Labour Campaign News Conference Election 2017

On and thank you all for coming along today. One of the biggest

challenges facing working people and pensioners is the crisis in living

standards. Yesterday, the Conservative Party

published their manifesto. Far from addressing that crisis,

their proposals present a clear Today, we will be hearing

from John McDonnell, Labour's Shadow Chancellor,

and Rebecca Long Bailey, Labour's Shadow Business Secretary,

about this threat. And the choice facing the British

people on the 8th of June. We are also launching today our

punchy and hard-hitting poster. Which demonstrates the risk

of the Tories to pensioners' living As Andrew said, this week,

Labour published its manifesto It was a bold and transformational

programme for government. Designed to rebuild our economy

and deliver for working people. This was a manifesto that

promised more of the same. More Tory failure on living

standards and a manifesto that fails working people

and especially pensioners. A manifesto that dropped

the triple lock. Dropped the tax and

dropped their commitment There is not a single

reference to living standards Living standards are falling under

the Tories, a situation described Yet Theresa May couldn't promise

that she would seek to address this. There is a clear and unambiguous

threat to living standards. An attack on pensioners

and on working people. Today, Rebecca and I will set out

what this threat means for working The Tories have launched an all-out

attack on pensioner incomes by abandoning the triple lock,

cutting winter fuel payments, raising the state pension age

and breaking promises on social care They have laid bare the threat

they pose to pensioners security And have shown beyond a doubt

that they are turning And future generations

of pensioners. Those people who worked hard,

they did everything asked of them. They put their blood, sweat

and tears into making Britain great. And today they must feel

they have been kicked Theresa May's message to them

and millions of workers is now this, work for years longer only

to receive far less generous Not even a carriage clock

for your years of service, And Theresa May had the cheek to say

she would end her party's pursuit On the triple lock, Theresa May used

to support the triple lock. In a debate in the House of Commons

in 2011, she acknowledged how crucial it is for pensioners

when she said it gives real security It was a firm commitment

in the last Tory manifesto. Now, only two years later,

she is refusing to commit to the triple lock for the lifetime

of the next Parliament. Under the Tories, after 2020,

the state pension would be uprated by average earnings,

growth rate or inflation, There is one very big

problem with that. The Tories record on pay

is absolutely atrocious. Real wages are lower

than they were in 2010 If the Tories's abysmal record

is anything to go by, pensioners are set to be hundreds

of pounds worse off if the Tories Analysis we are publishing today

shows just how weak Theresa May's new double lock would have been over

the last seven years Older people receiving the basic

state pension would have been ?330 worse off since 2010 under

the double lock. The Tory record on wage growth

is so weak that in 2015, under the double lock,

the basic state pension would have been uprated

by a measly ?1.36 a week. That's not good enough

to guarantee the real value That is why I repeat today the firm

commitment that Labour Unlike the Tories,

we won't cut your pension. We will protect your income

by keeping the triple lock over And the next Labour government will

keep winter fuel payments as well. The last Labour government

introduced them in 1997. Between then and 2010,

they helped lift over 900,000 The Tories have tried to suggest

that they are cutting winter fuel payments only

from the richest in society. What we've got in the Tory

manifesto yesterday was a substantial cut in support

for millions of pensioners. According to the Resolution

Foundation, 10 million pensioners could be at risk

of losing their winter fuel That would not just be

a cut for the very rich, that is a cut for five out of every

six pensioners in Great Britain. When the average income,

for retired households is just under ?20,000

a year and pensioner poverty has this cut is nothing more

than an attack on pensioners. The Tories should come clean

about what their plans would mean. How many pensioners would lose

out and by how much? We introduced winter fuel

payments, they worked. We will keep them to protect

pensioners' living standards. Let us move on to

the state pension age. The Tories wrote their own review

into the pension age. We got a clue as to

why that might be. Instead of setting out their plans,

they said they would only ensure the state pension age reflects

increases in life expectancy. Worryingly, this suggests to many

