We will allow local authorities that negotiate rent reductions on behalf of tenants who are claiming housing benefit, to retain some of the savings, on the condition that the money is invested in building homes.
We will keep the household benefit cap and ask the Social Security Advisory Committee to examine if it should be lower in some areas.
And we will cap structural social security spending as part of each spending review, so that it is properly planned and controlled.
Labour believes in rewarding work and in restoring contribution to the heart of our system.
So we will not cut tax credits.
We want everyone who can to have the chance to contribute through paid work, so we will create a more tailored back-to-work system that helps people secure and keep jobs.
We will do more to help unemployed people get the skills they need for work, testing jobseekers’ Maths, English and IT skills within six weeks of them claiming benefits.
They will be required to take up training where this will improve their chances of getting a job.
We support the principle behind Universal Credit – that there should be a smooth transition into work – but it must be affordable and fit for purpose, so we will pause and review the programme.
There will be a guaranteed, paid job for all young people who have been out of work for one year,
and for all those over 25 years old and out of work for two years.
It will be a job that they have to take, or lose their benefits.
And we will commission a replacement for the Work Programme at a more local level, working with local authorities to join up support for the long-term unemployed.
We will introduce a higher rate of Job Seekers Allowance for those who have contributed over years.
It will be funded by extending the length of time people need to have worked to qualify.
Supporting disabled people to live independently
Alongside strong and responsive public services, the social security system plays an important role in supporting many disabled people to live independently, and must always treat sick and disabled people with dignity.
Half a million families have been hit by the Bedroom Tax, and two thirds of those affected are disabled, or have a disabled family member.
It is cruel, and we will abolish it.
We will reform the Work Capability Assessment and focus it on the support disabled people need to get into work.
We will give an independent scrutiny group of disabled people a central role in monitoring it.
And we will introduce a specialist support programme to ensure that disabled people who can work get more tailored help.
Older people
Older people deserve to live a fulfilling life, to continue working if they wish, and to enjoy a secure retirement.
Older people have contributed all their lives and built the Britain that the next generation  will inherit.
So it is right that they are supported with a fair and sustainable pensions system, responsive health services and a system of care over which they have control.
We will keep the triple-lock so that the state pension increases by inflation, earnings, or 2.5 per cent, whichever is highest.
And while increases in the state retirement age are necessary to keep our pensions system affordable, we will ensure that people have time to plan for changes.
We have taken the tough choice to restrict Winter Fuel Payments for the richest five per cent of pensioners,
but we will guarantee that there will be no additional changes to the Winter Fuel Payments, free TV licences or bus passes for pensioners.
Alongside a decent state pension, we must ensure private pensions are good value for those who have saved.
We will reform the pensions market so that pension providers put savers first, and protect consumers from retirement rip-offs.
We support greater flexibility for those drawing down their pension pots, but there must be proper guidance for people to avoid mis-selling.
Controlling immigration with fair rules
For our country to stay strong, with the confidence to look outwards rather than inwards, people need to feel secure in the strength of our borders,
our communities,
and in the workplace.
Britain has seen historically high levels of immigration in recent years, including low-skilled migration, which has given rise to public anxiety about its effects on wages, on our public services, and on our shared way of life.
Despite the Conservatives’ promise to reduce net migration to tens of thousands, it is now higher than it was when David Cameron entered Downing Street.
Broken promises erode trust.
Labour will never cut Britain off from the rest of the world.
Our economy and our society benefit from the talent and investment of people who come here, including university students coming to study.
But the system needs to be controlled and managed so that it is fair.
Low-skilled migration has been too high and needs to come down.
We need much stronger action to stop illegal immigration.
Labour’s plan starts with stronger borders
We will recruit an additional 1,000 borders staff, paid for by a small charge on non-visa visitors to the UK.
We will introduce stronger controls to prevent those who have committed serious crimes coming to Britain,
and to deport those who commit crimes while they are here.
We will introduce full exit checks, so that we can count people in and out of the country.
Short-term student visitor visas have dramatically increased, so we will tighten the system to prevent abuse,
whilst welcoming overseas university students who bring billions into Britain.
And we will keep the cap on workers from outside the EU.
We need fair rules at work to prevent the exploitation of migrant workers, which undercuts local wages and increases demand for further low-skilled migration.
Labour will introduce a new law to stop employers undercutting wages by exploiting workers.
We will ban recruitment agencies from hiring only from overseas
and crack down on rogue agencies by extending the remit of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority where there is evidence of abuse.
We need to strengthen our social integration and ensure that migrants can play their part in British society.
People working in public services, in public facing roles, will be required to speak English.
Those who come here will not be able to claim benefits for at least two years, and we will stop child benefit being sent to families living abroad.
We will enforce immigration rules humanely and effectively.
We will end the indefinite detention of people in the asylum and immigration system,
ending detention for pregnant women
and those who have been the victims of sexual abuse or trafficking
And we will ensure Britain continues its proud history of providing refuge for those fleeing persecution by upholding our international obligations,
including working with the UN to support vulnerable refugees from Syria.
Safer communities
Crime creates fear and insecurity.
We can only live happy and fulfilled lives if we know that we are safe, and that we are not at risk of violation of our person or property.
For too many people in our country that is not the reality they see in their communities.
Neighbourhood policing, the vital building block of British policing, is at risk of being destroyed.
Anti-social behaviour is too often tolerated, rather than dealt with.
Violent crimes have gone up, but fewer violent criminals are being caught.
Far too many victims of child sex abuse are being let down by the services that are supposed to keep them safe.
Labour believes British policing is at its best when it is rooted in local communities, proactively preventing crime, rather than simply reacting to emergencies.
We will protect neighbourhood policing.
By making different choices – to abolish Police and Crime Commissioners,
end the subsidy of firearms licenses,
and mandate police forces to work closer together
– we will be able to safeguard over 10,000 police officers for the next three years.
This will be backed up by a new statutory Local Policing Commitment, guaranteeing neighbourhood policing in every community.
We will strengthen community safety partnerships to give local people a role in setting priorities for neighbourhood policing and a say over the appointment of local police commanders.
To raise standards within policing, all police officers will be required to become Chartered Officers, holding a registration with the College of Policing, and able to be struck off for serious misconduct, just as doctors and lawyers can be.
A new Police Standards Authority will replace the discredited Independent Police Complaints Commission.
And we will work with the police to improve ethnic minority recruitment so that the police better reflect the communities they serve.
The next part of Labour’s plan is preventing crime occurring in the first place.
We will nip anti-social behaviour in the bud by making offenders put right the wrong they have done, with payback orders replacing low-level cautions.
And we will ensure staff who work with the public are given greater protection, with tougher penalties for those who assault them.
The last Labour Government’s reforms of youth justice, which required agencies to collaborate in preventing youth offending, reduced both youth crime and the numbers of young people in prison.
The next Labour Government will extend this model, piloting a new approach to 18 to 20-year-old offenders, incentivising local authorities, police and probation services to work together to identify those at risk of drifting into criminal activity and, where possible, divert them into a more constructive way of life.
And we will work to embed restorative justice right across the youth justice system.
We know drug addiction continues to be a major cause of crime.
We will ensure drug treatment services focus on the root causes of addiction,
with proper integration between health, police and local authorities in the commissioning of treatment.
And we will ban the sale and distribution of dangerous psychoactive substances, so called ‘legal highs’.
It is clear that we need a radical change in our approach to dealing with child abuse.
We will bring in tough new powers enabling the police to prevent an adult from contacting or communicating with a child if there is evidence of abuse,
and strengthen the vetting and barring regime.
A new child protection unit will be established to work across government, driving progress in the prevention of child abuse and sexual exploitation.
We need prisons that both punish and rehabilitate people.
Labour will do more to increase the amount of time prisoners spend working and learning.
Prisons will be measured by how successful they are in reforming prisoners and reducing their re-offending.
We will also raise professional standards amongst prison officers, including through the creation of Chartered Prison Officers,
and confront the neglected problem of staff corruption.
We will enact Britain’s first Victims’ Law to give victims of crime a voice and an entitlement to minimum standards of service from criminal justice agencies.
Ending violence against girls and women
Two women a week are killed by a current or former male partner.
At least 750,000 children a year witness domestic violence.
Stopping violence against women and girls is a priority for Labour.
We will publish a Violence against Women and Girls Bill,
appoint a commissioner to set minimum standards in tackling domestic and sexual violence,
and provide more stable central funding for women’s refuges and Rape Crisis Centres.
We will strengthen the law, banning the use of community resolutions as a response to domestic violence.
The gun licensing regime will be tightened, so that people with a history of domestic or sexual violence will not be given an unrestricted license.
And we will make changes to DNA retention, so that rape suspects have their DNA recorded and stored.
Victims of domestic violence need far better support.
So we will widen access to legal aid for victims of domestic violence.
Tackling the threat from extremism
The threat from Islamist extremism is increasing.
Hundreds of British citizens have joined Islamic State – a movement that has engaged in savage violence, and racial and religious hatred.
The British people have faced down terrorist threats before and will do so again, standing united together, not allowing ourselves to be divided.
With Labour, the security services will have the powers they need to disrupt and tackle terrorism.
The Government were wrong to weaken counter terror powers by scrapping Control Orders.
With Labour, dangerous suspects will be subject to proper controls.
Every government department will be engaged in the work of preventing extremism and fighting terrorism.
We will implement a much more rigorous strategy for dealing with people returning from the Syrian conflict.
Alongside appropriate police action and prosecution, it will be mandatory for anyone returning to engage in a de-radicalisation programme designed to confront them with the consequences of their actions.
We will need to update our investigative laws to keep up with changing technology, strengthening both the powers available, and the safeguards that protect people’s privacy.
This is why Labour argued for an independent review, currently being undertaken by David Anderson.
We will strengthen the oversight of our intelligence agencies to make sure the public can continue to have confidence in the vital work that they do to keep us safe.
To defeat the threats of Islamist terrorism, we must also engage with the personal, cultural and wider factors that turn young people to extremism.
The Prevent programme was set up under the last Labour Government to stop young people becoming radicalised.
But this Government has cut the funding and narrowed its focus.
Much of the work to engage Muslim communities has been lost.
We will overhaul the programme to involve communities in countering extremist propaganda,
stopping young people being groomed,
and also building resilient institutions for social integration.
We applaud those faith communities who have pioneered an inter-faith dialogue for the common good.
We will take a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime, such as anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
We will challenge prejudice before it grows, whether in schools, universities or on social media.
And we will strengthen the law on disability, homophobic, and transphobic hate crime.
Arts and culture
Labour believes that art and culture gives form to our hopes and aspirations and defines our heritage as a nation.
The arts allow us to celebrate our common humanity in the creation and celebration of beauty. The arts should belong to all and be open to all to take part in.
We will guarantee a universal entitlement to a creative education so that every young person has access to cultural activity and the arts by strengthening creative education in schools and after-school clubs.
Institutions that receive arts funding will be required to open up their doors to young people,
and we will work with public bodies to rebalance arts funding across the country.
The last Labour Government made admission to our national museums and galleries free to all, leading to a major increase in the number of people experiencing our greatest cultural treasures.
We reaffirm our commitment to universal free admission to ensure that our great works of art and national heritage can be enjoyed in all parts of the country.
Creativity is the powerhouse of a prosperous economy.
It is the source of economic innovation and a powerful force in social renewal.
We will increase the number of apprenticeships in the creative industries.
We will create a Prime Minister’s Committee on the Arts, Culture and Creative Industries, with a membership drawn from all sectors and regions.
The Committee will bring issues of concern direct to the attention of the Prime Minister.
Sport
Sport brings us together in an expression of our local and national pride.
It is where young people learn about leadership, teamwork, the pursuit of excellence and strength of character.
With a Labour Government our children will participate in a minimum of two hours of organised sport every week at school.
Football clubs are an important part of many people’s identity and sense of belonging.
They are more than just businesses.
But despite their importance in the lives of their members and supporters, too often there are no effective means for fans to have a say in how their clubs are run.
Labour will provide the means for supporters to be a genuine part of their clubs.
We will introduce legislation to enable accredited supporters trusts to appoint and remove at least two of the directors of a football club and to purchase shares when the club changes hands.
We will also review the role of fan participation in other sports.
We will ensure the Premier League delivers on its promise to invest five per cent of its domestic and international television rights income into funding the grassroots.
Protecting our environment
We feel passionately about our local landscapes, our open spaces and wildlife.
Land and nature are part of our common home and inheritance, and they contribute to our sense of identity.
In a globalised world, our local environment provides us with a sense of place and belonging.
As we set out in more detail later on, a Labour Government will play a leading global role in tackling climate change.
However, it will not be enough to simply mitigate the threat of climate change.
We must adapt to its damaging effects, which are impacting on us today.
We will produce an ambitious adaptation programme,
and the new Infrastructure Commission will prioritise investment in flood prevention.
We will deal with the problems of air pollution by giving local authorities the powers they need, backed up by a national framework.
Labour has always believed that everyone should have access to nature, whoever they are, or wherever they live.
So we will keep our forests in public ownership
and promote access to green spaces in local planning.
We will support the work of the Natural Capital Committee to protect and improve wildlife habitats and green spaces, and make them an important part of our thriving tourism industry.
We will build on our strong record on animal welfare – starting with an end to the Government’s ineffective and cruel badger cull.
We will improve the protection of dogs and cats,
ban wild animals in circuses,
defend the hunting ban
and deal with wildlife crime associated with shooting.
We want to create a world-leading Food, Farm and Fisheries sector that creates better paid jobs and apprenticeships across the rural economy.
We will put in place a long-term strategy for the sector,
promote the best of British produce,
and expand the role of the supermarket watchdog to support the growth of the sector,
and protect food producers from unfair practices by the major supermarkets.
Labour will:
extend free childcare from 15 to 25 hours for working parents of three and four-year-olds,
and ensure all primary schools guarantee access to wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm
double paternity leave from two to four weeks
and increase paternity pay by more than £100 a week
ensure at least 200,000 new homes a year are built by 2020,
with first priority for local first time buyers
provide security for renters by guaranteeing three-year tenancies
with a ceiling on excessive rent rises
introduce a compulsory jobs guarantee, paid for by a Bank Bonus Tax
abolish the Bedroom Tax
ensure migrants will not be able to claim benefits until they have lived here for at least two years
make it illegal for employers to undercut wages by exploiting workers
protect neighbourhood policing by safeguarding over 10,000 frontline police officers over the next three years
give football fans a voice in club boardrooms.
We will reform government to give more power to people
People who live in this country know that too much power is concentrated in too few hands.
Those who make decisions on behalf of others, whether they are in Westminster, the European Union, in business, the media, or the public sector, are too often unaccountable.
Our over-centralised system of government has prevented our nations, cities, county regions and towns from being able to take control and change things for themselves.
We will end a century of centralisation.
Labour believes meaningful and lasting change for the better is only possible when people are given the power to change things for themselves.
Our governing mission is to break out of the traditional top-down, 'Westminster knows best approach', and devolve power and decision-making to people and their local communities.
From the City of London to Silicon Valley the world’s best industries tend to be clustered geographically.
And too often economic challenges can be too, from our coalfields to some of our isolated seaside towns.
So a Labour government will unleash the potential of our city and county regions to drive economic growth and prosperity.
We will reform institutions and devolve power to deal with the causes of our economic problems,
and we will encourage local authorities to innovate to better serve their communities.
Instead of imposing change on communities, we will give them more control over schools, health care, policing, skills, housing and transport, making use of their insights into what works and what does not.
We will promote and encourage a model of citizenship based on participation and shared responsibility.
These measures are the start of big changes in how we govern ourselves as a union of nations.
They will begin to transform the relationship between the citizen and the state.
We will further develop digital government to enable better communication, more collaboration, and sharing of data between services.
It will make services and transactions more efficient and simpler for people to use.
To create a more connected society we will support making digital government more inclusive, transparent and accountable.
We will continue to back the principle of ‘open data by default’, releasing public sector performance data wherever possible.
A better politics
We will give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote by May 2016,
and improve the curriculum for citizenship education, so young people have the knowledge they need to play a full part in British society.
We will encourage young people’s volunteering and social action by supporting the #iwill campaign of ‘Step up to Serve’, and the National Citizens Service.
Drawing on the work of the Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, we will take steps to ensure that the move to individual electoral registration does not leave millions unregistered,
nor lead to constituencies that fail to take into account the people who live in them.
This will include block registration by universities and care homes,
extending Northern Ireland’s successful Schools Initiative,
and exploring the scope for an automatic system of registration.
Labour remains committed to reforming political party funding and taking the big money out of politics by capping individual donations to parties.
We will safeguard our democracy by repealing the Lobbying Act, which has gagged charities, and replace it with a tougher statutory register of lobbyists.
We will ban MPs from holding paid directorships and consultancies.
And we will reform the legislative process to strengthen the public’s voice and to better hold the government to account.
The United Kingdom
Labour believes in the historic union of our nations working together for the common good.
But as devolution has continued to gather pace, our union now needs to evolve.
As a priority, we will set up a people-led Constitutional Convention to directly address this and to drive political reform of Westminster.
Labour is committed to replacing the House of Lords with an elected Senate of the Nations and Regions,
to represent every part of the United Kingdom,
and to improve the democratic legitimacy of the second chamber.
It is also time to consider how English MPs can have a greater role in the scrutiny of legislation that only affects England.
This includes the option put forward by Sir William McKay, of a committee stage made up of English-only MPs.
These ideas must now be considered as part of the Constitutional Convention process.
England
We will embark on the biggest devolution of power to our English city and county regions in a hundred years with an English Devolution Act.
It will transfer £30 billion of funding to city and county regions, along with new powers over economic development, skills, employment, housing, and business support.
This will include control over local transport systems so that in future, local bodies can integrate trains, buses, trams and cycling into a single network.
We will enable city and county regions to retain 100 per cent of additional business rates raised from growth in their area.
Fair funding will be restored across England, alongside longer term multi-year budgets, so that local authorities can plan ahead on the basis of need in their area and protect vital services.
And an English Regional Cabinet Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, will be convened regularly, attended by the relevant Secretaries of State and leaders of our major city and county regions.
In return for greater devolution of funding and responsibility, we will establish local Public Accounts Committees, so that every pound spent by local bodies creates value for money for local taxpayers.
Devolution does not end at town halls.
Local people know best about the complex problems they face, and they are best placed to work out how to solve them.
The English New Deal begins the process of giving individuals and communities more power and control over how they are governed and over the design of their public services.
It will support people who need care to live independently,
help troubled families to turn their lives around,
and make sure that every child has a good start in life with early-years intervention and quality childcare.
We will give English people a stronger voice in shaping the future of their local NHS services.
Patients and the public will have a seat at the table from the very start of any process that draws up plans for change, including changes to hospital services.
We will give local communities more power to shape their high streets, and so preserve their local identities.
Councils will be given the power to require particular types of shops to apply for planning permission, allowing them to restrict the number of payday lenders or other shops that are clustering on a single high street.
Communities will be able to review betting shop licenses in their area and reduce the number of fixed-odds betting terminals in existing betting shops – or ban them entirely – in response to local concerns.
Scotland
In September 2014, people across Scotland voted overwhelmingly for change.
Labour will keep its vow and implement the Smith Agreement in full.
And we will go further, with a Home Rule Bill to give extra powers to Scotland over tax, welfare and jobs.
Rates of income tax will be set in Scotland.
Billions of pounds of social security spending will be devolved, including benefits that support disabled people
The Work Programme will also be devolved along with a greater ability to invest in capital projects.
The new devolution settlement will recognise the strength and security offered by being part of the United Kingdom.
We will maintain the Barnett formula,
and Scotland will continue to benefit from pooling and sharing resources across the UK.
Wales
Labour will put Welsh devolution on the same statutory basis as Scottish devolution, with a clear principle that powers are devolved unless specifically reserved,
and that a Welsh legislature is a permanent feature of our constitutional arrangements.
We will take forward proposals from the Silk Commission to extend the power the people of Wales have over their elections, transport and energy.
An all-Wales Policing Plan will give the Welsh people the ability to shape local policing in Wales.
Wales must not be unfairly disadvantaged by the Barnett formula.
So while the Conservatives have cut the Welsh budget by £1.5 billion, we will establish a fair funding settlement for Wales, with the guarantee of a funding floor.
Northern Ireland
Labour is proud of the role we played in bringing peace and stability to Northern Ireland through the Good Friday Agreement, and successive agreements.
A Labour Government will engage proactively with the Northern Ireland Executive to support continued political progress, and deliver on it’s vision of a shared future.
We will ensure the economic pact between the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive is focused on stimulating jobs and growth which contribute to reducing unemployment and poverty in Northern Ireland.
We will continue to work with the Irish Government to secure peace in Northern Ireland and strengthen relations between our two countries.
Rights and equality
The Labour Party has always led on challenging prejudice and discrimination and we will continue to do so.
People's differences are not excuses to treat them badly or unjustly.
The next Labour Government will go further in reducing discrimination against women,
requiring large companies to publish their gender pay gap
and strengthening the law against maternity discrimination.
Where there is evidence more progress is needed, we will enforce the relevant provisions within the Equality Act.
We want our Parliament to look more like Britain.
We are proud of our record in strengthening the representation of women,
ethnic minorities,
and other under-represented groups in politics and public life.
We remain committed to achieving a better balance in Parliament, including through the use of all-women shortlists in Labour Party parliamentary selection contests.
We will establish a comprehensive race equality strategy to break down the barriers still faced by black and minority ethnic communities.
Our aim is to make sure our national institutions, including Parliament, the police, judiciary, civil service, and the boardrooms of our companies, are more representative of our diverse country.
We will also build on our history of championing LGBT rights, tackling homophobia with tougher laws at home and greater engagement abroad.
Britain has a long tradition of liberty and the rule of law,
and Labour has a proud record of extending these to our most vulnerable citizens, by promoting equality and opportunity for all.
Thanks to the Human Rights Act, some of our most vulnerable citizens, including disabled people and victims of crime, have been given a powerful means of redress.
The Conservatives want to leave the European Convention of Human Rights, and abolish the Human Rights Act.
A Labour Government will stand up for citizens’ individual rights, protecting the Human Rights Act and reforming, rather than walking away from, the European Court of Human Rights.
And we will make sure that access to legal representation, a cornerstone of our democracy, is not determined by personal wealth, but remains available to those that need it.
Our Freedom of Information laws have shone a light into the darker corners of government and are a crucial check on the power of the Executive.
We will extend their scope so that public services run by large private companies are included.
And we will repair the damage done by this Government to the vital safeguard offered by judicial review.
The media
The free flow of information and of different points of view is crucial for open debate and countering concentrations of unaccountable power.
That is why the concentration of media power in too few hands is damaging to our democracy.
No one media owner should be able to exert undue influence on public opinion and policy makers.
No media company should have so much power that those who run it believe themselves above the rule of law.
Yet the current system for protecting against these threats is inadequate.
Labour will take steps to protect the principle of media plurality, so that no media outlet can get too big, including updating our rules for the 21st century media environment.
We remain strongly committed to the implementation of the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry.
We expect the industry to establish a mechanism for independent self-regulation, which delivers proper redress for individuals, as set out in the Royal Charter, and agreed by all parties in Parliament.
We made a promise to victims of the phone hacking scandal.
We stand by that promise and will keep it.
Our system of public service broadcasting is one of Britain’s great strengths.
The BBC makes a vital contribution to the richness of our cultural life,
and we will ensure that it continues to do so while delivering value for money.
We will also commit to keeping Channel 4 in public ownership,
so it continues to produce vital public content.
Labour will:
set up a people-led Constitutional Convention to determine the future of UK’s governance
replace the House of Lords with a Senate of the Nations and Regions
pass an English Devolution Act, handing £30 billion of resources and powers to our great English city and county regions
give new powers for communities to shape their high streets, including power over payday lenders and the number of fixed-odds betting terminals
meet our promises to devolve further powers to Scotland and Wales
give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote
create a statutory register of lobbyists
ban MPs from holding paid directorships and consultancies
require large companies to publish their gender pay gap
implement the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry.
We will stand up for Britain’s interests in Europe and the world
We live in turbulent times.
The rise of ISIL, an aggressive Russia threatening its neighbours in eastern Europe, and continuing economic uncertainty in the Eurozone, are each a challenge to our national security.
Labour is an internationalist party and believes Britain must engage with the global challenges we face, but not try and solve them on our own.
We believe the Conservatives are damaging the interests of our country by turning their backs on Europe, and isolating us abroad.
We will strengthen our national security,
stand up for human rights,
and work with other countries to tackle terrorism,
climate change,
and eliminate extreme poverty globally.
Britain has a unique influence in the world.
We are the only country that is a member of the UN Security Council, NATO, the G7, the G20, the Commonwealth and the EU.
With Labour, Britain’s response to threats to our security will be based on enduring principles.
We will protect our national interests, and strengthen our long-standing international alliances, in particular, our membership of NATO
and the European Union.
We will advance our international engagement, rather than retreating into isolation.
We will maintain the best Armed Forces in the world,
capable of responding to changing threats in an unpredictable security landscape.
And we will support human rights, always putting individual freedom and democracy at the heart of our foreign policy.
One of our first acts in government will be to conduct a wide-ranging review of Britain’s place in the world and how we can best uphold our values and the national interest.
Global challenges
We will take a multilateral approach to global challenges.
We will continue to uphold our key alliances.
These include the United States,
our allies in Africa and Latin America,
and our partners from across the Commonwealth.
They also include the European Union.
The crisis in Ukraine over the past year has demonstrated the importance of NATO and the EU standing up to external threats in Europe’s eastern, and southern neighbourhoods.
Labour will continue to advocate an EU which looks outward to promote stability, peace and prosperity on its borders.
Most immediately we will work with our allies to counter and confront terrorism.
ISIL’s barbarism and expansionist ideology, alongside terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and Al-Shabaab, represent a particular threat to global security.
Following a request from the Iraqi Prime Minister, it was right that the UK joined other nations in air strikes against ISIL targets in Iraq.
But military action alone will not defeat ISIL.
A long-term multinational political strategy, with regional actors playing a central role, is essential for tackling the rise of extremism across the region.
A Labour Government will always do what is necessary to defend our country.
Beyond self-defence, Labour has been clear about the need to learn the lessons of previous interventions, especially the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
We will continue the approach we have taken in this Parliament.
A Labour Government would not propose the use of military force without judging whether reasonable diplomatic efforts have been exhausted,
the action is proportionate and in partnership with allies,
whether there is a clear legal basis,
and if there is a clear plan, not just for winning the war but also for building a lasting peace.
Peace and security in the Middle East are one of Labour’s most important foreign policy objectives.
We remain committed to a comprehensive two-state solution – a secure Israel alongside a viable and independent state of Palestine.
There can be no military solution to this conflict and all sides must avoid taking action that would make peace harder to achieve.
Labour will continue to press for an immediate return to meaningful negotiations leading to a diplomatic resolution.
Labour will also continue to honour the UK’s commitment to support Afghanistan as it seeks to secure an inclusive and durable political settlement.
In December 2014, the NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan ended.
We can never repay the debt owed to the brave servicemen and women who have sacrificed and risked their lives in Afghanistan to protect our national security.
As power and wealth continues to shift from West to East, our relationship with Asia will be fundamental to our long-term prosperity.
Labour will set up an Asia Step-Change Taskforce to ensure a more strategic and effective dialogue with regional partners, including China,
both in the commerical realm,
and in other areas, from cultural exchange  to human rights.
This commitment to universal human rights will be at the heart of our foreign policy across the world.
We will continue to promote women’s rights.
We will join with those campaigning to attain gender equality, the eradication of poverty and inclusive economic growth.
We will appoint a Global Envoy for Religious Freedom, and establish a multi-faith advisory council on religious freedom within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
And we will appoint an International LGBT Rights Envoy to promote respect for the human rights of LGBT people,
and work towards the decriminalisation of homosexuality worldwide.
Europe
Labour believes that our membership of the European Union is central to our prosperity and security.
It is why we will work to change the EU, so that it operates in the best interests of our country.
And it is why we will re-engage with our European allies to protect our national interest after five years of Britain being sidelined in Europe and isolated abroad.
The economic case for membership of the EU is overwhelming.
Over 3 million jobs in the UK are linked to trade with the European Union,
and almost half of our trade and foreign investment comes from the EU.
Competing in the single market, with the best companies in the world, drives competitiveness and innovation for firms in all parts of our economy.
And it helps boost the living standards of people across Britain, encouraging the inflow of capital and investment.
Our reforms will help deliver a Europe focused on jobs and growth, not simply more austerity and rising unemployment.
` Labour will focus on the completion of the single market and tougher budget discipline,
`including on those items where spending at the EU level can save money at the national level.
That means driving reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
`and a Commission-led zero-based review of spending on EU agencies to reduce waste and inefficiency.
`We will not join the Euro, and we will ensure EU rules protect the interests of non-Euro members.
`
A Labour Government helped to introduce sensible measures at EU level to protect the rights of British workers, and we remain committed to fighting to protect these measures.
`
People coming to Britain from the EU to look for work are expected to contribute to our economy, and to our society.
` So we will secure reforms to immigration
and social security rules, as well as pushing for stronger transitional controls, which will enable member states to manage the flow of workers for longer when new countries join.
We will also continue to open up EU decision-making, and implement institutional reforms to help build levels of trust among European citizens.
We will work to strengthen the influence national parliaments over European legislation, by arguing for a ‘red-card mechanism’ for member states, providing greater parliamentary scrutiny.
Labour’s priority in government will be protecting the NHS
and tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
It is not to take Britain out of Europe.
However, Labour will legislate for a lock that guarantees that there can be no transfer of powers from Britain to the European Union without the consent of the British public through an in/out referendum.
Defence and our Armed Forces
The primary duty of any government is the defence of the nation and its interests.
That is why Labour is committed to ensuring the UK has responsive, high-tech Armed Forces, with the capability to respond to emerging, interconnected threats, in an unpredictable security landscape.
We will conduct a Strategic Defence and Security Review in the first year of government, with an inclusive national debate on the security and defence challenges facing the country.
It will be fiscally responsible and strategically driven, focusing on the obstacles that impede our Armed Forces from effective response to threats.
At the heart of our defence policy are the service men and women, both regulars and reservists, who risk their lives for their country.
Labour will strengthen the covenant between our nation and our Armed Forces, veterans and their families.
We will create a Veterans’ Register to make certain our veterans receive proper support on leaving service.
We will continue to roll out Labour’s Veterans’ Interview Programme, in which companies voluntarily guarantee an interview for job-seeking ex-forces personnel.
We will introduce legislation to make discrimination against members of our Armed Forces illegal,
and we will enshrine the Military Covenant in the NHS Constitution.
The UK defence and security industry is a key contributor to our economy, with a turnover of £22 billion a year.
We will work to secure defence jobs across the UK,
protect the supply chain and support industry to grow Britain’s defence exports.
In partnership with industry, we will put accountability, value for money, interoperability and sustainability at the centre of defence procurement.
Britain needs to be prepared to counter the threat of cyber-attacks.
We have already called on the Government to require every company working with the Ministry of Defence, regardless of its size or the scale of its work, to sign up to a cyber-security charter.
This would reduce the risk of hackers using small suppliers to break into the systems of major defence companies or the department itself.
We will consult on creating a statutory requirement for all private companies, to report serious cyber-attacks threatening our national infrastructure.
Labour remains committed to a minimum, credible, independent nuclear capability, delivered through a Continuous At-Sea Deterrent.
We will actively work to increase momentum on global multilateral disarmament efforts and negotiations,
and look at further reductions in global stockpiles and the numbers of weapons.
Climate change
We will put climate change at the heart of our foreign policy.
As the terrible impact of the floods in Britain showed last year, climate change is now an issue of national, as well as global security.
From record droughts in California, to devastating typhoons in the Philippines, the world is already seeing the effects we once thought only future generations would experience.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made clear that if the world is going to hold warming below two degrees (the internationally-agreed goal), global emissions need to peak in around 2020, and then decline rapidly to reach net zero emissions by the second half of this century.
The weaker the action now, the more rapid and costly the reductions will need to be later.
The effects of climate change hit the poor, the hardest.
If we do not tackle climate change, millions of people will fall into poverty.
We will expand the role of the Department of International Development to mitigate the risks of a changing climate,
and support sustainable livelihoods for the world’s poorest people.
We want an ambitious agreement on climate change at the UNFCCC conference in Paris, in December.
We will make the case for ambitious emissions targets for all countries, strengthened every five years on the basis of a scientific assessment of the progress towards the below two degree goal.
And we will push for a goal of net zero global emissions in the second half of this century,
for transparent and universal rules for measuring, verifying and reporting emissions,
and for an equitable deal in which richer countries provide support to poorer nations in combatting climate change.
International development
We are proud that Labour MPs passed the historic law that commits Britain to spend 0.7 per cent of our gross national income on international development.
Labour will use that commitment from the British public to transform the lives of the world’s poorest people, whilst ensuring value for taxpayers’ money.
We will work in fragile and conflict-affected states to improve the lives of those affected by violence,
prioritising the protection and education of women and children.
We will rebalance the budget to focus funding on the world’s poorest countries.
While progress has been made towards the Millennium Development Goals, it is unacceptable that over a billion people still live on less than $1.25 a day.
We will work with other countries at this year’s Sustainable Development Goals Summit to unite the world to eradicate extreme poverty,
tackle growing economic inequality,
and place human rights at the heart of development.
We will establish a Centre for Universal Health Coverage to provide the support, encouragement, and global partnerships needed to help countries provide free healthcare.
We will lead efforts to reshape the UN humanitarian system to better equip it to save lives.
The private sector is essential to long-term development, and is often a positive force for change.
We will extend the sharing of tax information to developing countries, increase DFID’s help to governments to collect more of their own taxes,
tackle corruption,
and ensure good governance.
We will work with companies to ensure they have sustainable supply chains that are free from slavery, treat their workers fairly, and pay taxes where they are due.
Labour will:
conduct a Strategic Defence and Security Review in the first year of government
return Britain to a leadership role in Europe, but reform the EU so that it works for Britain
guarantee no powers will be transferred to Brussels without an in/out referendum
appoint an International LGBT Rights Envoy and a Global Envoy for Religious Freedom
outlaw discrimination against and abuse of members of the Armed Forces
enshrine the Military Covenant in the NHS Constitution
push for global targets to tackle inequality and promote human rights
establish a Centre for Universal Health Coverage
push for an ambitious target in Paris to get to goal of net zero global emissions in the second half of this century.
Time for change  In this election the country has a choice.
Either we can carry on as we are, with an economy that might work for some in the City of London but shuts out millions of people in the rest of the country.
A country in which young people are left facing a worse life than their parents and an NHS under huge strain faces a real threat to its future.
Or we can change direction, together, with Labour.
We don't promise the earth.
All our commitments in this manifesto are fully funded, so they can be delivered without a penny of borrowing.
But our policies will bring hope and make Britain work for working people once again.
Working people want an economy with better jobs and higher skills.
Families want to know they are guaranteed decent schools and good healthcare.
Mothers and fathers want a better future for their children.
Individuals and communities in every part of our country want to have control over their lives
and for those in power to be held to account.
Everyone, young and old, wants a sense of belonging and safety in their communities.
We deserve a country where everyone plays by the same rules, including those at the top.
That's what this manifesto offers.
It is the kind of country we know we have it in ourselves to be.
Let's build it together.
Westminster Manifesto 2015
PROSPERITY  NOT  AUSTERITY
"ontents Jobs and the Economy3 Building a Prosperous Northern Ireland 3 Growing the Economy 3 Jobs 4 Jobs that Pay 5 Jobs in Rural Areas 5 Jobs in Tourism 6 Jobs and Education 6 Jobs and the Public Purse 7 A Shared and Safe Community8 A Healthy Northern Ireland 8 Homes and Housing 10 Older People 10 Families and Younger People 11 Protecting Our Environment 11 Agriculture and Rural Development 12 Community Safety 13 Shared Future 14 Justice 14 Dealing with the Past 15 Regional Development 16 Social Security and Welfare Reform 16 Welfare Reform 16 Culture 17 The Irish Language 18 A Northern Ireland that Works20 Extending Devolution 20 Devolution and Equality 21 A New Ireland 21 Europe 22 International Affairs 23
Jobs and the economy
A sustainable and prosperous economy will unlock the solutions to a number of long term socioeconomic problems which are holding us back.
In this manifesto we will set out how we propose to address major issues in health, education, financing our public services and protecting those who are genuinely in need.
However, all of this becomes more achievable in a prosperous Northern Ireland.
The best contributor to mental and physical wellbeing, the best counter to long term sickness, is to equip people with the skills they need to secure a job that a prosperous economy will provide.
Balanced, sustained prosperity can assist in changing the lives of so many people who currently feel left behind by society,
by the political process
and by the economy.
It is the reason the SDLP is highlighting the need for a new Prosperity Process.
The SDLP has for many years supported the devolution of corporation tax powers.
However, corporation tax on its own will not bring the growth we need.
We must seek access to all the tools we need to repair our economy.
If we are to attract high quality jobs through inward investment then we need to ensure we have a suitably qualified skills pool to take up these opportunities.
We also need to address urgently infrastructure imbalances to ensure that economic growth is not centred exclusively on Belfast but is regionally balanced.
We recognise the new challenges that increased fiscal powers will bring, not least the potential variance of the Northern Ireland block grant, but we believe our abilities are more than enough for this challenge.
The SDLP believe this major step can set the local economy on a new trajectory.
Only full control of our finances will allow us to have full control of our future.
The Northern Ireland economy is unbalanced and our private sector is underdeveloped.
We need the private sector and its contribution to the economy, more of the same poor economic governance will only hold us back.
The SDLP will establish, in partnership with the British government, a Scottish style commission to begin the devolution of further powers which will allow us to take control of additional fiscal levers.
Through this mechanism Scotland has succeeded in winning the argument to allow them to borrow money and issue their own bonds.
The same powers should be extended to Northern Ireland to enable us to stimulate our private sector through infrastructure projects.
To tackle unemployment we must strengthen policies which allow people to get to work.
We need to attract and create not only more jobs
but higherpaying jobs in Northern Ireland.
The emigration of young people is a major issue for Northern Ireland, with more and more young people going abroad to find jobs, study and eventually settle.
Our highly skilled and innovative workforce consistently proves itself to be capable of producing the goods.
We must reward this achievement by attracting better, more sustainable, high value jobs
both through Foreign Direct Investment
and also by supporting and encouraging indigenous small and medium enterprises.
Seek the devolution of further fiscal powers so we can offer flexibility and incentives to businesses to encourage investment in people.
Fight for an enhanced allisland approach to ensure no part of the North is left behind.
Seek a dedicated and joinedup approach from all areas of government to the creation of jobs.
Focus job creation projects on small and medium firms and new businesses engaged in innovtion
We will also work with overseas friends and contacts to assist Northern Ireland firms to enhance their export activity.
There remains in placean international reservoir of goodwill towards the North and we will seek to make that work for our economy.
Press the Executive to fulfil its infrastructural commitments and ensure regional investment.
Reform public procurement so it becomes more accessible to small local businesses, eliminate red tape and ensure prompt payment to firms working on government contracts.
Seek a targeted construction scheme to increase the availability of grade A office space available across the North.
Introduce a comprehensive industrial strategy to develop advanced manufacturing and leadingedge service industries.
Build and retrofit more social housing – creating jobs and assisting the vulnerable.
Invest in roads maintenance – creating jobs and assisting business transport.
Ensure affordable childcare provision that allows parents the choice of going back into work.
Put the need for the Prosperity Process, which will lift all of our people, at the centre of all policies.
Recent reports have shown that 50% of families living in poverty in Northern Ireland have at least one family member working.
It is clear that work is no longer a guaranteed route out of poverty.
The SDLP believe that Northern Ireland needs more higher paying jobs.
The Living Wage is one way of ensuring work is a route out of poverty.
SDLP led the way in making Belfast City Council the first Living Wage Council in Ireland.
The SDLP has campaigned for the proper regulation of Zero Hour Contracts and for Northern Ireland to lead the way by introducing legal protections for those on ZeroHour contracts.
Supporting the continuation of sustainable farming helps maintain the countryside,
contributes to rural development
and helps us create a diverse economy required for prosperity.
We need specific protection for smaller farmersfor environmental as well as economic reasons.
It’s in all our interests to protect our ability to buy local produce and support local producers.
We will strive to ensure the rural environment remains a place in which people wish to live and work.
By securing equal and fair access to public services, maintaining normal service provision and social amenities we can prevent people from feeling isolated.
Campaigning for "ruralproofing" of all government policies to ensure that rural communities are not disadvantaged.
SDLP fully support the implementation of a statutory Rural Proofing Bill.
Work in conjunction with others to ensure the Conservative Party does not jeopardiseaccess to the Single Farm Payment under the Common Agricultural Policyby threatening to withdraw from Europe.
Ensure provision of high quality public services in rural areas to promote economic independence and equality, minimise rural exclusion and combat isolation.
Fight for quality rural childcare provision to enable those parents who want to work thefreedom to do so.
Work to ensure the British government also represents our fishing industry.
Northern Ireland’s needs in agriculture and fishing are often better represented bythe Irish government during European negotiations on fish quotas.
We will work to ensure the British Government does not undercut Irish farming and fishingindustries.
Pusue the development of a healthy indigenous renewable energy industry to contribute to sustaining our rural economy.
Encorage the development of small scale renewables to enable those in rural areas to create their own energy and gain the benefits from feedin tariffs.
Enhance opportunities for farm diversification.
Continue our commitment to decentralisation of public sector jobs to rural areas.
Provide incentives for development of ruralmicroengineering schemes.
Enable greater opportunities for development of the forestry industry and native timber businesses
.
Ensure rural transportation networks provide for business and community needs.
Suport rural schools and healthcare provision to ensure rural dwellers can remain in their communities.
Ensure full expansion of the highspeed broadband network in order to eliminate the digital imbalance across the North.
Northern Ireland offers a lot and can benefit hugely from tourism.
The tourism industry provides a living for thousands of people across Northern Ireland, particularly in coastal towns.
Tourism in the North is worth over £720 million to the local economy, and is responsible for 43,000 jobs.
It can go much further as a driver of investment and employment.
The SDLP recognise the enormous potential of tourism to stimulate Northern Ireland’s economy
and to create much needed jobs.
Reduce the rate of Northern Ireland’s VAT rate to 5% in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
This reduction could see the number of jobs within hotels grow by 40% by 2020.
Develop the River Bann and the Fermanagh Lakelands as a major growth element in water and recreation tourism.
This would stimulate hospitality and open up towns along our waterways.
Ensure development of our cultural tourismand nurture closer links with Scotland and the islands
.
Support local government in developing effective tourism strategies including taking advantage of the tourism potential of our built heritage.
Education is an investment in our children’s future.
Education is also key to achieving both social justice and longterm prosperity.
However our current educational system is failing both our children and our society.
Currently the percentage of people in Northern Ireland reporting that they have no qualifications is 18.3%, nearly double the UK average of 9.9%.
We must encourage children to take up STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) at all levels of ability in order to provide our children and subsequently, our businesses, with the necessary skills base to prosper.
The SDLP believe that it is essential to ensure that the curriculum across all stages of schooling is forwardfocused and we will make it a priority to deliver coding to pupils at the earliest opportunity.
