Text of the comments made on Twitter by Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP for Glasgow South, on 15 July 2020.
The UK is the only Five Eyes member without a functioning Intelligence & Security Committee – zero parliamentary oversight. At this rate, the government will be kicked out Five Eyes. Julian Lewis was elected fairly and the government should accept that result.
Text of comments made on Twitter by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, on 15 July 2020.
Julian Lewis MP has the Tory Whip removed after being elected as Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Select Committee, after beating hapless Chris Grayling. I wonder who in No10 ordered that the long serving Tory MP had the whip removed? What a grubby shower they are!
The text of the comments made on Twitter by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Labour Leader, on 15 July 2020.
Chris Grayling failed to get elected chair in a vote where his party had a majority&controlled the process&he was specifically hand picked by No10 to take the top job. On his long list of failures he must surely be at the summit now, or are there more?
The text of the comments made on Twitter by Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Shadow Home Secretary, on 15 July 2020.
Very pleased to see that the good sense of the Intelligence and Security Committee members has prevailed and that they overruled the Prime Minister by appointing Julian Lewis as Chair, rather than the hapless Chris Grayling.
Text of the comments made by Jo Churchill, the Health Minister, on 15 July 2020.
Most babies are born healthy and enjoy a safe and nurturing childhood. We know the first 1,000 days of a child’s life is critical, providing a solid foundation as children for growth and development throughout their lives.
However, some do not have the same advantages. We want to remove barriers so that all babies and young children are supported and nurtured to be ready for school and ready for life.
This review will help ensure every child has an opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background and achieve their potential. We look forward to receiving Andrea Leadsom MP’s recommendations.
Text of the comments made by Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 15 July 2020.
All parents aspire to provide their children with the best possible start in life and this government is committed to ensuring that no child is left behind.
Everybody should have a solid foundation on which to build their health and this review will look to reduce the barriers and improve early childhood experiences.
We are determined to level up the opportunities for children, no matter where they come from or grow up.
The text of the comments made by Emma Hardy, the Shadow Minister for Further Education & Universities, on 15 July 2020.
This government cannot allow any university to fail and it must ensure everyone in every region with the aspiration to attend university can do so, regardless of background or circumstance.
Universities are also significant employers and it would be disastrous for local communities and economies to lose them, particularly in areas of high deprivation.
Our country’s prosperity depends on ensuring everyone has access to the best possible education and training. True equality of opportunity is the cornerstone of a fair society.
The text of the comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 15 July 2020.
This is just hopeless. We have had mixed messages from Government all week and it seems that once again they are making it up as they go along.
We need clear and consistent messages about when the wearing of a face-covering will be compulsory not attempts at redefining what a shop is.
Public safety and confidence are key to preventing a second wave and the Government need to raise their game in ensuring that everyone knows when the wearing of a mask is required.
The text of the comments made by Jo Stevens, the Shadow Culture Secretary, on 15 July 2020.
The huge increase in job cuts is a worrying sign of the pressures the corporation is under.
Although some of these cuts have are caused by the Covid-19 pandemic affecting production, the root cause remains the government’s decision to slash BBC funding. We’ve seen £800 million lost so far in this charter period, not to mention the Tories’ broken promise on the over-75s’ free tv licence, where the cost of £250 million was passed to the BBC.
Ministers need to take responsibility and stop hiding behind the BBC management – they caused these cuts, they should stand up and be counted.
The text of the comments made by Toby Perkins, the Shadow Education Minister, on 15 July 2020.
Dame Ney should be thanked for an excellent report which demands Government action to address a widespread failure that is allowing our Further Education sector to drift towards bankruptcy.
The report exposes in detail the appalling consequences of a decade of austerity, the failure of the Government’s FE reforms and the lack of ministerial awareness of the financial crisis engulfing our crucial FE sector.
The failure in oversight has been exacerbated by the Tory cuts to the civil service and reforms that have weakened the oversight that the Government provides. Dame Ney is correct that the current mechanisms and reforms are inadequate to address this failing and for all the Government’s rhetoric about the importance of the sector the truth is that colleges are collapsing and young people are being let down by these failings.
Labour hopes that the Secretary of State will be making a statement to Parliament imminently to confirm that he will address the failings identified and confirm if he will adopt the recommendations.