that the Tories could adopt the recommendations of a review

bringing forward increases to the state pension age

for millions of workers. Figures provided by the House

of Commons library shows that plans to increase the state pension age

would mean that 34 million people will work longer

if the Conservatives win In contrast, Labour's

manifesto, promises to leave We would commission a new review

of the state pension system tasks with a flexible retirement policy

to reflect the wide variations Lower incomes, less support

and a shorter retirement. That's what the Tories

are offering pensioners. And that is the thanks

they are giving them for a lifetime The Tory squeeze on working

families is just as severe. As Becky says, the threat to working

families is real and severe. We are currently witnessing the

worst decade for pay in 200 years. Real wages are still lower today

than they were when the Tories This week we got news

that the situation is Real wages turned negative

in the last few months which means that prices

outstrip pay packets leaving working It is worth pointing

out how extraordinary According to the OECD,

the UK is the only advanced major economy where growth has

returned since the crash, and it is unlikely to stop there,

experts have warned that with the cost of living increasing,

household incomes are set to be Under the Tories, working families

are paying more in tax and there are further tax rises

in the pipeline. Since 2010 the average household

is paying more in both direct and indirect taxation,

a total of nearly ?2000. Under current proposals there

are net tax rises of ?14.4 billion, or 4.6% of national

income in the pipeline This is a net figure and takes

into account any tax cuts. These ?14.4 billion of tax rises

is equivalent to ?760 per family. That means, under the Tories,

the tax burden is set to reach the highest level

since 1986, 1987. The scrapping of the commitment

to no increase in VAT. This is a clear and unambiguous

threat to working people. Labour is promising no

increase in taxation Secondly, you have not mentioned

one of the more glaring promises on immigration

that the Conservatives As a result of the Tories are

abysmal record on living standards relative to what households could

have experienced under Labour. The Tories have scrapped their

commitment to raising living standards. In that 2050 manifesto,

they promised to raise living standards, but living standards were

completely omitted from yesterday's manifesto -- in the 2015 manifesto.

This offers pensioners in security with a huge question over living

standards. Gone was the commitment to not raise taxes for working

people and gone was the failure to protect the triple lock. This is a

clear threat to working people and pensioners. The choice at this

election is clear. A threat to working people and pensioners living

standards if the Tories are real elected on the 8th of June, or a

Labour plan to help working people, to introduce a real living wage by

2020, and a Labour plan that will have no tax rises to 95% of

taxpayers and no increase in VAT and no increase in national insurance

contributions and a Labour plan that will invest in our vital public

services. That is the choice at this election. A clear threat to working

people's living standards or a Labour Party that will stand up for

the many and not the few. Let me just mention, though, the issue with

regard to older people. Yesterday the Conservative Party abandoned

older people. There was a triple whammy. The tearing up of the triple

lock. The attack on the winter fuel allowance and yes, the plans on care

costs where people could lose control of their homes. I just want

to mention the issue around the winter fuel allowance. Because to be

frank I'm angry. I'm one of those people who campaigned against fuel

poverty for a number of years and I welcome the introduction of the

winter fuel allowance. There are 1 million pensioners and more living

in fuel poverty and 30,000 excess deaths a year in winter in this

country. It looks as though as the resolution foundation has said, the

means test could hit all those not on the pension credit am attempting

people. We also know that a third, because it is a means tested benefit

on pension credit, third don't claim. This is a savage attack on

vulnerable pensioners, especially those who are just about managing.

It is disgraceful and we are calling upon the Conservative Party now to

withdraw it today. Two with two Dory today.

We will not I Lou our pensioners winter fuel allowance to be cut in

this way and for so many of them to be back in a situation where they

have to choose whether they heat or eat. This is the fifth richest

country in the world. We should be able to keep our pensioners safe in

winter and warm. Thank you, John. Thank you Rebecca.

