments made by Rebecca Pow, the Environment Minister, on 10 December 2020.

    These projects will drive forward work across England to restore and transform our landscapes, boost nature and create green jobs, and will be a vital part of helping us to build back greener from coronavirus.

    I look forward to working with environmental organisations as these projects develop and help address the twin challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change, while creating and retaining jobs as part of the green recovery.

  • Liz Truss – 2020 Comments on Singapore and Vietnam Deals

    Liz Truss – 2020 Comments on Singapore and Vietnam Deals

    The comments made by Liz Truss, the Secretary of State for International Trade, on 10 December 2020.

    Both these agreements are vital for the UK’s future as an independent trading nation. Not only do they lock in billions of pounds worth of trade, they also pave the way for new digital partnerships and joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This will play to the UK’s strengths, as we become a hub for tech and digital trade with influence far beyond our shores, defining our role in the world for decades to come.

    This is an important part of our vision for a Global Britain that sits at the centre of a network of deals with dynamic nations across Asia Pacific and the Americas as a global hub for services and technology trade.

    International trade will help us to overcome the challenges of coronavirus and drive economic growth across our United Kingdom.

  • Kelly Tolhurst – 2020 Comments on Changing Futures

    Kelly Tolhurst – 2020 Comments on Changing Futures

    The comments made by Kelly Tolhurst, the Minister for Rough Sleeping and Housing, on 10 December 2020.

    This £46 million funding will help some of the most vulnerable people in our communities turn their lives around and build a brighter future.

    The ‘Changing Futures’ programme gives local organisations the flexibility and resources they need to work in partnership to deliver effective support where it is needed most. I look forward to receiving really innovative bids for projects that will make a real difference to so many people’s lives

  • Ursula von der Leyen – 2020 Statement on a Deal Between the UK and the EU

    Ursula von der Leyen – 2020 Statement on a Deal Between the UK and the EU

    The statement made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 9 December 2020.

    We had a lively & interesting discussion on the state of play on outstanding issues.

    We understand each other’s positions. They remain far apart.

    The teams should immediately reconvene to try to resolve these issues. We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend.