The statement made by Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, on 23 September 2021.
Today marks 2,000 days since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s cruel separation from her family.
She is going through an appalling ordeal.
We are working tirelessly to secure her return home to her family.
I pressed the Iranian foreign minister on this yesterday and will continue to press until she returns home.
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Labour Party, on 22 September 2021.
People want to emerge from lockdown into something better. Our country is now at a crossroads: down one path is the same inequality of opportunity and insecurity. The Labour path is about building a better future for working people.
Labour will build a society that prizes the contributions people make, providing security and opportunity across Britain.
The comments made by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, on 22 September 2021.
This is another broken manifesto promise from the Conservatives who promised to make flexible working the default. Once again the Conservatives have sold out working people.
Labour will give workers the right to flexible working – not just the right to request it. Labour will make flexible working a force for good so that everyone is able to enjoy the benefits of flexible working, from a better work-life balance to less time commuting and more time with their family.
Tory employment law leaves workers waiting up to two years to access some basic rights, including protection against some types of unfair dismissal. Labour will end this arbitrary system and scrap qualifying time for basic rights, such as unfair dismissal, sick pay, and parental leave.
The ‘new normal’ after this pandemic must mean a new deal for all working people based on flexibility, security and strengthened rights at work.
The statement made by Kit Malthouse, the Policing Minister, in the House of Commons on 22 September 2021.
With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about protests.
There is widespread anger throughout the country about the disruption, danger and misery that so-called climate protesters have caused with their selfish actions. On 13, 15, and 17 September, a group called Insulate Britain staged co-ordinated sit-down protests on the M25, leading to major traffic delays. They also targeted the wider road network—namely, the M1, M3 and M11. Dealing with that involved Surrey police, Essex police, Thames Valley police, Hertfordshire constabulary, Kent police, and the Metropolitan police as the lead force. A total of 241 arrests were made across those three days.
On Monday, those groups attempted to block the carriageway at junction 1A of the M25 in Kent, the M25 in Hertfordshire and junction 4 of the A1. Hertfordshire constabulary was present at both scenes and made 29 arrests. Yesterday, protesters blocked both M25 carriageways between junction 9 and junction 10. Surrey police arrived on the scene within three minutes and officers cleared the carriageway quickly. It is clear that police response times have improved significantly following the first two days of protests. The affected forces have dedicated significant resources to spotting protesters and removing them quickly.
Protest is a right, but it must be balanced against the rights of others to go about their daily lives. The right to protest is not unqualified and does not include a right to endanger others, to intimidate people or to break the law. The events of recent days have crossed this line. As anyone should know, sitting in the road is extremely dangerous, both to themselves and to others. Delays caused by protests between 13 and 17 September have cost drivers in excess of £500,000. This figure does not take into account the knock-on effect for the local road network, for manufacturing businesses or for those who missed their connections at ports. Previous actions of Extinction Rebellion, of which I understand Insulate Britain is an offshoot, have cost the taxpayer £50 million and diverted valuable police resources. We have all heard the heart-breaking stories about people not getting the medical treatment they needed, and seen people standing by their cars crying in frustration at this appallingly stupid and selfish behaviour. We have all had enough.
The Government have been working hard to address these concerns. The Home Secretary and I are in constant contact with the police, and we have been crystal clear in our support for their robust and swift enforcement of the law. There is absolutely no excuse for this selfish and disruptive behaviour. The irony is that it actually undermines the cause of climate change, as well as creating more traffic and pollution. These protesters live in a free country where they can lobby politicians, stand for election and boot us out of office if they do not like what we do. There is now widespread agreement in this House and across the political spectrum that climate change demands major action. In November, the UK will host a huge international conference where we will discuss and debate these very issues. But we do not change policies or make law in this country through mob rule or being held to ransom, and these people should not suppose for one moment that the public are with them.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which is under consideration in the other place, contains proportionate measures better to enable the police to deal with disruptive protests. By putting public nuisance on to a statutory footing, as recommended by the independent Law Commission, we will increase the powers available to the police for dealing with this sort of protest. However, the disruption to our transport network is now so harmful and dangerous that we need to take swift action. The Home Office and the Department for Transport have been working closely with National Highways to keep the situation under review and explore options for enabling the police to take a more robust approach.