Now we have a little time for questions from the media. I'll take

them in groups of three. So if you can, please, tell me your name and

where you're from. Tamara Cohen first and then the gentleman there

and the lady there. REPORTER: Thank you, Tamara Cohen

from Sky News why should the likes of Mick Jagger or Alan Sugar get

money from the taxpayer when it should be spent on working-age

people that you and Jeremy Corbyn kr have champ beyond. Would you not

like to see any restrictions at all on the working fuel payment. You

haven't mentioned one of the promises the Conservatives have

broken on immigration is that because the truth is Labour has no

plans to reduce immigration if you win the election? With regards to

winter fuel. The whole point of introducing ain no means-tested

benefit is because means-tested benefits actually do have a

deterrent effect on claim. We've seen that on pensioner credits. A

third who are entitled to pensioner credits not claiming. Largely

because means testing is often so complex. The The pensioner credit

form is 19 pages long. So historically that universal benefits

reach the people who need it better. Those people who are, yes, have

higher incomes pay through their taxes and that's the way in which

actually you introduce the fairness into the system overall. We're

putting at risk large numbers of pensioners this winter if the Tories

get re-elected. So that's why we're demanding, actually, that they

withdraw this proposal immediately because it introduced an insecurity

in up to 10 million pensioners in this country. Most of them, the vast

majority, on lower middle earnings, as Becky said, they have done

everything asked of them, in erms it of working throughout their lives,

contributing in their taxes and national insurance and saving. With

regard to immigration. Let's make this absolutely clear - we've just

had a manifesto published yesterday completely uncosted. 60 pledges with

no costings beside them at all. When the Labour Party manifesto, we

published our costings alongside our manifesto and we're open to

discussion and debate around those costings. What we saw yesterday,

uncosted manifesto, 60 pledges and the immigration pledge, well, it's

been in two Conservative manifestos for the last two elections and it's

not been met. Now an uncosted commitment, yet again. When it was

put to Michael Fallon last night he fell apart unable to respond on the

costs. Although we know there is a range of independent assessments of

a cost between ?4-?6 billion a year. In terms of immigration, our

immigration policy will be managed and fair, but it will be based upon

the needs of this country. We will not undermine our economy on the

basis of setting unrealistic targets in the way this Conservative Party

has. Remember who was responsible for implementing and achieving these

targets - Theresa May and the Home Office. So what we want is a

realistic immigration policy, based upon, yes, fairness and management,

but also based upon the needs of the economy. Thank you, John. The

gentleman there and then the lady there.

REPORTER: Hello. I'm from ITV News. John, what do you think it is about

Labour's reputation that means that you have to cost everything whereas

the Conservatives seem to feel that they don't have to cost anything?

Their manifesto? Secondly, if I may, they said yesterday that they would

expand Heathrow, you're against the expansion of Heathrow and Labour's

manifesto was very unclear on what you would do about Heathrow. What is

the party position and is it the same as your personal position? OK.

It's a good point on the issue about this costing because I think it's

outrageous that here we have the Labour Party coming forward with a

costed programme, in detail, some people might disagree in the way in

which we're trying to raise the funds, at least they know what our

choices are. There's nothing in terms of the costings. 60, 60

promises and pledges, uncosted. Those questions need to be asked of

the Conservative Party. In fact, what we'll do this afternoon, we'll

issue journalists with 30 questions to ask the Conservatives. It will

help improve your journalistic careers! LAUGHTE What we'll try and

do is measure productivity on how many of those questions you actually

ask. I think it's important we pin them down on this. I think - how are

they getting away with it? I don't think they are any more. You've got

a job that you can help the general public, as part of this election,

part of the democratic debate. Ask them point by point what the

costings are some of these questions arer seerious. The issue around the

winter fuel is serious. It's putting pensioners, many of them, under

severe threat. As a result of that, feeling extremely insecure this

morning. I think the difference between us is that, actually, we

have a' now broken through as a party. It is innovative for us to

lay out in detail in a general election campaign exact details of

our funding. I think we've set a new standard for political parties to

follow. I expect the Conservative Party to do that. If they can. But

the advantage that they've had is that they're in Government they had

access to the Treasury and OBR. We asked for to the office of budget

responsibility and Treasury models to us on getting the information and

that modelling could be substantiated independently. They

denied us that access. We have drew upon what information we can and

independent assessments. That's what we've done. Yes, open to challenge.

Let's have that debate. Let's have them put their figures out there. We

will issue the 30 questions this afternoon. Measure your

productivity. There might be a prize for the most productivity journalist

in answering them. With regard to Heathrow the Labour Party supports

the work of the Airports Commission. That's recommended a third runway at

Heathrow. The Labour Party's position is that any development on

aviation expansion in London and the south-east is subject to meeting

those conditions, which is about environmental protections and it's

about economic benefits to the area itself. Objects lip bgs as the

constituent MP, I have I have auto ehistorically campaigned against

Heathrow Airport being expanded I don't think it will meet the

conditions. There is the ability of an individual MP to represent their

constituents, as I do. Thank you, John. We have the laid I there. Then

I will come to another set of three. REPORTER: Thank you. Alex Forsyth,

BBC News. On the winter fuel allowance you're quoting the

Resolution Foundation figures that 10 million people could be affected.