Children in Northern Ireland should have the opportunity to be taught computer programming from the age of 8.
Seven years and £16 million were wasted on the now defunct Education and Skills Authority Bill because of the DUP and Sinn Féin’s inability to agree.
The SDLP fought hard to ensure that the Education Authority will now be truly representative of our unique educational landscape.
Irish medium education and the voluntary grammar and integrated sectors are now all represented at board level.
The SDLP voted against the massive increase in the tuition fees cap which will restrict access to education for young people.
We believe that barriers to accessing education must be removed.
For Northern Ireland to compete in a global market and to end the ‘brain drain’ of young people going abroad to work and study, we must expand higher education.
The expansion of the Ulster University at Magee is critical to the North West’s future economic prosperity.
This is a key economic driver that will help to address regional imbalance.
The SDLP will not stop in its fight for the expansion of Magee to 10,000 student places.
Additional investment is needed to address the attainment gap and educational inequalities and to support a skills and training programme to ensure that we have a 21st century workforce.
The SDLP voted against the massive increase in the tuition fees cap which will restrict access to education for young people.
Introduce a comprehensive early years strategy.
support positive school reforms while protecting schools from arbitrary closures.
Invest in a safe and comprehensive school transport system
that will provide for equalrights to ‘home to school transport’.
Improve focus on literacy and numeracy skills in the primary cycle to prevent educational inequalities developing at later stages.
Build upon the crossborder cooperation between colleges and universities to meet the needs of students and business.
We need a simpler, more flexible public procurement process so that local businesses can work in partnership with the public sector.
Public procurement spending amounts to £2.6 billion in Northern Ireland annually.
The SDLP will continue to support social clauses in public procurement contracts to ensure that local businesses and the community benefit.
The EU public procurement directives adopted in January 2014 allow for social clauses to be inserted into public contracts to help address social inequalities while maintaining a value for money approach.
Only 14% of small and medium enterprises across the island of Ireland have bid for a public sector contract in the last 12 months, with less than a quarter of firms surveyed having bid for a tender on a crossborder basis.
A shared and safe community
The SDLP has been clear and consistent on the need to implement a change agenda in our Health Service if we are to ensure it is fit for the 21st century and for future generations.
But the reforms in the ‘Transforming Your Care’ plan have not been properly funded.
This has resulted in increased pressure in the health system and failed outcomes for healthcare staff, patients and the public.
A series of recent independent reports agree with the SDLP that the community side of healthcare is not being properly funded.
Three years of ministerial complacency has failed patients and left the health service in a strategic void.
The Health Minister has previously said that there is no money left in the Health Service purse to pursue reform.
The SDLP believe in bolstering the community and voluntary sectors and exploring innovative joinedup ways in which it can alleviate pressure from the sharp end of A&E provision.
Working like this offers not only the potential for better and more effective treatment for patients,
but also huge potential in terms of jobs and the economy.
In addition more investment is needed in medical technologies and drugs development.
The SDLP will continue to campaign for access to a broader range of cancer drugs
The SDLP recognise the benefits that NorthSouth working provides for economic cooperation, political cooperation and reconciliation.
We have seen the benefit of a joinedup approach to paediatric cardiac surgery, by working with the Health Minister in the South our children with urgent heart surgery requirements will no longer have to travel to England.
That approach can be replicated across other health services.
Furthermore we would increase provisions for NorthSouth Healthcare including a joinedup approach to ambulance service provision in the border areas.
The SDLP has been at the forefront in defending our health service from Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
Specifically the SDLP has sounded the alarm and continues to campaign against the inclusion of investor state dispute settlements.
The SDLP has supported the introduction of plain packaging for tobacco products and wish to see further preventative campaigns.
We remain committed to greater action on preventative health and keeping people out of hospital.
A man living in Lagan Valley can expect to live 6.6 years longer than a man living in west Belfast.The SDLP will move to end all forms of health inequality.
Investing in health promotion, primary care and tackling health inequalities is crucial if we are to reduce the burden on acute care.
The SDLP want to see an increase in our health budget for preventative spending so that it accounts for 4% of the overall budget.
Furthermore the SDLP is calling for an Executive programme fund to be established to initiate a longterm, crossdepartmental preventative health strategy.
In this way a meaningful process can be embarked upon that will address the stark health inequalities here in a consistent way.
A greater focus should be placed on preventative health spending in order to tackle financial, personal and social costs to patients and our health and social care system.
Today, more than 60% of adults and over a quarter of children are either overweight or obese.
People are living longer and our health service needs to be able to keep up with rising demands on frontline services.
Belfast and the North is divided by health inequality.
North, east, west Belfast suffer from some of the lowest life expectancies in Northern Ireland.
A man living in Lagan Valley can expect to live 6.6 years longer than a man living in west Belfast.
The SDLP will move to end all forms of health inequality.
The public must be more aware of the impact their lifestyle has on their health.
The SDLP will continue to encourage people to adopt healthier eating and drinking habits, exercise more and give up smoking, in this way we can greatly improve longerterm health outcomes.
The way we deliver our health services and care for our sick says a lot about our society.
We will have the vision and the courage to take a longer term view of how health is both resourced and administered in the North and on an allIreland basis.
This is an area where ‘joined up Government’ has to be more than an empty phrase.
A successful Prosperity Process will unlock government resources and assist individuals to address their own long term mental and physical wellbeing.
The fair provision of social housing was one of the founding principles of the SDLP.
The SDLP has been and remains at the forefront of housing reform.
We continue to fight against long waiting lists,
high levels of housing stress and
rising homelessness.
The SDLP will prioritise an increase in the supply of social housing and ensure that allocation is fair and based on need.
Furthermore, the SDLP will champion creative and innovative housing policies and strategies and tailor them to the North’s specific needs.
The SDLP also recognise that the private rented sector is growing in Northern Ireland and is largely unregulated.
We see a need to license landlords and letting agents to ensure they are fully informed of their responsibilities and duties.
This would also protect and enhance their relationships with their tenants.
Our Prosperity Process will embrace all sections of our community, including older people who have real needs and concerns.
The SDLP believe that the good health, independence and wellbeing of senior citizens must be a core priority, and we're concerned that today's older people are being forced to live on insufficient pensions
and often in fuel poverty.
The SDLP has shown our commitment to tackling fuel poverty by ensuring that the Assembly and Executive to address this widening and deepening problem,
showing that the Executive must not merely leave the job of tackling fuel poverty to energy companies.
In Northern Ireland the most recent figures available show there have been approximately 600 excess winter deaths recorded, an increase of 20% on the previous year.
42% or 294,000 homes in Northern Ireland experience fuel poverty
with the figure rising to 62% for older people.
The SDLP has called for the extension of the Warm Homes Discount Scheme to Northern Ireland.
We are committed to enhancing the provision of care for the elderly, and have called for a model similar to those already in place for child care.
This is all the more important in light of our ageing population.
The SDLP want to see an end to discrimination against older people in the workplace.
As well as being grossly unjust, such discrimination is costly and inefficient.
Continue to campaign for the immediate restoration of the earnings link for the state pension.
Fight for the winter fuel payment to be increased to £500.
Show respect to our older generation by putting an end to upper age limits in work and insurance.
Call for specific support for older and disabled jobseekers.
Ensure the automatic payment of benefits.
Push for the reinstatement of the Executive Programme Funds to support crosscutting community issues.
Fight for the introduction of social tariffs on energy provision for older people and disabled people.
Press the Rural Development Minister to make available the funds needed to tacklerural poverty and social exclusion.
Continue to press OFMDFM to deliver on the Executive’s antipoverty commitments and for Northern Ireland specific child poverty targets.
Ensure access to Essential Skills, Apprenticeships and Lifelong Learning for all.
Tackle the lack of appropriate independentand supported living opportunities for people with disabilities.
Provide better access to meaningful daytime activities and support in finding appropriate job opportunities for people with learning disabilities and mental healthproblems.
Our children and young people deserve every opportunity we can offer them.
The SDLP believe that one of the key barriers to people reentering the workforce is the disproportionate cost of childcare services.
Almost half of parents in Northern Ireland are unsure of the help they are entitled to receive and almost 50% had reduced their work hours or given up work altogether because of the lack of affordable childcare.
The SDLP support the provision of independent welfare advice for young families.
The SDLP will call for a reform of the welfare system that doesn’t punish young families but offers parents, and particularly mothers, the opportunity and support for reentering the workforce.
The SDLP will continue to call for the introduction of a comprehensive childcare strategy as promised in the most recent Programme for Government.
As part of the reform of the Assembly the SDLP will campaign for a single department incorporating the health and educational aspects of affordable childcare.
The SDLP is committed to the protection and promotion of our environment and continues to campaign to manage the many pressing demands of climate change,
land use change,
habitat destruction,
pollution of our rivers and waterways
and waste disposal.
We believe that the environment and the economy should not, and cannot, be at loggerheads and that a vibrant, sustainable environment can be a driver of prosperity and job creation.
Our vision is for a better environment and a stronger economy.
At Westminster and in the Assembly we have supported legislation and measures to encourage business and communities to protect and promote the environment.
We have introduced the carrier bag levy that has reduced the use of these bags by 72%
and raised over £4m for local environment and community projects.
Under our watch, every school in the North is now an EcoSchool.
We have supported the development of renewable energy
and have ensured that fracking will be kept out of the North until there is clear evidence that it is safe for people and the environment.
We will continue to push for economic incentives to exploit our natural resources such as wind, water, aforestation,
and provide employment through sustainable technologies.
We are committed to an allisland waste strategy with innovative strategies and incentives to encourage recycling
and to tackle the scourge of fuel laundering and waste crime.
We have introduced the carrier bag levy that has reduced the use of these bags by 72% and raised over £4m for local environment and community projects.  Under our watch, every school in the North is now an EcoSchool – the first region in the world to achieve 100%.
introduce a Climate Change Bill in the Assembly and resist any attempt at Westminster to row back on carbon emission targets.
press for a new Green Investment Deal for Northern Ireland to retrofit and insulate homes
and to support small and medium enterprises to save energy and invest in resource efficient technologies.
press for support for a research and development hub in the North for low energy carbon products.
support the investment of European funding into renewable energy, energy efficiency and waste projects.
work with the British and Irish governments, through an organized Crime Task Force to tackle fuel laundering and waste crime.
call for an allisland Environment Protection Agency.
Agrifood
The agrifood sector is one of Northern Ireland’s greatest success stories and we believe it remains a vital part in creating a stronger rural economy.
We oppose the disastrous cuts to the  AgriFood and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) budget as they represent a serious blow to the agrifood sector’s future potential.
We aim to reverse the cuts that would see its 800 staff, most of whom are engaged in advanced research and development, reduced to 400.
The SDLP believe it is completely misguided from a strategic perspective to impose restrictive development cuts on a growing sector as it will seriously obstruct the vital commercial fieldwork research they undertake.
The SDLP recognise the importance of having an internationally competitive agrifood industry and we aim to ensure the agrifood sector is protected and nurtured for future growth.
It is vital that the “Going for Growth” strategy is properly implemented with farmer interests being duly recognised alongside those of other food chain stakeholders.
Prices in Beef
SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie is the voice of Ireland on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee at Westminster and strongly defends the reputation and high standards of Ireland’s beef industry North and South.
The beef industry, both North and South, has historically worked in partnership for our mutual benefit.
The SDLP aim to maximise NorthSouth cooperation in the whole field of agriculture and food processing.
The SDLP believe through partnership with the Republic Northern Ireland beef will be able take advantage of a newly opened market for Irish beef in the USA.
The SDLP see sustainable export markets for Northern Ireland agriculture products as key to growing this sector even further.
The SDLP strongly advocate that DARD become more centrally involved in supporting exports of agricultural products beyond the EU and in particular markets such as China, Japan and the USA.
The SDLP believe that DARD must be more proactive in securing agreement with the London Government to get export licenses so that the North can market on an equal footing beyond the EU.
The SDLP support efforts to get EU intervention schemes activated on a temporary basis in order to help stabilise farmgate prices for milk and pork products
and protect the farm based primary producer from the market volatility affecting farm gate prices.
Crucially, the British Government does not grasp the character of Irish farming.
The threat of a British exit from the European Union has already caused fear in the farming community.
Our farmers stand to gain much more within Europe than outside.
has been a strong voice representing farmers and fisheries in Westminster.
has ensured local considerations were heard during the vital CAP reform debate.
called for improved broadband services, tosupport increasingly important ec ommerce in rural areas.
want a simplified and accessible CAP Online Application support system.
want better mobile phone coverage to stop the ‘digital divide’ that disadvantages those in rural areas.
We remain committed to combating crime and ensuring safer communities for everybody.
We will protect frontline policing and ensure that the police service is rooted in our community.
We will ensure that there will be visible policing on our streets, with 24 hour access to police stations.
The SDLP believe that the Policing Community Safety Partnerships should be open and transparent to help ensure that local communities have a greater say over local policing issues.
We will ensure that the PCSPs consult and engage more frequently with the local community on policing and community safety issues.
Crossborder policing must be stepped up to demonstrate the benefits of enhanced NorthSouth integration.
We will continue to demand an allIreland sex offenders’ register
and we will work with our counterparts in the South to ensure that victims and survivors have the information and support that they need to deal with the repercussions of domestic and sexual abuse.
The SDLP is committed to creating a shared future for every citizen in Northern Ireland.
We want to foster a sense of belonging and ownership among our people by providing them with every opportunity to secure a job or receive the training needed to be part of the new Prosperity Process.
The majority of people here appreciate the social and economic case for a Shared Future.
Reconciliation and inclusion in our society has moved beyond unionism and nationalism.
There are new communities in Northern Ireland who are part of our journey to a fully inclusive society.
The diverse traditions and cultures in our society need to be celebrated, respected and shared.
However, 17 years after the Good Friday Agreement, contentious issues remain.
Mutual respect is needed for our society to move forward.
A robust code of conduct is required for participants on parades and demonstrations, outlining how they should conduct themselves, particularly outside homes, schools and churches
The SDLP is committed to defending and campaigning for equality and human rights across all sectors, regardless of: sexual orientation, religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, class, marital status, sex, disability and between persons with dependents and persons without.
A genuinely shared future will champion the rights of everyone in our society.
Fight to ensure the Commission on Flags, Identity and the Past and the Civic Advisory Panel are truly representative of our civic society.
Continue to strive for a comprehensive and ethical approach to the past,
demand stronger parade legislation,
seek equality on official flags
and call for greater recognition of all of our identities and traditions.
Continue to defend human and equality rights
and seek a robust, updated race equality law.
The SDLP demand the highest accountability from the security services.
We alone secured important oversight mechanisms for the National Crime  Agency.
These included provisions that the Police Ombudsman can use the full range of its powers,
that the PSNI must agree to NCA intelligence activities,
that NCA officers will be subject to the same Code of Ethics as the PSNI,
and vitally we secured a full and proper role for the Policing Board to scrutinise NCA operations.
Now that these new accountability mechanisms are in place it is time for the NCA to target criminal gangs and organised crime.
The SDLP will work with the British and Irish Governments to tackle organised crime through the establishment of an allisland Organised Crime Taskforce.
Smuggling, fuel laundering and human trafficking are crossborder crimes and require a cross border approach to stop them.
The Chief Constable of the PSNI has made clear on a number of occasions that the policing budget is under an immense amount of strain.
It is time to work in partnership with police services across these two islands to ensure that people are safe and secure.
The SDLP will continue the fight for protections against cuts to legal aid and the closure of courthouses such as in Enniskillen, to ensure that everyone has access to the highest standards of justice.
The SDLP sought to amend the Modern SlaveryBill to provide for independent child guardians to represent the best interests of the child in all dealings with relevant authorities and services.
The SDLP’s concerns at the time about secret deals between Sinn Féin and the Blair Government were confirmed by the revelation of the OnTheRuns administrative scheme.
The damage caused to the integrity of the peace process and the reputation of the justice system by this scheme must be repaired.
It was SDLP opposition that forced Sinn Féin and the British Government to drop the OnTheRun legislation which betrayed every single victim in Northern Ireland.
Governments and agencies must prove that no one and no organisations are offlimits or receive a light touch or backroom deals on criminal assets.
The SDLP believe that when it comes to dealing with the past, disclosure, truth and accountability are nonnegotiable.
We will continue to push for a comprehensive human rights compliant process to deal with all aspects of the conflict.
The SDLP has ensured that the voices of victims have been heard by the British Government.
We supported the campaigns for truth and justice for the victims of the troubles while in Westminster.
We have demanded answers from the UK government on: The Billy Wright inquiry and the police investigation into the Loughinisland massacre.
The murders of Pat Finucane and
Rosemary Nelson.
Bloody Sunday, including securing an apology from the British Government.
The serious issue of regional imbalance has been neglected by the DUP and Sinn Féin.
Areas west of the Bann have been overlooked in terms of investment, infrastructure and job creation.
The whole of Northern Ireland suffers from regional imbalance and the SDLP will not accept it.
The SDLP has been a vocal advocate for the DerryBelfast train line and has repeatedly called the Minister for Regional Development to account over unjustifiable delays.
We will continue to push the case for an allIreland rail network to Dublin and beyond by reopening the KnockmoreLisburn rail link
and restoring a rail link between Armagh and Portadown.
It is essential that the long overdue upgrade of the  A6 road from Belfast to Derry, including the bypass at Dungiven, is delivered.
Derry is the North’s second city yet it lacks the much needed modern infrastructure to attract investment and stimulate job creation.
The SDLP is the only party that has consistently opposed the  Tories’ Welfare Reform at Westminster and in the  Assembly.
These are cuts masquerading as reform, which have relied on a narrative that sets the unemployed and disabled against the working poor and hardpressed families.
The SDLP negotiated long and hard in Stormont House to get the best mitigation possible for the people of Northern Ireland.
We made the British Government acknowledge the unique situation here.
The SDLP tabled over 30 amendments to the Bill, all of which were voted down by Sinn Féin and the DUP.
These amendments would have seen a statutory entitlement to free, independent advice for claimants,
further mitigation of sanctions
and, most importantly, the abolition of the iniquitous Bedroom Tax.
The Tories have said their first act, if reelected, will be to reduce the benefit cap even further to £23,000.
The SDLP will be there at Westminster to oppose any future cuts that attack the unemployed, the sick and disabled and hardpressed families.
The SDLP successfully led the campaign to have the Independent Living Fund maintained in Northern Ireland.
The SDLP is the only party that has consistently opposed the  Tories’ Welfare Reform at  Westminster and in the  Assembly.
In the  Assembly the SDLP tabled over 30 amendments to the Bill, all of  which were voted down by Sinn Féin and the DUP.
These amendments would have seen a statutory entitlement to  free,  independent advice for claimants;
further mitigation of sanctions and,
most vitally, the abolition of the  iniquitous bedroom tax.
The SDLP recognise the unique role that sport in general plays within communities in the context of health promotion, tackling social exclusion, crime and underachievement.
This is the case, especially in deprived areas.
The SDLP will continue to support sustained investment in grassroots sports infrastructure in football, GAA, rugby and other popular sports.
The SDLP is working on behalf of people with disabilities to ensure that all entertainment venues are not only accessible but disability friendly.
The SDLP led a vigorous campaign against proposed cuts that would have seen many of our local libraries closed to the public.
The SDLP worked with Libraries NI to not only keep many libraries open,
but to regenerate libraries in rural areas such as the newly opened library in Kilkeel.
The SDLP is continuing to support the regeneration of Belfast Central Library and is calling for the Minister to move the project forward.
The SDLP has been working to promote the need for defibrillators to be available at sporting grounds and entertainment events and for staff to be trained in the use of defibrillators and CPR.
The SDLP is working with ‘Defibs4kids’ to develop a strategy for future implementation.
The SDLP actively supported the investigation by the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure on the topic of child protection and safeguarding in sport.
We have a huge wealth of cultural talent in Ireland built on a rich creative and artistic heritage.
Many Northern Irish poets, novelists, musicians and actors are world renowned.
Belfast Councillors Claire Hanna and Nichola Mallon were responsible for the recent bestowing upon Michael Longley the freedom of his native Belfast.
The SDLP believe that the arts sector here needs to be protected in the wake of unprecedented pressures on the budget caused by a DUP and Sinn Féin led austerity agenda.
Alongside the protection of our cultural identity, there are sound economic reasons to protect the arts long term.
Every £1 invested by the Arts Council generates a return of £3 for the local economy.
The SDLP believe that instead of cutting arts funding and reducing creative opportunities as a result, we should nurture local talent in order to develop a sustainable indigenous creative industry.
The SDLP recognise the unique role that sport in general plays within communities in the contex of health promotion, tackling social exclusion, crime and underachievement.
The SDLP continues to promote the Irish language and proposes the establishment of an Irish Language Act to preserve and encourage the language.
It is imperative that a rightsbased Act supports speakers in the freedom to use the language in public life, without constraints.
The SDLP support a comprehensive Irish Language Act based on a rightsoriented approach and which officially recognises the Irish language
and confers valuable rights for speakers of the language in various fields:  political institutions, local government, the justice system education, and the media;
The SDLP believe that an Irish Language Act should apply in Westminster to ensure that particular powers that Westminster has retained, such as broadcasting, are covered by the Act.
Continued funding from the Council to support parents in Irish Medium Educationdevelopment.
Funding for permanent buildings available for the Irishmedium preschool sector.
Funding for ongoing support for the development of Irish Medium preschool sector.
Development of courses for Englishmedium schools.
Continuous training for Irish teachers in schools.
Provision of textbooks, software and on line facilities for schools which are suited to the abilities and ages of the students.
Appropriate provision for the teaching of Irish as a subject for secondary school students who received their education (or some of their education) through Irish.
That the Irish language is fully recognised in the Bill of Rights.
That more funding is made available for a dedicated film and television fund;
That more funding be made available to help with the development of the languagethroughout Ireland.
That the availability of RTÉ and TG4 is extended, which will support the development and success of the medium in the digital age.
The SDLP support a comprehensive Irish Language Act
! Northern Ireland that works
The last few years have seen a return to crisis after crisis.
Political instability is putting investors off, preventing the tough decisions from being made and preventing progress being made on a broad range of issues.
The SDLP has always offered more than sectarian tribal politics.
We want to see devolution deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.
Political instability is putting investors off
The SDLP will continue its campaign to extend the powers available to the people of the North.
We will continue to fight for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and its commitments on human rights, equality, victims, community relations, the Irish language and NorthSouth cooperation.
As well as full fiscal powers the SDLP will demand the extension of further powers to Northern Ireland including:
Broadcasting, telecommunications and the internet
Aviation
Foreshore and seabed resource rights
National insurance and minimum wage
Energy and minerals resources
Drug policy
Local elections
Lottery spending
Consumer protection
The SDLP is committed to promoting equality, social justice and reconciliation, and to protecting human rights.
These principles are not just slogans, they are a part of our founding philosophy.
We are proud to stand up for the rights of all in our society regardless of sex, race, ethnic or social origin, language, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
The SDLP has voted in favour of equal marriage and will continue to work tirelessly to make Northern Ireland a progressive and inclusive place to live.
The SDLP has long campaigned for and supported the rights of people from across Europe and beyond who now live and work in the North.
The SDLP celebrate the fact that Northern Ireland is an increasingly diverse society.
Unfortunately hate crimes and racist attacks occur much too often, threatening any attempts to build a fully inclusive and shared society.
OFMdFM have finally consulted on the longoverdue Racial Equality Strategy, which has not been updated since 2005.
The SDLP will fight for robust race equality laws that will allow everyone in Northern Ireland to feel safe in their own homes and communities.
The SDLP will continue our sustained lobbying for a strong Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
We remain convinced that a Bill of Rights can support the common ground that does exist in our society, and provide protections and principles upon which we can agree despite our differences.
On such common ground we can build a truly shared future.
The SDLP is committed to a united, reconciled and just Ireland.
The Good Friday Agreement established the democratic basis for unity and by providing the public with a credible and achievable vision, we believe, we are the only party, credibly placed, to bring about unity among the people of Ireland.
A prosperous Northern Ireland will be confident and selfassured and this is the only route to a reconciled, just new Ireland.
The SDLP envisages unity as a merger between two equal partners.
In a united Ireland we see the continuation of a Stormont Assembly and we see the same rights and protections that the SDLP delivered as part of the Good Friday Agreement applying in support of minorities in a new allisland arrangement.
In the SDLP’s new Ireland we will see the same level of public services, in the provision of health and education and support for the most vulnerable.
Northern Ireland’s economy is intertwined with the European Union.
The total funding received from Europe amounts to over £7.5 billion including £2.7 billion for farmers and fishermen.
The SDLP is the only major proEuropean party in Northern Ireland.
Membership of the European Union has allowed for a cultural enrichment,
access for Northern Ireland’s producers to a market of 500 million people
and access to funds and support which run into the billions.
The EU enabled the free flow of people, of ideas, of trade and opportunity right across this island, between these islands and across the European continent.
While the North’s global trade grows, our biggest and most established export markets (excluding Britain) are the Republic of Ireland and the EU.
In the current global climate established markets are critical.
Our businesses can only gain from access to the vast and growing EU market.
It is evident in both the North and South of the island that EU membership has provided significant investment flows.
If this was put in jeopardy it would be our people who would lose out, our farmers, businesses, border areas and areas of need.
We have already seen the economic damage done by the threats of a British exit.
Should these threats become a reality much of the progress made in Northern Ireland would be reversed, and the work to build a better future for all made more difficult.
The character of Irish farming has not been understood by the British Government.
Our farmers stand to gain much more within Europe than outside.
Importantly, our young people stand to benefit from guaranteed job placements or training if we implement the European youth employment scheme.
The SDLP were instrumental in keeping the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on the agenda.
The SDLP was instrumental in the campaign to implement a tougher regime on controlled foreign companies to restrict tax abuse by large corporations in the developing world.
The SDLP has voted against the replacement of the UK’s nuclear weapons system
and in favour of redirecting the money spent on this into health, education and welfare.
The SDLP has consistently supported those working for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
We are proud to be the first Irish party to vote in favour of recognising an independent and viable Palestinian state.
The SDLP has voted against reckless British military interventions in Libya and Syria.
We will continue to lead the way in protecting our local economy and the peace process by doing all we can to keep the North within the European Union.
The SDLP was instrumental in the campaign to implement a tougher regime on controlled foreign companies to restrict tax abuse by large corporations in the developing world.
Manifesto 2015
Introduction by Nick Clegg Britain in 2020: The Liberal Democrat vision     Responsible Finances:      Balancing the budget in a fair way     Prosperity for all:      Building a sustainable economy          Real help for family finances:      Tax, pensions and consumer rights     An Opportunity Society:      World class education for all     Building a healthier society:      Protecting the NHS and improving health     Better places to live:      Communities farming and the natural environm Green Britain Guarantee:  Five green laws     Affordable homes for all:      Meeting our housing needs          Freedom and opportunity:      Equal rights for all          Secure communities:      Policing, justice and the border force       Power to the people:      Devolution democracy and citizenship       Britain in the World: Global action for       security and prosperity
Introduction
Britain in 2020: the Liberal Democrat vision
This manifesto is a five year plan to build a fair, free and open society in our United Kingdom.
Follow this plan and by 2020, our economy will be strong, sustainable and fair,
our public finances will be healthy again
and there will be jobs that last in every part of the country.
Follow this plan and there will be opportunity for everyone to get on and live the life they want –at work, at home, online and in our communities.
We have to finish the job of sorting out the UK’s public finances //–
but we must do it fairly, making sure the wealthiest pay their fair share.
Only the Liberal Democrat plan will keep the UK on track, balancing the books in 2017/18
so we can get back to investing in the public services
and infrastructure that help make our country strong.
In 2020, debt will be falling as a share of our economy for the fourth year in a row, steadily rebuilding our national resilience against future economic shocks.
Our economy will be thriving, delivering balanced growth with jobs that last in every nation and region.
Government will take a long-term approach to supporting business and industry, helping supply credit, skilled workers and infrastructure.
Over a third of UK electricity will come from renewables,
not least from Scottish generators,
and we will be leading the world in the technologies of the future, from electric cars to tidal power.
Britain will be the place to be if you want to thrive in advanced manufacturing, science, creative,  digital
and green industries,
and our country will be open to ambitious entrepreneurs and thinkers from overseas.
We will finally be building enough homes, every year, to meet our needs.
By 2020, our plan will bring together a lifetime of opportunities for every generation, enhancing the quality of all our lives.
Mothers and fathers will be able to share the joys and struggles of early parenthood with extended Shared Parental Leave.
Free, high-quality childcare will be available the moment parental leave is over.
Education will prosper under the Liberal Democrats.
Young people will leave school and college confident about their future:
we will have doubled the number of businesses hiring apprentices.
Society will be more equal.
A million more women will be enabled to work,
with fairer rules to help everyone juggle family life, caring responsibilities and the world of work.
Carers will be treated with respect and given more help, including a bonus of £250 to spend however they choose.
The tax system will be fairer:
people will not pay Income Tax on the first £12,500 they earn,
but strict rules will be in place to make sure the richest pay their fair share and corporations cannot dodge their tax responsibilities.
Targeted green taxes will discourage pollution and reward sustainability.
There will be more jobs in our economy, with steadily higher wages and better employment rights.
With Universal Credit and reforms to disability benefits, it will always pay to work,
and everyone who needs a helping hand will get one.
As you work, and as you save, you will feel confident about life after retirement, too.
Millions more will have a workplace pension.
Our ‘triple lock’ will protect the State Pension,
our new single tier pension will mean your savings are your own to keep.
Our NHS will have the money it needs,
and the Scottish Parliament will have the resources to make sure mental health will have equal status with physical health.
Those facing anxiety and depression will be seen swiftly,
people struggling not to harm themselves will find emergency help at A&E
and teenagers suffering from eating disorders will get the help they need close to home.
Five green laws will be on the statute books, protecting nature and wildlife in Britain
and across the world,
cleaning up our air
and helping fight climate change.
People will be more free.
A second Freedoms Act will have embedded citizens’ rights to freedom of speech and protest.
The Human Rights Act will remain, with children’s rights protected in law too.
The culture of everyday sexism will be declining, with young people taught in school about respect in relationships and sexual consent.
Online, people will no longer be worried that the government is monitoring their every keystroke:
a Digital Bill of Rights will have enshrined enduring principles of privacy and helped keep the internet open.
Our politics will be open, and fairer too.
2020 will be the first General Election in which 16 year olds can vote
– the first generation to cast their first ballot in a fair STV voting system
and the first generation to vote for the House of Lords.
But every 16 year old will know it’s not just UK elections that matter:
Scotland will have home rule powers as proposed by the cross-party Smith Commission,
and comprehensive devolution to Wales and Northern Ireland will be completed too,
keeping the course to a federal UK.
In 2020 Britain will be a force for good in the world, leading global action against climate change,
tax avoidance and international crime,
working to prevent conflict
and offer humanitarian aid,
and promoting trade, development and prosperity.
We will still be meeting our commitments to spend 0.7% of our national income helping the world’s poorest people.
And we will be standing tall in our own neighbourhood, a leader in the European Union again.
We will have secured real reform of the EU to deliver more jobs, more growth, and more security.
Our borders will be secure and our immigration system fair.
We will be working across borders to tackle crime and keep Britain safe.
Our Liberal Democrat plan will build a stronger economy and a fairer society, in a truly United Kingdom.
Our plan will deliver opportunity for everyone.
Responsible finances Balancing the budget in a  fair way
A responsible approach to tackling the deficit and our country’s debts is essential because it underpins everything else we want to achieve.
In the last five years, we have worked hard to bring balance back to Britain’s public finances.
The deficit is now half what it was when we took office in 2010.
Nevertheless, there is still work to be done.
Only Liberal Democrats will complete the job on time
in a way that is fair,
enables sustainable growth
and protects public services.
Responsible finances underpin every good government.
High debt and deficits are a risk to economic stability and it is simply not right to borrow too much money and expect our children to pay it back.
Debt interest payments last year were £46 billion: more than we spent on schools.
A responsible approach to tackling the deficit and our country’s debts is essential because it underpins everything else we want to achieve.
In the last five years, we have worked hard to bring balance back to Britain’s public finances.
The deficit is now half what it was when we took office in 2010.
Nevertheless, there is still work to be done.
Only Liberal Democrats will complete the job on time
in a way that is fair,
enables sustainable growth
and protects public services.
1.1 Balancing the budget
We will complete the job of balancing the budget – on time, in full, and fairly.
The Liberal Democrat objective is to eradicate the structural current budget deficit by 2017/18 and have debt falling as a percentage of national income, so it is back to sustainable levels by the middle of the next decade.
In 2010, Liberal Democrats insisted the coalition adopt a fairer approach to dealing with the deficit, using both spending cuts and tax rises, than the Conservatives had planned.
This mixed approach was much more in line with proposals set out in the Liberal Democrat manifesto.
The Conservatives now want to scrap this approach entirely and use only spending cuts to finish the job.
We reject this proposal, which would do significant damage to Britain’s public services
and require punitive cuts to benefits on which some of the most vulnerable people depend.
We are determined to stick with the approach we set out in 2010 – a fair way of restoring the nation’s finances.
So as we finish the job of balancing the books,
we will use taxes on the wealthiest,
on banks and big business
and on polluters,
and we will bear down on tax avoidance, to limit the impact of deficit reduction on public services.
We do not think low and middle income earners should bear the burden of tax rises:
our plans do not require any increase in the headline rates of Income Tax, National Insurance, VAT or Corporation Tax.
In fact, our plans enable us to continue to cut taxes for people on low and middle incomes by raising the tax-free Personal Allowance.
Having a balanced approach on tax and spending enables us to:
Protect the least well off in society and users of public services from the impact of measures taken to tackle the deficit.
Invest, over the Parliament, extra money for the NHS, essential to protect our health service.
Extend the current UK budget protection for education to include early years and 16-19 provision.
This will result in a stable funding platform for the Scottish Parliament to invest in children and young people.
Limit reductions in departmental spending to less than half the rate agreed for 2015/16.
Limit welfare reductions so we do not destroy the essential safety net that protects us all in times of crisis.
Continue to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on international development aid, helping the poorest in the world.
We will carry out a full Spending Review after the General Election.
Building on the successes of this Parliament, we will focus on delivering efficiency,
funding proven spend-to-save initiatives
and investing in technology to get public services and frontline staff online.
The aim of everything that government does will be to help people improve their quality of life and wellbeing, especially the most vulnerable and least well off.
1.2 Looking to the future
Once we have balanced the books, we will ensure that overall public spending grows again in line with the economy.
This will ensure we can improve key public services
and enable public sector workers to receive fair and affordable increases in their pay.
We understand that public services depend upon high-quality and dedicated staff.
We will follow two new fiscal rules.
Our first fiscal rule is that, from 2017/18, debt must fall as a proportion of our national income every year – except during a recession – so it reaches sustainable levels around the middle of the next decade.
Our second fiscal rule is that over the economic cycle we will balance the overall budget, no longer borrowing to pay for everyday expenditure.
We will make one significant exception to enable us to invest in the things that will help our economy grow.
Provided the debt rule is met, the government will be able to borrow for capital spending that enhances economic growth or financial stability, enabling us to increase this productive investment.
In our Spending Review we will set out long-term plans for capital expenditure,
and ensure that investment in infrastructure, including in housing and energy efficiency,
continues to rise both in absolute terms and as a share of the economy.
Our plan to finish the job and balance the books
Aim to balance the structural current budget by 2017/18.
Set a course to reduce debt as a share of national income.
Make deficit reduction fair by ensuring the richest pay their fair share
and corporations cannot avoid their tax responsibilities.
Set new fiscal rules to balance the budget while allowing borrowing for productive investment.
Increase public spending again in line with the economy once the budget is balanced.
Prosperity  for all Building a sustainable economy
Britain needs a strong economy not just to help fund public services but because growth and enterprise create jobs and opportunities for all.
Liberal Democrats want an economy that is strong, green, open and fair.
As Britain recovers, we must make sure we don’t return to growth based on personal debt and speculation, but build prosperity and wellbeing that last, for everyone.
Britain needs a strong economy not just to help fund public services but because growth and enterprise create jobs and opportunities for all.
Liberal Democrats want an economy that is strong, green, open and fair.
As Britain recovers, we must make sure we don’t return to growth based on personal debt and speculation, but build prosperity and wellbeing that last, for everyone.
We will grow a high-skill, low-carbon economy
by supporting education,
training,
infrastructure,
innovation and technology.
With a stable, competitive business environment
and investment in green industries
and infrastructure,
we will ensure growth is embedded in every part of the UK.
We have made a big start in government: reforming the banking system;
creating the world’s first Green Investment Bank;
enabling unprecedented investment in low-carbon energy;
introducing a Regional Growth Fund
and a bold new Industrial Strategy to support growth and high-skilled jobs;
delivering more than two million new apprenticeships;
ensuring transparency of company ownership
and promoting more diversity in business leadership.
Now is the time to push forward and reject any temptation to go back to the old economy.
Whether it’s fighting for proper investment in renewable energy,
or working to build a high-skill, flexible labour market:
Liberal Democrats will ensure Britain doesn’t return to the mistakes of the past.
A Record of Delivery
Billions invested in growing modern British businesses with our Industrial Strategy, Business Bank and Regional Growth Fund
Reformed the banking system to separate retail and investment banking and help rebuild our economy
The world’s first Green Investment Bank and low-carbon energy market, helping almost treble renewable electricity generation
Biggest rail investment since Victorian times, driving record numbers of train journeys
A Promise of More
Double innovation spend in our economy, making the UK a world leader in advanced manufacturing, clean technology and digital industries
Grow a competitive banking sector, support alternative finance providers and improve access to finance for business and consumers
Expand the Green Investment Bank and set a legally binding decarbonisation target to green our electricity
Enable more people to travel with rail upgrades across the country and HS2
2.1 Economic and industrial growth
To deliver a balanced economy with strengths in every part of the UK, Britain needs a highly skilled workforce and flexible business support and finance.
We must continue to invest to grow sectors like advanced manufacturing that can provide high-skilled, sustainable jobs,
open up the supply chain to more small and medium-sized businesses
and support firms bringing activity back to Britain.
We will: Continue to develop our Industrial Strategy, working with sectors which are critical to Britain’s ability to trade internationally – motor vehicles, aerospace, low-carbon energy, chemicals, creative industries, offshore and subsea technology and more.
Develop the skilled workforce needed to support this growth with a major expansion of high-quality and advanced apprenticeships,
offering vocational education on a par with academic qualifications,
backed up with new sector-led National Colleges.
We will develop a national skills strategy for key sectors, including low-carbon technologies, to help match skills and people.
Aim to double innovation and research spending across the economy,
supported by greater public funding on a longer timescale,
more ‘Catapult’ innovation and technology centres
and support for green innovation from the Green Investment Bank.
We will continue to ringfence the science budget and ensure that, by 2020, both capital and revenue spending have increased at least in line with inflation.
Build on the success of the Regional Growth Fund,
which has already created more than 100,000 jobs
and secured £1.8 billion of private investment.
We will continue the Fund throughout the next Parliament.
Devolve more economic decision-making to local areas,
building on the success of City Deals and Growth Deals,
prioritising the transfer of transport, housing and infrastructure funding, skills training and back-to-work support.
Provide further support to medium-sized businesses through a one-stop-shop for accessing government support,
a dedicated unit in HMRC
and the development of management skills.
Aim to stimulate local economies, working with Local Enterprise Partnerships to improve their effectiveness and coordination.
We will:  Use central government public procurement policy as a tool of local growth and community development, for example by purchasing from diverse sources and using local labour, goods and services,
and encourage local government to do the same.
We will: Continue our work to open up public procurement to small and medium-sized companies
and to the voluntary sector.
Develop platforms on which government can provide feedback on its suppliers to help quality providers to grow.
2.2 Banking and financial reform
The financial crisis of 2008 caused real damage to our economy including one of the largest budget deficits in the world and banks unable to support the real economy.
Liberal Democrats have ensured radical reform of the banking industry to make banks safe and no longer requiring a taxpayer safety net.
Building on this progress, we will: Complete implementation of the new rules to separate retail banking from investment banking, working with the financial services industry to promote integrity, accountability and value across the sector.
Expand the British Business Bank to perform a more central role in the economy, tackling the shortage of equity capital for growing firms
and providing long-term capital for medium-sized businesses.
Develop the UK banking sector to promote competition and innovation by: Facilitating new entrants,
including through public procurement policy.
Encouraging the growth of crowdfunding and alternative finance models,
encouraging Local Authorities to use these platforms to improve credit access in their areas.
Promoting a new community banking sector to support small and medium-sized enterprises
and social enterprises.
Taking forward the recently commissioned study by the British Business Bank into the sustainability of Community Development Finance Institutions.
Ensure access to finance for all, tackling discrimination in the provision of financial services and supporting products that increase financial inclusion.
Continue the Banking Levy
and introduce a time-limited supplementary Corporation Tax charge on the banking sector to ensure it continues to make a fair contribution to fiscal consolidation.
2.3 Creating a stable and competitive environment for growth
Britain needs a stable and competitive environment for growth;
this is essential to attract and sustain new businesses and new jobs.
Britain is not just a part of the European economy – we have to compete with the developing economies of Asia and Latin America, which are increasingly powering ahead.
We need to lock in macroeconomic stability, including low inflation, and reduce the risks of a return to the economics of boom and bust.
And we need a tax system that is simple, fair and competitive
– which attracts and retains jobs in our country,
while ensuring business makes a fair contribution.
We will: Continue to support an independent Bank of England, with a mandate to keep inflation low and stable to support sustainable growth.
We will protect the new regulatory framework, which ensures the Bank of England has the necessary tools to help avoid a return to boom and bust.
Continue to reform business tax to ensure it stays competitive, making small and medium-sized enterprises the priority for any business tax cuts.
We will work to adjust the tax system away from subsidy of high leverage debt and tackle the bias against equity investment
Reform and improve the Regulatory Policy Committee to reduce regulatory uncertainty and remove unnecessary business regulation.
We understand that well-designed regulation, focused on outcomes rather than processes, has a vital role in creating markets and driving investment
and will use it, in particular, to promote low-carbon and resource-efficient innovation.
In England we will complete the ongoing review of Business Rates, prioritising reforms that lessen the burden on smaller businesses,
ensure high streets remain competitive
and promote more efficient use of land.
Liberal Democrats remain committed to introducing Land Value Tax (LVT), which would replace Business Rates in the longer term and could enable the reduction or abolition of other taxes.
We will extend the Business Rates review to ensure it considers the implementation of LVT, as well as interim reforms like Site Value Rating that could be completed within five years.
We will charge the Land Registry with completing registration of all substantial land and property holdings in England and Wales by 2020.
2.4 Green jobs and industry
New world markets are developing in low-carbon and resource-efficient technologies.
Britain’s real strengths in sectors like offshore wind power and low-carbon vehicles, and in green finance, make us well placed to compete.
We must make sure green industries can reach their full potential and build on successes in increasing recycling to shift towards a so-called ‘circular economy’ in which we use natural resources efficiently and minimise waste. (See also Section 6.2)
We will: Pass a Zero Carbon Britain Act to set a new legally binding target to bring net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.
Realise the full potential of the Green Investment Bank by increasing its capitalisation, expanding its remit, allowing it to raise funds independently and enabling it to issue green bonds.
