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Tag: Speeches

  • Emily Thornberry – 2021 Comments on Liz Truss and Human Rights

    Emily Thornberry – 2021 Comments on Liz Truss and Human Rights

    The comments made by Emily Thornberry, the Shadow International Trade Secretary, on 19 July 2021.

    A maximum of 19 countries will see a reduction in tariffs as a result of these proposals, but for the poorest countries, there will be no direct financial benefit at all, and nothing to make up for the devastating cuts in overseas aid which Rishi Sunak sought to make permanent last week.

    Of far more significance are the proposals buried in this consultation to ‘simplify’ the conditions to which trade preferences are currently tied, prohibiting genocide, mass killings of civilians, modern slavery, child labour, and other serious abuses of human rights and workers’ rights.

    In the last year, Liz Truss has blocked the genocide amendment against China, resumed the sale of UK bombs for use in Yemen, and signed trade deals with tyrants from Egypt to Cameroon. So when she says she now wants to simplify the requirements our country makes on human rights when we give trade preferences, we urgently need to know which requirements she wants to get rid of, why, and with what consequences.

  • Anna McMorrin – 2021 Comments on Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre

    Anna McMorrin – 2021 Comments on Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre

    The comments made by Anna McMorrin, the Shadow Minister for Victims and Youth Justice, on 19 July 2021.

    The Tories have overseen a dangerous deterioration of conditions in youth custody, undermining the rehabilitation of children and putting working people and families at risk of increased reoffending and crime.

    The slow response to conditions, closure of another secure centre, and the questionable extension of terms with the private US contractor show a shocking lack of ministerial oversight and this government’s recklessness with welfare and public safety. It is a damning reflection of the Conservatives appalling mishandling of the youth justice system.

    Labour have called for an independent review of conditions in youth custody and for ministers to get a grip of the crisis they created.

  • Stephen Kinnock – 2021 Comments on Myanmar

    Stephen Kinnock – 2021 Comments on Myanmar

    The comments made by Stephen Kinnock, the Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific, on 19 July 2021.

    Labour has repeatedly called on the UK Government to match its strong rhetoric with concrete action when it comes to Myanmar. We are pleased to see many of those calls echoed in this report.

    It is the moment for the UK Government to take action, including immediate recognition of Myanmar’s civilian government, applying sanctions against the military’s financial interests and working with the United Nations to secure a ban on arms sales.

    As the pen-holder on Myanmar at the United Nations, the UK has an obligation to work with democratic partners and allies to safeguard the rights and freedoms of the Burmese people.

  • Luke Pollard – 2021 Comments on Animal Cruelty

    Luke Pollard – 2021 Comments on Animal Cruelty

    The comments made by Luke Pollard, the Shadow Environment Secretary, on 19 July 2021.

    In yet another case of their actual delivery falling way short of this Government’s waffle, it is over thirty-months now since the Ivory Act was passed, with Michael Gove saying it would be in force by the end of 2019.

    Ministers still haven’t used a single power in the Ivory Act. Media announcements don’t save animals from cruelty and extinction.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on Covid-19

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2021 Comments on Covid-19

    The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, on 19 July 2021.

    Firstly can I say of course people have the right to protest against a lockdown that no longer exists, but will he join me in condemning the ugly scenes of harassment, pushing, thuggishness, throwing of objects and intimidation directed at police officers outside on Parliament Square earlier?

    On vaccinating adolescents, The MHRA have approved the Pfizer Jab for 12–18-year-olds. The US, Canada, Israel, France, Austria, Spain, and Hong Kong have started or will start vaccinating 12 -18 year olds.

    Risk of death to children from covid is mercifully very low. But children can become very sick from and develop long covid. According to the ONS 14.5% of children aged 12-16 have symptoms lasting longer than 5 weeks.

    Can he spell out in detail the clinical basis as to why the JCVI have made this decision, will he publish all their analysis and can he guarantee this decision was made on medical grounds not on grounds of vaccine supply?

    Infections levels among children have been hugely disruptive for learning. So what is his plan for September when children return to school? Will he support schools to install air filtration units this summer?

    Testing is already stretched with turnaround times lengthening. Can he guarantee that through the summer – especially when contacts can be released from isolation on the back of a negative PCR, and September when schools return, will there be sufficient PCR testing capacity to meet demand?

    We anticipate more flu and respiratory virus – illnesses with overlapping symptoms to covid. Will he invest now in our testing capacity so alongside a covid test it will be possible to test for flu and RSV as well? We will need this multi-pathogen testing this winter.