We don't know is the truth of it? Exactly. Aren't you just

scaremongering around that? Foo I may as well, do you have a reaction

to the fact we are not expecting the deficit figures for NHS Trusts to be

published before the election? Yeah. OK. Let's get on to this issue with

regard to how we're trying to arrive at some understanding of what the

Conservatives are trying to do around the winter fuel allowance.

They've signified they want to save anything up to ?2 billion as a

result of this. Now, if you go down to linking it to pensioner credit

levels I think the last parliamentary question said you

would raise ?1.4 billion. That is why the Resolution Foundation and

others have said, if they want to save a significant sum they will

have to go down to that pensioner credit level. If they're not, please

let us know. We want to be working on what they really mean. This is

the problem with having an uncosted manifesto. You send out their

messages that scare people, not us, that's the reality. It isn't us who

came up with the ?10 million figure, it was the Resolution Foundation

extrapolating from the saving that they want. I just... I think we have

to say to the Conservative Party - politics have moved on. People

expect a bit more honesty and transparency and openness. That's

what evil with' done this week in terms of the Labour Party. We've

done a fully costed manifesto. We expect that of them. I think they've

got hours to do it otherwise their credibility is completely shot. With

regard to the lack of publication this argument has been used about

purdah, not to publish this information. I have to say, I'm

sceptical of that. I really am. Again, in the interests of openness

and transparency, so that people have all the information before

them, when they go to vote on the 8th June, I think it's important

that information is out there. OK. REPORTER: Sam Coates from the Times.

Why do you need the winter fuel allowance and what do you spend it

on? Secondly, I met a former Labour voter this morning who is deeply

concerned about what the Tories proposals on social care and worried

and angry free school meals for infants will be taken away, but is

still going to almost certainly going to vote for the Conservatives

because they say they have no alternative because of Jeremy

Corbyn. What do you say to them? How does that mean you feel, sad or

embarrassed? On the latter question. What I say to them is now, start

exploring more, as we drag information out of the Conservative

Party, it is like extracting teeth, to be honest at the moment, as we

drag it out of them more and more of the consequences of what they're

promising. More and more we've laid our policies and tried to draw out

the information from them you've seen we've been rising in the polls.

I think it's quite interesting that when we've polled and looked

elsewhere the issue, when you mention Jeremy Corbyn's name next to

that policy it has no difference whatsoever. What we're finding now

is people are respecting the fact that here we have a politician in

Jeremy Corbyn who is honest, decent and just open. We cannot be in a

situation where we go into an election where a major political

party, like the Conservatives, just refuse to tell us what they're going

to do in Government when they get their, or cost what they're going to

do in Government. I think they have to come clean now. With regards to

the winter fuel allowance I spend it on winter fuel. The issue there

overall is that, you know, I'm on a MPs salary. I get stacked. As a

result it contributes to the overall exchequer. That's the fairest way to

do it. I've campaigned on this for a number of years, I do not want means

testing introduced on winter fuel because we know, as we've seen from

the pensioner credit, go and ask Age UK, look at their figures, a third

do not claim pensioners credits because it's means-tested. If you

look at the figures on the costings of administering a means-tested

benefit as against a non-means-tested benefit it's quite

staggering. I think it's a more efficient way of getting the money

to where it's really needed. REPORTER: Can I follow up on that.

Yes. Pensioner credit, are you saying that hasn't worked? As a way

of helping poor pensioners? It was an idea brought in by Labour? I

agree. Are you saying it hasn't worked? I think it's helped. . It

has worked to a large extent. I'm demonstrating how difficult

means-tested benefits are. Goen o the website, a 19 page form you have

to fill in for pensioner credit. A third don't get it. If we link

winter fuel allowance to it a large number of people won't get the

winter fuel allowance. The last Labour Government was terrific in

terms of lifting children and pensioners out of poverty. It has

worked, but it has draw backs we should not translate those draw

backs on to something that pensioners can heat their homes in

winter. 30,000 excess deaths. That doesn't happen in Scandinavian

countries, which are colder than us. Why - because it's about insulating

your homes, proper income to afford. It's about energy prices. That is

why we're doing stuff around the energy industry as well. The lady

there and the gentleman behind. REPORTER: Thank you. Kate McCann

from the Telegraph. You say the polls are moving in Labour's favour,

in reality even though some of your policies are well liked and poll

well - Thank you very much for that. You are a long way behind. What can

you expect from the party in the remaining weeks that will change

voters minds? If I may, on your poster above how exactly is the

person holding the third boxing glove? I've got the answer to that.

