Andrew Gwynne MP, responding to Theresa May’s speech at the launch of the Tory local elections campaign, said:

“The Tories cannot give Britain the change we need. Theresa May talks of a country that works for everyone, but for the last seven years the Tories have failed ordinary working people and plunged our public services into crisis.

“When Theresa May says she has a plan for Britain, what she means is a plan to run the NHS into the ground, squeeze people’s living standards, reintroduce unfair selection in our schools and drive us towards a risky Brexit which threatens jobs, growth and workers’ rights.

“Theresa May’s claims on Council Tax are misleading. The truth is that where Labour controls the local council, households will pay on average £336 less next year than those living in Tory areas. People are better off with a Labour council.

“Working people deserve better than Tory failure – only Labour will stand up for them and their families.”