Place the Natural Capital Committee (NCC) on the same statutory footing as the Committee on Climate Change through our Nature Act.
We will task the NCC with identifying the key natural resources being used unsustainably and recommending legally binding targets for reducing their net consumption;
and introduce incentives for businesses to improve resource efficiency.
Help incentivise sustainable behaviour by increasing the proportion of tax revenue accounted for by green taxes.
Grow the market for green products and services with steadily higher green criteria in public procurement policy,
extending procurement requirements more widely through the public sector including to the NHS and Academy schools.
In particular we will deliver ambitious reductions in energy use.
Increase research and development and commercialisation support in four key low-carbon technologies where Britain could lead the world:
tidal power,
carbon capture and storage,
energy storage
and ultra-low emission vehicles.
Ensure UK Trade and Investment and UK Export Finance can prioritise support for key sectors identified in our Industrial Strategy,
including exports of green products and technologies,
and press for higher environmental standards for export credit agencies throughout the OECD.
Encourage the creation of green financial products to bring consumer capital into green industries.
We will improve the way government handles the cross-cutting challenges of delivering green growth and fighting climate change, establishing a senior Cabinet Committee to coordinate action and bringing together officials in inter-departmental units on issues like air quality and resource management.
We will replicate the success of the Office for Budget Responsibility with an Office for Environmental Responsibility scrutinising the government’s efforts to meet its environmental targets.
2.5 Making the connection: transport infrastructure
Liberal Democrats are leading the renewal of Britain’s ageing infrastructure but we still have decades of under-investment to catch up on.
We need better transport infrastructure,
a modern railway system,
and less congestion on our roads.
We have established our second fiscal rule precisely so we can invest in productive infrastructure to help the economy grow.
We will: Set out 10-year rolling capital investment plans.
Develop a comprehensive plan to electrify the overwhelming majority of the UK rail network,
reopen smaller stations,
restore twin-track lines to major routes
and proceed with HS2, as the first stage of a high-speed rail network to Scotland.
Invest in major transport improvements and infrastructure.
We will: Deliver the Transport for the North strategy to promote growth, innovation and prosperity across northern England.
Develop more modern, resilient links to and within the South West peninsula to help develop and diversify the regional economy
Complete East-West rail, connecting up Oxford and Cambridge and catalysing major new housing development.
Ensure London’s transport infrastructure is improved to withstand the pressure of population and economic growth.
Work to encourage further private sector investment in rail freight terminals and rail-connected distribution parks.
We will set a clear objective to shift more freight from road to rail
and change planning law to ensure new developments provide good freight access to retail, manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
Ensure our airport infrastructure meets the needs of a modern and open economy,
without allowing emissions from aviation to undermine our goal of a zero-carbon Britain by 2050.
We will carefully consider the conclusions of the Davies Review into runway capacity and develop a strategic airports policy for the whole of the UK in the light of those recommendations and advice from the Committee on Climate Change.
We remain opposed to any expansion of Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick and any new airport in the Thames Estuary, because of local issues of air and noise pollution.
We will ensure no net increase in runways across the UK.
Ensure new rail franchises include a stronger focus on customers,
including requirements to integrate more effectively with other modes of transport and a programme of investment in new stations, lines and station facilities.
We will continue the Access for All programme, improving disabled access to public transport.
Modern light rail systems, like Croydon Tramlink and Manchester Metrolink, have brought significant benefits to passengers.
We will encourage Local Authorities to consider trams alongside other options,
and support a new generation of light rail and ultra-light rail schemes in towns and cities where local people want them.
2.6 Low-carbon energy
Our reforms of the electricity market have already created the world’s first low-carbon electricity market
and will stimulate up to 250,000 green jobs across the UK by 2020.
Since 2010, energy demand has fallen by 2.5% a year and renewable electricity generation has almost trebled.
But we need to go further and faster to meet our goal of reducing energy demand by 50% by 2030.
If we do not speed up energy efficiency investment, our buildings will continue to leak energy and waste money and our businesses will fail to compete internationally.
We will ensure we create a low-carbon economy at the lowest cost for consumers.
We will: Make saving energy a top infrastructure priority,
stimulating private sector demand with our new Electricity Demand Reduction market,
new market-shaping energy efficiency standards,
support for industry, particularly SMEs,
and a programme of tax incentives and public investment.
Our plans for insulating homes are set out in more detail in Section 7.5, below.
Stimulate a minimum of £100 billion more private investment in low-carbon energy infrastructure by 2020.
Set a legally binding decarbonisation target range for 2030 for the power sector of 50–100g of CO2 per kWh, which can largely be achieved by expansion of renewables, with an indicative target of 60% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
We will support investment in energy storage and smart grid technology to enable this higher reliance on renewables.
Work with the independent regulator Ofgem to ensure the costs of electricity distribution and transmission infrastructure are allocated efficiently and fairly between consumers and generators across the country,
and develop more European electricity interconnection capacity.
Regulate to end the use of unabated coal in electricity generation by 2025 because of its high carbon emissions and impact on local air quality,
and require any new gas stations built after 2030 to be fitted with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology.
We will implement a second phase of CCS projects by 2020.
Expand community energy, building on Britain’s first ever community energy strategy with additional financial and regulatory support.
We will encourage Councils to be proactive in delivering energy saving and electricity generation.
Encourage onshore wind in appropriate locations, helping meet our climate targets at least cost.
We will end ideologically motivated interference in local planning decisions for wind farms by Government Ministers.
Accept that new nuclear power stations can play a role in low-carbon electricity supply provided concerns about safety, disposal of waste and cost are adequately addressed
and without public subsidy for new build.
Use biomass primarily for heating and small-scale power generation,
act to encourage the wider use of biogas
and argue for the reform of EU policies on biofuels and biomass which help drive deforestation,
including ending all support for food-crop-based biofuels after 2020.
Continue to back new entrants to the energy market, smart meters and faster switching to promote proper competition,
aiming for at least 30% of the household market to be supplied by competitors to the ‘Big 6’ by 2020.
The UK has significant stores of unconventional gas, which could be accessed through the process known as fracking.
It is vital that efforts to access this gas be properly regulated to protect our natural environment.
Liberal Democrats in government have introduced the world’s most robust regulatory regime for unconventional gas,
including banning drilling in National Parks,
and will take two further steps to ensure any shale gas contributes to a faster transition to a low-carbon economy.
We will: Establish a Low-carbon Transition Fund using 50% of any tax revenues from shale gas to fund energy efficiency, community energy, low-carbon innovation and renewable heat.
Require that once a shale gas well is finished, it must be offered at no cost to geothermal heat developers, to enable faster expansion of this renewable technology.
2.7 An open, trading nation
As a major global economy, we must promote open markets and free trade, both within the European Union and beyond.
Only as a full member of a reformed European Union can we be certain Britain’s businesses will have access to markets in Europe and beyond.
Liberal Democrats believe we should welcome talented people from abroad, encourage visitors and tourists who contribute enormously to our economic growth,
and give sanctuary to refugees fleeing persecution.
Immigration procedures must be robust and fair,
and the UK must remain open to visitors who boost our economy,
and migrant workers who play a vital role in business and public services.
We will: Remain a committed member of the EU so we can complete the Single Market in areas including online industries, the energy market and services,
and help negotiate EU international trade agreements, opening opportunities for British businesses.
Support Single Market disciplines in relation to competition and state aid rules
while creating a stronger public interest test for takeovers in research-intensive activities.
Continue to allow high-skill immigration to support key sectors of the economy,
and ensure work, tourist and family visit visas are processed quickly and efficiently.
Ensure the UK is an attractive destination for overseas students,
not least those who wish to study STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).
We will reinstate post-study work visas for STEM graduates who can find graduate-level employment within six months of completing their degree.
Tourism and heritage collectively make up as much as 9% of our economy, and yet these industries do not have the status they deserve in government or in wider society.
We will work to make sure the British tourism industry is able to compete with other major world destinations and be a key generator of growth in the UK economy.
We will: Strengthen the Hospitality and Tourism Council, with the Business and Culture Secretaries as co-chairs.
Give higher status to tourism within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Build on our successful Tourism North and Tourism South West initiatives to devolve more power, resources and decision-making to local areas to promote their unique tourism propositions in the UK and globally.
Securing global leadership in technology
The UK has a competitive advantage in key sectors of the modern economy that have the capacity to transform our lives.
The UK’s digital sector is growing at a rate of over 10% a year,
employing nearly 1.5m people.
15% of all new companies last year were digital companies.
We need to support this important sector of our economy.
We will: Complete the rollout of high-speed broadband, to reach almost every household (99.9%) in the UK
as well as small businesses in both rural and urban areas.
Build on the success of Tech City, Tech North and the Cambridge tech cluster with a network across the UK acting as incubators for technology companies.
Support fast-growing businesses that could create a million jobs over 20 years, following the Sherry Coutu report into these  ‘Scale- Ups’.
Promote the take up of STEM subjects in schools, retain coding on the National Curriculum and encourage entrepreneurship at all levels.
Maintain and develop the award-winning Government Digital Service, and the principle of Digital by Default in public services, pressing ahead with plans to extend this to local government.
Continue to release government data sets that can facilitate economic growth in an open and accessible format, including on standards in public services.
Ensure the technology implications of government activity are properly considered by introducing Technology Impact Assessments into the policy design process.
Develop cutting-edge digital skills courses for young people and the unemployed, working with private sector employers and education and training providers.
2.9 Pride in creativity
Liberal Democrats understand that arts, creative industries and culture are crucial to Britain’s success and essential for personal fulfilment and quality of life.
The UK’s creative sector has been one of the great success stories of the past five years, and a critical driver of our recovery.
We are proud of the arts in Britain and will support them properly,
working to deliver access for all, regardless of income, ethnicity, gender, age, belief, sexuality or disability.
We believe the arts have an essential role in our education system and will work to encourage creativity in our schools and universities.
We will: Maintain free access to national museums and galleries,
while giving these institutions greater autonomy.
Protect the independence of the BBC while ensuring the Licence Fee does not rise faster than inflation,
maintain Channel 4 in public ownership
and protect the funding and editorial independence of Welsh language broadcasters.
Support growth in the creative industries, including video gaming, by continuing to support the Creative Industries Council,
promoting creative skills,
supporting modern and flexible patent, copyright and licensing rules,
and addressing the barriers to finance faced by small creative businesses.
Real help for family finances Tax, welfare, pensions and  consumer rights
A fair society is one in which everyone has the means to get by and the chance to get on.
We will continue to rebalance the tax system away from hard work and towards unearned wealth,
while stamping out abusive tax avoidance.
We will increase availability of childcare to help parents who want to work.
We will continue to reform welfare and get people the right support in Jobcentres.
We will build on our world-leading reforms to the pensions system.
And we will fight tirelessly for a better deal for consumers, in the private and public sectors.
Liberal Democrats believe Britain should be more equal, and have worked in government to cut taxes for people on low and middle incomes, putting money back in the pockets of millions of people.
We have improved childcare support, reformed benefits to make sure work pays and improved back-to-work support.
And we have freed up pension savings to give older people more choice about how to manage their money in retirement.
We will continue to rebalance the tax system away from hard work and towards unearned wealth, while stamping out abusive tax avoidance.
We will increase availability of childcare to help parents who want to work.
We will continue to reform welfare and get people the right support in Jobcentres.
We will build on our world-leading reforms to the pensions system.
And we will fight tirelessly for a better deal for consumers, in the private and public sectors.
A Record of Delivery
An £800 tax cut for low and middle income earners, delivered by letting you earn £10,600 tax free
Secured the biggest ever cash rise in the state pension with our ‘triple lock’ policy on uprating
Cut the cost of childcare with more free hours for three and four-year olds, and help for disadvantaged two- year olds too.
Helped people balance work and family life with Shared Parental Leave
and the Right to Request flexible working for all
Kept welfare spending under control, while blocking plans to cut off young people’s benefits
A Promise of More
Raise the Personal Allowance to at least £12,500, cutting your taxes by around £400 more
Legislate to make the ‘triple lock’ permanent, guaranteeing decent pensions rises each year
Extend free childcare to all two-year olds, and to the children of working families from the end of paid parental leave
Expand Shared Parental Leave with a ‘use it or lose it’ month for fathers,
and introduce a right to paid leave for carers
Make sure it pays to work by rolling out Universal Credit,
and invest in back-to-work and healthcare support for those who need it
3.1 Fair taxes
During this Parliament we have gone even further than our manifesto pledge to raise the personal Income Tax threshold to £10,000 a year.
This April’s increase to £10,600 has lifted more than three million people out of Income Tax altogether
and delivered a tax cut of more than £800 for millions of low and middle-income taxpayers.
We will continue to make taxes fairer and simpler,
help those on low and middle incomes,
and ensure those on the highest incomes make a fair contribution.
We will: Raise the tax-free Personal Allowance to at least £12,500 by the end of the next Parliament, putting around £400 back in the pockets of millions of working people and pensioners.
We will bring forward the planned increase to an £11,000 allowance to April 2016.
Consider, as a next step, and once the Personal Allowance rise is delivered, raising the employee National Insurance threshold to the Income Tax threshold, as resources allow,
while protecting low earners’ ability to accrue pension and benefit entitlements.
Ensure those with the highest incomes and wealth are making a fair contribution.
We have identified a series of distortions, loopholes and excess reliefs that should be removed,
raising money to contribute to deficit reduction.
These include reforms to Capital Gains Tax and Dividend Tax relief,
refocusing Entrepreneurs’ Relief
and a supplementary Corporation Tax for the banking sector.
In addition, we will introduce a UK-wide High Value Property Levy on residential properties worth over £2 million.
It will have a banded structure, like Council Tax.
Take tough action against corporate tax evasion and avoidance,
including by: Setting a target for HM Revenue and Customs to reduce the tax gap
and continuing to invest in staff to enable them to meet it.
Introducing a general anti-avoidance rule which would outlaw contrived structures designed purely or largely to avoid tax.
Implementing the planned new offence of corporate failure to prevent economic crime, including tax evasion, with penalties for directors up to and including custodial sentences.
Levying penalties on firms proven to facilitate tax evasion, equivalent to the amount of tax evaded by their clients.
Asking the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee to consider the approach to paying tax taken by banks for themselves, their employees and for their customers, as part of their assessment of the risks posed by the sector, supported by an annual report by HMRC.
Restrict access to non-domiciled status,
increasing the charges paid to adopt this status
and ending the ability to inherit it.
3.2 Help with childcare costs
Many parents want to take significant time out from work to care for young children but in many families both parents want or have to work, and the costs of childcare are prohibitive.
We have made dramatic improvements over the current Parliament – with Tax-Free Childcare,
increases in childcare support through the benefit system
and more free childcare hours for two, three and four-year olds.
But we need to do more so that all who want to work can do so.
We will: Commit to an ambitious goal of 20 hours’ free childcare a week for all parents with children aged from two to four-years,
and all working parents from the end of paid parental leave (nine months) to two years.
This will not only help parents afford to work, it will help all children start school confident, happy and ready to learn.
Start by providing 15 hours a week of free childcare to the parents of all two-year olds.
We will then prioritise 15 hours free childcare for all working parents with children aged between nine months and two years.
Complete the introduction of Tax-Free Childcare, which will provide up to £2,000 of childcare support for each child
and include childcare support in Universal Credit, refunding 85% of childcare costs
so work pays for low earners.
Creating jobs and helping people find work
We will: Complete the introduction of Universal Credit (UC), so people are always better off in work.
We will review UC to address any issues regarding ‘cliff edges’, and ensure increased working hours are properly incentivised for all claimants.
We will retain the overall cap on a household’s benefits and believe this should continue to be set at around the average family income.
Deliver a reformed and improved Work Programme in partnership with English local government, and the national governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
By devolving this support we can ensure help and training are more tailored to local employment markets and better integrated with other services.
We will improve incentives for Jobcentre staff and Work Programme providers to ensure there is real help for those furthest from the labour market.
Establish a review of effective ways to promote ‘rainy day’ saving to improve people’s financial resilience,
and reform hardship payments, making it easier for people to bring forward part of their benefit payments to deal with emergencies.
Develop a package of specialist support for carers seeking part-time work or a return to full-time employment.
Review sanctions procedures in Jobcentres.
While sanctions can be a necessary last resort to ensure jobseekers are looking for work, they should not be used to cut benefit expenditure deliberately.
Reductions in benefits may not always be the best way to improve claimants’ compliance: those with chaotic lives might be more successful in finding a job if they were directed to targeted support with their problems.
We will ensure there are no league tables or targets for sanctions issued by Jobcentres
and introduce a ‘yellow card’ warning so people are only sanctioned if they deliberately and repeatedly break the rules.
Liberal Democrats will protect young people’s entitlements to the welfare safety net,
while getting them the help they need to get their first job.
That means doubling the number of businesses that hire apprentices.
It also means providing support that has been proven to work, like work experience placements that help them get a first foot on the career ladder.
These placements should be tailored for those with disabilities or mental health problems
and those with parental responsibilities
and we will work to expand the availability of placements into new sectors including manufacturing, science and technology.
3.4 Making welfare work
Working-age benefits make up a significant proportion of public spending, and have long been in need of reform, which we have started in this Parliament.
Through tough choices, we have found savings in the welfare budget
and we must continue to do so as we balance the books.
However, we do not support proposals for a lengthy freeze to working age benefits,
and we will not protect benefits for the wealthiest pensioners at the expense of people working on low wages.
Our priority is to tackle the causes of rising benefit bills – high rents, low pay, sickness and unemployment.
We will: Introduce a 1% cap on the uprating of working-age benefits until the budget is balanced in 2017/18,
after which they will rise with inflation once again.
Disability and parental leave benefits will be exempt from this temporary cap.
Encourage landlords to lower their rent by paying them Housing Benefit directly, with tenants’ consent, in return for a fixed reduction.
Our plans for a major expansion of house building and new ‘family friendly’ tenancies, which limit annual rent increases, will also help reduce upward pressure on rents.
We will review the way the Shared Accommodation Rate in Local Housing Allowance is set,
and review the Broad Rental Market Areas to ensure they fit with realistic travel patterns.
Improve links between Jobcentres and Work Programme providers and the local NHS to ensure all those in receipt of health-related benefits are getting the care and support to which they are entitled.
In particular, as we expand access to talking therapies we expect many more people to recover and be able to seek work again.
Work with Local Authorities to tackle fraud and error in a more coordinated way, in particular on Housing Benefit.
Help everyone in work on a low wage step up the career ladder and increase their hours,
reducing their need for benefits,
with tailored in-work careers and job search advice.
Withdraw eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment and free TV Licence from pensioners who pay tax at the higher rate (40%).
We will retain the free bus pass for all pensioners.
3.5 Flexibility at work and fair pay
Britain’s employment laws are among the best in the world,
balancing the needs of business for flexibility
with the rights of staff to fair treatment.
Nonetheless there are still too many examples of low pay, exploitation, and bad practice, which contribute to unacceptable levels of inequality in our society.
This has to change: the more people earn a decent wage, the fewer will be dependent on benefits or stuck in poverty.
We will: Encourage employers to provide more flexible working,
expanding Shared Parental Leave with an additional ‘use it or lose it’ month to encourage fathers to take time off with young children.
While changes to parental leave should be introduced slowly to give business time to adjust, our ambition is to see Paternity and Shared Parental Leave become a ‘day one’ right.
Ensure swift implementation of the new rules requiring companies with more than 250 employees to publish details of the different pay levels of men and women in their organisation.
We will build on this platform and, by 2020, extend transparency requirements to include publishing the number of people paid less than the Living Wage
and the ratio between top and median pay.
We will also consult on requirements for companies to conduct and publish a full equality pay review,
and to consult staff on executive pay.
Ask the Low Pay Commission to look at ways of raising the National Minimum Wage, without damaging employment opportunities.
We will improve enforcement action and clamp down on abuses by employers seeking to avoid paying the minimum wage by reviewing practices such as unpaid internships.
Establish an independent review to consult on how to set a fair Living Wage across all sectors.
We will pay this Living Wage in all central government departments and their agencies from April 2016,
and encourage other public sector employers to do likewise.
Improve the enforcement of employment rights, reviewing Employment Tribunal fees to ensure they are not a barrier.
We will ensure employers cannot avoid giving their staff rights or paying the minimum wage by wrongly classifying them as workers or self-employed.
Liberal Democrats understand that flexible employment contracts – including Zero Hours contracts – can work well for employees and businesses.
But that is not always the case and we will continue to stamp out abuse.
We will create a formal right to request a fixed contract
and consult on introducing a right to make regular patterns of work contractual after a period of time.
3.6 Improving support for the hardest to help
For too long, sickness benefits were used as a way of parking people away from the unemployment statistics.
Our aim is to get everyone the support and help they need, both financially and in terms of advice and support.
That does require a formal assessment: but these tests have to be fair and should not be an extra burden for vulnerable people.
That is why we have made many improvements to the assessments introduced by the last government.
We want to aim even higher, ensuring assessments are truly fair, with quick access to financial help for those who cannot work, and support for those who can.
We will: Conduct a review of the Work Capability Assessment and Personal Independence Payment assessments to ensure they are fair, accurate and timely and evaluate the merits of a public sector provider.
Invest to clear any backlog in assessments for Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment.
Simplify and streamline back-to-work support for people with disabilities, mental or physical health problems.
We will aim for the goal of one assessment and one budget for disabled and sick people to give them more choice and control.
Raise awareness of, and seek to expand, Access to Work, which supports people with disabilities in work.
Reform the policy to remove the spare room subsidy.
Existing social tenants will not be subject to any housing benefit reduction until they have been offered reasonable alternative accommodation.
We will ensure tenants who need an extra bedroom for genuine medical reasons are entitled to one in any assessment of their Housing Benefit needs,
and those whose homes are substantially adapted do not have their Housing Benefit reduced.
3.7 Help to save for and enjoy your retirement
Life expectancy is increasing.
This is obviously good news, but it brings challenges; older people may need a pension income that will last for 20, 30 or even 40 years.
We want to build on the world-leading reforms Liberal Democrats in government have introduced since 2010.
We have abolished the default retirement ages so older people cannot be forced out of work on grounds of age.
We have reversed decades of decline in pensioner incomes by uprating the state pension in line with our ‘triple lock’ guarantee.
We have introduced a new single tier pension to make saving simple.
We have auto-enrolled five million people into a pension for the first time.
And we have scrapped the rules that dictated how you receive your pension, so now you can spend your savings as you see fit.
We want Britain to be the best place in the world to save for, and enjoy, your retirement.
We will: Continue the introduction of our simpler single tier pension so people can plan ahead securely, and feel the benefit of every pound they save.
Legislate for the Liberal Democrat ‘triple lock’ of increasing the State Pension each year by the highest of earnings growth, prices growth or 2.5%.
Ensure pensioners are eligible to gain from the increased Personal Allowance of £12,500.
Improve workplace pensions and continue to auto-enrol workers, completing the rollout of this scheme in full and on time.
We will crack down on charges and encourage people to save more into their pension pot through this scheme.
Press ahead with plans to allow people more freedom in the use of their pension pots and to allow existing pensioners to sell their annuity.
Establish a review to consider the case for, and practical implications of, introducing a single rate of tax relief for pensions, which would be designed to be simpler and fairer and which would be set more generously than the current 20% basic rate relief.
3.8 Protecting consumers and keeping bills low
Confident consumers encourage innovation and competition, which strengthen our economy.
We have radically overhauled consumer rights law, making it simpler and clearer and for the first time protecting consumers buying digital content.
We have driven competition in the energy sector, speeded up switching, and simplified tariffs so customers can always get the best deal.
We have ended the era of above-inflation rail fare increases.
We have clamped down on unscrupulous payday lenders and strengthened protections for vulnerable consumers against rogue traders.
In the next Parliament we want to go further.
We will: Force energy companies to allow customers to change to any cheaper supplier in just 24 hours,
and extend the principle of ‘gainer led’ switching, where your new provider organises your switch for you, into new sectors, including telecoms.
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Give people easier to understand information about their own energy use, with appropriate privacy protections,
with a national rollout of smart electricity and gas meters.
We will guarantee that anyone on a prepayment meter can choose a smart meter instead by 2017.
Help people form new energy cooperatives so they can benefit from group discounts and cut their bills.
Protect high streets and consumers by granting new powers to Local Authorities to reduce the proliferation of betting shops and substantially reducing the maximum stakes for Fixed Odds Betting Terminals.
Ensure rail fares rise no faster than inflation over the Parliament as a whole.
Require the Sports Ground Safety Authority to prepare guidance under which domestic football clubs, working with their supporters, may introduce safe standing areas.
Continue and expand the midata project into new sectors, giving consumers the right to access data businesses hold on them in an open and reusable format.
3.9 Driving up standards in public services
Citizens expect a good service from their public services, and rightly so.
While many schools, hospitals, libraries and other public institutions offer world-class standards, we could do so much better: integrating services and making them more accessible, as well as improving the response when things go wrong.
Liberal Democrats value the important role the voluntary, independent and community sectors play in the life of our communities and in delivering public services.
To ensure all providers of public services are accountable to their users and the public, a public authority (if possible a democratically accountable one) should always take the decision about whether a service should be provided or commissioned.
We will: Improve consumer protections in public services, with a review of complaints handling processes,
exploring the options of mirroring the private sector ‘super-complaint’ system in the public sector
and reforms to the current system of ombudsmen.
Introduce a ‘community trigger’ mechanism to enable the public to require a review of the provision of a particular service being delivered consistently poorly.
Extend Freedom of Information laws to cover private companies delivering public services.
Work with Local Authorities to bring services together at a local level to provide a better service to citizens
and support users in pooling their personal budgets into mutual support arrangements.
Continue and expand the What Works Network to promote evidence-based policy making,
establish an incubator for social enterprises developing innovative solutions to policy problems
and expand the use of public competitions to encourage innovation in public services.
Require the highest standards of data protection by public service providers, including requiring that where data is used for research purposes it must be anonymised wherever possible,
and impose a moratorium on the creation of new government databases without Parliamentary authority.
An opportunity society World-class education for all
Liberal Democrats have put education at the heart of our agenda for a generation.
We believe every child deserves a great start in life, and are determined to make sure that the education system finds and nurtures the best in everyone.
This is essential in order to break down the unfair divisions in our society,
and to ensure a productive, competitive economy.
Liberal Democrats have put education at the heart of our agenda for a generation.
We believe every child deserves a great start in life, and are determined to make sure that the education system finds and nurtures the best in everyone.
This is essential in order to break down the unfair divisions in our society,
and to ensure a productive, competitive economy.
Too many people have their chances in life determined by who their parents are, rather than by their own efforts and abilities.
With our Pupil Premium, investing in children who might otherwise fall behind, we are finally tackling the scandalous gap in exam results between rich and poor, but we must do even more.
Children start learning from the moment they are born, so parents need to be supported right from the start.
Our plan stretches from cradle to college: high-quality early years education;
qualified teachers and successful schools in every community;
more money helping the children who need it most;
flexible choices for teenagers and young people;
and world-class training at college and university
to set every young adult on the path to a fulfilled working life.
A Record of Delivery
Protection for school budgets
and new Pupil Premium cash for your local school to help children who might otherwise fall behind
A million more children now taught in good or outstanding schools
Driven up standards and narrowed the attainment gap between rich and poor children
Free school meals for the youngest children in primary school
Two million apprenticeships, training our young people for 21st century jobs,
and record numbers going to university
A Promise of More
Protect early years, school, sixth form and college budgets – investment from nursery to 19 to raise standards for all
Parents’ Guarantee: core curriculum in every school and every child taught by qualified teachers
End illiteracy and innumeracy by 2025,
with action in nurseries to get all 4 year olds ready for school by 2020
Extend free school meals to all primary pupils
Double the numbers of businesses hiring apprentices,
and give young people aged 16–21 a discount bus pass to cut the cost of travel
4.1 High-quality early years education
If we want a more equal society, we must get help to all those who might fall behind, and their parents, right from the start.
That means improving early education
and protecting the wide range of family support services offered in Children’s Centres.
We must improve the quality of early years teaching,
and raise the status of those who work in early years.
We will: Raise the quality of early years provision and ensure that by 2020 every formal early years setting employs at least one person who holds an Early Years Teacher qualification.
Working with organisations like Teach First, we will recruit more staff with Early Years Qualified status,
and extend full Qualified Teacher status, terms and conditions to all those who are properly trained.
Increase our Early Years Pupil Premium – which gives early years settings extra money to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds – to £1,000 per pupil per year.
Continue to support Local Authorities in providing Children’s Centres, especially in areas of high need,
encouraging integration with other community services like health visitors,
and in particular reviewing the support and advice available for parents on early child nutrition and breastfeeding.
Improve the identification of Special Educational Needs and disability at the earliest possible stage, so targeted support can be provided
and primary schools are better prepared for their intake of pupils.
4.2 Driving up school standards
There is much to be proud of in our schools today, and much that has been improved in the last few years.
But far too many children are still failing to get the qualifications they need.
The gaps between rich and poor are still too wide.
We cannot fail our children – especially when we know it is the children who need the most help who are the most likely to be let down.
We will: Protect the education budget in real terms from the early years to age 19.
We will at least protect the schools’ Pupil Premium in real terms,
consider carefully the merits of extending the Premium,
and introduce a fair National Funding Formula.
Set a clear ambition for all children to achieve a good grasp of Maths and English, aiming to eradicate child illiteracy and innumeracy by 2025.
`We will set an interim goal that all children should start school with good language skills by 2020.
Strengthen school leadership and governance.
We will provide rapid support and intervention to help ensure that all schools become good or outstanding.
Our Talented Head Teachers programme will expand, helping move top leaders to where they are most needed.
Increase the number of Teaching Schools – centres of teaching excellence that provide support to other schools.
Ensure there is an effective, democratically accountable, ‘middle tier’ to support and intervene in schools where problems are identified.
We will encourage local head teachers with a strong record to play a key role in school improvement through a local Head Teacher Board, working with schools and Local Authorities.
We will abolish unelected Regional Schools Commissioners.
Allow Ofsted to inspect both Local Authorities and academy chains.
Local authorities and academy chains which are failed by Ofsted for intervention work will be required to work with stronger organisations or be replaced.
Rule out state-funded profit-making schools.
Give democratically accountable Local Authorities clear responsibility for local school places planning.
We will only fund new mainstream schools in areas where school places are needed,
and repeal the rule that all new state funded schools must be free schools or academies.
We will allow Local Authorities to select the school sponsor, where this is not the Local Authority itself.
Ensure a fair local schools admissions process.
Implement the Children’s Commissioner’s report They Go The Extra Mile into the prevention of and positive alternatives to exclusion, and strengthen appeals panels.
Extend free school meals to all children in primary education as resources allow and following a full evaluation of free meals for infants.
Continue to promote the local integration of health, care and educational support for children with Special Educational Needs and health problems.
We will allow parents to continue to choose faith-based schools within the state-funded sector and allow the establishment of new faith schools.
We will ensure all faith schools develop an inclusive admissions policy and end unfair discrimination on grounds of faith when recruiting staff,
except for those principally responsible for optional religious instruction.
4.3 World-class teaching
Great teachers are at the heart of a successful education system.
We will continue our work to attract the best into the profession and support teachers throughout their careers.
We want to build the status of the teaching profession, support and nurture teachers in their work, and so drive up standards in every school.
We will: Guarantee all teachers in state-funded schools will be fully qualified or working towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) from September 2016.
Introduce a clear and properly funded entitlement to professional development for all teachers.
We will raise the bar for entry to the profession, requiring a B grade minimum in GCSE Maths and English, allowing us to abolish the separate Maths and English tests.
Help establish a new profession-led Royal College of Teachers, eventually to oversee Qualified Teacher Status and professional development.
We do not believe Ministers should dictate teaching practice and will not issue instructions about how to structure the school day or what kind of lessons to conduct.
Continue to support the Teach First programme to attract high calibre graduates into teaching, in particular in STEM subjects.
Tackle unnecessary teacher workload, including by: Avoiding policy changes while children are within a key stage.
Establishing the right accountability framework for schools.
Ensuring Ofsted inspections are high-quality, fair to all schools and focus on outcomes and not processes.
Establish a new National Leadership Institute to promote high-quality leadership and help the best leaders into the most challenging schools.
Continue to work with the Education Endowment Foundation to establish a comprehensive evidence base on what works in teaching, including assessing play-based learning in early education,
and tackling the attainment gap.
We need to encourage and inspire more children to study STEM subjects.
At primary level we will encourage schools to have at least one science specialist among the staff,
and at secondary level work to maximise the number of teachers who have degree qualifications in the subjects they teach.
4.4 Curriculum and qualifications
We want schools to have flexibility and freedom, but we also believe that both parents and children need to know that the school curriculum will cover the essentials,
and that teachers will be skilled educators who know how to inspire a love of learning.
That is why we have developed our Parents’ Guarantee: every child will be taught by qualified teachers,
and the core curriculum will be taught at every state-funded school.
We want the highest standards in our schools, and will ensure that every child has a thorough grasp of the basics.
But we also understand that a great education is about more than just learning facts:
creativity should be nurtured,
children should be helped to develop the life skills they will need as adults,
and every pupil should be given advice and guidance about their future.
We will: Establish an independent Educational Standards Authority (ESA) entirely removed from Ministerial interference.
The ESA will have responsibility for curriculum content and examination standards.
Introduce a minimum curriculum entitlement – a slimmed down core national curriculum, which will be taught in all state-funded schools.
This will include Personal, Social and Health Education: a ‘curriculum for life’ including financial literacy, first aid and emergency lifesaving skills, citizenship, and age-appropriate sex and relationship education.
To ensure all children learn about a wide range of religious and nonreligious world views, religious education will be included in the core curriculum;
however we will give schools the freedom to set policy on whether to hold acts of collective worship, while ensuring any such acts are strictly optional.
Complete the introduction of reformed GCSEs, while continuing to oppose Conservative plans for a return to the old O-level/CSE divide.
Improve the quality of vocational education, including skills for entrepreneurship and self-employment,
and improve careers advice in schools and colleges.
4.5 Improving care for looked after children
Liberal Democrats have long championed early intervention to prevent problems before they arise, but we also need to make sure we equip social workers with the skills to address these complex issues and ensure children’s safety.
`Where children do have to be taken into care we must make sure they find a loving home with as little disruption and instability as possible.
We have done much in Government to be proud of in helping children in care and to improve social work, but we can still go further.
We will: Continue to invest in early intervention, further expanding the Troubled Families Programme
and building on the work of the Early Intervention Foundation to spread evidence of what works.
Expect Local Authorities to set out a clear purpose for the care system: to promote emotional wellbeing and resilience,
provide a secure base on which children can be supported in their development
and provide individually tailored help with recovery.
Raise the quality and profile of children’s social work,
continuing and expanding the Frontline programme – which is fast-tracking the brightest and best into the profession – to at least 300 graduate recruits each year.
Tackle delay and instability in foster care, with better support and training for foster carers, including on mental health issues.
Continue to make it easier for children in care to find a loving home, through the national Adoption Register
and the new national gateway for adoption, a first point of contact for potential adopters.
Prevent looked after children and young people being drawn into the criminal justice system unnecessarily by promoting restorative justice.
4.6 Improving support for young adults
We want young people to face the future with optimism and confidence.
The education leaving age has now risen to 18, but as children grow, their independence grows too, and the support that education and youth services provide to them and their families needs to adapt.
Whether it is supporting people with the costs of travel to college or apprenticeships,
or promoting positive images of young people by celebrating their successes: Liberal Democrats are on the side of the next generation.
We will: Work to introduce a new Young Person’s Discount Card, for young people aged 16–21, giving a 2/3rds discount on bus travel, as resources allow.
This will assist all bus users by helping maintain the viability of existing bus routes and making it easier to open new ones
Enable government departments, local Councils and private businesses to add discount offers to the Young Person’s Discount Card.
Review access to transport for students and apprentices in rural areas where no scheduled services may be available.
Develop an NHS ‘student guarantee’, making it easier for students to get care and support while at university,
particularly those with long-term health conditions or caring responsibilities.
Promote social action and volunteering at school, college and university and work to raise the status of youth work and youth workers.
Improve links between employers and schools, encouraging all schools to participate in mentoring schemes and programmes that seek to raise aspiration like Speakers for Schools and Inspiring The Future.
In particular, we will seek to inspire more children and young people to follow technical and scientific careers through partnership with relevant businesses.
4.7 A world class university sector, open to all
Liberal Democrats have ensured that no undergraduate student in England has to pay a penny up front of their tuition fees.
Students in England do not have to pay anything until they are earning over £21,000 per year – a figure which will increase in line with earnings – and over that income, monthly repayments are linked to earnings.
This means only high-earning graduates pay their tuition fees in full.
We now have the highest university application rates ever, including from disadvantaged students.
But we need to ensure higher education is accessible to all those who can benefit, including at postgraduate level.
Liberal Democrats in government secured the first ever income-contingent loans scheme for graduate degrees, which we will protect and seek to extend.
We will: Ensure that all universities work to widen participation across the sector, prioritising early intervention in schools and colleges.
This will include running summer schools and setting up mentoring programmes between students or alumni and school pupils.
Require universities to be transparent about their selection criteria.
Work with university ‘mission groups’ to develop a comprehensive credit accumulation and transfer framework to help students transfer between and within institutions,
enable more part-time learning,
and help more people to complete qualifications.
Improve the Key Information Set and explore the option of a standardised student contract.
We will legislate to reform regulation of the higher education sector, improving student protection.
Establish a review of higher education finance within the next Parliament to consider any necessary reforms, in the light of the latest evidence of the impact of the existing financing system on access, participation (including of low-income groups) and quality.
The review will cover undergraduate and postgraduate courses, with an emphasis on support for living costs for students, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds.
4.8 Expanding and improving apprenticeships  and further education
More people have started an apprenticeship in this Parliament than ever before.
As we grow our economy, we must protect and enhance adult skills training and our further education colleges.
We need to grow our skill base, especially in the technologies and industries that are most important to our economic future.
We want it to become the norm for businesses to take on and train up young people as apprentices in every sector of our economy,
and for higher level apprenticeships to be understood as a respected alternative to university education.
We will: Increase the number of apprenticeships and improve their quality,
extending the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers for the remainder of the next Parliament, delivering 200,000 grants to employers
and expanding the number of degree-equivalent Higher Apprenticeships.
Aim to double the number of businesses which hire apprentices, including by extending them to new sectors of our economy, like creative and digital industries.
Develop National Colleges as national centres of expertise for key sectors, like renewable energy, to deliver the high-level vocational skills that businesses need.
Establish a cross-party commission to secure a long-term settlement for the public funding of reskilling and lifelong learning.
Set up a review into the VAT treatment of Sixth Form Colleges and FE Colleges to ensure fair treatment in relation to the schools sector.
Work with the Apprenticeship Advisory Group to increase the number of apprentices from BAME backgrounds,
ensure gender balance across industry sectors,
and encourage underrepresented groups to apply.
Identify and seek to solve skills gaps like the lack of advanced technicians by expanding higher vocational training like foundation degrees, Higher National Diplomas, Higher National Certificates and Higher Apprenticeships.
Good health is one of the most important assets we can have in life, and we must do all we can to help people stay healthy,
as well as provide high-quality care when they are ill.
Our NHS is the envy of the world, and we will fund it properly,
ending the discrimination against mental health which has existed for too long,
and delivering equal care.
Building a healthier society Protecting the NHS and  improving health
Good health is one of the most important assets we can have in life, and we must do all we can to help people stay healthy,
as well as provide high-quality care when they are ill.
Our NHS is the envy of the world, and we will fund it properly,
ending the discrimination against mental health which has existed for too long,
and delivering equal care.
As a nation, we are living longer but that means we have more people living with conditions like cancer, diabetes and dementia who need care and support to live with dignity and the maximum degree of independence.
We must set the highest standards in care,
with a well-trained and motivated workforce,
and get health and care services to work together without artificial boundaries.
Health and wellbeing are affected by far more than just the quality of health and care services.
Liberal Democrats will act to ensure that everything government does supports people to improve their wellbeing:
we will work to improve the wider factors that affect our health like warm homes, good air quality and access to healthy food so everyone can have the best opportunity to lead a healthy life.
A Record of Delivery
Increased the NHS budget every year in real terms, helping fund nearly 10,000 more doctors and 7,000 more nurses
Improved access to talking therapies: 2.6 million patients have been treated since 2010
£400m invested to give carers a break with our respite fund
Capped the cost of care, so older people can afford to get the help they need
A Promise of More
Deliver the £8 billion England’s NHS leaders say is needed to keep it strong,
with money for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too
Invest £500m to transform mental health care with waiting time standards to match those in physical health care
Introduce a package of support for carers including a £250 Carer’s Bonus every year
Crack down on bad care,
with better pay and conditions for care staff
and higher standards for all
5.1 Investing in our NHS
The NHS is our most treasured public service.
Liberal Democrats are committed to the founding principles of the NHS as a taxpayer-funded system, free at the point of use.
To ensure this principle is maintained even as demand for health care grows, we will give the NHS the investment it needs.
We are the only party with a credible plan to deliver the extra £8 billion NHS leaders know our health service in England needs by 2020,
with the appropriate boost to funding for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too.
We will:  Always ensure access to health care is based on need not ability to pay
and that the NHS remains free at the point of delivery.
Deliver the money needed for England’s NHS by: Continuing real-terms protection of the NHS budget
until we have balanced the books in 2017/18
– with a £1 billion boost on top of this protection.
We made a start towards this £1 billion increase in the Budget by securing a £250m a year investment in mental health.
Increasing NHS spending in line with economic growth from then on.
These commitments mean NHS funding in England will be at least £8 billion higher a year in real terms by 2020.
This will lead to higher funding for the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments, too, which Liberal Democrats believe should be spent on their health services.
Invest half the initial £1 billion in providing care in people’s own homes and communities, preventing emergency admissions and making it easier to discharge people after a hospital stay – and so relieving pressures on all hospital services.
Make sure the NHS is funded and organised to carry out diagnostic tests and necessary treatments in a timely and effective manner, so that waiting times meet public expectations without distorting clinical priorities.
Join up health and care at national level, shifting full responsibility for care policy and funding to the Department of Health.
To ensure the NHS is safeguarded for the long term we will commission a non-partisan Fundamental Review of NHS and social care funding this year.
We will involve as many people as possible in this nationwide consultation.
5.2 Equal care for mental health
One in four of us will experience mental health problems, but for decades mental health has been the last in the queue for funding and attention.
Mental health problems cost the country as much as £100 billion each year yet less than a quarter of people with depression get the treatment they need.
In 2012, we called a halt to this and wrote equality for mental health into law.
We are now making real progress, introducing the first ever waiting time standards in mental health.
We have invested £400m in increasing access to talking therapies
and £150m in help for people with eating disorders, but there is still a long way to go.
That is why we will increase mental health spending in England’s NHS by £500m a year by 2016/17 – half of which we delivered in this year’s Budget –
and provide the cash for similar investments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
To deliver genuine equality between mental and physical health in the NHS we will: Continue to roll out access and waiting time standards for children, young people and adults.
This will include a waiting time standard from referral of no more than six weeks for therapy for depression or anxiety
and a two-week wait standard for all young people experiencing a first episode of psychosis.
