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Tag: Rachel Reeves

  • Rachel Reeves – 2021 Comments on the Fashion Industry

    Rachel Reeves – 2021 Comments on the Fashion Industry

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 2 February 2021.

    This costly new red tape and bureaucracy is holding businesses and our proud British tradition of quality textiles and cutting edge fashion back.

    How many more of our industries will we see decline before this government takes action?

    They must work with the fashion and textile industry to make trade simple and plug the gaps in the deal to stop more businesses and our economic recovery paying the price.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2021 Comments on DPD Suspending Delivery Operations

    Rachel Reeves – 2021 Comments on DPD Suspending Delivery Operations

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 8 January 2021.

    This government said it was prepared for a smooth transition – but instead major carriers like DPD are left wrangling with completely overwhelmed systems without any help.

    As well as consumers, this impacts on British companies large to small – from carriers like DPD to the many small, independent businesses already under such huge strain trying to sell across Europe.

    This government seems to prefer throwing taxpayer money at expensive consultants over listening to experienced businesses and offering them the practical, common sense support they need – like a helpline that functions when they’re operating.

    This government can talk the talk, but clearly can’t walk the walk when it comes to supporting British businesses.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Michael Gove’s “Bumpy Moments” Interview

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Michael Gove’s “Bumpy Moments” Interview

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 28 December 2020.

    The Government is treating its own incompetence as inevitable.

    There is no reason why the deal the Government ended up with had to be run so close to the wire, nor why this period must be bumpy had the Government prepared properly.

    But instead they refused to engage with business on preparations and dodged repeated questions from Labour for months on how many customs agents were recruited and ready, and what IT systems are properly in place.

    They should behave like grown-ups and take responsibility for governance.

  • 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.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on a Brexit Deal

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on a Brexit Deal

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 5 December 2020.

    The British people were promised a deal and, with time running out, we urge both sides to get on with reaching an agreement.

    We can then focus on the job at hand which is securing the economy and rebuilding our country from the pandemic.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Government’s Border Operations Centre

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Government’s Border Operations Centre

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 1 December 2020.

    Once again, this government is putting the burden on businesses to prepare for the end of the transition period, when it has not explained what it is those businesses are getting ready for. Is it for tariffs or no tariffs with the EU?

    The government is rebadging a basic element of preparation but still can’t tell us how many customs agents are recruited or trained or whether crucial IT is ready.

    With glaring questions like these still unanswered, this government must do much more than just ‘demand action’ from UK businesses, already under huge pressure from the pandemic – and instead provide them with some much needed answers.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on NAO Investigation into Government Procurement

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on NAO Investigation into Government Procurement

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 18 November 2020.

    This report confirms that this Tory government’s approach to procurement has fallen far short of what this country deserves. Lessons must be learned.

    The National Audit Office has shown how, at best, this incompetent government can’t even get basic paperwork right.

    At worst, that the government may be deliberately attempting to cover their tracks, avoid scrutiny or withhold information from the public while wasting taxpayer money.

    From paying for useless PPE to a maintaining Serco’s failed contract tracing system, we have seen disastrous decisions which have squandered public money and held back our country’s response to Covid-19.

    The country deserves to have confidence their money is being spent effectively by the government – and to know without doubt that friends and donors to the Conservative party aren’t profiting from this pandemic.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Serco Profits

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Serco Profits

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 16 October 2020.

    This is grim beyond belief. While Serco is raking in the profits, people are paying the price for its failure.

    If the Government can’t bear to curb its obsession with pouring money into big companies over our local public health teams, it surely can see that this wasteful approach lacks basic common sense and isn’t reducing the transmission of the virus.

    It is time to sack Serco and bring in a short circuit breaker, so we can fix test and trace, protect the NHS and get control of the virus.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Serco

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Serco

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, on 14 October 2020.

    For months, Labour has been asking this government to put contact tracing into the hands of councils and local public health teams who know their own communities better than anyone.

    In the face of all the evidence, the Tories are continuing with a system that rewards failure by handing enormous sums of money to big companies such as Serco and Sitel.

    This approach has defied the experience around the world, left underfunded public services to clear up the mess days later and made our communities vulnerable to rising infection rates.

    The government should look at the science, follow Labour’s call to bring in a circuit break and transfer control of contact tracing to local authorities, so that we can better protect people’s lives and livelihoods.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Legal Action Taken by European Commission

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Legal Action Taken by European Commission

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 1 October 2020.

    There is clearly a deal to be done. Both sides need to drop the posturing and the threats by getting back round the negotiating table and getting a trade deal done. The country wants the Government to move on from past divisions, secure the trade agreement we need and focus on defeating this pandemic.