    Three weeks ago the Health Secretary told us unlocking would make us healthier and promised it would be irreversible. But today with some of the highest infection case rates in the world the mayor from jaws has decided to reopen the beaches recklessly throwing off of all restrictions with no safety precautions in place like mandatory mask wearing.

    It risks re-imposing new restrictions in the future. It means the NHS facing a summer crisis.

    Admissions for covid are already 550 a day. And hospitals are cancelling cancer surgery; liver transplant operation cancelled at Birmingham.

    Throwing all restrictions like this will see thousands suffer serious long term illness. The clinically vulnerable and scared are feeling shut out of society.

    Selection pressure could see a new variant setting us back and evading vaccines – snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. More infections, mean more isolation.

    NHS staff will be released from isolation if doubled jabbed. But they and the patients they care for need protection, so will he upgrade the standards of masks to FFP3 for health care workers?

    Which brings me to Prime Minister and Chancellor who sought to dodge isolation. So can he tell us how this “random” clinical trial that so helpfully “randomly” selected the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was set up?

    What exactly happened between 8.00am and 10.38 am on Sunday, that persuaded the Prime Minister and Chancellor to withdraw from this presumably valuable clinical ‘random’ study? How many other ministers have participated in this trial? And how many government departments and officials were involved and why? Or should we just simply conclude its one rule for Tory ministers and another for the rest of us?

  • Preet Gill – 2021 Comments on a Sustainable World

    Preet Gill – 2021 Comments on a Sustainable World

    The comments made by Preet Gill, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, on 19 July 2021.

    Even before the pandemic, the challenges facing our world were vast and complex with the climate crisis, environmental destruction, and poverty and inequality, making all of us less safe.

    The Government has had the opportunity of leading the world as hosts of the G7 and COP26 to get the necessary cooperation for a global plan. Instead they shut down a world leading development department, shunting development into the Foreign Office without a plan and have cut the aid budget without any impact assessments or clear objectives.

    The challenges ahead of us require international cooperation. Labour will work with governments and communities in low income and climate vulnerable countries, to tackle the global challenges facing us all, support countries so that all people flourish and thrive in a sustainable way, making the world a safer place.

  • Justin Madders – 2021 Comments on Dominic Cummings Interview

    Justin Madders – 2021 Comments on Dominic Cummings Interview

    The comments made by Justin Madders, the Shadow Health Minister, on 20 July 2021.

    NHS staff who have gone above and beyond in the pandemic to keep us safe, patients who have seen their treatment delayed and the many families who have lost loved ones to Covid will find these remarks shocking and difficult to hear.

    The revelations are further evidence that the Prime Minister has made the wrong calls time and again at the expense of public health. The chaos, delay and incompetence at the heart of government is costing lives and harming the economy. Boris Johnson is reckless, unfit to govern and a public inquiry cannot be delayed.

  • Angela Rayner – 2021 Comments on Treasury Select Committee Report on Greensill

    Angela Rayner – 2021 Comments on Treasury Select Committee Report on Greensill

    The comments made by Angela Rayner, the Leader of the Labour Party, on 20 July 2021.

    The fact that David Cameron apparently did not break any rules during the Greensill scandal proves that the rules that are supposed to regulate lobbying are completely unfit for purpose.

    The ACOBA system is pointless and toothless. As this case shows, it causes more harm than good by giving a veil of legitimacy to the rampant cronyism, sleaze and dodgy lobbying that is polluting our democracy under the Tories.

    Labour will ban former Ministers from lobbying government for at least five years after they leave office, and overhaul the current broken system and replace it with an Integrity and Ethics Commission that will close the revolving door and stamp out sleaze.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2021 Comments on Regulations for Non-Bank Lenders

    Bridget Phillipson – 2021 Comments on Regulations for Non-Bank Lenders

    The comments made by Bridget Phillipson, the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 20 July 2021.

    The Select Committee say the Treasury should have encouraged more formal lines of communication with David Cameron – but it was the Treasury itself that failed to communicate with the British Business Bank about the concerns surrounding Greensill, leading to the firm getting access to £400 million of government-backed loans.

    The cronyism, recklessness and sheer waste under this Conservative government has to stop.

  • Kate Green – 2021 Comments on Children Missing School

    Kate Green – 2021 Comments on Children Missing School

    The comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, on 20 July 2021.

    The Conservatives have abandoned the nation’s children with no action taken to turn the tide on rising cases in schools.

    Parents and schools have been crying out for help, but the Conservatives have washed their hands of their responsibility to keep children learning.

    The Government must take action to keep children learning for the last week of term, and ensure that by September schools have the support they need to avoid further disruption to children’s education.’