Increase access to clinically and cost-effective talking therapies so hundreds of thousands more people can get this support.
Our long-term goal is to see everyone who can benefit being treated, but we will set an interim target of getting 25% of those suffering into treatment.
Transform care for pregnant women, new mothers and those who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth, and help them get the early care they need.
Revolutionise children’s mental health services.
With the £250m a year announced in this year’s Budget we will implement the proposals outlined in the report of the Government’s Children’s Mental Health Taskforce.
This means building better links with schools, ensuring all children develop mental resilience, and getting support and care quickly to those who are struggling.
Our investment will help ensure children can access high-quality care closer to home.
Ensure no one in crisis is turned away, with new waiting time standards and better crisis care in Accident and Emergency (A&E),
in the community
and via phone lines.
This will enable us to end the use of police cells for people facing a mental health crisis.
Radically transform mental health services, extending the use of personal budgets,
integrating care more fully with the rest of the NHS,
introducing rigorous inspection and high-quality standards,
comprehensive collection of data to monitor outcomes and waiting times
and changing the way services are funded so they do not lose out in funding decisions in future.
Introduce care navigators so people get help finding their way around the system,
and set stretching standards to improve the physical health of people with mental health problems.
To improve wellbeing and make the UK more mental health-friendly, we will: Publish a national wellbeing strategy, which puts better health and wellbeing for all at the heart of government policy.
This will cover all aspects of government policy, including transport, access to nature, and housing, at national and local level.
Develop a clear approach on preventing mental illness, with a public health campaign promoting the steps people can take to improve their own mental resilience – the wellbeing equivalent of the ‘Five a Day’ campaign.
Support good practice among employers in promoting wellbeing and ensure people with mental health problems get the help they need to stay in or find work.
Establish a world-leading mental health research fund, investing £50m to further our understanding of mental illness and develop more effective treatments.
Continue to support the Time to Change programme to tackle stigma against mental health.
Ensure all frontline public service professionals, including in schools and universities, get better training in mental health
–  helping them to develop their own mental resilience as well as learning to identify people with mental health problems.
Support community services and volunteers working to combat loneliness, particularly in later life.
5.3 Joining up health and social care
We need services that fit around people’s lives, not ones that force them to fit their lives around the care they need.
This is going to be increasingly important as our population ages and the number of people living with long-term conditions continues to grow.
It is time to move away from a fragmented system to an integrated service with more joined-up care,
and more personal budgets so people can design services for their own individual needs.
We believe this should happen from the bottom up, suiting the needs of local communities.
We will: Secure local agreement on full pooling of budgets between the NHS and care services with a target date of 2018, consulting on a legal duty for this.
The details of how services are commissioned will remain a matter for local areas.
In this way we will build on the radical proposals to integrate health and care funding in Greater Manchester.
Continue to develop Health and Wellbeing Boards to take a broad view of how services can improve wellbeing in their area,
ensuring democratic accountability for local care.
Combine the public health, adult social care and health outcome frameworks into a single national wellbeing outcomes framework to ensure the NHS and local government work together towards common goals.
Support new joined-up services such as GPs providing services like scans and blood tests closer to home,
or hospitals having GP surgeries within A&E departments.
Encourage the development of joined-up health providers, which cover hospital and community services, including GPs, learning from international best practice.
We will permit NHS commissioners and providers in a local area to form a single integrated health organisation where appropriate.
Work with Monitor to reform NHS funding systems, moving away from payments for activity to tariffs that encourage joined-up services and preventive care.
Liberal Democrats are committed to repealing any parts of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 which make NHS services vulnerable to forced privatisation through international agreements on free markets in goods and services.
We will end the role of the Competition and Markets Authority in health, making it clear that the needs of patients, fairness and access always come ahead of competition,
and that good local NHS services do not have to be put out to tender.
After determined negotiations, we now have a clear guarantee from the EU that member states’ rights to provide public services directly and not open them up to competition are explicitly enshrined in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP),
and we will ensure this remains the case for TTIP and any future trade agreements.
5.4 Better access to GPs and community care
Most people’s experience of the NHS is their local GP, or the nurses and support staff who visit them at home or work in community clinics.
Better access to care in GP surgeries and closer to home is better for patients and will also help reduce pressure on hospitals, A&E departments and ambulances.
We will: Ensure easier access to GPs, expanding evening and weekend opening,
encouraging phone and Skype appointments,
encouraging GPs to work together in federations, and allowing people more choice.
Encourage GPs and other community clinicians to work in disadvantaged areas though our Patient Premium.
Better utilise the network of community pharmacists across the country so they become the first point of contact for advice on minor illnesses and are joined-up with GPs and community health teams.
Encourage health services to link up with Local Authority social care teams and voluntary services to join up care.
Review the rules for exemption from prescription charges to ensure they are fair to those with long-term conditions and disabilities.
5.5 Aiming higher: following the evidence to  improve health and care
We will set ambitious goals so everything we do in the NHS is focused on helping people in Britain live longer, healthier, lives.
Early diagnosis is absolutely crucial and can make a life-saving difference, so we will support screening programmes where these are proven to be both clinically and cost-effective.
It is also vital we invest in research to develop new treatments and find new ways of delivering innovative treatments in affordable ways.
We will: Set ambitious goals to improve outcomes for the most serious life-threatening diseases like cancer and long-term conditions like dementia.
Work towards a global deal to release significant additional funds for finding a cure or preventive treatment for dementia, doubling NHS research spend for this condition by 2020.
Set clear goals for earlier diagnosis and improved aftercare for conditions like cancer and heart disease.
Promote evidence-based ‘social prescribing’ of sport, arts and other activity to help tackle obesity, mental health problems and other health conditions,
and work to widen the evidence base.
Continue to introduce evidence-based screening programmes, encouraging increased participation with informed consent.
Improve patient safety by updating the laws on regulation of health professionals and on cosmetic procedures.
Ensure targets in the NHS are evidence-based and do not distort clinical priorities.
Improve support for groups that often face lower standards of care, such as older people and people with mental health problems or learning disabilities.
Get the best for the NHS out of innovative medicines and treatments while continuing to ensure value for money for the NHS in negotiations on the cost of medicines, promoting the use of generic medicines where appropriate.
Support, including through rules on public funding and research, moves towards ensuring all clinical trials are registered, with their methods and summary results reported in public.
We will develop a just settlement for haemophiliacs who were given contaminated blood, and their families.
5.6 Helping people keep healthy
It is better for patients and for the NHS if we keep people healthy in the first place, rather than just waiting until people develop illnesses and come for treatment.
This means doing more to promote healthy eating and exercise,
making people aware of the dangers of smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol and other drugs,
and helping to improve mental health and wellbeing.
In government we have taken significant steps, taking tobacco off display in shops and introducing standardised packaging, for example.
We have also returned the delivery of public health services to Local Authorities to ensure a more coordinated and localised approach.
Improving our environment is a vital step to improving people’s health.
By insulating homes we can reduce the number of people who become unwell because of the cold;
by tackling air pollution we can attack the root causes of many deaths;
by opening up more sports facilities and building more cycle routes we can cut obesity and reduce heart problems.
We will: Support effective public awareness campaigns like Be Clear on Cancer, working closely with charities to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of killer diseases.
Keep public health within local government, where it is effectively joined-up with preventive community services.
Restrict the marketing of junk food to children, including restricting TV advertising before the 9pm watershed,
and maintain the effective ‘Five a Day’ campaign.
Encourage the traffic light labelling system for food products and publication of information on calorie, fat, sugar and salt content in restaurants and takeaways.
Reduce smoking rates, including by completing the introduction of standardised packaging for tobacco products.
We will introduce a tax levy on tobacco companies so they fairly contribute to the costs of health care and smoking cessation services, subject to consultation on the detailed design and practicalities.
Carefully monitor the growing evidence base around electronic cigarettes, which appear to be a route by which many people are quitting tobacco,
and ensure restrictions on marketing and use are proportionate and evidence-based.
For example, we support restrictions on advertising which risks promoting tobacco or targets under 18s, such as those introduced in 2014, but would rule out a statutory ban on ‘vaping’ in public places.
Introduce Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol, subject to the outcome of the legal challenge in Scotland,
and support the greater use of Local Authority powers and criminal behaviour orders to help communities tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder.
Pass a Nature Act to increase access to green spaces
and a Green Transport Act to cut air pollution.
5.7 Help for carers
The number of family carers is rising, including in the ‘sandwich generation’ who find themselves trying to care for their children and their parents at the same time.
Carers are unsung heroes and we need to do more to help them.
We have already invested £400m in carers’ breaks, but we can and must go further.
We will: Introduce an annual Carer’s Bonus of £250 for carers looking after someone for 35 hours or more each week.
Work to raise the amount you can earn before losing Carer’s Allowance from £110 to £150 a week.
Consult on introducing five days’ paid additional ‘care leave’ a year for carers who qualify for the Carer’s Allowance.
Give the NHS a legal duty to identify carers and develop a Carer’s Passport scheme to inform carers of their rights in the NHS, like more flexible visiting hours, assert their role as expert partners in care and gain access to support.
5.8 Improving social care
Although we want to support people to remain independent as long as possible, many people will eventually need to rely on the care system.
Liberal Democrats fought hard to secure the cap on the cost of care that will be introduced in 2017,
but the quality of care is vital too.
We have introduced rigorous new inspections under the Chief Inspector of Social Care and new guidance to end the use of fifteen-minute visits.
We will end ‘care cramming’, which turns care workers into clockwatchers rushing between jobs.
We are clamping down on care workers being paid less than the National Minimum Wage by resourcing and directing HMRC to pursue and prosecute providers who exploit their staff.
We will: Finish the job of implementing the Dilnot Report proposals for a cap on the cost of social care.
Provide more choice at the end of life, and free end-of-life social care for those placed on their local end-of-life register if evidence shows it is affordable and cost effective.
Ask the Care Quality Commission to showcase examples of good and bad practice in care commissioning by Councils.
Raise the professional status and training of care home managers through statutory licensing.
Ensure those who work in the care sector are properly trained and suitable to practice by introducing a statutory code of conduct backed up by a care workers’ suitability register.
Work with local government and providers to promote paying a Living Wage.
`
Better places  to live Communities, farming and the  natural environment
Liberal Democrats are the only major party that takes seriously the responsibility of protecting our natural environment.
We believe it is vital to make sure everyone has access to clean water, clean air and green spaces.
We want to hand our countryside and green spaces on to the next generation in a better condition than when we were children.
Liberal Democrats are the only major party that takes seriously the responsibility of protecting our natural environment.
We believe it is vital to make sure everyone has access to clean water, clean air and green spaces.
We want to hand our countryside and green spaces on to the next generation in a better condition than when we were children.
That is why we have consistently defended the natural environment in government, bringing forward plans for a 5p charge for plastic bags,
planting a million extra trees in England
and ensuring Natural England remains a strong and independent organisation able to speak up for nature.
We have fought to protect the Green Belt and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
and we have increased public access to our coastal paths.
Liberal Democrats are proud to represent a large part of rural Britain and many farming constituencies.
We believe a fair society is one where people can afford to work and live in the countryside,
and where farmers get the support they need.
We want them to have a prosperous, sustainable future, and help them cope with the challenges facing them, from floods to animal diseases.
That is why we introduced the Groceries Code Adjudicator to ensure large supermarkets treat their suppliers lawfully and fairly.
We have spent £3.2 billion on flood management and defences over the course of this Parliament.
Liberal Democrats have kept farming and the natural environment at the top of the agenda over the past five years.
We will ensure it remains a priority in the next Parliament.
A Record of Delivery
Planted a million trees and protected our national forests by blocking plans to sell them off
Introduced a 5p charge on throwaway plastic bags to reduce waste
£500m investment package to promote Ultra Low Emission vehicles which will cut emissions and improve air quality
Halted the Post Office closure programme
and brought broadband to 80% of homes.
A Promise of More
Expand accessible green space with new National Nature Parks chosen by local communities,
and plant a tree for every child born
Drive up recycling to 70% of household waste and minimise landfill
Save lives by cleaning up our air, with low emission zones in towns with a pollution problem
Complete broadband rollout to every home,
and create an innovation fund to help keep local GPs,
post offices
and libraries open
6.1 Protecting nature
Britain’s natural environment is precious.
Without our green spaces, we would live less satisfying lives; they are critical to health, wellbeing and our sense of community.
Even in cash terms, short-term profits from exploiting the environment carry a longer-term penalty in squandered resources, clear-up costs and the impact on health.
We will ensure that protecting the natural environment becomes a core commitment of every government department and agency.
We will: Pass a Nature Act to put the Natural Capital Committee (NCC) on a statutory footing,
set natural capital targets, including on biodiversity, clean air and water,
and empower the NCC to recommend actions to meet these targets.
Significantly increase the amount of accessible green space.
We will complete the coastal path,
introduce a fuller Right to Roam
and a new designation of National Nature Parks to protect up to a million acres of accessible green space valued by local communities.
Place the management of public forests on a sustainable footing, in line with the recommendations of the Independent Panel on Forestry,
and plant at least an additional tree for every child born – about 750,000 every year – as part of a major afforestation plan.
Tackle wildlife and environmental crime with increased enforcement of environmental regulations by all relevant authorities
and higher penalties to ensure environmental crime is not a financial risk worth taking.
Improve UK enforcement of the EU Birds and Habitats Directive.
Bring forward a package of measures to protect bees and other pollinators, including legal protection for bumblebee nests.
Designate an ecologically coherent network of marine protected areas with appropriate management by 2020.
Encourage the uptake of water metering, including introducing metering in all defined water-stressed areas by 2025,
coupled with the development of national social tariffs to protect low-income households.
Liberal Democrats believe in the highest standards of animal welfare.
We will review the rules surrounding the sale of pets to ensure they promote responsible breeding and sales
and minimise the use of animals in scientific experimentation,
including by funding research into alternatives.
We remain committed to the three Rs of humane animal research: Replace, Reduce, Refine.
6.2 Waste not, want not: using our resources to generate lasting prosperity
The successful economies of the future will be ‘circular’ - where waste and the use of non-renewable resources are minimised and recovery, reuse and recycling are maximised.
Britain has a real opportunity to lead the way, generating sustainable prosperity and jobs.
We will bring forward a comprehensive waste strategy to build a thriving reuse and recycling industry
and pass a Resource Efficiency and Zero Waste Act to: Task the Natural Capital Committee with producing a ‘Stern report’ on resource use, identifying resources being used unsustainably and recommending legally binding targets for reducing their net consumption.
Use regulation both nationally and in the EU to promote sustainable design
where reparability, reuse and recyclability are prioritised,
and to reduce packaging waste.
Establish a coherent tax and regulatory framework for landfill, incineration and waste collection to drive continuous increases in reuse and recycling rates
and ensure only non-recyclable waste is incinerated,
including reinstating the Landfill Tax escalator and extending it to the lower rate
and consulting on the introduction of an Incineration Tax.
Commission the Natural Capital Committee to investigate the potential for other resource taxes, including deposit refund schemes.
Establish a statutory waste recycling target of 70% in England.
Encourage the growth of anaerobic digestion to produce biogas for heat and transport, and sustainable fertiliser,
working with Local Authorities to extend separate food waste collections to at least 90% of homes by 2020.
6.3 Food and farming
Our farmers do an essential job putting food on our tables and enhancing the natural environment, but food policy has been neglected for too long.
We will encourage investment, growth, innovation and new entrants, securing the future of the UK food and farming industry.
Liberal Democrats want continued reform of the Common Agricultural Policy,
eliminating the remaining production and export subsidies and supporting the development of environmentally sustainable solutions to growing demand for food.
We will: Ensure farming support is concentrated on sustainable food production,
conservation and tackling climate change,
shifting CAP payments to the active farmer rather than the landowner.
Introduce a National Food Strategy to promote the production and consumption of healthy, sustainable and affordable food.
Our strategy will increase the use of locally and sustainably sourced, healthy and seasonal food, including in public institutions like schools and the NHS, implementing and expanding Defra’s Plan for Public Procurement.
Work at EU level to ensure clear and unambiguous country of origin labelling on meat, meat products, milk and dairy products.
Continue to support the Groceries Code Adjudicator.
We will allow the Adjudicator to use discretion when holding a supermarket responsible for the treatment of suppliers so they can help ensure farmers get a fair price.
This will help all suppliers, including in the dairy industry, which is under particular pressure.
Ensure the Food Standards Agency is adequately resourced to enforce food safety standards,
and strengthen food fraud surveillance.
Help farmers and growers compete internationally by continuing to reduce the administrative and regulatory burden
and developing an Animal Disease Strategy to reduce the risks and costs of animal disease.
Continue to improve standards of animal welfare, building on Britain’s leadership.
We will review the use of cages, crates and routine preventive antibiotics.
Introduce effective, science-led ways of controlling bovine TB, including by investing to produce workable vaccines, in line with the TB Eradication Strategy.
We will only support extending the existing cull pilots if they are shown to be effective, humane and safe.
Fully implement recent reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy, working with industry and others to develop a national plan for sustainable UK fisheries,
with fair treatment for the inshore small boat fleet.
6.4 Adapting to climate change
The devastating floods experienced over the past few years are a sign of accelerating climate change,
exacerbated by changing patterns of land use.
We need to find better ways of adapting to storms, gales, flooding and heat waves that put increased pressure on infrastructure, water supplies and ecosystems.
We will: Prepare a national resilience plan to help the UK economy, national infrastructure and natural resources adapt to the likely impacts of a 3-4 degree global average temperature rise.
Work with local government to review the governance of flood risk and land drainage, including the role of Internal Drainage Boards,
and introduce high standards for flood resilience for buildings and infrastructure in flood risk areas.
Set up a commission to research back-to-nature flood prevention schemes, including the role of habitats such as upland bogs and moors, woodlands, wetlands and species-rich grasslands in absorbing and holding water
Implement programmes to help farmers and other land users adapt to climate change impacts including protecting soil and forest carbon sinks, encouraging planting in uplands and restoring flood plains.
Review the system of approvals required by landowners to repair existing flood protection measures on their land.
Increase the uptake of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems to maximise value for money for the taxpayer.
We will consult on the best ways to finance this.
Update construction and planning standards to futureproof buildings against higher summer temperatures.
6.5 Air quality and greener transport
Poor air quality is a significant health problem.
After smoking, estimates suggest it is Britain’s second biggest public health challenge, responsible for the equivalent of 29,000 deaths every year.
We will pass a Green Transport Act, including a National Plan to improve dramatically Britain’s air quality by 2020.
Our National Air Quality Plan for consultation will include: A legal requirement targeted at the most polluted towns and cities, to create Low Emission Zones.
New incentives for local schemes that cut transport-related pollution, and encourage walking and cycling.
A review of the MOT process, to see whether changes could be introduced to cut emissions from existing vehicles.
Support for new EU proposals on air quality targets and updated plans to more quickly meet existing EU air quality standards for concentrations of nitrogen dioxide.
To promote innovation and greener transport choices we will: Support ambitious EU vehicle emission standards,
and reform Vehicle Excise Duty to drive continuous reductions in greenhouse gas and other pollutants from the UK car fleet and return revenues to levels projected in 2010.
This will include introducing separate banding for new diesel cars.
Encourage the market for electric vehicles, including with targeted support for buses, taxis and light freight,
and early requirements to use low emission vehicles in the public sector.
We will set a target of 2040 for the date after which only Ultra-Low Emission vehicles will be permitted on UK roads for non-freight purposes.
Work with industry to accelerate the commercial introduction of zero emission fuel cell electric vehicles,
and facilitate the UK-wide introduction of hydrogen fuelling infrastructure.
Review the best way to keep our regulatory framework updated to permit use of driverless and personal electric vehicles.
Support options for an intercity cycleway along the HS2 route, within the overall budget for the project.
Implement the recommendations of the Get Britain Cycling report, including steps to deliver a £10 a head annual public expenditure on cycling within existing budgets.
This will allow greater investment in cycling including bike lanes, high-volume secure bike parking, and road safety measures to keep cyclists safe.
6.6. Improving local public transport
High-quality public transport is essential to building sustainable communities and local economies, and two thirds of public transport journeys are made by bus.
With more people commuting to work by bus than any other mode of public transport, buses are of significant importance to the economy.
Bus services are also particularly important to many rural and isolated communities, where one in five of the population lives.
Carry out a review of bus funding and bus policies and introduce a five-year investment plan to give the industry and Local Authorities certainty and help plan investment.
We will support local areas that want to bring forward plans for regulating the bus network in their area.
Give new powers to Local Authorities and communities to improve transport in their areas,
including the ability to introduce network-wide ticketing like in London.
Support the expansion of smart ticketing systems.
Continue funding for local economic and sustainable transport infrastructure through the Local Growth Fund.
Help bus companies trade in older, more polluting buses and coaches for newer, low emissions ones, helping develop the market for low-carbon buses.
6.7 Sustainable rural communities
A thriving rural community needs local services and community facilities like schools, public transport, local shops, cultural venues and pubs.
It needs enough homes, affordable for local families, to ensure those services are viable.
And it needs public transport:
travel costs are a major component of rural poverty.
Liberal Democrats understand the changes needed to support a living, working countryside.
We will: Renew the 2010–15 commitment that there will be no programme of Post Office closures and protect Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation to deliver across the UK for the same price.
Introduce ‘retained’ police officers, fully trained officers available to respond when needed, to increase police presence in rural communities.
Develop the Community Budgets model for use in rural areas to combine services, encouraging the breaking down of boundaries between different services.
This will help keep rural services like GP surgeries, pharmacies, post offices and libraries open by enabling them to cooperate, share costs and co-locate in shared facilities.
Continue the fuel discount scheme for remote areas implemented by Liberal Democrat Ministers
and work with the European Commission to extend it to further remote areas with high fuel costs.
Work with Local Authorities to integrate transport networks in rural areas, building on the work of Liberal Democrat Ministers’ Total Transport pilot.
Green Britain Guarantee: Five Green Laws
A Nature Act which will include:
Placing the Natural Capital Committee on a statutory footing.
The Committee was set up in 2012; it provides advice to the government on the state of England’s natural assets including forests, rivers, land, minerals and oceans.
A requirement for government to set out a 25-year plan for recovering nature, with annual updates to Parliament,
including how to reverse the decline of UK species and their habitats
and ensure that bees and other insects are able to fulfil their important role as crop pollinators.
The introduction of a new Public Sector Sustainability Duty, requiring steadily higher green criteria in public procurement policy,
and placing requirements on public authorities to act in a sustainable manner.
Implementation of the findings of the Independent Panel on Forestry, creating a new public body, free from political interference and securely funded, to own and manage the national forests.
Transposition of EU air and water quality targets into UK law to confirm our commitments.
A sustainable water abstraction regime, for the public, industry and the natural environment.
The formation of a one million square kilometre southern Atlantic Ocean reserve.
A Resource Efficiency and Zero Waste Britain Act which will include:
Implementation of recommendations from our planned ‘Stern Report’ on resource efficiency, which the Natural Capital Committee will conduct.
Increased penalties for waste crimes, aiming to move from an average fine of £50,000 to £75,000 and to an average sentence of 12 to 18 months.
A statutory recycling target of 70% for waste in England.
Regulation to promote design that enhances repairability, reuse and recycling, requiring specified products to be sold with parts and labour guarantees for at least five years.
Liberal Democrats will put the environment at the heart of government policy.
We will pass five green laws to establish a permanent legal framework for a prosperous, sustainable economy.
A Green Transport Act which will include:
A statutory target of 2030 by which time all major, regularly used rail routes will need to be electrified.
A requirement that every new bus and taxi is Ultra Low Emission from 2030
and every car on the road meets that standard by 2040.
The creation of Low Emission Zones as part of a national air quality plan, including a legal requirement for the most polluted towns and cities
A new statutory framework that all new rail franchises include a stronger focus on customers
Updates to roads regulation to promote innovation in transport like driverless cars and personal electric vehicles.
A Zero Carbon Britain Act which will include:
A new legally-binding target for Zero Carbon Britain by 2050, to be monitored and audited by the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
The Climate Change Act 2008 established an aim to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 based on the 1990 baseline.
A 2030 power sector decarbonisation target of 50-100g per kWh, as recommended by the CCC.
Emission Performance Standards for existing coal power stations, designed to ensure electricity generation from unabated coal will stop by 2025.
Giving full borrowing powers to the Green Investment Bank, to boost further investment in low-carbon technologies.
A Green Buildings Act which will include:
A Council Tax discount for significant improvements in energy efficiency in homes.
Ambitious targets for all social and private rented homes to reach Energy Performance Certificate Band C by 2027.
A statutory target to bring the homes of all fuel-poor households to Band C by 2027.
A new legal framework to require regulators to facilitate the development of deep geothermal heat,
large-scale heat pumps,
waste industrial heat
and energy storage systems.
New powers for government to introduce new energy efficiency and heat saving regulations to reduce heat and energy use.
Affordable homes for all Meeting our housing needs
For people to live fulfilled lives they need a decent home at a cost they can afford.
But that simple ambition is getting further and further out of reach.
Britain has failed for decades to build enough homes,
and in many places property prices and rents have risen beyond what normal working families can afford.
We have to speed up house building
and stop prices from getting any further out of reach of families.
For people to live fulfilled lives they need a decent home at a cost they can afford.
But that simple ambition is getting further and further out of reach.
Britain has failed for decades to build enough homes,
and in many places property prices and rents have risen beyond what normal working families can afford.
Meanwhile many older people in homes that are no longer right for their circumstances would like to move but do not have suitable options.
We have made a start in addressing this.
The supply of affordable rented housing has been increasing.
We have liberalised the planning system,
while protecting important green spaces.
We have pushed government departments to release unwanted sites for homes.
But the problems are now in danger of becoming a crisis, with home ownership plummeting among the under 40s,
many young people priced out of even renting a place of their own,
and the risk of a new housing bubble, focused on London and the South East.
We have to speed up house building
and stop prices from getting any further out of reach of families.
A Record of Delivery
Restored house building from record lows to nearly 150,000 a year
Helped families buy a home with Help to Buy equity loans
Banned ‘revenge evictions’ where rogue landlords evict tenants who make complaints
Improved the energy efficiency of a million homes since 2013, cutting overall UK energy use by 2.5% a year
A Promise of More
Set an ambitious goal to build 300,000 homes a year, including in 10 new Garden Cities
in areas where homes are needed most
New Rent to Own homes where your monthly payments steadily buy you a stake in the property
New Help to Rent tenancy deposit loans to help young people get into their first place
Cut Council Tax by £100 for 10 years if you insulate your home,
and ban landlords from letting out homes tenants cannot reasonably afford to heat
7.1 Building more and better homes
For far too long Britain has built many fewer homes than we need;
unless we build enough to meet demand, year after year, we will find housing costs rise further out of reach.
That is why we have set an ambitious target of increasing the rate of house building to 300,000 a year.
Within the first year of the next Parliament, we will publish a long-term plan that sets out how this goal will be achieved.
Our plans will include: At least ten new Garden Cities in England, in areas where there is local support, providing tens of thousands of high-quality new homes, with gardens and shared green space, jobs, schools and public transport.
We will encourage rural Local Authorities to follow these principles on a smaller scale, too, developing new garden villages or suburbs as part of their plans for growth.
Up to five major new settlements along a Garden Cities Railway between Oxford and Cambridge.
Ambitious targets for development on unwanted public sector sites through the Homes and Communities Agency,
with Local Authorities given new powers to ensure development happens on any unused site in which the public sector has an interest.
A review of Compulsory Purchase legislation to facilitate site assembly, including for Garden Cities.
We will also pilot techniques for capturing the increase in land values from the granting of planning permission, helping to deliver our Garden Cities.
A government commissioning programme to boost house building towards our 300,000 target; where the market alone fails to deliver sufficient numbers, government agencies will directly commission homes for sale and rent to fill the gap.
We are already piloting this direct approach in Cambridgeshire.
A new government-backed Housing Investment Bank to provide long-term capital for major new settlements and help attract finance for major house building projects.
7.2 Improving planning
Good planning is essential to delivering sustainable communities.
With effective planning rules, we can ensure the new homes we build are well connected to public transport,
resilient to the threats of climate change,
safe, warm and secure, and situated in real communities where people can easily come together.
We will work with Local Authorities to ensure they think for the long term, and use their powers to facilitate an affordable local housing market.
We will: Put Local Authorities in the driving seat for plan-led development by requiring them to make a plan for 15 years of housing need, working collaboratively with neighbouring Councils where necessary to identify sites.
We will strengthen the Duty to Cooperate to help authorities –  like Cambridge, Oxford and Luton – with insufficient space within the Local Authority boundary to meet housing demand to grow, through development on sites beyond the Local Authority boundaries
. This long-term approach will enable us to secure the homes we need while being much stricter about proposals that deviate from the Local Plan.
We will: Create a Community Right of Appeal in cases where planning decisions go against the approved local plan, or a Local Plan that is emerging and has undergone substantive consultation.
Not allow developers’ appeals against planning decisions that are in line with the local plan.
Not allow planning appeals solely on the basis of challenges to the 15-year master plan.
Improve housing needs assessments to ensure they respond to demand, including through price signals, rather than simply need,
and segment more effectively demand from different kinds of household, including high-quality shared accommodation for young people.
All areas will be expected to plan for the needs of older people for age-appropriate housing
and we will work with Local Authorities to help people who wish to ‘right size’, particularly in later life.
Require Local Authorities to keep a register of people who want a self-build plot in the local area and plan to meet demand for these plots, including through ‘affordable land’:
plots on which self-builders can take a long-term lease at an affordable rent and build or commission a home.
Update planning law to introduce the concept of ‘landscape scale planning’
and ensure new developments promote walking, cycling, car sharing and public transport and improve rather than diminish access to green spaces.
Prioritise development on brownfield and town centre sites and bring to an end the permitted development rights for converting offices to residential.
Enable Local Authorities to: Attach planning conditions to new developments to ensure homes are occupied, tackling the growth of ‘buy to leave empty’ investments from overseas in property hotspots like London.
Levy up to 200% Council Tax on second homes where they judge this to be appropriate.
Pilot new planning conditions to ensure local communities benefit from increased housing supply.
7.3 Affordable housing
The government has an essential role to play in supporting the development of affordable housing.
We have maintained a substantial programme of affordable house building in the last five years, in part enabled by designing innovative products that can deliver new homes at a lower cost.
We will continue to innovate, enabling Local Authorities, Housing Associations and central government alike to build many more homes.
We will: Review the Homes and Communities Agency’s grant programmes to simplify and streamline the process and enable more innovation.
Allow Local Authorities more flexibility to borrow to build affordable housing, including traditional council housing,
and devolve full control of the Right to Buy.
Scrap plans to exempt smaller housing development schemes from their obligation to provide affordable homes.
Encourage affordable housing providers – both Councils and Housing Associations – to innovate, including using the development of homes for sale or market rent to help subsidise new affordable homes.
We will refocus the Vacant Building Credit so it only applies to properties that have been vacant for an extended period.
Tackle overcrowding with a new system to incentivise social landlords to reduce the number of tenants under-occupying their homes, freeing up larger properties.
Introduce a new Intermediate Housing Fund to fund intermediate housing products, including:
Affordable Rent homes, at up to 80% of local market rent.
Shared Ownership homes, where customers buy a proportion of the home and pay an affordable rent for the rest.
A new Rent to Own model where monthly payments steadily accrue the tenant a percentage stake in the property, owning it outright after 30 years.
New build shared accommodation at the local LHA Shared Accommodation Rate.
We recognise that most people aspire to own their own home, and believe in supporting people on the journey to home ownership.
But policies that promote home ownership should be focused on newly built homes to prevent artificial pressure on prices, and should not discriminate on the basis of previous housing tenure.
7.4 Protecting private tenants and leaseholders
More and more people –  including families –  are renting in the private sector for the long term.
We believe private renting is an important part of the housing market, but the balance has shifted too far against the tenant, and more needs to be done to help people making a home in rented property.
We will: Improve protections against rogue landlords and encourage a new multi-year tenancy with an agreed inflation-linked annual rent increase built in.
Enable Local Authorities to operate licensing schemes for rental properties in areas where they believe it is needed.
Establish a voluntary register of rented property where either the landlord or the tenant can register the property, to improve enforcement and tax transparency.
Ban letting agent fees to tenants if the transparency requirements we introduced are not successful in bringing fees down to an affordable level by the end of 2016.
Extend the use of Rent Repayment Orders to allow tenants to have their rent refunded when a property is found to contain serious risks to health,
and withhold rent from landlords who have not carried out court-ordered improvements within a reasonable period of time
Introduce a new Help to Rent scheme to provide government-backed tenancy deposit loans for all first-time renters under 30.
Conduct a full review of the help single people get under homelessness legislation.
7.5 Affordable warmth and greener homes
Warming our homes is an essential part of the fight against climate change,
and also vital to keep bills affordable.
Energy prices in Britain are lower than the EU average but our bills are higher because our homes are so poorly insulated.
We have made huge advances in this Parliament, increasing standards for newly built homes, and improving more than a million homes in just two years.
In the next Parliament we will go further, ensuring at least four million homes are improved by 2020,
not only lowering bills and helping to tackle the scourge of fuel poverty,
but generating jobs too.
We will: Remove exemptions in the Zero Carbon Standard for new homes, increasing the standard steadily and extending it to non-domestic buildings from 2019.
We will promote the development of off-site manufacturing techniques, which have been shown to improve energy performance of buildings.
Pass a new Green Buildings Act to set new energy efficiency targets, including a long-term ambition for every home to reach at least an energy rating of Band C by 2035.
Act to tackle fuel poverty, ensuring all low-income homes are brought up to Band C by 2027,
with continued support for the Green Deal Communities programme, enabling local Councils to provide help street by street.
Improve the standard of private rented and social housing, requiring these homes to be upgraded to Band C by 2027.
Introduce incentives to help everyone invest in energy efficiency:
A Council Tax reduction of at least £100 for 10 years, when the resident’s home has an energy saving improvement of at least two bands.
A new Feed Out Tariff for investment in solid wall insulation, the most expensive and difficult energy saving investment for some homes.
Reform the Green Deal ‘pay as you save’ scheme into a new Green Homes Loan Scheme,
funding renewable heat and electricity alongside energy efficiency.
Boost community energy efficiency by empowering the Green Investment Bank to develop innovative financial products for whole street or district-wide energy efficiency retrofits.
Develop a range of targeted, innovative programmes to support the above, including infrastructure funding where appropriate, such as: ‘Insulation on prescription’ to link up the NHS with the fuel poverty agenda.
An Off-Gas-Grid Strategy to help rural areas benefit from new technologies.
Interest-free loans to fund energy efficiency home improvements.
Freedom and opportunity Equal rights for all
Liberal Democrats have always been champions of liberty and human rights.
Freedom of expression has recently been under renewed attack, and siren voices call for us to sacrifice freedom to gain illusory security.
Liberal Democrats reject this false choice: true security for individuals and for our nation must be built on a platform of equal rights and civil liberties.
Discrimination and inequality can hold people back just as much as a lack of legal freedoms.
Opportunities are not equally distributed in modern Britain.
That must change, and will with Liberal Democrats in government.
Liberal Democrats have always been champions of liberty and human rights.
No one can make the most of their lives if their basic freedoms are violated.
This election comes just a month before we celebrate the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a foundation stone of our liberties.
Legal protections have come a long way since then, but as society and technology becomes more complex there is a never-ending struggle to reassert the principle of individual liberty.
Freedom of expression has recently been under renewed attack, and siren voices call for us to sacrifice freedom to gain illusory security.
Liberal Democrats reject this false choice: true security for individuals and for our nation must be built on a platform of equal rights and civil liberties.
Discrimination and inequality can hold people back just as much as a lack of legal freedoms.
Opportunities are not equally distributed in modern Britain.
Where you are from, what your parents did, your ethnicity, health, sexuality and gender still too often affect your chances in life, your educational attainments, your work prospects, how you are treated by the police and the justice system, and even how long you will live.
That must change, and will with Liberal Democrats in government.
A Record of Delivery
Scrapped ID cards and blocked the so-called Snooper’s Charter that would have monitored everyone’s internet use
Freedoms Act to cut intrusive CCTV,
stop fingerprinting children in schools
and stop aggressive wheel clamping
Introduced equal marriage for gay and lesbian couples
Reduced the gender pay gap and increased the number of women on boards
Stopped locking up children of asylum seekers
and strengthened rules on police stop and search
A Promise of More
Protect your privacy by updating data laws for the internet age with a Digital Bill of Rights
A second Freedoms Act to protect free speech,
stop heavy-handed policing
and ban Mosquito devices that discriminate against young people.
Combat homophobic bullying and discrimination, including in schools
Support a million more women who want to work with better childcare,
help with caring responsibilities
and action against discrimination
Fight discrimination in the criminal justice system
and recruit more Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic police officers
8.1 Equality and diversity
A fair society should treat its citizens equally and with dignity.
In this Parliament, thanks to Liberal Democrats in government, there have been key advances in the fight for equality – like introducing same-sex marriage and banning age discrimination.
But we must continue our work to fight prejudice and discrimination based on race, age, religion or belief, gender, sexuality, and disability.
We will enact the remaining unimplemented clauses of the Equality Act 2010.
To advance the cause of women and gender equality we will: Set an ambitious goal to see a million more women in work by 2020 thanks to more jobs, better childcare, and better back-to-work support.
Challenge gender stereotyping and early sexualisation, working with schools to promote positive body image
and widespread understanding of sexual consent law,
and break down outdated perceptions of gender appropriateness of particular academic subjects.
Work to end the gender pay gap, including with new rules on gender pay transparency.
Continue the drive for diversity in business leadership, maintaining momentum towards at least 30% of board members being women
and encouraging gender diversity among senior managers, too.
We will work to achieve gender equity in government programmes that support entrepreneurs.
To promote equality in relationships and for LGBT+ individuals, we will:
Give legal rights and obligations to cohabiting couples in the event of relationship breakdown or one partner dying without a will.
Permit humanist weddings and opposite sex civil partnerships, and liberalise the rules about the location, timing and content of wedding ceremonies.
Support schools to tackle homophobic and transphobic bullying and discrimination,
and to establish a tolerant and inclusive environment for all their pupils.
We will remove schools’ exemption from the bar on harassment in these areas
while protecting the right to teach about religious doctrine.
Promote international recognition of same sex marriages and civil partnerships as part of a comprehensive International LGBT Rights Strategy that supports the cause of decriminalising homosexuality in other countries.
Seek to pardon all those with historic convictions for consensual homosexual activity between adults.
Enhance the experience of all football fans by making homophobic chanting a criminal offence, like racist chanting.
Ask the Advisory Committee on Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs periodically to review rules around men who have sex with men donating blood to consider what restrictions remain necessary.
To tackle the racial discrimination faced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people we will: Build on the Coalition’s BAME Access to Finance report to identify ways to encourage more BAME applicants to apply for finance and set up small business.
We will publish diversity data on government entrepreneurship programmes and seek to achieve fair representation of BAME communities.
Encourage businesses to ensure at least one place on their board is filled by a BAME candidate.
Monitor and tackle the BAME pay gap.
Outlaw caste discrimination.
Maintain funding for people to develop and improve their English language skills to enable them to fully participate in society and achieve their potential.
Challenge discrimination in the criminal justice system by: Improving the safeguards in police stop and search powers in England and Wales with tighter guidance
and requiring police to wear body cameras in Section 60 areas, the establishment of which will require judicial sanction.
Boosting police recruitment from BAME groups.
Conducting a full review of the causes of the overrepresentation of BAME individuals in the criminal justice system.
To tackle religious discrimination and support faith and belief communities in working together we will: Continue support for the Interfaith Network to promote strong and sustainable relations between different faith communities.
Support projects aimed at tackling intolerance such as Show Racism the Red Card and the Anne Frank Trust UK.
Work closely with faith and community organisations, such as the Community Security Trust (which works to protect the Jewish community against antisemitic attacks) and the Muslim Council of Britain, to prevent hate crime,
including at places of worship like synagogues and mosques.
We are determined to combat antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate in the UK and internationally.
To empower people with disabilities to live full lives and achieve their potential we will: Improve the benefits system for disabled people, based on the principle of one assessment, one budget.
This will bring together support like Personal Independence Payment, Employment Support Allowance, a replacement for the Independent Living Fund and health and social care entitlements.
We will implement the proposals set out in the 2015 Green Paper on Learning Disabilities.
Ensure disabled people who need an extra room are entitled to one in any assessment of their Housing Benefit needs.
Help greater numbers of disabled people work by encouraging employers to shortlist any qualified disabled candidate
and providing advice about workplace adaptation.
Maintain Disabled Students’ Allowance to ensure students with disabilities receive appropriate support in their university studies,
and review the impact of any changes to consider additional protections for the most vulnerable students with disabilities.
Make it easier to get around by: Making more stations wheelchair accessible and giving wheelchair users priority over children’s buggies when space is limited.
Bringing into effect the provisions of the 2010 Equality Act on discrimination by private hire vehicles and taxis.
Improving the legislative framework governing Blue Badges.
Building on our successes in improving wheelchair access to improve accessibility of public transport for people with other disabilities, including visual and auditory impairment.
Setting up a benchmarking standard for accessible cities.
Tackle disability hate crime by ensuring proper monitoring of incidents by police forces and other public authorities.
Formally recognise British Sign Language as an official language of the United Kingdom.
To ensure the highest standards of equality and fairness in public services we will: Maintain the Public Sector Equality Duty
and encourage external providers to the public sector to follow best practice in terms of diversity.
Prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion in the provision of public services.
Move to ‘name blank’ recruitment wherever possible in the public sector.
Replicate the civil service accelerated programme for underrepresented groups across the public sector.
Require diversity in Public Appointments.
We will introduce a presumption that every shortlist should include a BAME candidate.
We will establish an independent committee that will monitor the drive for greater diversity in public appointments and verify the independence of the appointment process to public bodies, boards and institutions.
Work to ensure the shift to Digital by Default for public services does not leave people behind, by upholding the highest standards of accessibility in digital services and maintaining government programmes on digital inclusion.
Freedom of speech and the free press
As the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris showed, freedom of expression cannot be taken for granted.
In an open society there can be no right ‘not to be offended’, which is why Liberal Democrats in government have strengthened the law to make it harder for prosecutions to be brought for using 'insulting words',
and have led the way in protecting journalists’ sources under the 2000 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA).
Yet censorship and self-censorship are still rife, and the threat of prosecution can have a chilling effect on the willingness of people to speak out against injustice and corruption.
To change this and promote investigative journalism, we will: Introduce statutory public interest defences for exceptional cases where journalists may need to break the law (such as RIPA, the 2010 Bribery Act, and the 1998 Computer Misuse Act) to expose corruption or other criminal acts.
Ensure judicial authorisation is required for the acquisition of communications data which might reveal journalists’ sources or other privileged communications, for any of the purposes allowed under RIPA;
and allow journalists the opportunity to address the court before authorisation is granted, where this would not jeopardise the investigation.
Undertake a post-legislative review of the 2013 Defamation Act, which Liberal Democrats drove through Parliament, to ensure the new provisions are reducing the chill of libel threats.
Introduce, after consultation on the detail, the changes to the 1998 Data Protection Act recommended by Lord Justice Leveson to provide a fairer balance between personal privacy and the requirements of journalism,
ensuring that the position of investigative journalists is safeguarded.
