In this week’s dramatic general election, Labour has secured a substantial majority, winning 412 seats in the Commons.
In theory, this means that the Labour government should have little trouble passing the new legislation it desires.
Last month, the party published its manifesto for government – a series of promises outlining its policies, to voters during the election campaign.
Here is a breakdown of Labour’s promises, and how they will guide Keir Starmer’s time in power.
Economic stability
Labour says that achieving economic stability is their top objective, with Britain’s cost-of-living crisis continuing to dominate headlines, and remaining as a major concern for many people across the country.The party has pledged to adhere to the stringent budgetary regulations already in place by the outgoing Conservative government, which include only borrowing money for investments as opposed to regular spending.Additionally, they anticipate raising £7bn in taxes, in part through closing the loopholes for people taking advantage of a ‘non-dom’ tax status.One of the most striking proposals from the party is to remove the VAT tax benefit for private schools. They claim that this will generate an estimated £1.7bn, which will then be spent on improving state education, and hiring new teachers needed in schools across the country.The party wants to build 1.5 million new homes, claiming they will “save the dream of home ownership”. They also plan to eliminate no-fault evictions, and develop a wave of new towns.
Reduce NHS waiting lists
The health service is regularly cited by voters as their top issue they wish to be addressed by the government, with waiting lists a particular area of concern. In June, waiting lists in England were almost three times the size they were in 2010.Labour wants to reduce NHS waiting lists by increasing the number of appointments to 40,000 each week, including more on weekends and evenings, and train thousands more people to fill gaps in the health service.The success of this will be measured by whether the party manages to meet NHS waiting list targets, with patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral for consultant-led treatment.
In addition, Starmer has promised a new ‘Fit For the Future’ fund to double the number of CT and MRI scanners, so cancer and other illnesses can be caught early.
Labour has also said they will provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments, and recruit dentists to areas that need them most.Starmer has also promised to recruit an extra 8,500 mental health staff members. New Young Futures hubs will aim to provide open access mental health services for children and young people in every community.
The party will also invest in new equipment, while aiming to fix Britain’s crumbling hospitals.
Scrap Rwanda deportations
After denouncing Rishi Sunak's much publicised Rwanda plan, which aimed to deport anyone who enters the country over the Channel, Starmer has laid out an alternative solution.In order to combat the gangs responsible for human smuggling, Labour has pledged to establish a new Border Security Command and has granted the organisation additional authority under counterterrorism regulations.The new administration intends to give police permission to carry out financial investigations, stop and search individuals at the border, and issue search and seizure orders intended to tackle organised immigration.
Recruit 6,500 new teachers
Removing obstacles to "opportunity at every stage" is another Labour promise, a catch-all phrase that encompasses educational changes.The primary goal of the initiative is to hire 6,500 additional teachers, using the money saved from the aforementioned VAT tax changes applied to private schools.
According to previous statements made by Starmer, teachers will be trained to concentrate on important areas in order "to prepare children for life, work, and the future”.
Labour has also pledged to create more than 3,000 new primary school-based nurseries.
The party also promises to support children to study a creative or vocational subject until they are 16.
They will launch an expert-led review of curriculum and assessment, as well as looking at the Ofsted system.
Recruit more neighbourhood police
Labour has also said it wants to make antisocial behaviour a top priority. Sir Keir has committed to increasing the number of neighbourhood police officers by 13,000 and enacting severe new sanctions for those who cause trouble in their community.
The party has also promised to put special rape units in every police force and fast-track rape cases with specialist courts.
They will aim to reduce knife crime, and halve levels of violent misogyny and attacks against girls and women within a decade.
Labour says it will also allow the police to investigate thefts below £200.
Their manifesto states: “When you call the police, they should come. When you report a crime, it should be properly investigated no matter who you are, or where you live.”
Government-owned energy company
One of Sir Keir's initial bold proposals, the creation of Great British Energy, was unveiled at the Labour Party Conference in 2022. Its significance has grown as energy prices have skyrocketed due to the conflict in Ukraine.
This publicly owned company will invest in domestic power sources – part of the party’s six-point “first steps” policy – aiming to tackle the cost-of-living crisis by cutting energy bills.This new government-owned company will supplement the private sector with more capacity in order to help position the UK as a global leader in renewable energy.
Labour plans to fund the company, which will be headquartered in Scotland, through a windfall tax on big oil and gas firms, with an initial £8.3bn capitalisation over a parliament.
The party promises to increase offshore wind and solar power and decarbonise most or all electricity by 2030.Starmer says that doing this will save costs and create jobs in addition to ensuring long-term energy security for the UK.
