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Tag: 2021

  • Ben Wallace – 2021 Comments on Bringing Afghan Interpreters to UK

    Ben Wallace – 2021 Comments on Bringing Afghan Interpreters to UK

    The comments made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 1 June 2021.

    We owe a debt of gratitude to our interpreters and other locally employed staff who risked their lives working alongside UK forces in Afghanistan.

    We have always made clear that nobody’s life should be put at risk because they supported the UK Government to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan.

    As we withdraw our Armed Forces, it is only right we accelerate the relocation of those who may be at risk of reprisals.

    The Home Secretary and I are going to do everything to make sure we recognise their services and bring them to safety. It is the right thing to do.

  • Alok Sharma – 2021 UN Climate Change Conference Speech

    Alok Sharma – 2021 UN Climate Change Conference Speech

    The speech made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, on 31 May 2021.

    Friends,

    It is fantastic to speak to you from Hanoi as you meet in session for the first time since COP25 in Madrid, almost 18 months ago.

    It is vital that we make this session count.

    Over the past months I have met and spoken with many world leaders, ministers, civil society organisations, chief executives of businesses, and youth representatives.

    And their message is clear – the world is watching us. It is watching our processes.

    We must step up our global response to the climate crisis.

    Demonstrating the same urgency as we are showing in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

    This session represents a vital opportunity to make tangible progress within the UNFCCC process.

    It really cannot be about dusting off position papers from COP25 and resuming where we left off. We must take this opportunity to move beyond positional statements.

    And instead, we must work together, we must consolidate options and draft text that we can bring to COP26 for finalisation and adoption.

    We must put in these really hard miles of work now so we arrive in Glasgow having done our homework, ready to reach agreement that keeps 1.5 degrees within reach.

    Agreement that protects people and nature from the impacts of climate change. Agreement that mobilises finance, and agreement that encourages cooperation across borders and across society to deliver against the goals of the Paris Agreement.

    And we must ensure that we leave no issue and no one behind.

    I have utmost faith in all of you making full use of the coming weeks.

    And in the expert leadership of SB Chairs Marianne Karlsen and Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, with whom the UK and Chile continue to work extremely closely.

    And I would like to thank the SB Chairs, as well as my dear friend the Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, and her whole Secretariat team, for their efforts in organising this session.

    Particularly, their great work in addressing the very valid concerns raised on virtual working.

    And I would like to wish all of you the very best for this vital session.

    I look forward to reading the outputs of your collective efforts.

    Thank you.

  • Sam Tarry – 2021 Comments on Transport for London Funding Deal

    Sam Tarry – 2021 Comments on Transport for London Funding Deal

    The comments made by Sam Tarry, the Shadow Transport Minister, on 1 June 2021.

    Sadiq Khan has done well to kill off the very worst of the punitive conditions the Government wanted to impose on Transport for London, but this funding package still falls well-short of what Londoners and our economy needs.

    It is adding insult on top of injury to expect TfL to stump up an extra £500m every year without unfairly punishing Londoners for doing the right thing by not using public transport during lockdown.

    The Government needs to set out substantial, long-term funding for TfL that will enable it to plan for the future, secure thousands of jobs across the capital and continue to build a transport network that’s the envy of the world.

    Once again, this government has opted to play politics with TfL rather than giving it the backing it needs.

  • Alex Sobel – 2021 Comments on Tourism Recovery Plan

    Alex Sobel – 2021 Comments on Tourism Recovery Plan

    The comments made by Alex Sobel, the Shadow Tourism Minister, on 1 June 2021.

    Before last year, the UK tourism industry employed 3.3 million people and generated revenue of £155.4 billion per year.

    Tourism is vital to the British economy but is facing its biggest challenge in living memory. We still haven’t seen the Tourism Recovery Plan while great swathes of this sector have been excluded from the government’s schemes.

    We need a plan to keep businesses going, not to encourage them to close.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on Potential Third Wave

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on Potential Third Wave

    The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 1 June 2021.

    The decision to continue easing restrictions on June 21st must be taken based on data to keep people safe and prevent overwhelming the NHS. The single biggest threat to that is ministerial incompetence. Today ministers remain engulfed and distracted by internal rows and blame shifting at just the moment we need a laser like focus on this variant.

    Weak, slow decisions on border policy let this variant in, continued lack of sufficient self-isolation support and a stand off with local public health directors over vaccination policy failed to contain it. For June 21st to go ahead, ministers must learn from their earlier mistakes.

  • Iain Stewart – 2021 Comments on the 2025 City of Culture Bidding Process

    Iain Stewart – 2021 Comments on the 2025 City of Culture Bidding Process

    The comments made by Iain Stewart, the UK Government Minister for Scotland, on 29 May 2021.

    The UK City of Culture competition offers a wonderful opportunity for the winning city to make its mark on the UK’s cultural landscape.

    Through raising a city’s creative and cultural profile and drawing in visitors, winning this prestigious title can also provide a real social and economic boost.

    It would be brilliant to bring the prize to Scotland for the first time and I’d strongly urge Scottish towns and cities to get involved.

     

  • Simon Hart – 2021 Comments on the 2025 City of Culture Bidding Process

    Simon Hart – 2021 Comments on the 2025 City of Culture Bidding Process

    The comments made by Simon Hart, the Secretary of State for Wales, on 29 May 2021.

    A thriving arts and culture scene has long been at the heart of a successful Wales and will remain so as we recover from the pandemic.

    The UK City of Culture competition represents an opportunity to not only bring significant financial investment and regeneration benefits, but also to boost Wales’ established reputation as globally-recognised creative hub.

    I encourage towns and cities across Wales to get involved in the competition, to champion hidden talent and promote local art scenes so that we can continue to highlight the unique cultural and artistic talents of Wales.

  • Brandon Lewis – 2021 Comments on the 2025 City of Culture Bidding Process

    Brandon Lewis – 2021 Comments on the 2025 City of Culture Bidding Process

    The comments made by Brandon Lewis, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 29 May 2021.

    As Derry-Londonderry proved in 2013, the UK City of Culture is a prestigious title which served to harness its wonderful heritage and culture to change perceptions of the city, attract investment and create local employment.

    I encourage cities in Northern Ireland to enter the 2025 competition to showcase the very best of what Northern Ireland has to offer the UK, as an integral part of the Union.

  • Oliver Dowden – 2021 Statement on the 2025 City of Culture Bidding Process

    Oliver Dowden – 2021 Statement on the 2025 City of Culture Bidding Process

    The statement made by Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on 29 May 2021.

    The UK City of Culture is a fantastic showcase of the huge impact culture has in towns and cities across the country. From Derry-Londonderry, to Hull and Coventry, previous winners have shown how the competition can deliver greater cultural participation, drive economic regeneration and boost local pride. I encourage towns and cities across the UK to put forward bids for 2025 and champion their local arts and culture scene. I’m also delighted to confirm the competition will run in future years, as a sign of our commitment to levelling up culture across the whole of the UK.

  • Marsha de Cordova – 2021 Comments on Mothers and Redundancy Discrimination

    Marsha de Cordova – 2021 Comments on Mothers and Redundancy Discrimination

    The comments made by Marsha de Cordova, the Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, on 29 May 2021.

    On the anniversary of Labour’s Equal Pay Act, we are calling for action to stop a two-tier recovery from the pandemic.

    Labour want to see data on the number of jobs created, the impact of the pandemic on the gender and ethnicity pay gaps and, an urgent review of the failing Shared Parental Leave system.

    Making it illegal to make a new mother redundant during pregnancy and maternity leave, except in very specific circumstances, is a simple robust way to end discrimination.