To promote the independence of the media from political influence we will remove Ministers from any role in appointments to the BBC Trust or the Board of Ofcom.
To guarantee press freedom, we will pass a British ‘First Amendment’ law, to require the authorities and the courts to have regard to the importance of a free media in a democratic society.
To nurture public interest journalism and protect the public from press abuse, we are committed to a system of accountability that is totally independent of both government and the newspaper industry, as set out in the Royal Charter on Press Regulation.
We share the hope of Lord Justice Leveson that the incentives for the press to sign up to genuinely independent self-regulation will succeed.
But if, in the judgment of the Press Recognition Panel, after 12 months of operation, there is significant non-cooperation by newspaper publishers, then – as Leveson himself concluded –Parliament will need to act, drawing on a range of options including the legislative steps necessary to ensure that independent self-regulation is delivered.
Where possible, we would seek to do this on the same cross-party basis that achieved the construction of the Leveson scheme by the Royal Charter.
8.3 Policing and security service powers
Liberal Democrats believe security and liberty are two sides of the same coin: you cannot have one without the other.
The police and intelligence agencies do vital work to protect the public and we are rightly proud of them.
But we always have to be vigilant that the state does not overreach itself, as it has done at times through corruption, heavy-handedness or illiberal laws.
We will: Ensure proper oversight of the security services.
Establish in legislation that the police and intelligence agencies should not obtain data on UK residents from foreign governments that it would not be legal to obtain in the UK under UK law.
Back a full judicial enquiry into complicity in torture if the current investigation by the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee investigation fails to get to truth.
End indefinite detention for immigration purposes.
Introduce restrictions on the indefinite use of police bail.
Require judicial authorisation for the use of undercover police officers to infiltrate alleged criminal groups.
Get to the full truth about corrupt practices in parts of the police and the press by ensuring that the Daniel Morgan Panel Inquiry is completed expeditiously
and that Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry starts as soon as the criminal prosecutions in the hacking scandal are completed.
Identify practical alternatives to the use of closed material procedures within the justice system, including the provisions of the 2013 Justice and Security Act,
with the aim of restoring the principle of open justice.
8.4 Securing liberty online
In the modern digital age, the power of the state and of corporate interests can threaten our privacy and liberty.
We have achieved much in rolling back the over-mighty state –  passing the first ever Protection of Freedoms Act to restore lost civil liberties,
securing the ongoing root and branch review of RIPA
and legislating for the creation of a Privacy and Civil Liberties Board –  but we cannot be complacent.
There will be a complete overhaul of surveillance powers in 2016.
We need to ensure this and other opportunities are seized as a chance to control excessive state power,
and ensure that in an era when surveillance is easier than ever before, we maintain the right to privacy and free speech.
Privacy should always be the norm for personal data, meaning surveillance must always be justified and proportionate
and any demand to read private encrypted communications must be targeted and proportionate.
We will: Pass a Digital Bill of Rights, to define and enshrine the digital rights of the citizen.
Safeguard the essential freedom of the internet and back net neutrality, the principle that internet service providers should enable access to all lawful content and applications regardless of the source, and without favouring or blocking particular products or websites.
Oppose the introduction of the so-called Snooper’s Charter.
We blocked the draft Communications Data Bill and would do so again.
Requiring companies to store a record of everyone’s internet activities for a year
or to collect third-party communications data for non-business purposes is disproportionate and unacceptable,
as is the blanket surveillance of our paper post.
Set stricter limits on surveillance and consider carefully the outcomes of the reviews we initiated on surveillance legislation by the Royal United Services Institute and the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation David Anderson QC.
We are opposed to the blanket collection of UK residents’ personal communications by the police or the intelligence agencies.
Access to metadata, live content, or the stored content of personal communications must only take place without consent where there is reasonable suspicion of criminal activity or to prevent threats to life.
Securing our rights and freedoms in law
800 years after Magna Carta, the need for written, legal guarantees of our rights and liberties has not gone away.
We will: Protect the Human Rights Act
and enshrine the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in UK law.
We will take appropriate action to comply with decisions of UK courts and the European Court of Human Rights.
Block any further attempts to limit the right to trial by jury.
Pass a new Freedoms Act, to protect citizens from excessive state powers.
Our Freedoms Act will: Tighten the regulation of CCTV, with more powers for the Surveillance Camera Commissioner.
Extend the rules governing storage of DNA and fingerprints by public authorities to include all biometric data – like facial images.
Protect free speech by ensuring insulting words, jokes, and non-intentional acts, are not treated as criminal,
and that social media communications are not treated more harshly than other media.
Prevent heavy-handed policing of demonstrations by tightly regulating the use of ‘kettling’.
Reform joint enterprise laws.
Ban high-frequency Mosquito devices which discriminate against young people.
Strengthen safeguards to prevent pre-emptive arrests and misuse of pre-charge bail conditions to restrict civil liberties and stifle peaceful protest.
End the Ministerial veto on release of information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Cut back on the petty over-regulation of everyday life, like removing licensing requirements for leafleting for community events,
liberalising the restrictions on songs and readings at wedding ceremonies,
and permitting swimming in open bodies of water.
Our Digital Bill of Rights will:Enshrine the principle that everyone has the right to control their own personal data, and that everyone should be able to view, correct, and (where appropriate and proportionate) delete their personal data, wherever it is held.
Forbid any public body from collecting, storing or processing personal data without statutory authority,
and require any such legislation to be regularly reviewed.
Give increased powers and resources for the Information Commissioner and introduce custodial sentences for egregious breaches of the Data Protection Act.
Ensure privacy is protected to the same extent in telecoms and online as in the offline world.
Public authorities should only invade an individual’s privacy where there is reasonable suspicion of criminal activity or where it is otherwise necessary and proportionate to do so in the public interest, and with appropriate oversight by the courts.
Ensure that privacy policies and terms and conditions of online services, including smartphone apps, must be clear, concise and easy for the user to understand.
Uphold the right of individuals, businesses and public bodies to use strong encryption to protect their privacy and security online.
Make it clear that online services have a duty to provide age-appropriate policies, guidance and support to the children and young people who use their services.
Secure communities Policing, justice and the border force
With Liberal Democrats in government, crime is down 10%.
That means fewer homes burgled, fewer communities blighted and fewer people hurt.
But there is much more to do to reduce crime and free people from fear.
The best way to protect the public is to stop crime from happening in the first place, whether by designing out crime, intervening early, or with effective punishments that challenge offenders and address their criminal behaviour.
We will make sure the number one priority for the criminal justice system is to prevent crime by cutting reoffending.
No one can fulfil their potential if they live in fear.
By ensuring our laws are upheld, we can build strong communities with opportunity for all.
With Liberal Democrats in government, crime is down 10%.
That means fewer homes burgled, fewer communities blighted and fewer people hurt.
But there is much more to do to reduce crime and free people from fear.
The best way to protect the public is to stop crime from happening in the first place, whether by designing out crime, intervening early, or with effective punishments that challenge offenders and address their criminal behaviour.
We will make sure the number one priority for the criminal justice system is to prevent crime by cutting reoffending.
We have begun to tackle abuse in our immigration system, too, closing colleges that break the rules,
cracking down on illegal working
and human trafficking,
and reintroducing border checks.
We will build on this record to rebuild confidence in our borders and immigration system.
A Record of Delivery
Cut crime by 10%, with evidence-based policing directed at the front line
Improved treatment for addiction and mental health problems in prison
More prisoners working longer hours with wages contributing to a Victims’ Fund
National strategy on fighting violence against women and girls
and ending the awful practice of Female Genital Mutilation
Reintroduced border checks so we know who is coming in and leaving the UK
A Promise of More
Focus policing on crime prevention, saving money by scrapping Police and Crime Commissioners
Cut crime with specialist drug courts and non-criminal punishments that help addicts get clean
Reform prisons to focus on turning offenders away from a life of crime
End FGM at home and abroad in a generation,
teach sexual consent in our schools,
and crack down on domestic violence
Complete border checks and use the information to improve our visa rules and deport people with no right to stay
9.1 Preventing crime
Crime and fear of crime are amongst the greatest threats to our security and our ability to live our lives to the full.
Our focus is on trying to prevent crime from happening in the first place.
We will: Design out opportunities for crime, by improving the built environment,
the design of new technologies,
and community resilience.
Strengthen the What Works centre within the College of Policing and require HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to scrutinise the use of evidence by local forces in designing their policing plans.
Build on the success of crime maps to use data more effectively to reduce crime,
working towards the publication of business-by-business data for crimes committed on commercial premises,
and exploring the feasibility of mandatory reporting of fraud losses by individual credit and debit card providers.
9.2 Improving local policing
We are successfully bringing down crime and improving the efficiency of our police forces, but there is more to do.
We believe the police could be far more effective with proper support and shared best practice.
We will: Guarantee the police pursue the public’s priorities by replacing Police and Crime Commissioners with Police Boards made up of Councillors from across the force area.
Encourage police forces and other emergency services to work together at a local, regional and national level to reduce back office costs and deliver efficiency savings.
Support and expand Police Now, which is bringing high-flying graduates and skilled mid-career professionals into our police forces.
Explore the case for transferring responsibility for more serious national crime to the National Crime Agency, enabling local police forces to focus on local crime and anti-social behaviour.
Step up our work with EU partners to tackle serious and organised crime.
9.3 Improve support for victims of crime
The criminal justice system exists to protect the public from crime; where crime does occur victims are our first priority.
We need to make sure they, and their families, are supported both in the aftermath of crimes and throughout the justice system.
We will: Enact a Victims’ Bill of Rights.
Create a single point of contact for victims to give early access to information and support.
Change sentencing guidelines to increase sentences available for hate crimes.
Give victims of crime a right to review what progress police have made to investigate the crime committed against them including cases where the police have declined to investigate.
Give victims a right to choose restorative justice.
Implement the Modern Slavery Strategy to reduce people trafficking and support victims.
9.4 Tackling violence against women and girls
A fair society cannot tolerate today’s unacceptable level of violence against women and girls in Britain.
We have made progress since 2010 but we will not rest until women feel safe and respected.
We will: Ensure teachers, social workers, police officers and health workers in areas where there is high prevalence of female genital mutilation or forced marriage are trained to help those at risk.
Require the teaching of sexual consent in schools as part of age-appropriate sex and relationships education.
Improve the provision of rape crisis centres and refuges for victims of domestic violence with a national network and national sources of funding.
Protect funding for tackling violence against women and girls and maintain the post of International Champion for preventing this violence.
Create a national helpline for victims of domestic and sexual violence – regardless of gender – to provide support, encourage reporting and secure more convictions.
Work to ensure the whole criminal justice system updates practice in line with the Director of Public Prosecutions’ guidance on sexual consent.
9.5 Improving justice and rehabilitating offenders
The criminal justice system can do more to turn people away from a life of crime.
We have made progress in government, for the first time providing probation support for offenders serving sentences of less than twelve months.
Yet still, far too many people are simply warehoused in prison, instead of learning skills that will enable them to earn an honest living when they are released.
We believe that a large prison population is a sign of failure to rehabilitate, not a sign of success.
So our aim is to significantly reduce the prison population by using more effective alternative punishments and correcting offending behaviour.
We will: Prioritise prison for dangerous offenders and those who commit the most serious offences with increased use of tough non-custodial punishments including weekend or evening custody, curfews, unpaid work in the community and GPS tagging.
This will enable us to introduce a presumption against short-term sentences that will help reduce the prison population and cut crime.
Promote Community Justice Panels and other local schemes designed to stop problems from escalating.
Extend the role of the Youth Justice Board to all offenders aged under 21,
give them the power to commission mental health services
and devolve youth custody budgets to Local Authorities.
Create a Women’s Justice Board, modelled on the Youth Justice Board, to improve rehabilitation of female offenders.
Reform prisons so they become places of work, rehabilitation and learning, with offenders receiving an education and skills assessment within one week, starting a relevant course and programme of support within one month and able to complete courses on release.
Improve prison governance and accountability
with a new value added measure to assess progress in reducing reoffending, providing education and tackling addiction and mental health issues,
enabling good prisons to earn greater autonomy.
We will strengthen the independence of the Chief Inspectors of Prisons and Probation.
Provide experts in courts and police stations to identify where mental health or a drug problem is behind an offender’s behaviour so they can be dealt with in a way that is appropriate.
We will pilot US-style drug and alcohol courts.
Strengthen the ‘realistic prospect of custody’ test to reduce the use of remand for suspected offenders who can be safely monitored in the community and are unlikely to receive a prison sentence if found guilty.
Liberal Democrats will adopt the default position that – unless there are strong reasons to the contrary in specific cases – public servants rather than commercial organisations should provide detention, prison, immigration enforcement and secure units.
9.6 Ensuring access to justice
Access to justice is an essential part of a free society and a functioning legal system.
In this Parliament we have had to make significant savings from the Legal Aid budget,
but in the next Parliament our priority for delivering efficiency in the Ministry of Justice should be prison and court reform, using technology and innovation to reduce costs.
We will: Review the criminal Legal Aid market and ensure there are no further savings without an impact assessment as to the viability of competitive and diverse market of Legal Aid providers.
Reduce pressure on the criminal Legal Aid budget by requiring company directors to take out insurance against prosecution for fraud and permitting the use of restrained assets to pay reasonable legal bills.
Carry out an immediate review of civil Legal Aid, judicial review and court fees, in consultation with the judiciary, to ensure Legal Aid is available to all those who need it,
that those of modest means can bring applications for judicial review of allegedly unlawful government action
and that court and tribunal fees will not put justice beyond the reach of those who seek it.
This will mean reversing any recent rises in up-front court fees that make justice unaffordable for many, and instead spreading the fee burden more fairly.
Retain access to recoverable success fees and insurance premiums in asbestosis claims
and where an individual is suing the police;
and also for both claimant and defendant in publication and data protection claims, except where one party is significantly better resourced than the other.
Promote the use of alternative buildings for magistrates’ courts and local dispute resolution programmes like Community Justice Panels to bring justice back into the community.
Support innovation like the provision of civil justice online and expansion of alternative dispute resolution procedures.
Encourage the widespread use of mediation for separating couples, while protecting access to the family courts where necessary
Develop a strategy that will deliver advice and legal support to help people with everyday problems like personal debt and social welfare issues, working across government and involving non-profit advice agencies.
9.7 Tackling terrorism and violent extremism
Terrorism and violent extremism remain a serious threat to the United Kingdom, which requires a proportionate response.
We will: Work with religious and community leaders, civil society groups and social media sites to counter the narratives put forward by extremists,
and create the space for the expression of contrary viewpoints and religious interpretations.
Maintain laws that provide an effective defence against terrorist activity, including proscription of terrorist groups,
Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures,
and Temporary Exclusion Orders, which enable the security services to manage the return of those who have fought illegally in foreign conflicts.
Ensure we continue to provide the appropriate resources to the police and intelligence agencies to meet the threat, including of cyber attack.
Ensure efforts to tackle terrorism do not stigmatise or alienate Muslims or any other ethnic or faith group,
and that government supports communities to help prevent those at risk of radicalisation from being drawn into illegal activity.
Review the process of assessing threats against different ethnic and religious communities to ensure all groups in the UK are properly protected.
9.8 An effective approach to reducing drug harm
For too long the debate about effective ways to reduce the harm caused by drugs has been distorted by political prejudice.
Around the world, countries are trialling new approaches that are reducing drug harm, improving lives, reducing addiction and saving taxpayers’ money.
In the UK we have made good progress on treatment but we continue to give 80,000 people a year a criminal record for drug possession, blighting their employment chances,
and we still imprison 1,000 people a year for personal possession when they are not charged with dealing or any other offence.
We will: Adopt the approach used in Portugal where those arrested for possession of drugs for personal use are diverted into treatment, education or civil penalties that do not attract a criminal record.
As a first step towards reforming the system, legislate to end the use of imprisonment for possession of drugs for personal use,
diverting resources towards tackling organised drug crime instead.
Continue to apply severe penalties to those who manufacture, import or deal in illegal drugs, and clamp down on those who produce and sell unregulated chemical highs.
Establish a review to assess the effectiveness of the cannabis legalisation experiments in the United States and Uruguay in relation to public health and criminal activity.
Legislate to make the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs independent in setting the classification of drugs, while remaining accountable to Parliament and the wider public.
Enable doctors to prescribe cannabis for medicinal use.
Put the Department of Health rather than the Home Office in charge of drug policy.
9.9 Restoring confidence in our borders
The UK secures many benefits from immigration, which boosts our economy and helps staff our public services, especially our NHS.
But we need to tackle the weaknesses in our immigration system, which threatened to undermine confidence in it.
That is why we have led work fully to restore border checks on entry and exit.
We need to improve the administration of our system so we deal with asylum claims and visa applications promptly and return those who do not have a valid claim to be in the UK.
Then we can start to rebuild an open, tolerant Britain.
We will: Complete the restoration of full entry and exit checks at our borders, to rebuild confidence in immigration control, and allow targeting of resources at those who overstay their visas.
Speed up the processing of asylum claims, reducing the time genuine refugees have to wait before they can settle into life in the UK and making it easier to remove those who do not have a right to be here.
We will require working age asylum seekers who have waited more than six months for their claim to be processed to seek work like other benefit claimants, and only to receive benefits if they are unable to do so.
We will end the use of the ‘Azure Card’ for administering benefits in the asylum system.
Double the number of inspections on employers to ensure all statutory employment legislation is being respected.
Separate students within official immigration statistics, while taking tough action against any educational institution that allows abuse of the student route into the UK.
Present to Parliament an annual assessment of skill and labour market shortfalls and surpluses and their impact on the economy, public services and local communities,
together with an audit report on the migration control system, allowing full Parliamentary oversight of Britain’s migration policies.
Continue requirements for all new claimants for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) to have their English language skills assessed, with JSA then being conditional on attending English language courses for those whose English is poor.
Encourage schools with high numbers of children with English as a second language to host English lessons for parents.
People Devolution, democracy and citizenship
For freedom to be meaningful, people need the power not just to make decisions about their own lives, but about the way their country, their community, their workplace and more are run.
Liberal Democrats have made a good start on modernising and decentralising the state.
But we were thwarted in some of our attempts to reform politics.
When it came to reforming the House of Lords
and giving citizens a stronger voice with fair votes, our proposals were blocked.
We still believe these are essential changes and will continue our work to deliver them.
For freedom to be meaningful, people need the power not just to make decisions about their own lives, but about the way their country, their community, their workplace and more are run.
Liberal Democrats have made a good start on modernising and decentralising the state.
We have taken away the Prime Minister’s power to call elections.
We have improved Parliament with more powers for backbenchers and more internal democracy.
We have devolved power to Councils and communities.
We have enacted the biggest transfer of fiscal power from Westminster to Scotland in three hundred years.
We have supported employee democracy and the mutuals movement.
But we were thwarted in some of our attempts to reform politics.
When it came to reforming the House of Lords
and giving citizens a stronger voice with fair votes, our proposals were blocked.
We still believe these are essential changes and will continue our work to deliver them.
A Record of Delivery
Passed a Lobbying Act to introduce a register of consultant lobbyists and curb the influence of special interest money in elections
Fixed term Parliaments, taking away a Prime Minister’s power to call elections when it suits their own party
New powers for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including more financial devolution than ever before
Devolved £7 billion of funding for transport and economic growth to local areas in England.
A Promise of More
Get big money out of politics with a £10,000 cap on donations as part of wider funding reform
Better democracy with a fair voting system in local government and at Westminster
and votes at 16
Deliver on our promises to Scotland in full,
devolve more powers to Wales,
and work for a shared future in Northern Ireland
Meet the needs of England with Devolution on Demand, letting local areas take control of the services that matter most to them
10.1 Better politics
Unfair votes, overcentralisation of decision-making, the power of patronage and the influence of powerful corporate lobbies mean ordinary citizens and local communities are too often excluded and sidelined in politics today.
We need to reform British politics to make it more representative and more empowering of our citizens so it commands greater public confidence.
We will: Take big money out of politics by capping donations to political parties at £10,000 per person each year,
and introducing wider reforms to party funding along the lines of the 2011 report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, funded from savings from existing government spending on politics.
Protect the rights of trade union members to have their subscriptions, including political levies, deducted from their salary,
and strengthen members’ political freedoms by letting them choose which political party they wish to support through such automatic payments.
We will encourage wider participation in trade union ballots through electronic voting.
Introduce votes at age 16 for elections and referendums across the UK,
and make it easier to register to vote in schools and colleges.
Reform the House of Lords with a proper democratic mandate, starting from the proposals in the 2012 Bill.
Reform our voting systems for elections to local government and Westminster to ensure more proportional representation.
We will introduce the Single Transferable Vote for local government elections in England
and for electing MPs across the UK.
We will reduce the number of MPs but only as part of the introduction of a reformed, fair, voting system.
Cancel the boundary review due to report in 2018.
While new constituencies would need to be established for a new voting system, we believe constituency boundary reviews should respect natural geographical communities, with greater flexibility for the Boundary Commission to deviate from exact equality to take account of community ties and continuity of representation.
Explore options to strengthen and simplify the voting rights of UK citizens living abroad and address disenfranchisement experienced by some.
Work with the broadcasters to formalise the process for Leaders' Debates in General Elections, helping ensure they happen and setting a clear threshold for those eligible to participate.
Strengthen and expand the lobbying register and prohibit MPs from accepting paid lobbying work.
We will consider carefully the work of the independent reviewer into the impact of third party spending regulations to ensure the right balance has been struck.
We will also remove the discrimination against third parties by requiring political parties to include the cost of staffing in their national expense limits in the same way as third parties now do.
To reform Parliament in particular we will: Strengthen the role of MPs in amending the Budget and scrutinising government spending proposals.
Make Parliament more family-friendly, and establish a review to pave the way for MP jobsharing arrangements.
Implement a House Business committee to ensure that Parliament and not the executive decides the Parliamentary timetable, ending the ‘talking out’ of private members’ business.
Building on the Wright Committee recommendations of 2009, and experiences of Coalition, we will conduct a full review of Parliamentary procedures, which should formally recognise individual political parties not just Government and Opposition.
10.2 A decentralised but United Kingdom
Liberal Democrats have a proud record of leading the way on giving greater powers to the nations of the UK.
Liberal Democrat Ministers were the ones to lead the 2012 Scotland Act and the 2014 Wales Act through Parliament, transferring more financial autonomy to Scotland than ever before
and Wales’ first tax powers.
And in the last months, we have given the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the power to lower the voting age to 16.
Now we need go further.
We must deliver on the promises made to the people of Scotland and the rest of the UK to further decentralise power.
In short, we will deliver Home Rule to each of the nations of a strong, federal United Kingdom.
Constitutional change has taken place rapidly.
We now need to make sure all the new arrangements work together coherently and we will therefore establish a UK Constitutional Convention, made up from representatives of the political parties, academia, civic society and members of the public, tasked with producing a full written constitution for the UK, to report within two years.
There are many powers that we think should be devolved on an equal basis to the existing Parliaments and Assemblies.
We will transfer power to: Borrow for investment.
Manage the Crown Estate’s economic assets.
Control a range of benefits for older people, carers and disabled people.
Scotland
After the independence referendum, the Smith Commission brought Scotland’s five main parties together to agree what further powers should be assigned to the Scottish Parliament.
Liberal Democrats ensured the package of powers reflects Scotland’s key priorities.
The Scottish Parliament should raise in tax more than half of what it spends in its budget.
A Scottish welfare system should allow the Scottish Parliament to change the benefits regime where there is specific Scottish need or priority, with a starting budget of around £3 billion.
These powers and more will deliver for the Scottish people: an empowered and accountable Scottish Parliament
in a strong and secure United Kingdom.
We will deliver Home Rule for Scotland by implementing the Smith Commission proposals in full in the first session of the next Parliament.
We will continue to make the case for powers currently held at Westminster and Holyrood to be transferred directly to local government where appropriate.
Wales
We endorse the recent St. David’s Day announcement and will implement it in full, devolving powers over energy, ports, local elections, broadcasting and more, and implementing a reserved powers model.
But this announcement does not go far enough.
Liberal Democrats will go further and deliver proper Home Rule for Wales and a Welsh Parliament by: Implementing the remaining Silk Part 1 proposals on financial powers for Wales.
We will consider the work of the Government’s review on devolution of Air Passenger Duty (APD),
with a view to devolving long-haul APD.
Implementing the Silk Part 2 proposals by: Transferring powers from the UK Parliament to the National Assembly over S4C, sewerage, transport, teachers’ pay, youth justice, policing and in the longer term other justice powers.
Devolving funding of Network Rail in relation to the Wales network.
Strengthening the capacity of the National Assembly to scrutinise legislation and hold the Welsh Government to account.
Allowing the Welsh Government to set its own bank holidays.
Providing for a Welsh Parliament, preventing Westminster from being able to override Wales on devolved matters,
and devolving the power to amend electoral arrangements for the Assembly and local elections in Wales with a two thirds majority.
Giving the Children’s Commissioner for Wales the power to examine issues that affect children in Wales but are not within the control of the Welsh Government.
In addition, to help create jobs and boost growth in Wales, we will abolish the economically distorting tolls on the Severn Bridge once the debts are paid off.
Northern Ireland
Liberal Democrats wish to see a permanently peaceful, stable, non-sectarian
and truly democratic society in Northern Ireland.
We will work constructively with the political parties in Northern Ireland and with the Irish Government to ensure the political stability of the Northern Ireland Assembly and other institutions of the Belfast Agreement.
To grow the economy, tackle social exclusion, overcome inequality and deliver efficiencies in public services, Liberal Democrats will support policies and initiatives that promote sharing over separation and counter the cost of division.
A key aspect of this is dealing with the legacy of the past.
The Stormont House Agreement represents another stage in the intensive work necessary to build long-term peace, stability and prosperity in Northern Ireland.
In Government we delivered on the commitment to enable the devolution of Corporation Tax to Northern Ireland by April 2017.
We will continue to work with all parties to implement the full package of measures in the Stormont House Agreement and address outstanding issues.
We will build on this by: Keeping under review the prospect of further devolution of fiscal powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly
and other powers that would improve the financial accountability of the Assembly.
Promoting a strong mechanism for working constructively with civic society in Northern Ireland.
Working to ensure the interface is smooth and effective between national security and counter-terrorism policing on the one hand, and local policing and criminal justice activities on the other.
Supporting changes to the powers and internal mechanisms of the Northern Ireland Assembly that reinforce the development of normal, democratic principles
and enhances the creation of a shared future beyond sectarianism and division.
Working with the political parties in Northern Ireland to tackle the cost of division and ensuring all Government policies in Northern Ireland support the aim of a genuine Shared Future for all.
England
Devolution of power to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has implications for the UK Parliament and its dual role in legislating for England as well as the federal UK.
It is possible that a future UK government could use the support of MPs representing Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland to secure the passage of legislation that only affects England, even if the majority in England were opposed.
This would be a key issue for our proposed Constitutional Convention to address.
Liberal Democrats believe an English-only stage in legislation affecting England should be considered, so English MPs can have a separate say on laws that only affect England.
However, this would need to be on a proportional basis, genuinely reflecting the balance of opinion in England, not the distorted picture generated by the First Past the Post system.
Beyond Parliament, there is much to change to improve the way communities in England are governed.
By returning power to the villages, towns, cities and regions of England we can drive growth, improve public services and give people freedom to run their own lives.
To rejuvenate local government in England, we will: Reduce the powers of Ministers to interfere in democratically elected local government.
Remove the requirement to hold local referenda for Council Tax changes, ensuring Councillors are properly accountable for their decisions by introducing fair votes.
Build on the success of City Deals and Growth Deals to devolve more power and resources to groups of Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships, starting with back-to-work support.
Establish a Government process to deliver greater devolution of financial responsibility to English Local Authorities, and any new devolved bodies in England, building on the work of the Independent Commission on Local Government Finance.
Any changes must balance the objectives of more local autonomy and fair equalisation between communities.
In some areas of England there is an even greater appetite for powers, but not every part of the country wants to move at the same speed and there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach.
We will therefore introduce Devolution on Demand, enabling even greater devolution of powers from Westminster to Councils or groups of Councils working together – for example to a Cornish Assembly.
Funding
The nations of the United Kingdom have long had different needs with regard to funding.
The Barnett Formula is the mechanism used to adjust spending allocations across the UK.
The Liberal Democrats have already delivered a substantial extension of financial powers to the nations of the UK and we will devolve further fiscal powers to the devolved governments.
In order to ensure reliable funding, we will retain the Barnett Formula as the basis for future spending allocations for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
This will protect the individual nations’ budgets from external shocks like the recent global drop in the price of oil.
We recognise the findings of the Holtham Commission that the current formula underfunds Wales and will commission work to update this analysis.
We will address the imbalance by immediately entrenching a Barnett floor set at a level that reflects the need for Wales to be funded fairly,
and seek over a Parliament to increase the Welsh block grant to an equitable level.
10.3 Everyday democracy
To lead a fulfilled life, people need power over more than just their government.
Liberal Democrats will spread democracy in everyday life by encouraging mutuals, cooperatives, and employee participation and by increasing the opportunities for people to take democratic control over the services on which they rely.
We will encourage citizens to engage in practical social action, seeing government as an enabler and facilitator rather than just a commissioner and provider of services.
We will: Aim to increase the number of Neighbourhood, Community and Parish Councils and promote tenant management in social housing.
Encourage employers to promote employee participation and employee ownership, aiming to increase further the proportion of GDP in employee-owned businesses.
We will change company law to permit a German-style two-tier board structure to include employees.
Introduce mandatory arbitration for strikes likely to cause widespread public disruption, enabling us to defend workers’ rights to strike while ensuring continued service in essential public services.
Strengthen worker participation in decision-making, including staff representation on remuneration committees, and the right for employees who collectively own 5% of a company to be represented on the board.
Give football fans a greater say in how their clubs are run by encouraging the reform of football governance rules to promote engagement between clubs and supporters.
Support local libraries and ensure any libraries under threat of closure are offered first for transfer to the local community.
Spread mutual structures and employee participation through the public sector.
Strengthen community rights to run local public services, and protect community assets like pubs by bringing forward a Community Right to Buy.
We will ensure planning permission is required to convert a pub into alternative uses.
Support social investment, ensuring charities and social enterprises can access the support and finance they need to develop and deliver innovative, sustainable solutions to challenges in their communities.
10.4 Protecting the space for democratic debate
We recognise the importance of a plural and diverse media, free from state influence or from monopolistic or dominant market control, in guaranteeing a vibrant national conversation.
We will therefore reform the existing arrangements for safeguarding plurality in the media broadly in line with the recommendations of the 2014 Lords Communications Select Committee report.
We will: Give lead responsibility to Ofcom and enable it to conduct reviews periodically, as well as when triggered by proposed mergers and acquisitions,
and enable Ofcom to set down conditions to prevent the reach of any media company damaging the public interest.
Ensure any conditions or requirements that Ofcom lays down following a plurality review can only be vetoed or interfered with by a Minister after a vote of both Houses of Parliament.
Use a variety of measures to ensure that there is a vibrant local and ‘hyperlocal’ media to help inform citizens about their local area and their local politics, including: Redirecting the current subsidies for ‘local TV’, which have failed to contribute significantly to cultural life.
Extending Ofcom’s community radio grant support to online hyperlocals, and allowing non-profit local media outlets to obtain charitable status where the public interest is being served.
Britain in  the world Global action for security and prosperity
In a more globalised, interdependent world, freedom for individuals is not best protected solely by the nation state.
Corporations, banks and markets now operate across the globe with little respect for national borders.
Climate change, one of the greatest challenges of our age, is by its nature global.
And criminals, hackers and terrorists now operate across borders, too.
It is in the interests of all countries to create a system of international law and governance, both treaty-based and multilateral, at the global level.
We will ensure Britain actively and constructively works with our allies and partners in the European Union,
Commonwealth,
UN
and NATO
to engage with and develop policy responses when liberal internationalism and the rules-based system are challenged.
Liberal Democrats are internationalists because we respect the rights of human beings wherever they live and understand that by working together countries can achieve more than they can alone.
This is particularly true for a country like the UK with a rich web of global relationships, which gives it the potential to wield greater influence than its economic or military power alone would permit.
In a more globalised, interdependent world, freedom for individuals is not best protected solely by the nation state.
Corporations, banks and markets now operate across the globe with little respect for national borders.
Climate change, one of the greatest challenges of our age, is by its nature global.
And criminals, hackers and terrorists now operate across borders, too.
It is in the interests of all countries to create a system of international law and governance, both treaty-based and multilateral, at the global level.
Liberal Democrats have worked tirelessly in government to keep Britain at the heart of the European Union, to secure the best deal for British citizens.
Our Ministers have represented the UK across the world on vital issues from climate change
to nuclear disarmament
and secured agreements that will keep us all safer, not least the International Arms Trade Treaty.
We have stood up for human rights,
the rule of international law
and humanitarian aid, delivering for the first time on the 40 year old UN ambition for developed countries to spend 0.7% of national income as Official Development Assistance.
We will ensure Britain actively and constructively works with our allies and partners in the European Union,
Commonwealth,
UN
and NATO to engage with and develop policy responses when liberal internationalism and the rules-based system are challenged.
A Record of Delivery
Increased aid spending to 0.7% of national income, and guaranteed this in law
Secured a record £23.9 billion last year from clamping down on tax evasion, avoidance and fraud,
and won G8 agreement on transparency on the real owners of businesses
Passed a law to guarantee a referendum before Britain passes any more powers to the EU
Agreed an ambitious EU target of 40% cuts to carbon emissions by 2030,
and secured Rio+20 agreements on sustainable development
Supported our armed forces and veterans, enshrining the Armed Forces Covenant in law
A Promise of More
Ensure the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals aim to end poverty, protect the environment and leave no one behind
Improve tax transparency including in low-income countries by extending country-by-country reporting from banks and extractive industries to all UK listed companies
Ensure Britain plays a constructive part in the European Union
and any referendum triggered by the EU Act is on the big question: In or Out
Work to secure a binding global agreement on cutting emissions,
and a stronger commitment within the EU to a 50% reduction by 2030
Focus on ensuring our armed forces have the training and equipment they need for the threats of today
and end continuous nuclear weapon patrols
11.1 Working for peace and security across the world
From the recent collapse of talks between Israelis and Palestinians to Russian interference in Ukraine, this is a challenging time for peace and security across the world.
At times like these we need to redouble our diplomatic efforts
and work closely with our EU
and NATO partners to promote an active, rights-based foreign policy for our mutual defence.
The UK has a proud record of playing a leading role in the European Union
and in international institutions like the UN, NATO
and the Commonwealth
and should continue to do so, wherever possible promoting our values of freedom and opportunity for all.
We will: Use all aspects of government policy – trade, aid and diplomacy
as well as military cooperation// –
to focus UK policy on conflict prevention.
This will require a joint approach across the MOD, FCO, DFID and other departments, and we will continue to assess UK government actions for their impacts on conflict prevention and security.
This will be a priority within the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which should begin immediately after the election.
Engage with and strengthen multilateral UN and treaty-based institutions worldwide.
Support the UN principle of Responsibility to Protect.
This principle focuses on the security of individuals, rather than states.
Improve control of arms exports by: Implementing a policy of ‘presumption of denial’ for arms exports to countries listed as countries of concern in the Foreign Office’s annual human rights report.
Requiring end-user certification on all future arms export licenses with an annual report to Parliament on this certification.
Should all these institutions and policies fail, we recognise it will be necessary to consider military interventions to protect ourselves
and fulfil our international obligations.
However in these circumstances, Liberal Democrats believe the UK should intervene only when there is a clear legal and/or humanitarian case,
endorsed by a vote in Parliament,
working within the remit of international institutions wherever and whenever possible.
In response to current major conflicts worldwide, we will: Promote democracy and stability in Ukraine and neighbouring countries against an increasingly assertive Russia.
We will work closely with EU and other international partners to exert maximum economic and political pressure on Russia to stop interfering in the affairs of sovereign Eastern European nations,
and will stand by our obligations under the NATO treaty in the event of threats to NATO member states.
We will work with the EU to develop an EU energy strategy that will reduce reliance on Russia’s energy supplies.
Continue to work with international partners – Western, African and Arab – to tackle Islamic fanaticism embodied by organisations like the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria and Boko Haram in Nigeria.
These extremist organisations pervert Islam and carry out appalling atrocities against Muslims as well as non-Muslims.
This is a generational challenge that will take time and patience.
We favour broadening the international Coalition against IS.
Recognising that airstrikes alone will not defeat IS, continue a comprehensive approach, in compliance with international law, to supporting the Iraqi government in standing against IS,
including: Assistance in strengthening its democratic institutions.
Training the Iraqi Security Forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.
Humanitarian relief to help alleviate the suffering of displaced Syrians and Iraqis.
Support the moderate opposition in Syria, who are fighting both President Bashar al-Assad and IS.
We will continue to push for an inclusive political transition in Syria, which would enable Syrian moderates from all sides to unite against extremism and tyranny.
Remain committed to a negotiated peace settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which includes a two-state solution.
We condemn disproportionate force used by all sides.
We condemn Hamas’ rocket attacks and other targeting of Israeli civilians.
We condemn Israel’s continued illegal policy of settlement expansion, which undermines the possibility of a two-state solution.
We support recognition of the independent State of Palestine as and when it will help the prospect of a two-state solution.
Support multilateral negotiations to stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
We will continue to seek normalisation of our diplomatic relations with Iran, including reopening the British Embassy in Tehran
and promoting peaceful dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
11.2 Our armed forces and security services
The UK must be able to defend itself and the territories for which it has responsibility,
support its neighbours and allies,
and engage in humanitarian intervention.
Many of the security challenges the UK faces are shared by our partners and allies in the EU
and NATO
and the UK is more effective and more resilient when we work closely with those partners.
Liberal Democrats are clear that the security offered by our continued membership of the EU is more crucial than ever,
as are our bilateral relationships with our key European allies.
We favour greater integration of military capabilities and procurement to address common problems, to overcome economic constraints and to maintain a full spectrum of defence capabilities.
To achieve this, we will build on the treaty-based arrangements we have established and extend this cooperation to other suitable European partners.
Liberal Democrats are committed to meeting our national and international obligations in security and defence.
This is why in government over the last five years we met the NATO commitment to spend 2% of our GDP on defence,
most recently restated in the Readiness Action Plan and Defence Industrial Pledge at the Wales NATO Summit in 2014.
We are committed to completing a comprehensive Strategic Defence and Security Review early in the next Parliament to inform future defence spending decisions.
We recognise that the world has changed fundamentally since the last such review.
It is vital that our real security and defence needs and international obligations are considered in the SDSR, and this is why we wish to move towards a Single Security Budget.
We will: Conduct a Strategic Defence and Security Review in which we will revisit and update the Future Force 2020 vision and ensure the capabilities we are invested in are relevant for keeping Britain safe.
Use the SDSR to establish a Single Security Budget, including not just conventional defence spending but the work of our security agencies, cyber defences and soft power interventions.
The Single Security Budget will be distributed by the SDSR process, as part of an overall Spending Review.
This integrated approach will ensure spending choices follow the capabilities we need, not traditional departmental silos.
Maintain strong and effective armed forces and the capability to deploy rapidly expeditionary forces.
Set long-term budgets to invest in the right equipment at competitive prices.
Recognise the expansion of warfare into the cybersphere, by investing in our security and intelligence services and acting to counter cyber attacks.
Remain fully engaged in international nuclear disarmament efforts.
Step down the nuclear ladder by procuring fewer Vanguard successor submarines
and moving from continuous at sea deterrence to a contingency posture of regular patrols,
enabling a surge to armed patrols when the international security context makes this appropriate.
This would help us to fulfil our Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty commitments
and reduce the UK nuclear warhead stockpile.
Work for new global standards to end the use of conventional explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas.
Promote European defence integration where appropriate by enhancing European defence industry co-operation.
Liberal Democrats recognise the vital role the UK’s armed forces play in the defence of the nation and believe that it is the role of government to safeguard the interests of service personnel and veterans.
We strongly support the Armed Forces Covenant, now enshrined in law in the 2011 Armed Forces Act
We also propose: Transferring the Office of the Veterans’ Minister to the Cabinet Office, so that the services of all departments can be marshalled in support of veterans
and creating a post of Veterans’ Commissioner.
Improving support for personnel and veterans with mental health problems, including alcohol dependency.
Strengthening local military covenants by defining more exacting guidelines and ensuring best practice is rolled out across all Local Authorities.
The government in 2011 set a target for increasing the size of the Reserves to 30,000 but it is significantly behind in achieving this goal, with continued problems of retention.
We acknowledge the different pressures that Reserves face and propose that: Emphasis be put on improving retention and training of Reserves at current levels.
Employers be required to offer two weeks’ unpaid leave annually to assist Reserves attending training camps.
11.3 Britain in Europe: prosperity and reform
Britain’s membership of the EU is essential for creating a stronger economy and for projecting influence in the world.
Millions of British jobs are linked to our trade with the EU,
and being in Europe puts us on a more equal footing when negotiating trade deals with global players like the USA and China
and in countering security threats.
A modernised EU is crucial to responding to the global challenges Britain faces, whether they are climate change, cross-border crime and terrorism, or conflict.
If the UK were to leave the EU, trade rules would be made without us,
our voice would not be heard in climate change negotiations
and our borders would be more vulnerable.
There is no doubt the UK would be poorer and weaker if we walked away from our closest neighbours and most trusted allies and left the EU.
But that does not mean that the institutions and policies of the European Union are perfect and do not need reform.
Liberal Democrats are the party of reform whether that is in Westminster, Holyrood, the Senedd or in local Councils and the EU is no exception.
Liberal Democrats in Government have already secured significant reforms like cutting the EU budget by £30 billion
and reforming the Common Fisheries Policy, ending the discarding of usable fish.
We have also shifted the balance of EU spending towards jobs, growth and innovation.
Only by remaining fully engaged in the EU can we deliver the further reforms that are urgently needed not only for the UK, but also for the rest of the EU.
We will: Work to deepen the EU single market in the energy sector,
in the digital economy
and for services.
We will boost British exports by scrapping national barriers to British firms trading online
and by concluding ambitious EU trade agreements with key markets like Japan and India.
We will implement the recommendations made by Michael Moore MP in October 2014, including publishing an annual European Business White Paper and appointing an EU Business Minister to lead this competitiveness agenda.
Support negotiations at the World Trade Organisation
as well as an ambitious Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the USA,
which could bring benefits of up to £10 billion a year to the British economy.
We will only support an agreement that upholds EU standards of consumer, employee and environmental protection,
and allows us to determine how NHS services are provided.
Work to reform the EU to make it more efficient, reducing the proportion of the EU budget spent on the Common Agricultural Policy,
abolishing unnecessary EU institutions like the European Economic and Social Committee
and scrapping the second seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Continue to reduce the burden of EU legislation on business by curbing unnecessary red tape,
exempting small businesses from EU rules where possible
and defending the UK opt-out to the Working Time Directive.
Increase the accountability of the EU by enhancing the role of national Parliaments in scrutinising EU decision-making
and by giving a combined majority of national Parliaments the automatic ability to block unwanted legislation.
We will strengthen UK scrutiny of European legislation and positions taken by British Ministers in Europe
including by proposing an explicit role for British Parliamentary Select Committees.