It's jab, jab, swing. When I saw it I thought John Prescott had

returned. I'm really pleased you you said our policies are well liked.

Could it be a Telegraph headline? OK. Report honestly. "Well liked."

You've seen a shift in the polls. I think - who believes polls? Look,

you've seen a shift in the polls. I think there an underlying move

across the country where people are waking up that the elections is in a

few weeks' time. They are beginning to explore the policies. They are -

the real debate has happened now. Now the manifestos are out there,

they know what we're about. They know what the Tories are about, but

they're unsure because there might be statements of policy but no

costings and no detail of implementation. That is one thing

they can't say about us. In the next few weeks the real debate is

starting. I just wished, I just wished that Theresa May would debate

with Jeremy Corbyn live on I have challenged

Philip Hammond to come I wonder if he is the architect

of this winter fuel allowance thing. It smacks of Philip Hammond,

like the last budget The one thing that me and Theresa

May have got in common. Neither us trust Philip Hammond. I'm from the

Financial Times. First question, when you say

pensioners would be at risk from the removal of the winter fuel

allowance, are you saying people In the past, you said

you would wade through vomit to prevent cuts to welfare,

here we have a Labour manifesto throwing money

at students regardless regardless if they are wealthy

but when it comes to working age benefits,

you are not lifting the freeze although you will

mitigate it slightly. Why are you no longer going to wade

through vomit to help those people? In the overall costings,

we have ?4 billion there, we are scrapping the bedroom tax,

implementing the PIP legal ruling. Restoring housing benefit for

under-21ss. And then ?2 billion for funding

universal credit as we start You will see a reform

of the welfare system to ensure we tackle

the problems in our society, particularly with disabled

people themselves. We don't need to swim through vomit

under a Labour government. You would be walking down a path

which ensures we have What was the first question? Sorry,

yes. What I am saying is this,

I don't want to be in a situation where people do not get the winter

fuel allowance they are getting now and as a result, this winter,

they will not be able I do not want our pensioners

cold this winter. That is why we introduced

the winter fuel allowance. I just appeal to the Tories -

withdraw it today. This is a bad policy,

uncosted, and in my view, it is extreme concern to anyone

who has concerns about elderly I'm going to take a couple more and

that will be at. Kevin Schofield from politics home.

What do you say to pensioners who remember the IRA bombing

of the British mainland in 70s, 80s and 90s who might be concerned

about the man who says that because of the bravery of the IRA,

and people like Bobby Sands, we now have a peace process,

I apologise for those words but if you also look at what I said,

I said no cause is worth an innocent life.

I also did everything I possibly could to secure the peace process

At times, that was contentious, of course.

We were trying to talk to people who at that point of time,

you were condemned for talking, but we discovered governments

I apologise for my language but I have made it clear

everything I did was about securing peace and no innocent

The peace process was a result of a dialogue and if I contributed

in any small way, I was pleased to do so.

I made it absolutely clear that I have apologised

I made it clear then - I did a Guardian article,

no cause is worth the loss of an innocent life.

Kate Langston from the Yorkshire Post.

This morning you dismissed Len McCluskey's comments that Labour

might only get 200 seats on June 8th.

But the Tory manifesto with a shameless pitch to the centre.

It was last night in the Labour seat of Halifax.

And the regional polls show Labour trailing in Yorkshire and falling

down in the northern heartlands, surely you must be concerned

about making significant losses in places like Yorkshire

The more we have the policy debate, the more people see

what the Tories are about, like the winter fuel allowance

Living standards and the burden on ordinary working families.

The more the Tories are exposed in that way and you can

The productivity levels on the 30 questions.

The more we expose that, the more people are realising

that the threat that there is with Theresa May going

That is why I am confident we will have a Labour government.

It is a real issue that the Tory triple whammy on pensioners is a big

We've got to make sure we fight hard for our pensioners in this country,

to maintain their living standards and to make sure they aren't hurt

Which is why we need to make sure they understand the importance

The perils of travelling with the Prime Minister and using her

lecturing when she is a foot taller than you! Can I welcome you to the

launch of our Scottish manifesto. Let me start by thanking the Prime

Minister but coming to Edinburgh. A Prime Minister who has shown she has

what it takes to do the job, and he doesn't shirk the big challenges

that our country faces and someone we can trust over the next five

years, not to bend in the wind, but to stand strong and always put the

national interest first.