With our full support, National Highways has now won an interim injunction to prevent protesters from occupying the M25. As colleagues will know, an injunction is a judicial order, made in this case by the High Court, that can require someone either to do something or to refrain from doing something. This injunction prohibits people from blocking, endangering, slowing down, obstructing or otherwise preventing the free flow of traffic on the M25. If a person breaches the injunction, or if they encourage or help others to do so, they will be held in contempt of court and may be imprisoned or fined. The fine is unlimited. This should act as a major deterrent, and it recognises that this law breaking is serious, with consequences that match the offending.
The police should be fighting crime in our neighbourhoods, not chasing activists across busy motorways. That is why we have taken this action now, and we are working with National Highways on obtaining a full injunction later this week.
This is a free country but that freedom, particularly to assemble, to speak out and to protest, does not come without responsibilities to respect the rights of others and the democratic process. The British people expect us to make decisions in a civilised, democratic manner, and they expect that those who seek to bully or blackmail are sent packing, so it is with some pleasure that I commend this statement to the House.
The comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Education Secretary, on 21 September 2021.
The Conservatives’ chaotic failure to plan ahead or to listen to Labour, parents and teachers and get ventilation and mitigations in place saw over 122,000 children out of school again last week. This is not good enough. The Conservatives have left schools in a mess, the new Education Secretary urgently needs to set this right.
With 158,000 more children out of school than anticipated due to Covid and standard absences, Ministers must urgently investigate what’s happening with these families and work with parents and schools to ensure all children can return to class.
The comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the new Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary, on 21 September 2021.
I’m delighted to accept the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities and look forward to maintaining Labour’s proud record of promoting equality.
I want to pay tribute to Marsha de Cordova and Charlotte Nichols for the fantastic work they did for those facing discrimination and prejudice, and to hold Liz Truss and the Conservative Government to account for their appalling failures.
Labour is the party of equality – and only Labour in government can deliver a fairer, more equal future for the British people.
The comments made by Emily Thornberry, the Shadow International Trade Secretary, on 22 September 2021.
Within the space of 24 hours, Boris Johnson has taken us from first in line to the back of the queue for a US trade deal, briefed reporters in Washington that we were seeking to join the USMCA instead, and now decided to ditch that idea as well, presumably after someone bothered to read the agreement and realised what it would mean for food standards and the NHS.
It is an utterly farcical way for the Prime Minister to carry on when representing our country abroad, and a shambolic approach to running the UK’s trade policy.
It all leaves the Government not a single step closer to its manifesto commitment to cover 80 per cent of UK trade with free trade deals by the end of next year, and not the slightest clue how it is going to get there.
The comments made by Kit Malthouse, the Policing Minister, on 22 September 2021.
These protests have endangered the lives of road users and the police officers who have responded quickly and responsibly.
The police should be fighting crime in our neighbourhoods, not chasing activists across busy motorways. This is why we are taking this action now and we’ll be working with National Highways on a full injunction.
The comments made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, on 22 September 2021.
This injunction is an important step in stopping these activists putting lives needlessly at risk on our busy roads.
Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy and there will always be space for people to make their voices heard. It cannot be at the expense of public safety.
The police have our full support in cracking down on this reckless behaviour.
The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 22 September 2021.
We will not let these demonstrators wreak havoc on our roads, disrupt thousands of people’s journeys and put lives in danger. Not only are they creating more traffic and pollution, they are alienating the public from their own cause.
Today, we’re taking action, bringing in further measures to stop those taking part in these self-defeating protests, while we continue the work we’re already carrying out to clean up our air and reach net zero.