Hold an In/Out referendum when there is next any Treaty change involving a material transfer of sovereignty from the UK to the EU.
Liberal Democrats will campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union when that referendum comes.
Reinforce the EU’s tools for tackling cross border crime,
strengthening the role of the European Cyber Crime Centre
and reforming the European Arrest Warrant to prevent miscarriages of justice
while ensuring swift delivery of justice.
Cooperate with other European countries to address environmental threats and tackle climate change by securing agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030
and developing the EU Energy Union.
Support EU free movement, which is hugely beneficial to millions of British citizens living in other European countries as well as to the British economy and the public sector, for example the thousands of European health workers who make a vital contribution to the running of the NHS.
We will prevent any perceived ‘right to claim’ by tightening benefit rules for EU migrants, including reducing, and ultimately abolishing, payment of Child Benefit to children who are not resident in the UK.
We will also lengthen transitional controls for new EU member countries, and eliminate loopholes.
Cooperate with other European countries to address the pressure of migration across the Mediterranean.
We will push for more effective EU measures to prevent the tragic loss of life for many crossing the Mediterranean, including through greater cooperation with anti-human-trafficking operations.
Continue to work closely with other EU governments on foreign policy issues towards Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East and North Africa.
We will build on our already close defence cooperation with France, the Netherlands, the Nordic states and other European countries, as the most reliable basis for British security.
11.4 International development
In government, Liberal Democrats have led the way on international development and aid.
We have worked to end the use of rape as a weapon of war.
We have led international efforts to tackle the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone
and, through investment in the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI), Britain is a global leader in preventing communicable diseases.
Now, we need to build on progress made since the agreement of the Millennium Development Goals and work to eliminate absolute poverty by 2030 – through aid but also through economic development.
We will: Develop a whole-government approach to development.
Continue to promote private sector economic development, ensuring this benefits local people and small businesses not just multinational corporations.
We will lead international action to ensure global companies pay fair taxes in the developing countries in which they operate,
including tightening anti-tax haven rules
and requiring large companies to publish their tax payments and profits for each country in which they operate.
Maintain our commitment to spend 0.7% of UK Gross National Income on overseas development, which the International Development Act 2015, introduced by a Liberal Democrat, now enshrines in law.
We will adhere to the OECD’s definition of what activities qualify.
Conduct a full Bilateral and Multilateral Aid Review to ensure that the Department for International Development continues to work in the right places and through the right channels.
Continue building the resilience of poorer countries to resist future disasters, investing in healthcare and infrastructure and training emergency response volunteers,
and respond generously to humanitarian crises wherever they may occur.
Work to ensure the Sustainable Development Goals aim to: Safeguard the sustainability of the planet.
Leave no one behind, helping the most vulnerable as well as improving average living standards.
We will ensure people do not suffer discrimination or disadvantage because of gender, sexual orientation, disability or ethnic origin.
Eliminate absolute poverty by 2030.
Invest to eliminate within a generation preventable diseases like TB, HIV and malaria
and explore new ways to support public and private research and development into treatment for these and other deadly diseases and infections.
Create a new civil society partnership scheme to build links between peoples in rich and poor countries, including partnerships between communities, trade unions or emergency services.
11.5 International action on the environment
The open and internationalist approach Liberal Democrats have always adopted is particularly crucial when it comes to environmental policy.
Pollution does not respect national borders, and wildlife and ecosystems are not constrained by political boundaries.
Challenges like climate change and deforestation are too massive for individual countries to tackle alone.
We will: Continue pushing for a 50% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
and the greater use of EU funds to support low-carbon investments,
while ensuring the UK meets its own climate commitments
and plays a leadership role in efforts to combat climate change.
Work to secure agreement on a global climate treaty at the 2015 UN Climate Conference,
supported by a well-financed Green Climate Fund to assist poorer countries to tackle and adapt to climate change.
Work with regulatory bodies and financial investors to establish a global reporting standard for fossil fuel companies on the potential impact of future restrictions on carbon emissions on their asset base.
Provide greater resources for international environmental cooperation,
particularly on actions to tackle illegal trade in timber, wildlife and fish.
Argue for an EU and global target of halting net global deforestation by 2020
– including supporting better forest law enforcement and governance and sustainable agriculture,
closing loopholes in the EU Timber Regulation
and ensuring that by 2020 only legal and sustainable timber products can be sold in the UK.
Ensure UK and EU development aid, free trade and investment agreements support environmental goals and sustainable investment,
including maintaining the UK’s International Climate Fund
and supporting direct bilateral programmes with developing countries on climate change.
Create a one million square kilometre southern Atlantic Ocean reserve.
Push for the creation of a marine nature reserve in the Arctic Ocean,
promote the highest possible environmental standards for UK companies operating in the region
and press for a ban on EU-flagged vessels undertaking industrial fishing in the previously unfished areas of the Arctic.
11.6  Standing up for Liberal values
Liberal Democrats believe British foreign policy and international aid should seek to advance human rights
and democracy throughout the world.
We believe all people – regardless of ethnicity, disability, age, belief, gender or sexual orientation – deserve a freer, fairer and more prosperous world.
We will: Continue to support free media and a free and open Internet around the world, championing the free flow of information.
Maintain funding to BBC World Service, BBC Monitoring and the British Council.
Develop a comprehensive strategy for promoting the decriminalisation of homosexuality around the world,
and advancing the cause of LGBT+ rights.
Prioritise support, protection and equal rights for women and girls, which is essential for effective, sustainable economic development.
We will pursue an International Gender Equality Strategy,
work to secure women’s rights to education
and freedom from forced marriage;
and aim to end female genital mutilation worldwide within a generation.
Extend existing reporting rules to establish consistent requirements on all large UK companies to report on the social, environmental and human rights impacts of their activities and those of their supply chains.
The recent Islamist extremist attacks on journalists in Europe are a sharp reminder of the need to protect freedom of speech and belief internationally.
We will appoint an Ambassador-level Champion for Freedom of Belief to drive British diplomatic efforts in this field,
and we will campaign for the abolition of blasphemy, sedition, apostasy and criminal libel laws worldwide, having already been responsible for ending them in this country.
THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY MANIFESTO 2015
We have a plan for every stage of your life:
FOR THE BEST START IN LIFE we will continue to increase spending on the NHS,
provide 7-day a week access to your GP and deliver a truly 7-day NHS – so you know you will always have access to a free and high quality health service when you need it most.
FOR YOUR SCHOOL YEARS we will maintain the amount of money that follows each child into school,
ensure there is a good primary school place available for every child
and lift the cap on university places – so you have the skills you need to succeed.
TO SECURE YOUR FIRST JOB we will create 3 million new apprenticeships;
take everyone earning less than £12,500 out of Income Tax altogether
and pass a law to ensure we have a Tax-Free Minimum Wage in this country;
and continue to create a fairer welfare system where benefits are capped to the level that makes work pay – so you are rewarded for working hard and doing the right thing.
AS YOU RAISE YOUR FAMILY we will extend the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants,
build 200,000 new Starter Homes – 20 per cent below the market price, for first-time buyers under 40 //–
and provide 30 hours of free childcare to working parents of three and four year-olds// –
so you are able to work while having the security of your own home in which to raise your family.
WHILE YOU GROW OLDER we will not raise VAT, National Insurance contributions or Income Tax but we will raise the 40p Income Tax threshold to £50,000
and take the family home out of tax by increasing the effective Inheritance Tax threshold for married couples and civil partners to £1 million – so you can keep more of your income and pass it on to future generations.
AND WHEN YOU RETIRE we will continue to increase the Basic State Pension by at least 2.5 per cent through the triple lock,
give you the freedom to use your pension savings as you want and pass them on tax-free
and we will cap the amount you can be charged for your residential care – so you can have the dignity and security you deserve in your old age.
The next Conservative Government will secure a better future for you, your family and Britain.
A strong economy to help you and your family
Our commitment to you:
Your job, your home, the mortgage you pay, the school your children go to, your local hospital, your pension – all these things depend on a strong economy.
So we will carry on working through our long-term economic plan.
We will:keep our economy secure by running a surplus so that we start paying down our debts
increase the tax-free Personal Allowance to £12,500
and the 40p Income Tax threshold to £50,000
commit to no increases in VAT, National Insurance contributions or Income Tax
crack down on tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance and ensure those who can afford to pay the most do
rebalance our economy,
build a Northern Powerhouse
and back elected metro mayors
pursue our ambition to become the most prosperous major economy in the world by the 2030s.
Our long-term economic plan is turning around Britain’s economy.
Five years ago, Britain was reeling from the chaos of Labour’s Great Recession;
in 2014 we were the fastest growing of all the major advanced economies
– last year, we grew 75 per cent faster than Germany, three times faster than the Eurozone and seven times faster than France.
Five years ago, the budget deficit was more than 10 per cent of GDP, the highest in our peacetime history, and the national debt was rising out of control;
today, the deficit is half that level
and debt as a share of national income will start falling this financial year.
The fastest growing of all the major advanced economies in 2014
Industries are coming back to life.
Companies are striding into new markets.
Manufacturers are returning to our shores.
More tech companies are starting up here than anywhere else in Europe.
We have overtaken France as the third largest car producer in Europe
and there are 760,000 more businesses than in 2010 providing jobs and creating wealth across the country.
The Great Recession has given way to a Great Revival,
which is creating on average 1,000 new jobs every day:
more than the rest of the European Union combined.
This is no accident.
It is the product of hard work by people in every part of the country and it is thanks to the success of our long-term economic plan.
By halving the deficit, we have helped to restore confidence to the economy.
By maintaining fiscal discipline, we have helped keep mortgage rates lower than they otherwise would be.
And by establishing the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), we have ended – permanently – the ability of politicians to cook the books for political gain at the nation’s expense.
With inflation at a record low,
the latest OBR forecasts show that living standards will be higher in 2015 than in 2010,
and are set to grow strongly every year for the rest of the decade, with the average family £900 better off.
It is only by securing the recovery,
dealing with our debts
and creating jobs
that we can continue to raise living standards.
That means sticking to our long-term economic plan; Britain is on the right path.
But the job is not finished.
There are clouds on the international horizon.
Huge challenges remain at home.
We have cut the record deficit we inherited to five per cent of GDP, but that is still too high.
Our trade with emerging economies is up, with exports to China more than doubled since 2009,
but overall we are still too dependent on slow-growing European markets.
Business investment is rising, but we still underinvest compared to other countries.
Productivity remains too low.
And while prosperity is now spreading around the country, our economic growth remains uneven, too reliant on financial services.
1,000 jobs created for every day of the Parliament since 2010
We will finish the job we started in a balanced way.
Those with the broadest shoulders have contributed the most to deficit reduction
– which is why inequality has fallen,
and child and pensioner poverty are down – and they will continue to do so.
We will increase NHS spending every year.
We will control spending,
eliminate the deficit,
and start to run a surplus.
We will go from stuck in the red, to back in the black.
By building on the foundations we have put in place, we will have a truly national recovery and be able to pursue our ambition for Britain to become the most prosperous major economy in the world by the 2030s.
If we do not stick to our long-term economic plan, we will slip back again, reversing the progress we have made in the last five years.
More borrowing – and the extra debt interest that it brings – means there is less money to spend on schools and hospitals.
More spending means higher taxes for hardworking people,
and interest rates that are higher than they otherwise would be – punishing homeowners, hurting businesses, costing jobs.
A strong economy allows us to invest in and protect our public services like the NHS and schools
And failing to control our debt would be more than an economic failing; it would be a moral failing – leaving our children and grandchildren with debts that they could never hope to repay.
So you face a clear choice.
Economic competence, with David Cameron as Prime Minister, following through on our long-term economic plan.
Or economic chaos under Labour, with higher taxes, more debt and no plan to fix our public finances, create jobs or build a more secure economy.
Our plan of action:
We will finish the job by eliminating the deficit to keep our economy secure and keep your taxes and mortgage payments down
Our long-term economic plan reflects our values:
we as a nation should not be piling up and passing on unaffordable levels of debt to the next generation.
We will eliminate the deficit in a sensible and balanced way
that will enable us to continue to increase spending on the NHS
and cut Income Tax for 30 million working people.
Our deficit reduction plan has two phases.
The first will see us continue to reduce government spending by one per cent each year in real terms for the first two full financial years of the next Parliament, the same rate as over the last five years.
That means saving £1 a year in every £100 that government spends.
We don’t think there’s a business that couldn’t do that – and we don’t think government, when it is spending your money, should be any different.
We have halved the deficit as a share of our economy
That will require a further £30 billion in fiscal consolidation over the next two years,
on top of the £120 billion that we have already identified and delivered over this Parliament.
We will find £13 billion from departmental savings, the same rate of reduction as in this Parliament.
We will find £12 billion from welfare savings,
on top of the £21 billion of savings delivered in this Parliament.
And we will raise at least £5 billion from continuing to tackle tax evasion, and aggressive tax avoidance and tax planning,
building on the £7 billion of annual savings we have delivered in this Parliament.
This £30 billion of further consolidation is necessary to ensure that debt keeps falling as a share of GDP and to deliver a balanced structural current budget in 2017-18, meeting the new fiscal mandate that Parliament voted on earlier this year.
Our commitment goes further than this.
A balanced current budget is not enough to deliver a reliable reduction in our level of national debt, which remains far too high in a world of continuing economic challenges.
International evidence and Treasury analysis shows that the only way to keep our economy secure for the future is to eliminate the deficit entirely and start running a surplus.
Anything less would be to ignore the lessons of the past.
That is why, in the second phase of our deficit reduction plan starting in 2018-19, we are set to move into surplus, with the Government taking in more than it is spending for the first time in 18 years.
That means we can start properly paying down our debts and reducing the scale of annual interest payments – reducing the UK’s vulnerability to future shocks by fixing the roof while the sun is shining.
We will achieve this by continuing to control government spending in 2018-19, no longer cutting it in real terms, but instead growing it in line with inflation.
To eliminate the deficit we must continue to cut out wasteful spending and make government more efficient, effective and accountable
From 2019-20, after a surplus has been achieved, spending will grow in line with GDP.
A new fundamental principle of fiscal policy, monitored by the independent OBR, will ensure that in normal economic times, when the economy is growing, the government will always run a surplus in order to reduce our national debt and keep our economy secure,
with a state neither smaller than we need nor bigger than we can afford.
Total government spending as a share of our national income at the end of the next Parliament is forecast to be very slightly higher than in the year 2000, the year before Labour lost all control of spending and the national debt started its longest rise for hundreds of years.
Our approach is focused on reducing wasteful spending, making savings in welfare,
and continuing to crack down on tax evasion and aggressive avoidance.
This means that we can commit to no increases in VAT, Income Tax or National Insurance.
Tax rises on working people would harm our economy, reduce living standards and cost jobs.
Instead, as we reduce the deficit,
we will cut Income Tax, as we have done over the last five years:
during the next Parliament, we will increase the tax-free Personal Allowance to £12,500
and the higher rate threshold to £50,000, so you keep more of your hard-earned money.
The richest are paying a greater share of income tax than in any of Labour’s 13 years
We will continue to build a stronger, safer and more secure banking system that serves its customers and provides businesses with the finance they need to grow
and create jobs
We will make sure our financial services industry is the best regulated in the world with our new system of supervision led by the independent Bank of England.
Our new Financial Policy Committee will monitor and control the growth of indebtedness and imbalances across the whole economy– a vital task that was totally ignored in the run up to the financial crisis.
Our tough new Financial Conduct Authority will protect consumers and ensure that financial markets work for the benefit of the whole economy.
To protect hardworking taxpayers from future banking crashes, we will finish the process of ring-fencing banks’ high street branches from their investment arms by 2019 at the latest.
In order to ensure that new pay structures for bankers rebuild trust and reduce short-termism, we will ensure that Britain continues to have the toughest regime of bonus deferral and clawback of any financial centre.
We will continue to sell the Government’s stakes in the bailed-out banks and building societies in order to deliver value for money for taxpayers and support the economy.
Hardworking taxpayers supported the banks during the financial crisis and so the banks should in turn support them during the recovery – that is why we will keep the bank levy in place and restrict established banks’ ability to pay less tax by offsetting their profits against past losses.
We will make the banks work for you
Our plan is to ensure banks help secure our recovery and back businesses to create jobs and growth in our economy.
We capped payday lenders, made it easier for you to switch your bank account and will continue to support the credit union movement in making financial services more accessible.
We will continue the successful Funding for Lending scheme into 2016.
We will help new and existing challenger banks to inject fresh competition into the market for personal current accounts, mortgages and business loans, including through the British Business Bank,
while backing the financial technology revolution.
We will improve our support for investment into start-ups
and roll-out our innovative Help to Grow scheme, which will plug a £1 billion finance gap for firms that are looking to expand, invest
and take on new employees.
We will continue to lead the world on tax and transparency
Tackling tax evasion and aggressive tax avoidance and tax planning is an important part of our long-term economic plan.
We will increase the annual tax charges paid by those with non-domiciled status,
ensuring that they make a fair contribution to reducing the deficit, and continue to tackle abuses of this status.
We will lead international efforts to ensure global companies pay their fair share in tax,
as David Cameron did at the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland in 2013, which secured significant international progress on fairer tax rules and full transparency over who really owns companies.
We will push for all countries to sign up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative;
review the implementation of the new international country-by-country tax reporting rules and consider the case for making this information publicly available on a multilateral basis.
We will ensure developing countries have full access to global automatic tax information exchange systems and continue to build the capacity of tax authorities in developing countries.
We are also making it a crime if companies fail to put in place measures to stop economic crime, such as tax evasion, in their organisations
and making sure that the penalties are large enough to punish and deter.
We are fixing the economy so that everyone feels the benefit
We will rebalance our economy and build a Northern Powerhouse
We are committed to a truly national recovery, benefiting all parts of our country.
We have devolved powers to Scotland and Wales,
and set out long-term economic plans to raise the growth rate of all parts of England, bringing areas which have grown more slowly up to at least the national average.
Over the last year, the North grew faster than the South.
By connecting up the North with modern transport links, we will enable its great cities and towns to pool their strengths.
We will invest a record £13 billion in transport for the North.
We will electrify the main rail routes, build the Northern Hub, and provide new trains for the North.
We will upgrade the A1, M62, M1 and A555 link road.
And that is on top of our £50 billion commitment to build High Speed 2 – the new North-South railway linking up London with the West Midlands, Leeds and Manchester
– and develop High Speed 3 to join up the North.
We will back scientific and technical strengths by creating new institutions such as Health North;
the Royce Institute for Advanced Materials in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield;
the National Centre for Ageing Science and Innovation in Newcastle;
the Cognitive Computing centre at Daresbury;
and by making investments in energy research in Blackpool, Cumbria and Thornton.
We will back new jobs in the South West
To help attract growth and new businesses we will improve connections to the South West with major investment in the M5, A358, A30 and A303,
and the electrification of the Great Western Main Line – bringing new fast trains on the route.
We will invest to boost tourism in the South West
and ensure the world-class defence assets and cyber-security industries of the South West benefit the local economy.
Britain's exports are growing fastest in the North East and our employment fastest in the North West
We will make the Midlands an engine of growth
We will back business by investing a record £5.2 billion in better transport,
upgrading the M1 and M6,
and electrifying the Midland Main Line from St Pancras to Sheffield
–putting the Midlands at the centre of a modern, inter-connected transport network for the UK.
We will back the Midlands’ strength in advanced manufacturing, engineering and science with major projects such as the Energy Research Accelerator
and support for innovation in the motor industry.
We will properly connect the East of England and back innovation
We will improve rail connections to East Anglia, delivering ‘Norwich in 90 minutes’ and ‘Ipswich in 60 minutes’
and upgrade key roads like the A11 and A47.
We will support the creation of new jobs
by backing the East’s great strengths – agri-tech, high-tech businesses around Cambridge,
and energy businesses at Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.
We support policies that grow the economy as a whole, generating new jobs and higher wages for everybody
We will devolve powers and budgets to boost local growth in England
We will devolve far-reaching powers over economic development, transport and social care to large cities which choose to have elected mayors.
We will legislate to deliver the historic deal for Greater Manchester, which will devolve powers and budgets and lead to the creation of a directly elected Mayor for Greater Manchester.
In Cambridgeshire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire East, we will pilot allowing local councils to retain 100 per cent of growth in business rates, so they reap the benefit of decisions that boost growth locally.
We will devolve further powers over skills spending and planning to the Mayor of London.
And we will deliver more bespoke Growth Deals with local councils, where locally supported,
and back Local Enterprise Partnerships to promote jobs and growth.
Better roads, trains and modern communications
Our commitment to you:
You depend on infrastructure at every stage of your life:
to go to school, to go to work, to enable businesses to grow and create jobs for your children and grandchildren.
We have a plan of action that will improve our roads, railways, airports and internet connections. We will:
invest in infrastructure to attract businesses and good jobs across the whole of the UK
make your life easier, with more and faster trains, more roads and cycle routes
keep commuter rail fares frozen in real terms for the whole of the next Parliament
roll out universal broadband and better mobile phone connections, to ensure everyone is part of the digital economy.
Under Labour, road and rail were starved of resources,
while too many people were stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide.
This meant packed trains, potholes, patchy broadband coverage – businesses held back and cities left behind.
Turning these problems around takes time.
Improving our trains, roads and broadband
helps local businesses grow
and create more jobs and opportunities
But because we have made savings elsewhere, we have been able to make significant investments in infrastructure.
We will commit, alongside running a surplus, to increase our capital spending – investment in infrastructure – at least in line with our national income.
We have set out a plan to invest over £100 billion in our infrastructure over the next Parliament.
This will fund the biggest investment in rail since Victorian times,
and the most extensive improvements to our roads since the 1970s.
And it will give us the most comprehensive and cheapest superfast broadband coverage of any major European country.
We are investing over £2 billion electrifying our railways
Our plan of action:
We will spend more on infrastructure, to improve your quality of life
Overall public investment will be higher on average over this decade, as a percentage of GDP, than under the whole period of the last Labour Government.
We will deliver on our National Infrastructure Plan and respond to the Airports Commission’s final report.
We will transform our railway network
We will invest £38 billion in our railway network in the five years to 2019.
Electrification of the railways is a key part of our investment programme, with work already underway across the North, the Midlands, and South Wales;
there are plans to go further in the rest of the country, including East Anglia and the South West.
In addition to rolling out our national high-speed rail network, with High Speed 2 and High Speed 3,
we will complete the construction of the new east-west Crossrail across Greater London,
and push forward with plans for Crossrail 2, a new rail route running through London and connecting Surrey and Hertfordshire.
We will support a fairer deal for taxpayers and commuters:
we will keep commuter rail fares frozen in real terms for the whole of the next Parliament
– regulated fares will only be able to rise by Retail Price Inflation, and train operating companies will not have any flexibility to raise ticket prices above this.
We will also introduce smart ticketing and part-time season tickets and require train companies to improve compensation arrangements for passengers when trains are more than a few minutes late.
We are investing millions of pounds in fitting out trains with new wi-fi equipment and improving mobile phone signals, which will benefit passengers on trains across England and Wales.
We will support motorists and invest in our roads, to save you time and money
We abolished Labour’s fuel duty escalator, and instead have frozen fuel duty, delivering the longest duty freeze in 20 years.
We will invest £15 billion in roads.
This will include over £6 billion in the northern road network, with the dualling and widening of the A1 north of Newcastle and the first new trans-Pennine road capacity in over 40 years.
We will take action to tackle some of the most notorious and longstanding problems on our road network, including improvements to the A303, A47 and A27.
We will add 1,300 extra lane miles to our roads,
improve over 60 problem junctions,
and continue to provide enough funding to fix around 18 million potholes nationwide between 2015 and 2021.
We will make motoring greener and promote cycling, to protect your environment
Our aim is for almost every car and van to be a zero emission vehicle by 2050
– and we will invest £500 million over the next five years to achieve it.
We want to double the number of journeys made by bicycle
and will invest over £200 million to make cycling safer, so we reduce the number of cyclists and other road users killed or injured on our roads every year.
We are investing £790 million extending superfast broadband to rural areas – with 2 million UK premises already connected and 40,000 being upgraded every week
We will deliver faster internet, to help you work and communicate more easily
We will secure the delivery of superfast broadband in urban and rural areas to provide coverage to 95 per cent of the UK by the end of 2017,
and we will ensure no one is left behind by subsidising the cost of installing superfast capable satellite services in the very hardest to reach areas.
We will also release more spectrum from public sector use to allow greater private sector access.
And we have set an ambition that ultrafast broadband should be available to nearly all UK premises as soon as practicable.
We will boost mobile coverage, so you can stay connected
We will hold the mobile operators to their new legally binding agreement to ensure that 90 per cent of the UK landmass will have voice and SMS coverage by 2017.
We will continue to invest in mobile infrastructure to deliver coverage for voice calls and text messages for the final 0.3 – 0.4 per cent of UK premises that do not currently have it.
We will ensure that Britain seizes the chance to be a world leader in the development of 5G, playing a key role in defining industry standards.
Jobs for all
Our commitment to you:
Whatever stage of life you are at – whether you’re looking for your first job out of school, or coming to the end of your career – we will work to help you enjoy the satisfaction and rewards of a decent job.
We will: help businesses to create two million new jobs, so we achieve full employment
give businesses the most competitive taxes of any major economy
back small firms with a major business rates review
support three million new apprenticeships, so young people acquire the skills to succeed
If you want to live in the most vibrant and dynamic country in the world, this election matters.
Only the Conservatives have the vision, the optimism, the ambition and the discipline to transform Britain.
That’s because we know that a decent job is the best weapon against poverty and the best way to provide security for families.
Britain has created more jobs than the rest of the EU put together since 2010
Thanks to the success of our long-term economic plan, Britain is creating more jobs than the 27 other countries of the European Union put together.
That means more people with the security of a regular pay packet.
Over the past five years, 1.9 million new jobs have been created;
1,000 jobs for every single day that we have been in government.
This represents a transformation in many people’s lives;
giving families more security;
boosting the self-esteem of young people taken on;
and providing hope for those who have been unemployed for years.
But we need to go further.
We have set out the bold aim of achieving full employment, with the highest employment rate of any major economy.
We want Britain to be the best place in the world to start a business
and will create another two million jobs over the next Parliament.
We will abolish long-term youth unemployment, and make sure that all young people are either earning or learning.
And we will make our economy more inclusive, by removing barriers that stop women and disabled people from participating in our workforce.
A job is the best way to provide security for families
To achieve this, we will back British businesses:
cutting red tape,
lowering taxes on jobs and enterprise,
getting young people into work,
boosting apprenticeships
and investing in science and technology.
With the Conservatives, Britain will be the best place in Europe to innovate, patent new ideas and set up and expand a business.
We aim to be number one in Europe
and in the top five worldwide in the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings by 2020
and to lead Europe in attracting foreign investment.
Backing business also means helping our farmers and our rural communities.
Neglected for 13 years under Labour, we have started the process of championing and connecting up the countryside.
In the coming years, we will go further, helping our farmers,
supporting British food around the world
and opening up new export markets.
This is all at risk if the Labour Party forms the government.
Their policies to spend more, borrow more and tax more would be catastrophic for Britain’s businesses – and for all the families thrown back into the despair of joblessness and financial uncertainty.
Our plan will help to generate jobs and higher wages for everybody
Our plan of action:
We will boost apprenticeships and help you secure a good job
We have already delivered 2.2 million new apprenticeships over the last five years.
Over the next five years, we will deliver three million more and ensure they deliver the skills employers need.
We aim to achieve full employment in the UK,
with the highest employment rate in the G7,
and we will help businesses create two million jobs over the Parliament.
We have abolished the jobs tax – employers' National Insurance contributions (NICs) – for the under 21s
and next year we will do the same for young apprentices under 25.
We will continue to help smaller businesses take on new workers through the Employment Allowance, which frees businesses from the first £2,000 of employers’ NICs so that a third of employers pay no jobs tax.
We will support business to keep creating 1,000 jobs a day over the next five years
We will aim to abolish long-term youth unemployment
Our economic plan has helped deliver sharp falls in long-term youth unemployment, taking the numbers of 16–18 year-olds not in education, employment or training to historic lows.
We will provide support to those 16 –17 year olds still not in education, employment or training and to those who risk becoming so.
Jobcentre Plus advisers will work with schools and colleges to supplement careers advice and provide routes into work experience and apprenticeships.
But it is not fair – on taxpayers, or on young people themselves – that 18-21 year-olds with no work experience should slip straight into a life on benefits without first contributing to their community.
So we will introduce tougher Day One Work Requirements for young people claiming out-of-work benefits.
We will replace the Jobseeker’s Allowance for 18-21 year-olds with a Youth Allowance that will be time-limited to six months, after which young people will have to take an apprenticeship, a traineeship or do daily community work for their benefits.
It is also not fair that taxpayers should have to pay for 18-21 year-olds on Jobseeker’s Allowance to claim Housing Benefit in order to leave home.
So we will ensure that they no longer have an automatic entitlement to Housing Benefit.
We will reward entrepreneurship
To support jobs, we cut Corporation Tax from 28 to 20 per cent over the course of the Parliament,
reduced National Insurance bills
and capped the rise in business rates.
We have extended 100 per cent Small Business Rate Relief and are providing extra support for high street shops by increasing the business rates retail discount to £1,500.
In the next Parliament, we want to maintain the most competitive business tax regime in the G20, and oppose Labour’s plans to increase Corporation Tax.
We will conduct a major review into business rates by the end of 2015 to ensure that from 2017 they properly reflect the structure of our modern economy and provide clearer billing, better information sharing and a more efficient appeal system.
We will protect you from disruptive and undemocratic strike action
We will also repeal nonsensical restrictions banning employers from hiring agency staff to provide essential cover during strikes;
and ensure strikes cannot be called on the basis of ballots conducted years before.
We will tackle intimidation of non-striking workers;
legislate to ensure trade unions use a transparent opt-in process for union subscriptions;
tighten the rules around taxpayer-funded paid ‘facility time’ for union representatives;
and reform the role of the Certification Officer.
Strikes should only ever be the result of a clear, positive decision based on a ballot in which at least half the workforce has voted.
This turnout threshold will be an important and fair step to rebalance the interests of employers, employees, the public and the rights of trade unions.
We will, in addition, tackle the disproportionate impact of strikes in essential public services by introducing a tougher threshold in health, education, fire and transport.
Industrial action in these essential services would require the support of at least 40 per cent of all those entitled to take part in strike ballots
– as well as a majority of those who actually turn out to vote.
Britain has the most competitive business tax regime in the G20 –and we want to keep it that way
We will cut red tape, boost start-ups and small businesses
This Government was the first in post-war history to reduce the burden of regulation.
We will cut a further £10 billion of red tape over the next Parliament through our Red Tape Challenge and our One-In-Two-Out rule.
This will support our aim to make Britain the best place in Europe, and one of the top five worldwide, to do business by 2020.
We will also treble our successful Start Up Loans programme during the next Parliament so that 75,000 entrepreneurs get the chance to borrow money to set up their own business.
We will raise the target for SMEs’ share of central government procurement to one-third,
strengthen the Prompt Payment Code
and ensure that all major government suppliers sign up.
We have already helped small businesses by increasing the Annual Investment Allowance,
reducing the burden of employment law through our successful tribunal reforms
and supporting 27,000 new business mentors.
We will go further by establishing a new Small Business Conciliation service to mediate in disputes, especially over late payment.
The gender pay gap is down to a record low – and there are more women on FTSE 100 boards than ever before
The creation of the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) in 2010 has resulted in many improvements to the UK tax system.
We will establish the OTS on a permanent basis and expand its role and capacity.
We will boost our support for first-time exporters and back the GREAT campaign, so we achieve our goal of having 100,000 more UK companies exporting in 2020 than in 2010 and reach our target of £1 trillion in exports.
And we will set a new, significantly higher, permanent level for the Annual Investment Allowance.
We will fight for equal opportunity
Last year alone, 140,000 disabled people found work.
But the jobless rate for this group remains too high and, as part of our objective to achieve full employment, we will aim to halve the disability employment gap:
we will transform policy, practice and public attitudes, so that hundreds of thousands more disabled people who can and want to be in work find employment.
We now have more women-led businesses than ever before,
more women in work than ever before
and more women on FTSE 100 boards than ever before.
We want to see full, genuine gender equality.
The gender pay gap is the lowest on record, but we want to reduce it further and will push business to do so:
we will require companies with more than 250 employees to publish the difference between the average pay of their male and female employees.
Under Labour, women accounted for only one in eight FTSE 100 board members.
They represent a quarter of board members today and we want to see this rise further in the next Parliament.
We also want to increase the proportion of public appointments going to women in the next Parliament,
as well as the number of female MPs.
Our aim is to make Britain the best place to do business in Europe
We will back you at work
Now that the economy is growing strongly again, we have seen the first real-terms increase in the National Minimum Wage since Labour’s Great Recession began.
We strongly support the National Minimum Wage and want to see further real-terms increases in the next Parliament.
We accept the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission that the National Minimum Wage should rise to £6.70 this autumn,
on course for a Minimum Wage that will be over £8 by the end of the decade.
We also support the Living Wage and will continue to encourage businesses and other organisations to pay it whenever they can afford it.
We will also take further steps to eradicate abuses of workers, such as non-payment of the Minimum Wage,
exclusivity in zero-hours contracts
and exploitation of migrant workers.
We will continue to invest in science, back our industrial strategies and make Britain the technology centre of Europe
Great science is worthwhile in its own right and yields enormous practical benefits too – curing diseases, driving technological innovation, promoting business investment and informing public policy for the better.
We ring-fenced the science budget by making difficult choices to reduce spending in other areas.
Now we will invest new capital on a record scale – £6.9 billion in the UK’s research infrastructure up to 2021
– which will mean new equipment, new laboratories and new research institutes.
This long-term commitment includes £2.9 billion for a Grand Challenges Fund, which will allow us to invest in major research facilities of national significance, such as the new Alan Turing Institute, and projects such as the Polar Research Ship and Square Kilometre Array.
We have boosted research and development tax credits
and we will continue to support our network of University Enterprise Zones, ensuring that Britain's world-beating universities are able to make money from the technology they develop.
We will support our modern industrial strategies, such as our successful Life Sciences strategy, to help people compete and win in the intense global race for high value, high knowledge jobs.
We will work with the Automotive Council in support of our resurgent car industry
and direct further resources towards the Eight Great Technologies – among them robotics and nanotechnology – where Britain is set to be a global leader.
We have delivered a network of catapult centres – R&D hubs in the technologies of the future
– and we will create more to ensure that we have a bold and comprehensive offer in place for Britain’s researchers and innovators.
Inequality is down from the record high it reached under Labour
We will support the rural economy and strengthen local communities
We have the land, the technology, and the entrepreneurial flair to enable us to make the most of the economic potential of our rural areas.
We will provide rural Britain with near universal superfast broadband by the end of the next Parliament
and secure the future of 3,000 rural Post Offices.
We know how important it is to preserve vital community assets such as pubs, town halls and sports facilities, so we will strengthen the Community Right to Bid that we created.
We will extend the length of time communities have to purchase these assets,
and require owners to set a clear ‘reserve’ price for the community to aim for when bidding.
We will set up a Pub Loan Fund to enable community groups to obtain small loans to pay for feasibility work, lawyers’ fees, or materials for refurbishment, where they have bid to run the pub as part of our reforms to the Community Asset Register.
We will champion our farmers and food producers
We will set out a long-term vision for the future of British farming, working with industry to develop a 25 year plan to grow more, buy more and sell more British food.
We will allow farmers to smooth their profits for tax purposes over five years, up from the current two years, to counter income volatility.
We will treble the number of apprenticeships in food, farming and agri-tech, as part of our plan to secure three million more apprenticeships.
We will support a science-led approach on GM crops and pesticides
and implement our 25-year strategy to eradicate bovine TB.
We will liberate farmers from red tape by coordinating all visits through a single Farm Inspection Taskforce, which will involve farmers themselves and use data from existing industry schemes, such as Red Tractor.
We will push for further reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.
We will promote British food abroad by setting up a Great British Food Unit to help trademark and promote local foods around the world
and back British food at home, by guaranteeing that all central government departments purchase food to British standards of production by the end of the Parliament.
We will also help consumers to buy British by pushing for country of origin labelling in Europe, particularly for dairy products, following on from our success with beef, lamb, pork and poultry.
And we will champion our new Groceries Code Adjudicator, so farmers receive a fair deal from the supermarkets.
We will support our fishing and coastal communities
We will defend our hard-won Common Fisheries Policy reforms, which include ending the scandalous practice of discarding perfectly edible fish
and reforming the quota system so that all at-risk species, including cod, plaice, haddock and seabass, will be fished sustainably by the end of the next Parliament.
We will continue to devolve the management of North Sea fisheries to local communities,
and rebalance the UK’s inland water quotas to smaller, specific locally-based fishing communities.
We will support countryside pursuits
We will protect hunting, shooting and fishing, for all the benefits to individuals,
the environment
and the rural economy that these activities bring.
A Conservative Government will give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote, with a government bill in government time.
Cutting your taxes and building a fairer welfare system
Our commitment to you:
Our goal is a country that not only rewards those who work hard and do the right thing, but gives everyone – no matter their background – the chance to fulfil their potential.
Achieving this means seeing through our major reforms of tax and welfare.
We will:
cut income tax for 30 million people, taking everyone who earns less than £12,500 out of Income Tax altogether
pass a new law so that nobody working 30 hours on the Minimum Wage pays Income Tax on what they earn
back aspiration by raising the 40p tax threshold – so that no one earning less than £50,000 pays it
cap overall welfare spending,
lower the amount of benefits that any household can receive to £23,000
and continue to roll out Universal Credit, to make work pay
bring in tax-free childcare to support parents back into work,
and give working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds 30 hours of free childcare a week.
Under Labour, those who worked hard found more and more of their earnings taken away in tax to support a welfare system that allowed, and even encouraged, people to choose benefits when they could be earning a living.
This sent out terrible signals: if you did the right thing, you were penalised – and if you did the wrong thing, you were rewarded, with the unfairness of it all infuriating hardworking people.
We have cut Income Tax for over 26 million people
– and taken over 3 million people out of Income Tax altogether
Over the last five years, we have cut people’s taxes wherever possible.
We have raised the tax-free Personal Allowance to £10,600 from £6,475:
over 26 million people are now keeping more of their hard-earned money
and 3 million of the lowest paid are paying no Income Tax at all.
We believe that cutting people’s taxes is the right thing to do – not only because it is your money,
but also because cutting the taxes of the lowest paid and helping them stand on their own two feet is the most effective poverty-tackling measure there is.
Real fairness means that where people really cannot work, they must be supported – but where they are able to work, they should.
We have made long overdue changes to our welfare system.
We have capped benefits so no household can take more in out-of-work benefits than the average household earns by going out to work.
We have begun to introduce Universal Credit – a way to simplify benefits into a new single payment – so that work always pays.
We are reassessing those on incapacity benefits so that help goes to those who really need it.
The days of something for nothing are over
– and all this has helped to reduce by 900,000 the number of people living in workless households.
In the next Parliament, we will continue to reward hard work:
raising the tax-free Personal Allowance so that those working 30 hours on the Minimum Wage pay no Income Tax at all
and taking hardworking people out of a 40p higher rate tax band originally meant to capture only the wealthy.
And we will see through our welfare reforms, lowering the benefit cap and rolling out Universal Credit, to make the system fairer and reward hard work.
The goal of welfare reform should be to reward hard work
and protect the vulnerable
Our plan of action:
We will reward work
A Conservative Government will not increase the rates of VAT, Income Tax or National Insurance in the next Parliament.
Instead, we will ease the burden of taxation by raising the tax-free Personal Allowance – the amount you can earn before you start paying tax – to £12,500.
This will cut Income Tax for 30 million people and take everyone who earns less than £12,500 out of Income Tax altogether.
That means by the end of the decade, one million more people on the lowest wages will be lifted out of Income Tax,
and people who work for 30 hours a week on the increased National Minimum Wage will no longer pay any Income Tax at all.
We will pass a new law so that the Personal Allowance automatically rises in line with the National Minimum Wage.
The new Tax Free Minimum Wage law will be applied from the first Budget after the General Election.
The change will update the 1977 'Rooker-Wise' amendment which forced governments to uprate tax thresholds in line with inflation, meaning the Personal Allowance will now increase more quickly.
We will cut Income Tax for 30 million people – so that hard work is always rewarded
We will back your ambition
The 40p tax rate was only supposed to be paid by the best-off people in our country.
But in the past couple of decades, far too many have been dragged into it.
We have already announced an above-inflation increase in the threshold next year.
Now we will raise the 40p tax threshold much further, so that no one earning less than £50,000 pays the higher rate of Income Tax.
The 800,000 people earning between £42,385 and £50,000 will no longer pay the 40p rate of tax.
We will support you as you raise your family
We will support you, whether you choose to go out to work or stay at home to raise your children.
We will back the institution of marriage in our society, enabling married couples to transfer £1,060 of their tax-free income to their husband or wife, where the highest earner is a basic rate taxpayer.
This applies to civil partnerships too, and the transferable amount will always rise at least in line with the Personal Allowance.
And we will help families stay together and handle the stresses of modern life by continuing to invest at least £7.5 million a year in relationship support.
We will bring in tax-free childcare to help parents return to work, and give working parents of three and four year-olds 30 hours of free childcare a week
We have already legislated to introduce tax-free childcare in the next Parliament – worth up to £2,000 per child per year – to help parents who want to work.
We introduced 15 hours a week of free childcare for all three and four-year olds
and the most deprived two year-olds.
And because working families with children under school age face particularly high childcare costs, in the next Parliament we will give families where all parents are working an entitlement to 30 hours of free childcare for their three and four year-olds.
We will cap the UK's overall welfare spending, to save you money
We will keep a check on the growth of welfare spending,
enabling us to provide a system that is fair to those who need it, and fair to those who pay for it too.
Our overall welfare cap will limit the amount that government can spend on certain social security benefits in the five years from 2015-16.
We will freeze working age benefits for two years from April 2016,
with exemptions for disability and pensioner benefits– as at present
-as well as maternity allowance, statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay, statutory adoption pay and statutory sick pay.
We will deliver Universal Credit, in order to provide the right incentives for people to work;
target support at those who need it most;
reduce fraud and error;
and streamline administration of the welfare system.
We will work to eliminate child poverty and introduce better measures to drive real change in children’s lives, by recognising the root causes of poverty:  entrenched worklessness, family breakdown, problem debt, and drug and alcohol dependency.
A welfare system that is fair to those who need it, and fair to those who pay for it too: stopping benefit cheats and ending welfare abuse
We will lower the benefit cap from £26,000 to £23,000 to reward work
We will reduce the household benefit cap to make the system fairer
We will lower the maximum amount that a single household can claim in benefits each year from £26,000 to £23,000, so we reward work.
We will continue to have exemptions from the cap for those receiving Disability Living Allowance or the Personal Independence Payment.
We will help you back into work if you have a long-term yet treatable condition
We will make sure the hardest to help receive the support they need for a fulfilling life.
We will review how best to support those suffering from long-term yet treatable conditions, such as drug or alcohol addiction, or obesity, back into work.
People who might benefit from treatment should get the medical help they need so they can return to work
. If they refuse a recommended treatment, we will review whether their benefits should be reduced.
