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Tag: Speeches

  • Simon French – 2020 Statement on Train Derailment in Scotland

    Simon French – 2020 Statement on Train Derailment in Scotland

    The statement made by Simon French, the Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents, on 14 August 2020.

    Following the tragic accident near to Carmont, my thoughts, and those of all of my colleagues at the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), are with the families of the three people who lost their lives.

    It’s the job of the RAIB, the UK’s independent rail accident investigation body, to identify the immediate and underlying causes of the accident, and to make safety recommendations to reduce the risk to the UK’s travelling public and rail employees alike.

    Thankfully, fatal derailments are a rare occurrence on the UK’s national network. However, landslips and other earthworks failures remain a risk to trains that needs to be constantly managed – and this is becoming even more challenging for the rail industry due to the increasing incidence of extreme weather events.

    We have an expert team at the site of the derailment who are gathering the evidence that is needed to understand what happened, and why. They share my determination to pursue every line of enquiry, to analyse the evidence, and to identify important safety learning.

  • Thangam Debbonaire – 2020 Comments on Housing Costs

    Thangam Debbonaire – 2020 Comments on Housing Costs

    The comments made by Thangam Debbonaire, the Shadow Housing Secretary, on 13 August 2020.

    Everyone deserves a secure, affordable home, whether they own or rent. The UK is in recession for the first time in 11 years, and more people are likely to struggle with the cost of housing.

    So far, the Government has prioritised tax breaks to landlords and second homeowners. It needs a plan to tackle the jobs, homelessness and housing crises.

  • Emily Thornberry – 2020 Comments on US Trade Tariffs

    Emily Thornberry – 2020 Comments on US Trade Tariffs

    The comments made by Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, on 13 August 2020.

    We welcome the withdrawal of tariffs on shortbread as well as the temporary reprieve for exports of gin, salmon and blended whisky, but that good news makes it all the more disappointing that punitive tariffs are being maintained on single malt whisky, knitwear, cheese and other key exports.

    Coming on the back of this week’s disastrous growth figures, the maintenance of those tariffs represents a double blow for hundreds of vital British businesses, especially in Scotland, and the tens of thousands of workers they employ.

    Whatever the rights and wrongs of the EU-US dispute, it has nothing to do with the distilleries, farmers, food producers and clothes makers affected by these tariffs, and – at this time of all times – it is an act of economic vandalism for Donald Trump to continue targeting their livelihoods in this way.

    The government must provide urgent support to all the firms and workers affected, and redouble its efforts to get these tariffs removed. British exporters can’t afford to wait months for a fully-fledged UK-US free trade deal to come to fruition; they need action against the tariffs that are damaging their business today.

  • Kate Green – 2020 Comments on A-Level Results Downgrades

    Kate Green – 2020 Comments on A-Level Results Downgrades

    The comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Secretary for Education, on 13 August 2020.

    Today is always an anxious day for pupils and parents across the country. That anxiety is far worse this year because of the fiasco caused by the Conservative Government.

    I wholeheartedly congratulate those young people who have received the grades they deserve after working so hard. But across the country, many young people will be opening their results today to find grades which undermine their work and their potential. It is a huge injustice that pupils will see their results downgraded just because of their postcode.

    We will look at the breakdown of the results, but it is clear the government’s approach to exams has been chaotic.

    Ministers must act urgently to correct the injustice faced by so many young people today. Students must be able to lodge their own appeals if they haven’t got the grade they deserved and admissions teams must be forced to be more flexible. No student should see their dreams slip away because of this government’s inaction.

  • Andy McDonald – 2020 Comments on Workplace Safety

    Andy McDonald – 2020 Comments on Workplace Safety

    The comments made by Andy McDonald, the Shadow Employment Rights Secretary, on 13 August 2020.

    The Government’s record on workplace safety was poor even before the pandemic, with injuries on the rise, and the past few months have exposed how a decade of cuts to enforcement and weak workers’ rights have left British workers with inadequate protection. The findings of this report are shocking if not surprising.

    The Government must ensure there are adequate resources and powers for enforcement and to strengthen the rights of workers and trade unions to prevent tragic injuries and illnesses both during the pandemic and in the long-term.

  • Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on Patient Wait Times

    Justin Madders – 2020 Comments on Patient Wait Times

    The comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 13 August 2020.

    All signals are pointing towards a growing and alarming backlog of clinical need with patients waiting longer for operations and diagnostic tests. Waiting times were dire before the pandemic and we are reaching some worrying new lows. Especially concerning is that the low number of people starting cancer treatment after attending national screening programmes, which indicates that people also aren’t able to access screening or quick treatment. This is incredibly concerning when we know that early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to saving lives.

    We can’t ignore the fact that there are undoubtedly patients not getting help who may desperately need it. We supported the lockdown to suppress this horrific virus but the far-reaching consequences for wider health outcomes must not be ignored.

  • Kate Green – 2020 Comments on Waiving Exam Appeal Fees

    Kate Green – 2020 Comments on Waiving Exam Appeal Fees

    Comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, on 13 August 2020.

    Across the country, thousands of young people are opening their exam results full of hope, only to see their opportunities and their futures dashed.

    This is a huge injustice. Pupils, parents and teachers are rightly angry and upset.

    The Government has had five months to sort this out. Action is needed in days, not weeks. Students should be guaranteed the right to individual appeals and the fee for appeals should be waived. Students must be treated fairly and nothing should be ruled out, even if Ministers have to follow the U-turn that was forced on the Scottish Government.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2020 Comments on Agreement Between Israel and the UAE

    Lisa Nandy – 2020 Comments on Agreement Between Israel and the UAE

    The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, on 13 August 2020.

    This agreement is an important step forward and we welcome the normalisation of relations between Israel and the UAE. We also welcome the suspension of proposals by Israel to annex large parts of the West Bank – an act that would have been in clear violation of international law and one opposed by governments around the world.

    The Labour Party is hopeful that this announcement will be the first step towards the full withdrawal of annexation proposals, and that this can be a catalyst for a meaningful and lasting peace to be negotiated between the Israelis and Palestinians – an outcome we believe can only be achieved by a peaceful two-state solution in the Middle East.

  • Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2020 Comments on Quarantine Measures from France and the Netherlands

    Nick Thomas-Symonds – 2020 Comments on Quarantine Measures from France and the Netherlands

    The comments made by Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Shadow Home Secretary, on 13 August 2020.

    While we support evidence based measures at the border, it’s vital that the Government has a joined-up strategy, and recognises the impact of this on travel-related businesses. It is vital that a sector-specific deal is put in place urgently.

    That the Government has still not put in place an effective track, trace and isolate system has made matters far worse and made it more likely that we are reliant on the blunt tool of 14-day quarantine.

    The Government should publish all of the scientific evidence its decisions are based on and details of any work being done to reduce the time needed to isolate through increased testing and other measures.

  • Keir Starmer – 2020 Comments on Government’s “Exam Fiasco”

    Keir Starmer – 2020 Comments on Government’s “Exam Fiasco”

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 14 August 2020.

    Across the last twenty four hours we have heard heartbreaking stories and the scale of the injustice caused by the fatally flawed results system has become clear.

    Young people and parents right across the country, in every town and city, feel let down and betrayed. Claims from the Schools Minister this week were grossly misleading.

    The unprecedented and chaotic circumstances created by the UK Government’s mishandling of education during recent months mean that a return to teacher assessments is now the best option available. No young person should be at a detriment due to Government incompetence.

    Time is running out. We need action in days, not weeks. That also means an urgent technical review of the standardisation model ahead of GCSE results next week. We need to end this fiasco.