LABOUR have unveiled their General Election manifesto, with promises to ensure economic stability, cut NHS waiting times and reform planning rules to build 1.5 million new homes.
Here are some of the headline policy proposals:
The economy
Economic stability is the party’s headline pitch to voters with a pledge to cap corporation tax at its current rate of 25% to give businesses long-term certainty.
A national wealth fund will be established to “support growth” and deliver private and public investment, including £2.5 billion to rebuild the steel industry, £1.8bn to upgrade ports and build supply chains and a £1.5bn bung for the automotive industry.
Along with this, Labour have ruled out raising the rates of income tax, national insurance and VAT.
They have committed to charging VAT on private school fees, abolishing the non-dom tax status and closing “loopholes” in the windfall tax on oil and gas companies.
In total, Labour plan to raise more than £7bn in revenue from tax, their costings document confirms.
Health
Labour’s manifesto proposes to shift the NHS “away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment, to a model where more services are delivered in local communities”.
The party has pledged to cut waiting times with an extra 40,000 NHS appointments a week. The party said it will use more private-sector capacity and encourage existing staff to work more evenings and weekends to deliver this.
This will be paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance – which it said will raise £1.5bn – and non-dom loopholes, the party said.
Labour also said they will recruit an additional 8500 mental health staff and introduce a new “Fit For the Future” fund to double the number of CT and MRI scanners to catch cancer earlier.
A dentistry rescue plan is also included in the manifesto, with a focus on providing 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruiting new dentists to areas in need.
Energy
Great British Energy, a state-owned company, would be set up and headquartered in Scotland. It will be tasked with investing in energy projects with the aim of cutting bills and increasing energy security.
Labour have said they will invest an extra £6.6bn over the next five years to upgrade five million homes to cut energy bills.
Grants and low-interest loans will be offered to homeowners through the “Warm Homes Plan” to invest in insulation and make improvements such as solar panels, batteries and low-carbon heating.
Scotland
Labour have pledged to “reset” Westminster’s relationship with Holyrood and the other devolved governments.
A new Council of the Nations and Regions will be established to bring together the prime minister, the first ministers of the devolved governments and the mayors of combined authorities in England.
Labour also said they would “support” the Scottish Government to partner with international bodies “where relevant and appropriate”, using the example of global health initiatives.
The party said it would use the Scotland Office to promote “Brand Scotland” through UK trade and diplomatic networks.
Immigration
The party has pledged to scrap the Rwanda scheme and use the savings to set up a new Border Security Command, which would use beefed-up counter-terror powers to crack down on people smugglers.
A new returns enforcement unit, with 1000 extra staff, would also be established to fast-track the removal of asylum seekers who are deemed to have no right to stay in the UK, to other countries.
Foreign policy
Labour have said they will keep backing Ukraine against Russia and support recognising a Palestinian state as part of a peace process in the Middle East.
Lords reform
Labour would bring forward immediate legislation to abolish “indefensible” hereditary peers from the House of Lords, their manifesto says.
The document reads: “The next Labour government will therefore bring about an immediate modernisation, by introducing legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords.
“Labour will also introduce a mandatory retirement age. At the end of the parliament in which a member reaches 80 years of age, they will be required to retire from the House of Lords.”
Defence
The party has said its commitment to Nato is “unshakeable” and committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, in line with the Conservatives’ proposals.
The document also said that Labour’s commitment to maintaining the Trident nuclear weapons programme is “absolute”.
Housing
Labour have promised to fund local authorities to improve the condition of local roads and said they would reform planning laws to ensure infrastructure upgrades are delivered on time and on budget.
The party has vowed to reform planning rules in a bid to help build 1.5 million new homes on the “grey belt” – brownfield sites and poor-quality areas in the green belt.
Transport
Labour have pledged to tackle the soaring cost of car insurance and fix one million potholes every year.
The manifesto also set out Labour’s plans to nationalise rail franchises as contracts come up for renewal.
Education
Labour have set out plans to recruit 6500 new teachers and create 3000 new primary school-based nurseries. They have also pledged free breakfast clubs at every primary school.
Their industrial strategy promises that all 18 to 21-year-olds will have training, apprenticeships or help to find work.
Police
Labour have pledged to “return law and order to our streets”, with a new neighbourhood policing guarantee, which aims to restore patrols to town centres by recruiting thousands of new police officers, police and community support officers and special constables.