We will also provide significant new support for mental health,
benefiting thousands of people claiming out-of-work benefits or being supported by Fit for Work.
Controlled immigration that benefits Britain
Our commitment to you:
Our plan to control immigration will put you, your family and the British people first.
We will reduce the number of people coming to our country with tough new welfare conditions and robust enforcement.
We will:
keep our ambition of delivering annual net migration in the tens of thousands, not the hundreds of thousands
control migration from the European Union, by reforming welfare rules
clamp down on illegal immigration and abuse of the Minimum Wage
enhance our border security and strengthen the enforcement of immigration rules
develop a fund to ease pressure on local areas and public services.
Conservatives believe in controlled immigration, not mass immigration.
Immigration brings real benefits to Britain – to our economy, our culture and our national life.
We will always be a party that is open, outward-looking and welcoming to people from all around the world.
We also know that immigration must be controlled.
When immigration is out of control, it puts pressure on schools, hospitals and transport;
and it can cause social pressures if communities find it hard to integrate.
We must work to control immigration and put Britain first
Between 1997 and 2009, under the last Labour Government, we had the largest influx of people Britain had ever seen.
Their open borders policy, combined with their failure to reform welfare, meant that for years over 90 percent of employment growth in this country was accounted for by foreign nationals
– even though there were 1.4 million people who spent most of the 2000s living on out-of-work benefits.
For the past five years, we have been working to turn around the situation we inherited.
Since 2010, we have stripped more than 850 bogus colleges of their rights to sponsor foreign students;
installed proper exit checks at our borders;
cracked down on illegal working and sham marriages;
made it harder for people to live in the UK illegally, by restricting their access to bank accounts, driving licences and private housing;
and reduced the number of appeal routes to stop people clogging up our courts with spurious attempts to remain in the country.
All of this has made a difference.
Immigration from outside the EU has come down since 2010.
Non-EU migration cut by 13 per cent – and economic migration from outside the EU capped
We have seen many more people from the EU coming to Britain than originally anticipated, principally because our economy has been growing so much more rapidly and creating more jobs than other EU countries.
As a result, our action has not been enough to cut annual net migration to the tens of thousands.
That ambition remains the right one.
But it is clearly going to take more time, more work and more difficult long-term decisions to achieve.
Continuing this vital work will be our priority over the next five years.
We will negotiate new rules with the EU, so that people will have to be earning here for a number of years before they can claim benefits, including the tax credits that top up low wages.
Instead of something-for-nothing, we will build a system based on the principle of something-for-something.
We will then put these changes to the British people in a straight in-out referendum on our membership of the European Union by the end of 2017.
At the same time, we will continue to strengthen our borders, improve the enforcement of our immigration laws and act to make sure people leave at the end of their visas.
Across the spectrum, from the student route to the family and work routes, we will build a system that truly puts you, your family and the British people first.
Our plan of action:
We will regain control of EU migration by reforming welfare rules
Changes to welfare to cut EU migration will be an absolute requirement in the renegotiation.
We have already banned housing benefit for EU jobseekers,
and restricted other benefits, including Jobseeker's Allowance.
We will insist that EU migrants who want to claim tax credits and child benefit must live here and contribute to our country for a minimum of four years.
This will reduce the financial incentive for lower-paid, lower-skilled workers to come to Britain.
We will introduce a new residency requirement for social housing, so that EU migrants cannot even be considered for a council house unless they have been living in an area for at least four years.
If an EU migrant’s child is living abroad, then they should receive no child benefit or child tax credit, no matter how long they have worked in the UK and no matter how much tax they have paid.
To reduce the numbers of EU migrants coming to Britain, we will end the ability of EU jobseekers to claim any job-seeking benefits at all.
And if jobseekers have not found a job within six months, they will be required to leave.
Tougher tests for migrants before they can claim benefits
We will tackle criminality and abuse of free movement
We will negotiate with the EU to introduce stronger powers to deport criminals and stop them coming back,
and tougher and longer re-entry bans for all those who abuse free movement.
We want to toughen requirements for non-EU spouses to join EU citizens, including with an income threshold and English language test.
And when new countries are admitted to the EU in future, we will insist that free movement cannot apply to those new members until their economies have converged much more closely with existing Member States.
We will continue to cut immigration from outside the EU
We have already capped the level of skilled economic migration from outside the EU.
We will maintain our cap at 20,700 during the next Parliament.
This will ensure that we only grant visas to those who have the skills we really need in our economy.
We will reform the student visa system with new measures to tackle abuse and reduce the numbers of students overstaying once their visas expire.
Our action will include clamping down on the number of so-called ‘satellite campuses’ opened in London by universities located elsewhere in the UK, and reviewing the highly trusted sponsor system for student visas.
And as the introduction of exit checks will allow us to place more responsibility on visa sponsors for migrants who overstay, we will introduce targeted sanctions for those colleges or businesses that fail to ensure that migrants comply with the terms of their visa.
We will strengthen the enforcement of immigration rules
We have introduced a ‘deport first, appeal later’ rule for foreign national offenders.
We will now remove even more illegal immigrants by extending this rule to all immigration appeals and judicial reviews, including where a so-called right to family life is involved, apart from asylum claims.
We will also implement a new removals strategy to take away opportunities for spurious legal challenge and opportunities to abscond.
We will introduce satellite tracking for every foreign national offender subject to an outstanding deportation order or deportation proceedings.
And we will implement the requirement for all landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants.
We will tackle people trafficking and exploitation
We have already re-introduced a proper system of exit checks across the country,
passed a Modern Slavery Act that will protect people from exploitation,
and quadrupled the fines for unscrupulous employers who undercut the Minimum Wage.
Now we will introduce tougher labour market regulation to tackle illegal working and exploitation.
To crack down further on illegal working, we will harness data from multiple agencies, including Exit Checks data, to identify illegal immigrants and businesses that employ illegal workers.
And to incentivise tougher action on employers who do not pay the minimum wage, we will allow inspection teams to reinvest more of the money raised by fines levied on employers.
We will ease pressure on public services and your local community
We are taking unprecedented action to tackle health tourism and will recover up to £500 million from migrants who use the NHS by the middle of the next Parliament.
To help communities experiencing high and unexpected volumes of immigration, we will introduce a new Controlling Migration Fund to ease pressures on services and to pay for additional immigration enforcement.
To prevent sectors becoming partially or wholly reliant on foreign workers, we will require those regularly utilising the Shortage Occupation List, under which they can bring skilled foreign workers into the UK, to provide long-term plans for training British workers.
We will protect British values and our way of life
We will promote integration and British values
Being able to speak English is a fundamental part of integrating into our society.
We have introduced tough new language tests for migrants and ensured councils reduce spending on translation services.
Next, we will legislate to ensure that every public sector worker operating in a customer-facing role must speak fluent English.
And to encourage better integration into our society, we will also require those coming to Britain on a family visa with only basic English to become more fluent over time, with new language tests for those seeking a visa extension.
Giving your child the best start in life
Our commitment to you:
Your child deserves the best start in life.
A good education is not a luxury; it should be a right for everyone.
We will: ensure a good primary school place for your child, with zero tolerance for failure
turn every failing and coasting secondary school into an academy and deliver free schools for parents and communities that want them
help teachers to make Britain the best country in the world for developing maths, engineering, science and computing skills
create 3 million new apprenticeships
and make sure there is no cap on university places, so we have aspiration for all.
We know what works in education: great teachers; brilliant leadership; rigour in the curriculum; discipline in the classroom; proper exams.
We have been bold in reforming the education system to deliver these things, based upon simple, clear principles and values.
We believe that parents and teachers should be empowered to run their schools independently.
We believe that teaching is a highly skilled profession, and that we need to attract the best graduates into it.
And we believe that there is no substitute for a rigorous academic curriculum to secure the best from every pupil.
We inherited a system where far too many children left school without the qualifications and skills they needed.
One in three children was leaving primary school unable to read, write and add up properly.
The number of pupils studying the core academic subjects at GCSE had halved.
Our schools had fallen down the global league tables for maths and science.
And the poorest children were attending the weakest schools.
Our far-reaching education reforms have changed this.
We have brought high standards back to teaching, discipline back to schools, and challenging subjects back onto the curriculum.
Today, there are a million more pupils in schools rated by Ofsted as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.
Over a thousand schools that were ranked ‘inadequate’ have become Academies, bringing in new leadership to promote discipline, rigour and higher standards.
There are over 250 new free schools – set up and run by local people – delivering better education for the children who need it most.
We have boosted the number of apprenticeships to record levels – 2.2 million over the last five years
– and last September more people headed off to university than at any time in history.
Too many children, however, are still not receiving the excellent education that they deserve.
So we will continue our reforms, so that every child has the best possible start in life.
There are a million more pupils in schools rated by Ofsted as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’
Our plan of action:
We will drive up standards in your child’s school
We have made exams more rigorous and ended grade inflation.
There is more to do.
We will start by introducing tough new standards for literacy and numeracy in primary schools.
We will expect every 11-year-old to know their times tables off by heart and be able to perform long division and complex multiplication.
They should be able to read a book and write a short story with accurate punctuation, spelling and grammar.
If children do not reach the required standards in their exams at the end of primary school, they will resit them at the start of secondary school, to make sure no pupil is left behind.
We will require secondary school pupils to take GCSEs in English, maths, science, a language and history or geography, with Ofsted unable to award its highest ratings to schools that refuse to teach these core subjects.
We will ensure there is a good primary school place for your child, with zero tolerance of failure
We have more than doubled Labour’s spending on new school places.
But we want to go even further, investing at least £7 billion over the next Parliament to provide good school places.
And we will let our best headteachers take control of failing primary schools, by expanding the National Leaders of Education programme.
Every school needs high standards, proper funding and accountability
We will turn every failing and coasting secondary school into an academy, and deliver free schools if parents in your area want them
Over 4,000 schools are already benefiting from academy status, giving them more power over discipline and budgets.
And nearly 800 of the worst-performing primary schools have been taken over by experienced academy sponsors with a proven track record of success.
This is improving education for our children.
So we will continue to expand academies, free schools, studio schools and University Technical Colleges.
Over the next Parliament, we will open at least 500 new free schools,
resulting in 270,000 new school places.
And we will introduce new powers to force coasting schools to accept new leadership.
Any school judged by Ofsted to be requiring improvement will be taken over by the best headteachers – backed by expert sponsors or high-performing neighbouring schools – unless it can demonstrate that it has a plan to improve rapidly.
We will continue to allow all good schools to expand, whether they are maintained schools, academies, free schools or grammar schools.
We will continue to protect school funding
Over the last five years, we have protected the schools budget and committed £18 billion for new school buildings, so that children can learn in the best environment possible.
Under a future Conservative Government, the amount of money following your child into school will be protected.
As the number of pupils increases, so will the amount of money in our schools.
On current pupil number forecasts, there will be a real-terms increase in the schools budget in the next Parliament.
We will continue to provide the pupil premium, protected at current rates, so that schools receive additional money for those from the poorest backgrounds.
We will support families by providing free meals to all infants.
And we will make schools funding fairer.
We have already increased funding for the 69 least well-funded local authorities in the country, and will make this the baseline for their funding in the next Parliament.
We will not allow state schools to make a profit.
We will back your child’s teachers
We have already given teachers greater disciplinary powers.
In the next Parliament, we will expect every teacher to be trained not just in how to tackle serious behaviour issues, but also in how to deal with the low level disruption that stops children from learning properly.
This generation of teachers is already the best-qualified ever.
In future, we will recruit and keep the best teachers by reducing the time they spend on paperwork,
introducing bursaries for the most in-demand subjects,
paying good teachers more,
further reducing the burden of Ofsted inspections
and continuing to encourage the growth of Teach First.
We will increase the number of teachers able to teach Mandarin in schools in England, so we can compete in the global race.
We want teachers to be regarded in the same way as other highly skilled professionals, so we are supporting the creation of an independent College of Teaching to promote the highest standards of teaching and school leadership.
We will lead the world in maths and science
We have increased the time schools will spend on maths, and ensured that children learn to code as soon as they start school.
Maths is now the most popular A-level subject.
We aim to make Britain the best place in the world to study maths, science and engineering, measured by improved performance in the PISA league tables.
To help achieve this, we will train an extra 17,500 maths and physics teachers over the next five years.
We will make sure that all students are pushed to achieve their potential and create more opportunities to stretch the most able.
Schools budget protected with £5 billion given to tackle Labour’s school places crisis
We will protect children
Every child deserves a warm, loving home, and to feel safe online and at school.
We have made improving support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities a priority.
We have created 2,200 more special schools places through our free schools programme,
introduced a coordinated assessment process to determine a child or young person’s needs,
and funded degree-level specialist training for teachers and support staff.
And to make sure it’s working, Ofsted now formally inspects local areas for their effectiveness in fulfilling their new duties.
We have made progress in reforming our adoption system, but there is more to do.
We will introduce regional adoption agencies, working across local authority boundaries to match children with the best parents for them.
We will continue to raise the quality of children’s social work, by expanding training programmes, such as Frontline, and creating new opportunities to develop the next generation of leaders in the field.
We will continue to tackle all forms of bullying in our schools.
And we will stop children's exposure to harmful sexualised content online, by requiring age verification for access to all sites containing pornographic material and age-rating for all music videos.
We will improve skills training
We have given employers much more control over apprenticeship courses, so they teach skills relevant to the workplace.
We will continue to replace lower-level, classroom-based Further Education courses with high-quality apprenticeships that combine training with experience of work and a wage.
We will ensure there is a University Technical College within reach of every city.
We will abolish employers' National Insurance contributions on earnings up to the upper earnings limit for apprentices under the age of 25.
And we will roll out many more Degree Apprenticeships, allowing young people to combine a world-class degree with a world-class apprenticeship.
Child poverty is down – with 300,000 fewer children living in poverty
We will improve Further Education
We will continue to improve Further Education through our network of National Colleges,
which will provide specialist higher-level vocational training in sectors critical to economic growth.
We will publish more earnings and destination data for Further Education courses, and require more accreditation of courses by employers.
We will ensure that if you want to go to university, you can
This year, for the first time, over half a million people have been admitted to our universities, including a record proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
From September, we will go even further, abolishing the cap on higher education student numbers and removing an arbitrary ceiling on ambition.
Our reforms to university funding mean you do not have to pay anything towards tuition while studying, and only start paying back if you earn over £21,000 per year.
We will ensure the continuing success and stability of these reforms, so that the interests of both students and taxpayers are fairly represented.
We will also introduce a national postgraduate loan system for taught masters and PhD courses.
We will ensure that universities deliver the best possible value for money to students:
we will introduce a framework to recognise universities offering the highest teaching quality;
encourage universities to offer more two-year courses;
and require more data to be openly available to potential students so that they can make decisions informed by the career paths of past graduates.
We will ensure that our universities remain world-leading
We will maintain our universities’ reputation for world-class research and academic excellence.
Through the Nurse Review of research councils, we will seek to ensure that the UK continues to support world-leading science, and invests public money in the best possible way.
And we will encourage the development of online education as a tool for students, whether studying independently or in our universities.
Protecting and improving our National Health Service
Our commitment to you:
Our National Health Service must be there for you throughout your life.
We will:
continue to increase spending on the NHS, supported by a strong economy, so the NHS stays free for you to use
spend at least an additional £8 billion by 2020 over and above inflation to fund and support the NHS’s own action plan for the next five years
ensure you can see a GP and receive the hospital care you need, 7 days a week by 2020,
with a guarantee that everyone over 75 will get a same-day appointment if they need one
integrate health and social care, through our Better Care Fund
lead the world in fighting cancer
and finding a cure for dementia
The NHS is vitally important to all of us.
Founded on the principle that no one should ever have to worry about their ability to pay for their healthcare, it is a profound expression of our values as a nation.
Patients, doctors and nurses are the experts on how to improve people’s health.
So we have given greater power and accountability to the frontline than any other government.
We cleared out bureaucracy, generating savings which we have invested in care for patients.
Instead of chasing managerial targets, we have focused on outcomes and performance.
And we have given patients more power by providing them with more information.
Under Labour, micro-management from Whitehall clogged-up the system.
A cover-up culture developed, where doctors and nurses were scared to speak out about the appalling standards of care at hospitals in places such as Stafford and Morecambe Bay.
By the time Labour left office, our cancer survival rates lagged far behind those of other countries, and more than 18,000 patients had been waiting for over a year to start their treatment.
We are building an NHS that is more efficient, more effective and more accountable
We are putting things right.
We protected the NHS budget.
Our doctors and nurses are now doing over a million more operations each year than in 2010.
Our Cancer Drugs Fund has given more than 60,000 people access to life-saving drugs.
We have doubled funding for dementia research.
Hospital infections have halved.
An independent think tank, the Commonwealth Fund, has found that under the Conservatives the NHS has become the best healthcare system of any major country.
And patients are reporting the highest levels of satisfaction for years.
The NHS is performing well in the face of increasing demand, with fewer patients waiting longer than the 18, 26 and 52 week targets than in May 2010.
We have slashed the number of people who wait over a year for the treatment they need, from over 18,000 to under 500.
Despite this progress, our NHS faces major challenges.
An ageing population will place more pressure on health and social care, and life-saving but expensive new drugs will push up costs.
And for years it’s been too hard to access the NHS out of hours, even though sudden illness and events which you and your family cannot plan for do not respect normal working hours.
We will rise to these challenges.
By building a strong economy, we will be able to increase spending in real terms every year.
With a future Conservative Government, you will have a truly 7-day NHS, at the frontier of science, offering you new drugs and treatments, safeguarded for years to come.
Our plan of action:
We will deliver a strong NHS through a strong economy
We are set to increase health spending by more than £7 billion above and beyond inflation in the five years since 2010.
And we will continue spend more on the NHS, in real terms, every year.
The NHS is more efficient now than it has ever been.
We will implement the NHS’s own plan to improve health care even further – the Five Year Forward View.
Because of our long-term economic plan, we are able to commit to increasing NHS spending in England in real terms by a minimum of £8 billion over the next five years.
Combined with the efficiencies that the NHS Forward View sets out, this will provide the funding necessary to implement this plan in full.
We are prioritising resources to frontline services – with 9,500 more doctors and 6,900 more nurses
We will make the NHS more convenient for you
We want England to be the first nation in the world to provide a truly 7 day NHS.
Already millions more people can see a GP 7 days a week, from 8am-8pm, but by 2020 we want this for everyone.
We will now go further, with hospitals properly staffed, so that the quality of care is the same every day of the week.
We will restore your right to access a specific, named GP – something that Labour abolished.
We will ensure that your family doctor appointments and repeat prescriptions are routinely available online, wherever you live.
And we will guarantee same-day GP appointments for all over 75s who need them.
We will offer you the safest and most compassionate care in the world
We will ensure that English hospitals and GP surgeries are the safest in the world, places where you are treated with dignity and respect.
We will continue to eliminate mixed-sex wards
and hospital infections
We will ensure that the NHS is accountable when mistakes are made, and implement the recommendations of the independent review into the Stafford Hospital scandal.
We will ensure that the independent Care Quality Commission rates all hospitals, care homes and GP surgeries.
We introduced expert Chief Inspectors to promote excellence and root out poor care, and we will continue to back them.
We are deeply proud of our NHS staff, who are the best in the world.
Over the last five years, we have hired thousands more doctors and nurses.
We will continue to ensure that we have enough doctors, nurses and other staff to meet patients’ needs,
and consider how best to recognise and reward high performance.
We have increased the NHS budget above inflation every year
We will help you make informed choices about your healthcare
We will improve standards in all areas of care.
In 2013 we introduced the friends and family test so you could provide feedback on the care and treatment you received;
we aim to increase the proportion of people who rate their experience as ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.
We will boost transparency even further, ensuring you can access full information about the safety record of your hospital and other NHS or independent providers,
and give patients greater choice over where and how they receive care.
We will give you full access to your own electronic health records,
while retaining your right to opt-out of your records being shared electronically.
We will support you and your family to stay healthy
We are helping people to stay healthy by ending the open display of tobacco in shops,
introducing plain–packaged cigarettes
and funding local authority public health budgets.
We will take action to reduce childhood obesity and continue to promote clear food information.
We will support people struggling with addictions and undertake a review into how best to support those suffering from long-term yet treatable conditions, such as drug or alcohol addiction, or obesity, back in to work.
We will be the first country to implement a national, evidence-based diabetes prevention programme.
And we will invest more in primary care, to help prevent health problems before they start.
People deserve patient-centred healthcare not more bureaucracy
We will ensure you receive the best healthcare
We will speed up your access to new medicines by implementing the findings of our Innovative Medicines and Medical Technology Review.
We will increase the use of cost-effective new medicines and technologies,
and encourage large-scale trials of innovative technologies and health services.
Antibiotic resistance is a major health risk so we will continue to lead the global fight against it, taking forward the recommendations of the independent review launched by the Prime Minister, David Cameron.
And we will support our long-term economic plan by fostering research, innovation and jobs in the life science industry.
We will help if you or your loved ones are affected by cancer
Cancer survival rates are improving, and are now the best they have ever been.
We will continue to invest in our lifesaving Cancer Drugs Fund.
We will work with the NHS, charities and patient groups to deliver the new strategy recommended by NHS England’s cancer taskforce.
This will improve survival rates and save thousands of lives through enhanced prevention, earlier detection and diagnosis, and better treatment and care.
We will continue to support research to improve the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases and cancers, including through decoding 100,000 whole genomes.
This will help scientists and doctors understand diseases better,
and design more effective, personalised treatments.
Over 60,000 people have benefited from the Cancer  Drugs Fund
We will continue to take your mental health as seriously as your physical health
We have legislated to ensure that mental and physical health conditions are given equal priority.
We will now go further, ensuring that there are therapists in every part of the country providing treatment for those who need it.
We are increasing funding for mental health care.
We will enforce the new access and waiting time standards for people experiencing mental ill-health, including children and young people.
Building on our success in training thousands of nurses and midwives to become health visitors,
we will ensure that women have access to mental health support during and after pregnancy,
while strengthening the health visiting programme for new mothers.
We will ensure that people can grow old in comfort and dignity
We have led the world on fighting dementia, and will deliver our strategy – the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020 – making sure that everyone diagnosed with the condition gets a meaningful care plan to support them and their family.
We will increase support for full-time unpaid carers.
We will guarantee that you will not have to sell your home to fund your residential social care.
Too many people spend their last days in hospital when they would prefer to die closer to home;
we will support commissioners to combine better health and social care services for the terminally ill so that more people are able to die in a place of their choice.
We will continue to integrate the health and social care systems,  joining-up services between homes, clinics and hospitals,
including through piloting new approaches like the pooling of around £6 billion of health and social care funding in Greater Manchester
and the £5.3 billion Better Care Fund.
Enabling you to enjoy our heritage, creativity and sports
Our commitment to you:
Wherever you live in the country, we want you to be able to enjoy the best our culture and sports have to offer.
We will: keep our major national museums and galleries free to enter
support school sport,
build on our Olympic and Paralympic legacy,
and deliver the Rugby and Cricket World Cups and the World Athletics Championships
freeze the BBC licence fee, to save you money
support our creative industries
and defend a free media
One of the highlights of the past five years was the London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Those weeks in 2012 demonstrated the best of our country.
When the pressure is on, we deliver; when the stakes are high, we come together; when it comes to taking on the world, we can win.
We may not be the biggest country, but our museums are second to none.
In music, art, fashion, theatre, design, film, television and the performing arts, we have an edge.
Conservatives understand these things do not just enhance our national prestige and boost our economy;
they help tie our country together, strengthening the bonds between all of us.
That’s why, despite all the economic chaos we inherited, we have put over £8 billion of public and Lottery funding into the arts, heritage, museums and galleries during the last five years.
We have also boosted school sports
and increased the share of National Lottery funding going to good causes.
Culture and sport help bring us closer together as a nation, strengthening the bonds between all of us
Our plan of action:
We will support our world-leading museums, galleries and heritage
We will keep our major national museums and galleries free to enter and enable our cultural institutions to benefit from greater financial autonomy to use their budgets as they see fit.
Over the last five years, we have made sure that arts funding benefits the whole of the UK.
We will support a Great Exhibition in the North;
back plans for a new theatre, The Factory, Manchester;
and help the Manchester Museum, in partnership with the British Museum, to establish a new India Gallery.
We are also supporting plans to develop a modern world class concert hall for London.
We will ensure the protection and enjoyment of one our most ancient and precious heritage sites by building a tunnel where the A303 passes closest to Stonehenge.
We significantly increased National Lottery funding for heritage and have created a brand new heritage charity – English Heritage – to support more than 400 buildings and monuments.
And we will continue to support essential roof repairs for our cathedrals and churches, along with other places of worship.
We will continue to support local libraries
We will help public libraries to support local communities by providing free wi-fi.
And we will assist them in embracing the digital age by working with them to ensure remote access to e-books, without charge and with appropriate compensation for authors that enhances the Public Lending Right scheme.
We will support our media
A free media is the bedrock of an open society.
We will deliver a comprehensive review of the BBC Royal Charter, ensuring it delivers value for money for the licence fee payer, while maintaining a world class service and supporting our creative industries.
That is why we froze the BBC licence fee and will keep it frozen, pending Charter renewal.
And we will continue to ‘top-slice’ the licence fee for digital infrastructure to support superfast broadband across the country.
We will defend press freedom
We will continue to defend hard-won liberties and the operation of a free press.
But alongside the media’s rights comes a clear responsibility, which is why we set up the public, judge-led Leveson Inquiry in response to the phone-hacking scandal, created a new watchdog by Royal Charter and legislated to toughen media libel laws.
Because the work of the free press is so important we will offer explicit protection for the role of journalists via the British Bill of Rights
and we will ban the police from accessing journalists’ phone records to identify whistle-blowers and other sources without prior judicial approval.
Local newspapers are an important source of information for local communities and a vital part of a healthy democracy.
To support them as they adapt to new technology and changing circumstances, we will consult on the introduction of a business rates relief for local newspapers in England.
We will support our creative industries
The creative industries have become our fastest-growing economic sector, contributing nearly £77 billion to the UK economy – driven in part by the tax incentives for films, theatre, video games, animation and orchestras we introduced.
Our support for the film industry has resulted in great British films and encouraged Hollywood’s finest to flock to the UK.
We will continue these reliefs, with a tax credit for children’s television next year, and expand them when possible.
We will protect intellectual property by continuing to require internet service providers to block sites that carry large amounts of illegal content, including their proxies.
And we will build on progress made under our voluntary anti-piracy projects to warn internet users when they are breaching copyright.
We will work to ensure that search engines do not link to the worst-offending sites.
We will continue to support tourism in our country
Our tourism industry already supports three million jobs and is one of the nation’s leading employers and export earners.
We will set challenging targets for Visit Britain and Visit England to ensure more visitors travel outside the capital.
We will simplify and speed up visa issuance for tourists.
And because tourism is an industry that depends more than most on young people, we will step up efforts to recruit more apprentices into the business.
We will build on our Olympic and Paralympic legacy
We want our sportsmen and women to win even more medals in Rio 2016 than they did in London 2012.
So we will continue to support elite sports funding as part of our Olympic and Paralympic legacy.
We will deliver the Rugby World Cup in 2015,
the World Athletics Championship in 2017,
IPC World Championships in 2017,
and the Cricket World Cup in 2019,
maximising the opportunities for tourism and jobs.
We will support new sports in the UK,
in particular through greater links with the US National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, with the ultimate ambition of new franchises being based here.
We will boost sport in your community
We have already boosted funding for sport in primary schools and over 18,000 schools have registered to take part in our School Games.
We will go further, supporting primary school sport with £150 million a year, paid directly to head-teachers, until 2020.
This will make sure that all primary schoolchildren benefit from a minimum of two hours high-class sport and PE each week.
We will improve the quality of Community Sports facilities, working with local authorities, the Football Association and the Premier League to fund investment in artificial football pitches in more than 30 cities across England.
We will continue to invest in participation and physical activity, recognising sport’s vital benefits to health
and to NHS England’s campaign to prevent diabetes.
We will lift the number of women on national sports governing bodies to at least 25 per cent by 2017,
and seek to increase participation in sport by women and girls.
School Games supported with over £150 million of National Lottery and public money
Helping you build the Big Society
Our commitment to you:
Building the Big Society is about involving the people, neighbourhoods, villages, towns and cities of Britain in the great task of improving our country
– and giving young people the power and opportunity to play a real part in their community.
We will:
guarantee your child a place on National Citizen Service, so they can learn new skills and meet young people from different walks of life
promote equal treatment and equal opportunity for all in a society proud of its tolerance and diversity
give those who work for a big company and the public sector a new workplace entitlement to Volunteering Leave for three days a year, on full pay.
The Big Society is a vision of a more engaged nation,
one in which we take more responsibility for ourselves and our neighbours;
communities working together, not depending on remote and impersonal bureaucracies.
Of course, there are many tasks which require the resources and grip of government.
But there are also many areas of national life in which we need more people to step forward, take responsibility and play their part.
This is about a national culture change, saying to everyone in Britain: ask what you can do for your community and your country.
Volunteering is at a 10-year high, with 3 million more adults giving their time last year than in 2010
In the past five years, there has been real progress.
Volunteering is now at a ten-year high, with over three million more adults giving their time last year than in the year to March 2010.
Charitable donations are on the up, with one million more people giving to good causes than at the end of the last Parliament.
There are now parents’ groups and charities running their own free schools.
There are social enterprises helping people into jobs through the Work Programme.
We have launched the world’s first social investment bank,
introduced more social impact bonds than the rest of the world combined
and highlighted the great work done in communities with the Big Society Awards and the Prime Minister’s Points of Light award.
A generation of teenagers has undertaken National Citizen Service (NCS), developing their skills, broadening their horizons and growing in confidence;
over the next five years, we will expand NCS – so it becomes a rite of passage for young people in our country.
We will give more people the power and support to run a school, start their own social enterprise, and take over their own local parks, landmarks and pubs.
We will encourage the 1,400 communities engaged in neighbourhood planning to complete the process and assist others to draw up their own plans.
And we will take new steps to encourage volunteering, enabling more people to join the unsung heroes who are the backbone of communities across Britain.
Our plan of action:
We will expand National Citizen Service
Over 130,000 young people have graduated from NCS and we have now guaranteed a place on NCS for every 16 and 17-year-old who wants one.
In addition to this, we will increase the number of cadet units in schools, so that more students have the chance to learn skills such as leadership and self-reliance.
We will innovate in how we deliver public services
We have pioneered ways to deliver high-quality public services, including through getting the voluntary sector more involved.
For example, our Work Programme has helped harness the talent and energy of charities to help people turn their lives around and find their way back into work.
We will examine ways to build on this type of innovative approach in the future.
We have also pioneered the use of social impact bonds and payment-by-results, and we will look to scale these up in the future, focusing on youth unemployment, mental health and homelessness.
We will help you volunteer and support action to help the vulnerable
We will support the Prince of Wales’ Step Up To Serve initiative, encouraging young people to serve in their community.
And we will make volunteering for three days a year a workplace entitlement for people working in large companies and the public sector.
People could, for example, volunteer for a local charity or serve as a school governor.
We have always believed that churches, faith groups and other voluntary groups play an important and longstanding role in this country’s social fabric,
running foodbanks,
helping the homeless,
and tackling debt and addictions, such as alcoholism and gambling.
We have already introduced tougher regulation of gambling, with enhanced player protections and planning controls to prevent the further proliferation of high street betting shops;
we've capped payday lending and backed financial inclusion;
and will continue to support action that helps vulnerable people get the assistance they need.
Over 130,000 young people have taken part in National Citizen Service
We will champion equal rights and correct past wrongs
Our historic introduction of gay marriage has helped drive forward equality
and strengthened the institution of marriage.
But there is still more to do, and we will continue to champion equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people.
We will build on the posthumous pardon of Enigma codebreaker Alan Turing, who committed suicide following his conviction for gross indecency, with a broader measure to lift the blight of outdated convictions of this nature.
Thousands of British men still suffer from similar historic charges, even though they would be completely innocent of any crime today.
Many others are dead and cannot correct this injustice themselves through the legal process we have introduced while in government.
So we will introduce a new law that will pardon those people, and right these wrongs.
Making government work better for you
Our commitment to you:
The government is the servant of the British people.
Every pound spent must be scrutinised, and government run as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We will: save you money by cutting government waste
put more of the essential services you use online, to make them more convenient
continue to make government more transparent, so you can hold us to account for how your money is being spent.
Government is the servant of the British people, not their master.
That simple fact was forgotten when Labour was in power.
Quangos grew in number, wasteful projects proliferated and the bureaucracy swelled – symptoms of a Government that believed it always knew best.
Hardworking taxpayers deserve a government that is more efficient and accountable
Conservatives have brought in a new approach.
We are determined to measure success not by how much money is spent, but how much it improves people’s lives.
Whitehall is now leaner and smaller than at any time since the Second World War.
We have halved the running costs of the Department for Education.
We have abolished or merged over 300 quangos.
We have moved paperwork online.
We have shone a bright light on government spending – requiring all central government spending over £25,000 to be published online.
We have also ensured that people recieve a transparent breakdown of how their taxes are spent.
£14.3 billion was saved in 2014 through efficiencies in government – equivalent to nearly £850 for every working household
In the next five years, we will ensure this efficiency revolution continues.
We will also continue to reform our political system:
make votes of more equal value through long overdue boundary reforms,
reducing the number of MPs
and ensuring the Electoral Commission does more to tackle voting fraud.
These measures will help to restore public confidence in British politics.
Our plan of action:
We will cut government waste
We have reduced the cost of government, by selling empty buildings, managing big projects better, managing big projects better, shrinking the Civil Service, reforming pensions, moving more services online, and improving contracting.
We plan a further £10 billion annual savings by 2017-18
and £1520 billion in 2019-20.
To eliminate the deficit, we must continue to cut out wasteful spending
We will deliver better public services and more open government
We have supported the growth of public service mutuals – organisations that are owned by their staff and deliver public services.
We want more of them, so we will guarantee a ‘right to mutualise’ within the public sector.
This will free up the entrepreneurial spirit of public servants and yield better value for money for taxpayers.
Transparency has also been at the heart of our approach to government.
Over the last five years, we have been open about government spending, provided access to taxpayer-funded research, pursued open data and helped establish the Open Government Partnership.
We will continue to be the most transparent government in the world.
We addressed public concern about the influence of money on politics, with a law that strengthened rules governing non-party campaigning and established a register of consultant lobbyists.
In the next Parliament, we will legislate to ensure trade unions use a transparent opt-in process for subscriptions to political parties.
We will continue to seek agreement on a comprehensive package of party funding reform.
We will make government more efficient
We value our outstanding public servants.
Over the last five years, we have made efficiencies in government.
We have ruled out the introduction of regional pay in the public sector, which we do not support and will not introduce.
Britain's impartial, professional and highly capable Civil Service is admired around the world and one of our nation's strengths.
We will push ahead with reform of the Civil Service to make it more dynamic and streamlined.
We will make recruitment to the Civil Service more open and actively look for exceptional talent, especially in areas where capabilities are in short supply.
We will continue to tackle all the bureaucracy of Whitehall that clogs the arteries of government.
We will end taxpayer-funded six-figure payoffs for the best paid public sector workers.
We will continue to sell unneeded government property and co-locate services wherever possible.
We have already created 20 high-quality digital services, which include apprenticeships applications and tax self-assessments.
We will save you time, hassle and money by moving more services online,
while actively tackling digital exclusion.
We will ensure digital assistance is always available for those who are not online,
while rolling out cross-government technology platforms to cut costs and improve productivity – such as GOV.UK.
We will reform Parliament
We have improved the operation of Parliament,
strengthening its ability to hold the Government to account, with reforms such as the election of Select Committee chairs and the creation of the Backbench Business Committee, which enables backbenchers, for the first time, to determine a significant proportion of the House of Commons’ business.
We have also passed the Fixed Term Parliament Act, an unprecedented transfer of Executive power.
In the next Parliament, we will address the unfairness of the current Parliamentary boundaries,
reduce the number of MPs to 600 to cut the cost of politics
and make votes of more equal value.
We will implement the boundary reforms that Parliament has already approved and make them apply automatically once the Boundary Commission reports in 2018.
This will deal with the fact that the current electoral layout over-represents parts of the country where populations have been falling and under-represents parts where populations have been rising.
We will ensure that the House of Lords fulfils its valuable role as a chamber of legislative scrutiny and revision
While we still see a strong case for introducing an elected element into our second chamber, this is not a priority in the next Parliament.
We have already allowed for expulsion of members for poor conduct and will ensure the House of Lords continues to work well by addressing issues such as the size of the chamber and the retirement of peers.
We will protect our electoral system, to safeguard our democracy
Building on our introduction of individual voter registration, we will continue to make our arrangements fair and effective by ensuring the Electoral Commission puts greater priority on tackling fraud and considers insisting on proof of ID to vote.
We will complete the electoral register, by working to include more of the five million Britons who live abroad.
We will introduce votes for life, scrapping the rule that bars British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from voting.
We will respect the will of the British people, as expressed in the 2011 referendum, and keep First Past the Post for elections to the House of Commons.
And we will introduce English votes for English laws, answering the longstanding West Lothian Question in our democracy.
Helping you to buy a home of your own
Our commitment to you:
The chance to own your own home should be available to everyone who works hard.
We will: help to keep mortgage rates lower by continuing to work through our long-term  economic plan
build more homes that people can afford, including 200,000 new Starter Homes exclusively for first-time buyers under 40
extend the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme to 2020 to help more people onto and up the housing ladder,
and introduce a new Help to Buy ISA to support people saving for a deposit
give more people the chance to own their home by extending the Right to Buy to tenants of Housing Associations
and create a Brownfield Fund to unlock homes on brownfield land
ensure local people have more control over planning and protect the Green Belt
Conservatives believe passionately in home ownership.
We understand how good it feels when you have worked long hours, saved money for years, and finally take possession of the keys to your first home.
For years, however, people have been finding it harder and harder to get on the housing ladder.
Under Labour, house-building fell to its lowest peacetime level since the 1920s.
Developers were building too few homes
and the aftermath of the banking crisis saw young people struggling to raise a deposit
.
House building at its highest since 2007
These past five years have been about reversing this trend.
We have unblocked the planning system, to help builders start building again.
We have introduced Help to Buy, making it much easier for people to secure a mortgage.
And we have reinvigorated the Right to Buy which Labour had cut back, extending home ownership to a whole new generation of social tenants.
As a result, over 200,000 people have been helped either on or up the housing ladder.
Most of those helped have been young first-time buyers spread right across our country.
Everyone who works hard should be able to own a home of their own
As the party of home ownership, we want to go further and faster – and this manifesto sets out our plan.
At its heart, a clear objective to build affordable homes,
including 200,000 Starter Homes which will be sold at a 20 per cent discount, and will be built exclusively for first time buyers under the age of 40.
At the same time, we will extend our Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme,
introduce a new Help to Buy ISA,
extend the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants
and make sure that, when it comes to planning decisions, local people are in charge.
And for all those already in their home, we will make sure we continue working through our economic plan, so mortgage rates stay lower for longer and people can keep hold of their homes and plan for the future
– safe in the knowledge they have a government that is competently looking after the public finances so they can look after their own.
We will continue to work through our plan, so mortgage rates stay lower for longer
Our plan of action:
We will double the number of first-time buyers, and help more people own their  own home
We are setting an ambition to double the number of first-time buyers compared to the last five years – helping one million more people to own their own home.
We will extend Help to Buy to cover another 120,000 homes – in total helping over 200,000 people
and we will continue the Help to Buy mortgage guarantee until the start of 2017,
and the Help to Buy equity loan until at least 2020.
From this autumn, we will introduce a new Help to Buy ISA to support people who are working hard to save up for a deposit for their first home.
A ten per cent deposit on the average first home costs £15,000, so if you put in up to £12,000, government will put in up to £3,000 more.
A 25 per cent top-up is equivalent to saving a deposit from your pre-tax income – making it effectively a tax cut for first-time buyers.
Our new Help to Buy ISA will support people who are working hard to save for a deposit
We will build 200,000 Starter Homes and more affordable housing
We will build 200,000 quality Starter Homes over the course of the next Parliament, reserved for first-time buyers under 40 and sold at 20 per cent below the market price.
We have delivered over 217,000 new affordable homes since 2010.
We will now go further, delivering 275,000 additional affordable homes by 2020.
And we will offer 10,000 new homes to rent at below market rates, to help people save for a deposit.
We will extend the Right to Buy to tenants in Housing Associations
We will extend the Right to Buy to tenants in Housing Associations to enable more people to buy a home of their own.
It is unfair that they should miss out on a right enjoyed by tenants in local authority homes.
We will fund the replacement of properties sold under the extended Right to Buy by requiring local authorities to manage their housing assets more efficiently, with the most expensive properties sold off and replaced as they fall vacant.
We will also create a Brownfield Fund to unlock homes on brownfield land for additional housing.
We will give you the Right to Build
We aim at least to double the number of custom-built and self-built homes by 2020, and we will take forward a new Right to Build, requiring councils to allocate land to local people to build or commission their own home, as you can do in most of Europe.
We will protect the Green Belt
We have safeguarded national Green Belt protection and increased protection of important green spaces.
We have abolished the Labour Government’s top-down Regional Strategies which sought to delete the Green Belt in and around 30 towns and cities and introduced a new Local Green Space planning designation which allows councils and neighbourhood plans to give added protection to valuable local green spaces.
We will support locally-led garden cities and towns and prioritise brownfield development, making sure new homes are always matched by the necessary infrastructure to support them
We will support locally-led garden cities and towns in places where communities want them, such as Ebbsfleet and Bicester.
When new homes are granted planning permission, we will make sure local communities know up-front that necessary infrastructure such as schools and roads will be provided.
We will ensure that brownfield land is used as much as possible for new development.
We will require local authorities to have a register of what is available, and ensure that 90 per cent of suitable brownfield sites have planning permission for housing by 2020.
To meet the capital’s housing needs, we will create a new London Land Commission, with a mandate to identify and release all surplus brownfield land owned by the public sector.
We will fund Housing Zones to transform brownfield sites into new housing, which will create 95,000 new homes.
Average council tax bills in England have fallen, in real terms, by 11 per cent
We will help keep your council taxes low
Under this Government, average council tax bills in England have fallen, in real terms, by 11 per cent.
Whereas Labour wants to propose a new tax on family homes, we will help local authorities keep council tax low for hardworking taxpayers,
and ensure residents can continue to veto high rises via a local referendum.
And in London, where there is a Conservative Mayor, bills have fallen even further.
We will continue to work with councillors to deliver high quality, value for money services.
We will encourage voluntary integration of services and administration between and within councils – for example, with the Troubled Families Programme and the Better Care Fund – to promote savings and improve local services.
We want local councils to help manage public land and buildings, and will give them at least a 10 per cent stake in public sector land sales in their area.
We will help you build a strong local economy
We want local authorities to help create strong local economies.
Building on the local retention of business rates introduced in 2012, we will promote localism by allowing councils to keep a higher proportion of the business rates revenue that is generated in their area.
This will provide a strong financial incentive for councils to promote economic growth.
We will review how we can further reduce ring-fencing and remove Whitehall burdens to give councils more flexibility to support local services.
We will support Business Improvement Districts and other forms of business-led collaboration on high streets – giving more say to local traders on issues such as minor planning applications, cleaning and parking.
We will continue to support local shops and residents in tackling aggressive parking enforcement and excessive parking charges, and take steps to tackle rogue and unfair practices by private parking operators.
Our Coastal Communities Fund will help our seaside areas thrive, helping to boost skills and create jobs.
Protecting and enhancing our natural environment
Our commitment to you:
We set ourselves the goal of being the first generation to leave the natural environment of England in a better state than that in which we found it.
This is a big ambition to which we remain committed. We will:
put in place a new ‘Blue Belt’ to protect precious marine habitats
invest in cleaner air and water for you and your family
keep our forests in trust for the nation
For Conservatives, Britain’s ‘green and pleasant land’ is not some relic from a bygone era, to be mourned and missed: it’s the living, breathing backdrop to our national life.
Our moors and meadows, wildlife and nature, air and water are a crucial part of our national identity and make our country what it is.
So we care about them deeply, want to protect them for everyone and pass them onto future generations.
Labour never understood this.
Our rural communities fell further behind urban areas;
biodiversity suffered, with important species and habitats declining under their watch;
and they failed to protect the Green Belt.
Over the last five years, we have committed billions of pounds to reduce emissions from transport and clean up our rivers and seas.
We have done more to protect our seas, safeguarded our Green Belt and planted 11 million trees.
And we set out a comprehensive, long-term vision to protect our natural heritage in this country’s first White Paper on the Natural Environment for 20 years.
Over the next five years, we will put in place stronger protections for our natural landscapes,
establish a new Blue Belt to safeguard precious marine habitats,
launch a programme of pocket parks in towns and cities
and continue to lead in tackling the illegal wildlife trade.
Our plan is to conserve and enhance our natural environment so that this remains the most beautiful country in the world.
Our plan of action:
We will protect your countryside, Green Belt and urban environment
We will spend £3 billion from the Common Agricultural Policy to enhance England’s countryside over the next five years,
enabling us, among other things, to clean up our rivers and lakes,
protect our stonewalls and hedges,
and help our bees to thrive.
We will ensure that our public forests and woodland are kept in trust for the nation and plant another 11 million trees.
We will make it easier to access our beautiful landscapes, by providing free, comprehensive maps of all open-access green space.
Building on our introduction of a five pence charge on single-use plastic bags, we will review the case for higher Fixed Penalty Notices for littering and allow councils to tackle small-scale fly-tipping through Fixed Penalties rather than costly prosecutions.
We will launch an ambitious programme of pocket parks – small areas of inviting public space where people can enjoy relief from the hustle and bustle of city streets.
We will protect the Green Belt,
and maintain national protections for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
National Parks,
Sites of Special Scientific Interest
and other environmental designations.
We will help you enjoy cleaner air and water
We will continue to do even more to tackle air pollution and clean up our rivers and waterways, including supporting the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
We have spent over £3 billion on improving flood defences, and capped the cost of flood insurance.
We will now go further, building 1,400 new flood defence schemes, to protect 300,000 homes.
We will build new infrastructure in an environmentally-sensitive way
We will build new roads and railways in a way that limits, as far as possible, their impact on the environment.
This includes investing £300 million in cutting light pollution from new roads,
doing more tunnelling,
building better noise barriers
and helping to restore lost habitat.
We will also replace locally any biodiversity lost in the construction of High Speed 2.
We set up the Natural Capital Committee to put hard economic numbers on the value of our environment, and we will extend its life to at least the end of the next Parliament.
We will work with it to develop a 25 Year Plan to restore the UK’s biodiversity,
and to ensure that both public and private investment in the environment is directed where we need it most.
We want to protect our environment for future generations
We will create a ‘Blue Belt’ to protect precious marine habitats
Earlier this year, we announced the creation of a new Marine Protected Area around the Pitcairn Islands – the largest protected expanse of sea in the world.
We will now go even further, creating a Blue Belt around the UK’s 14 Overseas Territories, subject to local support and environmental need.
We will designate a further protected area at Ascension Island, subject to the views of the local community.
And, off our own coasts, we will complete the network of Marine Conservation Zones that we have already started, to create a UK Blue Belt of protected sites.
We will protect animal welfare
The quality of the food on your plate, and the economic security of our farmers, depend on us upholding the highest standards of animal welfare.
We will push for high animal welfare standards to be incorporated into international trade agreements and into reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
We will ban wild animals in circuses
and press for all EU member states to ensure that animals are only sent to slaughterhouses that meet high welfare standards.
We will encourage other countries to follow the EU’s lead in banning animal testing for cosmetics
and work to accelerate the global development and take-up of alternatives to animal testing where appropriate.
We want people to integrate fully into British society, but that does not mean they should have to give up the things they hold dear in their religion.
So while we will always make sure the Food Standards Agency properly regulates the slaughter of livestock and poultry, we will protect methods of religious slaughter, such as shechita and halal.
A record investment in Britain’s flood defences – over £3 billion
We will tackle international wildlife trade
As hosts of the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, we helped secure the adoption of the London Declaration on Illegal Wildlife Trade and will continue to lead the world in stopping the poaching that kills thousands of rhinos, elephants and tigers each year.
We will oppose any resumption of commercial whaling, and seek further measures at the EU and internationally to end shark-finning.
We will promote effective worldwide measures for tuna conservation, press for a total ban on ivory sales, and support the Indian Government in its efforts to protect the Asian elephant.
We will press for full ‘endangered species’ status for polar bears and a ban on the international trade in polar bear skins,
as well as for greater attention to be paid to the impact of climate change on wildlife and habitats in Polar Regions in the Arctic Council and other international fora.
Guaranteeing you clean, affordable and  secure energy supplies
Our commitment to you:
Affordable, reliable energy is critical to our economy, to our national security, and to family budgets.
We will: keep your bills as low as possible and promote competition in the energy market
ensure your homes and businesses have energy supplies they can rely on
help you insulate your home
halt the spread of subsidised onshore wind farms
meet our climate change commitments, cutting carbon emissions as cheaply as possible, to save you money
Without secure energy supplies, we leave British families and business at the mercy of fluctuating global oil and gas prices;
we increase our dependence on foreign sources of energy; and we become less safe and less prosperous as a result.
National energy policy demands a willingness to take decisions today for the good of tomorrow.
But Labour took the opposite approach.
Power margins – the safety cushion we need to prevent blackouts – have fallen to record lows because of their historic failure to invest in new capacity.
Domestic sources of oil and gas were unexploited.
And Labour failed to deliver the next generation of energy projects that will help us keep the lights on, drive bills down and reduce carbon emissions.
All this hurt consumers.
The number of major energy suppliers halved and energy bills soared, with the average gas bill more than doubling.
We have taken a different approach.
Where Labour was chronically short-termist, we have secured decent, affordable energy supplies not just for the coming years, but for the coming decades.
Our long-term plan has unlocked £59 billion of investment in electricity.
All parts of the UK will soon be helping to deliver secure, affordable and low-carbon energy,
from the Hinkley Point nuclear power station,
to offshore wind turbine manufacturing at the new Green Port in Hull,
the next generation of pipelines West of Shetland
and the Swansea tidal lagoon.
Our tax cuts have encouraged record levels of investment in existing North Sea gas,
and the birth of a new industry, shale gas,
which could create many thousands of jobs.
Without secure energy supplies our country becomes less safe and less prosperous
And we have delivered a better deal for consumers too.
We have demanded that energy companies simplify their tariffs;
encouraged more independent suppliers – which now account for ten per cent of the household market;
and made it much easier for people to switch energy providers.
But the job is only half done.
We need a Conservative Government to see through this long-term plan and secure clean but affordable energy supplies for generations to come.
This means a significant expansion in new nuclear and gas;
backing good-value green energy;
and pushing for more new investment in UK energy sources.
Healthy competition, not short-termist political intervention, is the best way to secure a good deal for consumers.
So we will keep on relentlessly pushing for more competition to keep bills low.
This is a long-term plan to keep the lights on;
keep our homes warm;
and keep families from endless worry about their energy bills.
Under Labour, the average gas bill more than doubled
Our plan of action:
We will promote competition to keep your bills as low as possible
We have helped increase the number of independent energy suppliers from seven to 21,
made it easier for customers to switch to better deals,
slashed the number of tariffs to just 4 per supplier,
and cut switching times in half.
We will go even further, implementing the recommendations of the Competition and Markets Authority investigation that we triggered.
We will ensure that every home and business in the country has a Smart Meter by 2020, delivered as cost-effectively as possible, so consumers have instant, accurate bills and can switch to an alternative provider within one day.
And we will support low-cost measures on energy efficiency,
with the goal of insulating a million more homes over the next five years,
supporting our commitment to tackle fuel poverty.
We will secure your energy supplies
We will continue to support the safe development of shale gas,
and ensure that local communities share the proceeds through generous community benefit packages
We will create a Sovereign Wealth Fund for the North of England, so that the shale gas resources of the North are used to invest in the future of the North.
We will continue to support development of North Sea oil and gas.
We will provide start-up funding for promising new renewable technologies and research,
but will only give significant support to those that clearly represent value for money.
We want a better deal – and low bills – for hardworking families
3.1 million people are now on better energy tariffs
We will halt the spread of onshore windfarms
Onshore wind now makes a meaningful contribution to our energy mix and has been part of the necessary increase in renewable capacity.
Onshore windfarms often fail to win public support, however, and are unable by themselves to provide the firm capacity that a stable energy system requires.
As a result, we will end any new public subsidy for them and change the law so that local people have the final say on windfarm applications.
We will protect our planet for our children
We have been the greenest government ever, setting up the world’s first Green Investment Bank,
signing a deal to build the first new nuclear plant in a generation, trebling renewable energy generation to 19 per cent,
bringing energy efficiency measures to over one million homes,
and committing £1 billion for carbon capture and storage.
We are the largest offshore wind market in the world.
We will push for a strong global climate deal later this year – one that keeps the goal of limiting global warming to two-degrees firmly in reach.
At home, we will continue to support the UK Climate Change Act.
We will cut emissions as cost-effectively as possible,
and will not support additional distorting and expensive power sector targets.
Fighting crime and standing up for victims
Our commitment to you:
Your local area should be a safe place to grow up, work, raise a family and retire.
We will continue to cut crime and make your community safer.
finish the job of police reform, so you can have more confidence that your local policing team is working effectively
toughen sentencing and reform the prison system, so dangerous criminals are kept off your streets
support victims, so that the most vulnerable in our society get the support they deserve.
scrap the Human Rights Act
and curtail the role of the European Court of Human Rights,
so that foreign criminals can be more easily deported from Britain.
Crime is down by more than 20 per cent since 2010, according to the independent Crime Survey, and is at its lowest point since records began.
Lower crime means fewer robberies, less violence on our streets, fewer lives ruined, and more people able to feel confident about the future.
Labour didn’t trust our brilliant policemen and women, probation staff and prison officers to do their job, but tried to micromanage every police force from Whitehall,
doing serious damage to officer morale, police discretion and forces’ performance.
And Labour failed to provide sufficient prison places: tens of thousands of prisoners were released early, putting the public at risk.
We have made progress in turning around the situation we inherited, with comprehensive reforms to policing,
rehabilitation
and the rights of victims.
We have already increased the proportion of officers working on the frontline,
and cut 4.5 million hours of police paperwork.
We have given Chief Constables a clear mandate to cut crime,
reformed stop and search,
established the National Crime Agency,
strengthened the police inspectorate,
made the police more accountable through Police and Crime Commissioners,
increased transparency through crime maps,
and set up the College of Policing to drive up professional standards.
We have made sure that 45,000 offenders will now receive supervision and rehabilitation on release from prison,
with providers paid according to the results they achieve in reducing reoffending.
We reformed drug treatment so that abstinence and full recovery is the goal, instead of the routine maintenance of people’s addictions with substitute drugs.
And with new laws to crack down on domestic violence,
measures to prevent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM),
the first ever Modern Slavery Act,
action to tackle human trafficking
and substantial progress in tackling online child abuse,
we have consistently stood up for the most vulnerable in our society.
Crime has been cut by more than a fifth
We will carry on making every community safer, even when resources are tight.
We will continue reducing paperwork, increasing sentence lengths for the most serious offences, and making sure that prisons are places of rehabilitation.
We need to complete our revolution in the way we manage offenders in the community, using the latest technology to keep criminals on the straight and narrow.
And we must also become smarter when it comes to crime prevention, dealing with the drivers of crime such as drugs and alcohol.
So we will focus not only on punishment, but also on rehabilitating offenders and intervening early to prevent troubled young people being drawn into crime.
Our plan of action:
We will finish the job of police reform, backing officers to fight crime unimpeded
We will ensure proper provision of health and community-based places of safety for people suffering mental health crises// –
saving police time and stopping vulnerable people being detained in police custody.
To speed up justice, we will extend the use of police-led prosecutions.
We will allow police forces to retain a greater percentage of the value of assets they seize from criminals.
We will improve our response to cyber-crime with reforms to police training and an expansion in the number of volunteer ‘Cyber Specials’.
We will enable fire and police services to work more closely together and develop the role of our elected and accountable Police and Crime Commissioners.
We will transform the relationship between the police and the public
We have taken action to boost public confidence and trust in the police and now want to go even further.
We will improve the diversity of police recruitment – especially of black and ethnic minority officers
– by supporting the development of new direct entry and fast-track schemes such as Police Now, which offers top graduates a new route into policing.
We will overhaul the police complaints system.
We will use the Police Innovation Fund to accelerate the adoption of new technologies, including mobile devices, that will transform the service the public receives.
And we will legislate to mandate changes in police practices if stop and search does not become more targeted and stop to arrest ratios do not improve.
We will introduce more effective crime prevention measures to break the cycle of offending
We are developing a modern crime prevention strategy to address the key drivers of crime.
We will publish standards, performance data and a ranking system for the security of smartphones and tablets, as well as online financial and retail services.
We will overhaul the system of police cautions, and ensure that offenders always have conditions, such as victim redress, attached to their punishment.
We will create a blanket ban on all new psychoactive substances, protecting young people from exposure to so-called ‘legal highs’.
And we will make sobriety orders available to all courts in England and Wales, enforced through new alcohol monitoring tags.
We will reform our prison system
Despite making savings in the prison budget, there are around 3,000 more adult male prison places today than in 2010.
We will make further savings by closing old, inefficient prisons, building larger, modern and fit-for-purpose ones and expanding payment-by-results.
And we will introduce widespread random testing of drug use in jails,
new body scanners,
greater use of mobile phone blocking technology
and a new strategy to tackle corruption in prisons.
There are around 3,000 more adult male prison places today than in 2010
We will protect victims and support the vulnerable
We have already introduced a new Victims’ Code and taken steps to protect vulnerable witnesses and victims.
Now we will strengthen victims’ rights further, with a new Victims’ Law that will enshrine key rights for victims, including the right to make a personal statement and have it read in court before sentencing – and before the Parole Board decides on a prisoner's release.
We will give all vulnerable victims and witnesses greater opportunity to give evidence outside court,
and roll out nationally pre-trial cross examination for child victims.
We will prioritise tackling violence against women and girls
We have made protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence a key priority.
We will now work with local authorities, the NHS and Police and Crime Commissioners to ensure a secure future for specialist FGM
and forced marriage units,
refuges
and rape crisis centres.
We will ensure that all publicly-funded advocates have specialist victims' training before becoming involved in serious sexual offences cases.
We have set up and independant statutory inquiry into child sexual abuse, and will make sure it can challange institutions and individuals without fear or favour, and get to the truth.
And we will continue the urgent work of overhauling how our police, social services and other agencies work together to protect vulnerable children, especially from the kind of organised grooming and sexual exploitation that has come to light in Rotherham, and other towns and cities across the UK.
We will toughen sentencing and use new technology to protect the public
We will continue to reform the way we rehabilitate prisoners.
We will deploy new technology to monitor offenders in the community and to bring persistent  offenders to justice more quickly.
A new semi-custodial sentence will be introduced for prolific criminals, allowing for a short, sharp spell in custody to change behaviour.
To tackle those cases where judges get it wrong, we will extend the scope of the Unduly Lenient Scheme, so a wider range of sentences can be challenged.
We will review the legislation governing hate crimes, including the case for extending the scope of the law to cover crimes committed against people on the basis of disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.
We will improve the treatment of women offenders,
exploring how new technology may enable more women with young children to serve their sentence in the community.
We will reform human rights law and our legal system
We have stopped prisoners from having the vote,
and have deported suspected terrorists such as Abu Qatada, despite all the problems created by Labour’s human rights laws.
The next Conservative Government will scrap the Human Rights Act, and introduce a British Bill of Rights.
This will break the formal link between British courts and the European Court of Human Rights,
and make our own Supreme Court the ultimate arbiter of human rights matters in the UK.
We will continue the £375 million modernisation of our courts system, reducing delay and frustration for the public.
And we will continue to review our legal aid systems, so they can continue to provide access to justice in an efficient way.
We will scrap the Human Rights Act and introduce a British Bill of Rights
Preventing terrorism, countering extremism
Our commitment to you:
Keeping you and your family safe is our overriding priority.
The threat of extremism and terrorism remains serious, but with our tough, intelligent and comprehensive approach, we will confront and ultimately defeat it.
We will: strengthen the ability of the police and intelligence agencies to disrupt terrorist plots, so the authorities have all the tools they need to prevent attacks
deal with online radicalisation and propaganda, so we can reduce the risk of young people being drawn into extremism and terrorism
tackle all forms of extremism, including non-violent extremism, so our values and our way of life are properly promoted and defended
The first duty of government is to keep you safe.
We will always do whatever is necessary to protect the British people.
We have protected and increased the budgets for the security and intelligence agencies and counter-terrorism policing.
But the scale of the threat to our country from a number of terrorist groups remains serious,
and the rise of ISIL in Syria and Iraq has created new havens for terrorists from which attacks against Britain can be planned, financed and directed.
We will always do whatever is necessary to protect the British people
However, the nature of the threat we face is making it more difficult for the security services to identify terrorist plots – especially thanks to new technology.
We must always ensure our outstanding intelligence and security agencies have the powers they need to keep us safe.
At the same time, we continue to reject any suggestions of sweeping, authoritarian measures that would threaten our hard-won freedoms.
In the last year alone, we have given the authorities greater powers to disrupt and control the movements of people who want to travel abroad to fight,
including strengthening powers to confiscate the passports of those seeking to travel to commit terrorism.
The next Conservative Government will continue to take a tough, intelligent and comprehensive approach to preventing terrorism and confronting extremism.
We will update our counter-terrorism laws wherever necessary to make sure they properly reflect the threats we face.
Abu Hamza and Abu Qatada removed from this country once and for all
Dealing with these threats is not just about new powers.
It is about how we combat extremism in all its forms.
We need to tackle it at root, before it takes the form of violence and terror.
At the heart of our approach lies an uncompromising defence of British values, and a very simple message:
in Britain, you do not just enjoy the freedom to live how you choose;
you have a responsibility to respect others too.
Our plan of action:
We will strengthen counter-terrorism powers
We have strengthened counter-terrorism laws, including making it easier to stop British nationals travelling abroad to fight,
and control the return of those who do.
We will keep up to date the ability of the police and security services to access communications data – the ‘who, where, when and how’ of a communication, but not its content.
Our new communications data legislation will strengthen our ability to disrupt terrorist plots,
criminal networks
and organised child grooming gangs, even as technology develops.
We will maintain the ability of the authorities to intercept the content of suspects’ communications, while continuing to strengthen oversight of the use of these powers.
We will confront all forms of extremism, including non-violent extremism
We have already reformed the Prevent strategy so that it focuses on non-violent as well as violent extremism.
We will now go even further.
We will outlaw groups that foment hate with the introduction of new Banning Orders for extremist organisations.
These could be applied to dangerous organisations that fall short of the existing thresholds for proscription under terrorism legislation.
To restrict the harmful activities of extremist individuals, we will create new Extremism Disruption Orders.
These new powers might, for instance, prevent those who are seeking to radicalise young British people online from using the internet or communicating via social media.
We will develop a strategy to tackle the infiltration of extremists into our schools and public services.
We will strengthen Ofcom’s role so that tough measures can be taken against channels that broadcast extremist content.
We will enable employers to check whether an individual is an extremist and bar them from working with children.
And we will take further measures  to ensure colleges and universities do not give a platform to extremist speakers.
Over 75,000 pieces of unlawful material have been taken down from the internet
Dignity in your retirement
Our commitment to you:
If you have worked hard during your life, saved, paid your taxes and done the right thing, you deserve dignity and security when you retire.
We want Britain to be the best country in which to grow old.
We will: take the family home out of Inheritance Tax for all but the richest by raising the effective threshold for married couples and civil partners to £1 million
continue to increase the State Pension through our triple lock, so it rises by at least 2.5 per cent, inflation or earnings, whichever is highest
reward saving by introducing a new single-tier pension
give you the freedom to invest and spend your pension however you like – and let you pass it on to your loved ones tax-free
protect pensioner benefits including the free bus pass, TV licences and Winter Fuel Payment
ensure Britain has a strong economy, so we can continue to protect the NHS
and make sure no-one is forced to sell their home to pay for care.
Our pensioners have made this country what it is, and we believe that, in return, younger generations owe it to them to ensure they have dignity and security in their old age.
In office, Labour neglected the elderly.
They raided pensions with a £150 billion stealth tax.
One year they increased pensions by a paltry 75 pence.
And they did nothing to give people control over their savings and pensions, or to stop them from having to sell their homes to pay for care.
In place of these meagre pension increases, we have introduced the triple lock:
the Basic State Pension will now always rise in line with whichever is higher – earnings, inflation or 2.5 per cent.
Since 2010, we have seen the Basic Pension has risen in value by £950.
We have abolished the Default Retirement Age, so you can keep working as long as you like.
We are replacing the Pension Credit – basically a means test – with a new Single-Tier Pension:
whatever people save, they will keep.
And we have introduced a cap on residential social care costs:
no one will have to sell their home to pay for care.
On top of all this, we have scrapped compulsory annuities, giving people complete control over their pension pots;
kept all pensioner benefits;
and protected NHS spending.
We are building a Britain where everyone who has worked hard and done the
in retirement
In the next five years, as our country recovers and our elderly population grows, we will continue to put pensioners at the heart of our long-term economic plan.
Our plan of action:
We will look after you as you grow older
We will cap charges for residential social care from April 2016 and also allow deferred payment agreements, so no one has to sell their home.
For the first time, individual liabilities will be limited, giving everyone the peace of mind that they will receive the care they need, and that they will be protected from unlimited costs if they develop very serious care needs – such as dementia.
We will protect the NHS budget
and we will prioritise funding for dementia research.
We will continue to increase the Basic State Pension through our‘triple lock’ guarantee
We will guarantee your financial security as you grow older
We will keep the triple lock pension system.
From April 2016 we are bringing in a Single Tier Pension; this will effectively abolish means-testing the pensions of people who have contributed all their lives.
We will maintain all the current pensioner benefits including Winter Fuel Payments, free bus passes, free prescriptions and TV licences for the next Parliament, while implementing the "temperature test" for Winter Fuel Payment, so that expats in hot countries no longer receive it
And we will allow pensioners to access their pension savings and decide whether or not to take out an annuity, so they can make their own decisions about their money.
We will help you support your loved-ones
We have guaranteed that ISAs can now be passed on to a spouse tax-free, so that from this April they are no longer subject to Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
We have abolished the 55 per cent tax on pension pots, so that when the deceased is 75 or over any beneficiary only has to pay their marginal Income Tax rate – normally 20 per cent – when they draw down the pension.
And we have enabled anyone who dies before the age of 75 to pass on their pension pot completely tax-free, so that beneficiaries will pay no tax on pensions they inherit or on the income they draw down.
And we will take the family home out of tax for all but the richest by increasing the effective Inheritance Tax threshold for married couples and civil partners to £1 million,
with a new transferable main residence allowance of £175,000 per person.
This will be paid for by reducing the tax relief on pension contributions for people earning more than £150,000.
It’s your money, you worked hard for it – and you should be able to pass it onto your loved-ones
Stronger together: a Union for the 21st century
Our commitment to you:
Wherever you live in the great nations of our United Kingdom, we are on your side.
We will: give English MPs a veto over matters only affecting England, including on Income Tax
honour in full our commitments to Scotland to devolve extensive new powers
implement the agreed settlement for Wales, handing over more responsibility to the Welsh Assembly
continue to build a Northern Ireland where politics works, the economy grows and society is strong.
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – ours is the greatest union of nations the world has ever seen.
Together we have done so much, and we can do much more.
The Conservative Party is the party of the Union – and we will always do our utmost to keep our family of nations together.
It was right to create the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, but the job was not finished.
Without the ability to raise money, the devolved Parliaments were not accountable to taxpayers.
Without devolution to local councils and communities, power felt as distant as ever.
And one fundamental unfairness remains today: Scottish MPs are able to cast the decisive vote on matters that only affected England and Wales, while English and Welsh MPs cannot vote on matters that only affect Scotland.
This leaves a space for resentment to fester – and put our Union in jeopardy.
We have tackled the problems we inherited.
First, we held the referendum on Scottish independence.
It was the right thing to do, and the question of Scotland’s place in the United Kingdom is now settled.
We have made the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly responsible for funding more of what they spend.
We have agreed with Northern Ireland’s parties a deal to help ensure that politics works, the economy grows and society is more cohesive and united.
And we have set out clear plans for English votes for English laws.
All this reflects a core Conservative belief: power to the people.
Around Britain you can see that principle in practice.
In town halls, councillors now have more of a say over public spending.
In communities, local people have the right to vote in referendums on council tax rises.
Neighbourhoods are deciding what is built in their area and what happens to assets such as parks and public buildings.
We believe in giving power to hardworking taxpayers, letting you decide on the issues that affect you and your family
Our commitment to the Union means we want to strengthen it.
We will let local people have more say on local planning and let them vote on local issues.
We will not let anyone impose artificial regions on England – our traditional towns, boroughs, cities and counties are here to stay.
We will continue devolution settlements for Scotland and Wales, and implement the Stormont House Agreement in Northern Ireland.
And we will give English MPs a veto over English-only matters, including on Income Tax – answering the West Lothian Question.
In the last five years, we have proven that we are the party of the Union.
We will go further in the next Parliament, pushing power out beyond Westminster, Cardiff Bay, Holyrood and Stormont, so we keep our United Kingdom strong and secure for the long term.
Our plan of action:
We will build an enduring settlement for the United Kingdom
We will work to ensure a stable constitution that is fair to the people of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
We will strengthen and improve devolution for each part of our United Kingdom in a way that accepts that there is no one-size-fits-all solution:
we will implement the Smith Commission and St David’s Day Agreement or equivalent changes in the rest of the UK, including English votes for English laws.
We will give English MPs a veto over matters only affecting England
We will maintain the Westminster Parliament as the UK and England’s law-making body.
But we want Parliament to work in a way that ensures decisions affecting England, or England and Wales, can only be taken with the consent of the majority of MPs representing constituencies in England, or in England and Wales.
We will end the manifest unfairness whereby Scotland is able to decide its own laws in devolved areas, only for Scottish MPs also to be able to have the potentially decisive say on similar matters that affect only England and Wales.
We will maintain the integrity of the UK Parliament by ensuring that MPs from all parts of the UK continue to deliberate and vote together, including to set overall spending levels.
But we will: change parliamentary procedures so that the detail of legislation affecting only England or England and Wales will be considered by a Committee drawn in proportion to party strength in England or England and Wales.
add a new stage to how English legislation is passed; no bill or part of a bill relating only to England would be able to pass to its Third Reading and become law without being approved through a legislative consent motion by a Grand Committee made up of all English MPs, or all English and Welsh MPs.
extend the principle of English consent to financial matters such as how spending is distributed within England and to taxation – including an English rate of Income Tax – when the equivalent decisions have been devolved to Scotland.
We will honour in full our commitments to Scotland
A new Scotland Bill will be in our first Queen’s Speech and will be introduced in the first session of a new Parliament.
We will implement the recommendations of the Smith Commission so that more than 50 per cent of the Scottish Parliament’s budget will be funded from revenues raised in Scotland
and it will have significant new welfare powers to complement existing devolved powers in health and social care.
We will provide the Scottish Parliament with one of the most extensive packages of tax and spending powers of any devolved legislature in the world.
We will retain the Barnett Formula as the basis for determining the grant to cover that part of the Scottish Parliament’s budget not funded by tax revenues raised in Scotland.
We will agree new rules with the Scottish Government for how the block grant will be adjusted, to take account of the new devolved tax and welfare powers.
And we will ensure that where responsibility for taxation has been devolved, tax changes only affect public spending in that part of the country.
We will implement Wales’ devolution settlement
We will clarify the division of powers between Wales and the UK Government.
We will: devolve to the Welsh Assembly control over its own affairs– including the Assembly name, size and electoral system, Assembly elections and voting age.
implement other recommendations of the second Silk Report where there is all-party support as set out in the St David’s Day Agreement;
this will include devolving to the Welsh Assembly important economic powers over ports and energy consents.
introduce a new Wales Bill if these changes require legislation.
continue to reserve policing and justice as matters for the UK Parliament.
introduce a ‘funding floor’ to protect Welsh relative funding and provide certainty for the Welsh Government to plan for the future, once it has called a referendum on Income Tax powers in the next Parliament.
make the Welsh Government responsible for raising more of the money it spends so the Welsh people can hold their politicians to account.
We will continue to build a Northern Ireland where politics works, the economy grows and society is strong
We will maintain Northern Ireland’s position within the United Kingdom on the basis of the consent of its people.
Our strong support for the political institutions established over the past two decades as a result of the various Agreements will continue.
We will : develop and implement our strategy to combat terrorism,
giving the strongest possible support to the brave men and women of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
work to implement fully and faithfully the historic Stormont House Agreement to enable devolution to function more effectively;
to deal with the legacy of the past;
and to make progress on divisive issues such as flags and parading.
continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to implement commitments in the 2013 economic pact to rebalance the economy and to build a more united and stronger society.
complete the devolution of Corporation Tax powers to the Assembly, consistent with the Executive fulfilling its commitments on finance, welfare reform and efficiencies in the Stormont House Agreement.
Real change in our relationship with the European Union
Our commitment to you:
For too long, your voice has been ignored on Europe.
We will: give you a say over whether we should stay in or leave the EU, with an in-out referendum by the end of 2017
commit to keeping the pound and staying out of the Eurozone
reform the workings of the EU, which is too big, too bossy and too bureaucratic
reclaim power from Brussels on your behalf and safeguard British interests in the Single Market
back businesses to create jobs in Britain by completing ambitious trade deals and reducing red tape.
The EU needs to change.
And it is time for the British people – not politicians – to have their say.
Only the Conservative Party will deliver real change and real choice on Europe, with an in-out referendum by the end of 2017.
Labour failed to give you a choice on the EU.
They handed over major new powers to Brussels without your consent, and gave away £7 billion of the British rebate.
We have taken action in Europe to promote your economic security.
We cut the EU budget for the first time ever, saving British taxpayers £8.15 billion.
We took Britain out of Eurozone bailouts, including for Greece
– the first ever return of powers from Brussels.
Our Prime Minister vetoed a new EU treaty that would have damaged Britain’s interests.
And we have pursued a bold, positive, pro-business agenda,
exempting smallest businesses from red tape,
promoting free trade,
and pushing to extend the Single Market to new sectors, like digital.
We believe in letting the people decide: so we will hold an in-out referendum on our
the end of 2017
But there is much more to do.
The EU is too bureaucratic and too undemocratic.
It interferes too much in our daily lives, and the scale of migration triggered by new members joining in recent years has had a real impact on local communities.
We are clear about what we want from Europe.
We say: yes to the Single Market.
Yes to turbo-charging free trade.
Yes to working together where we are stronger together than alone.
Yes to a family of nation states,
all part of a European Union
– but whose interests, crucially, are guaranteed whether inside the Euro or out.
No to ‘ever closer union.’
No to a constant flow of power to Brussels.
No to unnecessary interference.
And no, of course, to the Euro,
to participation in Eurozone bail-outs
or notions like a European Army.
It will be a fundamental principle of a future Conservative Government that membership of the European Union depends on the consent of the British people
– and in recent years that consent has worn wafer-thin.
That’s why, after the election, we will negotiate a new settlement for Britain in Europe,
and then ask the British people whether they want to stay in the EU on this reformed basis or leave.
David Cameron has committed that he will only lead a government that offers an in-out referendum.
We will hold that in-out referendum before the end of 2017 and respect the outcome.
So the choice at this election is clear: Labour and the Liberal Democrats won’t give you a say over the EU.
UKIP can’t give you a say.
Only the Conservative Party will deliver real change in Europe
– and only the Conservatives can and will deliver an in-out referendum.
Our plan of action:
We will let you decide whether to stay in or leave the EU
We will legislate in the first session of the next Parliament for an in-out referendum to be held on Britain’s membership of the EU before the end of 2017.
We will negotiate a new settlement for Britain in the EU.
And then we will ask the British people whether they want to stay in on this basis, or leave.
We will honour the result of the referendum, whatever the outcome.
We will protect Britain's economy
We will protect our economy from any further integration of the Eurozone.
The integration of the Eurozone has raised acute questions for non-Eurozone countries like the United Kingdom.
We benefit from the Single Market and do not want to stand in the way of the Eurozone resolving its difficulties.
Indeed, given the trade between Britain and the Eurozone countries we want to see these economies returning to growth.
But we will not let the integration of the Eurozone jeopardise the integrity of the Single Market or in any way disadvantage the UK.
We will reclaim powers from Brussels
We want to see powers flowing away from Brussels, not to it.
We have already taken action to return around 100 powers, but we want to go further.
We want national parliaments to be able to work together to block unwanted European legislation.
And we want an end to our commitment to an ‘ever closer union,’ as enshrined in the Treaty to which every EU country has to sign up.
Furthermore, we will continue to ensure that defence policy remains firmly under British national control,
maintaining NATO and the transatlantic relationship as the cornerstones of our defence and security policy.
David Cameron vetoed a new EU Treaty that would have damaged Britain’s interests – the first time in history that a British Prime Minister has done so
We will scrap the Human Rights Act
We will scrap Labour's Human Rights Act and introduce a British Bill of Rights which will restore common sense to the application of human rights in the UK.
The Bill will remain faithful to the basic principles of human rights, which we signed up to in the original European Convention on Human Rights.
It will protect basic rights, like the right to a fair trial, and the right to life, which are an essential part of a modern democratic society.
But it will reverse the mission creep that has meant human rights law being used for more and more purposes, and often with little regard for the rights of wider society.
Among other things the Bill will stop terrorists and other serious foreign criminals who pose a threat to our society from using spurious human rights arguments to prevent deportation.
We will take action in Europe to make  you better off
We want an EU that helps Britain move ahead, not one that holds us back.
We have already succeeded in exempting our smallest businesses from new EU regulations,
and kicked-off negotiations for a massive EU trade deal with the USA, which could be worth billions of pounds to the UK economy.
We will build on this.
We want to preserve the integrity of the Single Market, by insisting on protections for those countries that have kept their own currencies.
We want to expand the Single Market, breaking down the remaining barriers to trade and ensuring that new sectors are opened up to British firms.
We want to ensure that new rules target unscrupulous behaviour in the financial services industry,
while safeguarding Britain as a global centre of excellence in finance.
So we will resist EU attempts to restrict legitimate financial services activities.
We will press for lower EU spending,
further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and Structural Funds,
and for EU money to be focused on promoting jobs and growth.
A Britain standing tall in the world
Our commitment to you:
Everything we do around the world will be driven by a determination to protect your security and help you prosper.
We will: ensure Britain is a major player on the world stage,
using diplomacy to protect your interests, uphold British values
and tackle threats to your security and prosperity
help generate new trade, investment and job opportunities, to benefit you and your family
maintain our world class Armed Forces so they continue to guarantee your security
uphold our commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on international development.
Economic security and national security are two sides of the same coin.
Without one, you cannot have the other.
Our prosperity depends upon Britain remaining an active, outward-looking nation, one that is engaged with the world, not looking in on itself.
We will maintain Britain’s strong global role and our capacity to project British power and values around the world.
We want a strong, secure and stable country
Labour’s Great Recession weakened Britain on the world stage.
They left a £38 billion black hole in the defence budget,
went 12 years without conducting a Strategic Defence Review,
and, at times, failed to provide our Armed Forces with the equipment they needed in Afghanistan.
They shut down over 30 British diplomatic missions,
failed to plan properly for Iraq’s reconstruction,
ignored trade and investment opportunities overseas,
and neglected vital relationships.
We have strengthened Britain’s influence in the world.
The National Security Council that we established ensures proper, strategic decision-making at the top of government.
We have boosted exports to emerging markets,
opened new diplomatic posts in Africa, Asia and Latin America,
and led the world in promoting women’s rights and tackling sexual violence in conflict.
We have balanced the defence budget
and set out a clear strategy to defend our nation for the long term.
We and our allies face major challenges:
Islamist extremism, an aggressive Russia, economic uncertainty in the Eurozone, nuclear proliferation and infectious diseases.
A Conservative Government will tackle these challenges.
We will use our membership of NATO,
the EU,
the Commonwealth,
our UN Security Council seat,
our Special Relationship with the USA,
our intelligence agencies,
vital institutions like the BBC World Service and British Council,
and the strong personal links between our diaspora communities and other countries, to achieve the best for Britain.
Only with a strong economy can we maintain our world-class Armed Forces and
We will back this up with UK military power
and international aid.
Our long-term economic plan will ensure we have the economic strength to maintain our world-class Armed Forces,
to uphold our national security
and project power globally.
Aid helps prevent failed states from becoming havens for terrorists.
It builds long-term markets for our businesses,
by promoting global prosperity,
and reduces migration pressures.
So we will maintain our commitment to tackling conflict, poverty and disease around the world.
A stronger voice for our nation on the world stage
Our plan of action:
We will keep you secure
We will tackle global terrorism and the poisonous ideology of Islamist extremism
while taking a patient, long-term approach to preventing conflict and state failure.
We will work with our partners to address threats to UK security,
including the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons,
pandemic diseases,
the illegal drugs trade,
piracy and organised crime.
We will: work for peace, stability and an inclusive settlement in Syria and Iraq;
and pursue a comprehensive political and military strategy to defeat ISIL
uphold the sovereignty, integrity and capacity of Ukraine,
and continue to reject Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea
stand shoulder to shoulder with our NATO allies,
reassuring all its members – especially those closest to Russia – of their security,
and continue to support the Euro-Atlantic path for Western Balkan nations
ensure that the significant achievements of our Armed Forces in Afghanistan are maintained;
and support the Government of Afghanistan in ensuring that the country remains stable and never again becomes a haven for international terrorists
support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
robustly defending the right of Israel to protect its security,
while continuing to condemn illegal settlement building, which undermines the prospects for peace
protect global security by helping to lead international efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon;
and work to ensure that North Korea ends its development of nuclear weapons.
We will help make you better off
Over the last five years, we have used foreign policy to boost our prosperity.
UK exports to China have more than doubled since 2009.
We will do more, using the new embassies and diplomatic posts we have opened to connect Britain to the fastest-growing economies in the world.
We will push for freer global trade,
concluding major trade deals with the US,
India and Japan
and reinvigorating the World Trade Organisation.
As part of our drive to attract more investment into the UK and increase British exports,
we will:  build on our strong relationship with India,
push for an ambitious EU-India trade deal
and support India’s bid for permanent representation on the UN Security Council
strengthen our economic links with China, doubling support for British firms selling goods there
and championing an EU-China trade deal.
UK exports to China have more than doubled since 2009
We will stand up for British values
Our long-term security and prosperity depend on a stable international system that upholds our values.
Over the last five years, we have stood up for what we believe in:
intervening to stop a massacre in Libya,
leading the world in tackling sexual violence in conflict,
and helping women and children who have fled violence in Syria.
We will continue this leadership.
We will stand up for the freedom of people of all religions – and non-religious people – to practise their beliefs in peace and safety,
for example by supporting persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
We will strengthen the Commonwealth’s focus on promoting democratic values and development.
We will drive forward the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative.
We will support global processes on arms control.
And we will continue to support universal human rights.
We will: uphold our Special Relationship with the USA
and further strengthen our ties with our close Commonwealth allies, Australia, Canada and New Zealand
uphold the democratic rights of the people of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands to remain British, for as long as that is their wish,
and protect our Overseas Territories
stand up for the rule of law and human rights in Zimbabwe
support a democratic transition in Burma
promote reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka,
including through supporting the UN investigation into war crimes, which the Prime Minister was instrumental in securing following his historic visit to Jaffna
actively support Cypriots to find a peaceful and lasting settlement to reunite their island.
Keeping Britain safe
Our plan of action:
We will protect our nation
We will continue to keep our Armed Forces strong so they can continue to keep you safe.
We will maintain the size of the regular armed services and not reduce the army to below 82,000.
We will retain the Trident continuous at sea nuclear deterrent to provide the ultimate guarantee of our safety and
build the new fleet of four Successor Ballistic Missile Submarines
– securing thousands of highly-skilled engineering jobs in the UK.
We will work closely with our allies to continue to strengthen NATO
– supporting its new multi-national rapid response force.
We will maintain our global presence, strengthening our defence partnerships in the Gulf and Asia.
Later this year, we will hold a National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review to plan for the future.
We will maintain a balanced defence budget and give our Armed Forces the equipment they need
We can only have strong, well-funded Armed Forces by continuing to build a stronger economy.
We have the second largest defence budget in NATO
and the largest in the EU.
We are meeting NATO’s two targets: that each country should spend two per cent of its gross national income on defence,
and of that spending 20 per cent should go on major equipment.
We have made commitments for the equipment plan to be funded at one per cent above inflation for the next Parliament.
We plan to invest at least £160 billion in new military equipment over the next decade:
as well as our six new Type 45 destroyers,
we are building a class of seven Astute submarines
and buying the Joint Strike Fighter,
Scout armoured vehicles,
Type 26 frigates
and new Apache attack helicopters.
We will bring both of our new Aircraft Carriers – HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, the largest vessels the Royal Navy has ever possessed – into service, so we have one available for use at all times.
We will continue to seek value for money in defence procurement,
recognising the important contribution that the UK defence industry makes to our prosperity.
We have the biggest defence budget in the EU – and the second biggest in NATO
We will maintain strong, modern Armed Forces
Modern, flexible Armed Forces need strong reserve capacity, alongside strong regular forces.
We have invested significantly in our reserves, and we will deliver on our commitment to expand them to 35,000.
We will continue to invest in our cyber defence capabilities.
We will also provide more opportunities for talented people from all communities and walks of life to serve their country.
We will ensure our Armed Forces overseas are not subject to persistent human rights claims that undermine their ability to do their job.
We will do all we can to honour those who give so much
We will continue to honour the Armed Forces Covenant
We have honoured our commitment to enshrine the Armed Forces Covenant in law and done much to support our servicemen and women.
We have delivered better accommodation for service families,
helped service personnel buy their own home,
and ensured that children of members of the Armed Forces benefit from the Pupil Premium.
We have delivered proper mental health support and priority access to medical treatments for veterans.
To ensure that those who serve can enjoy greater economic security, we have boosted allowances and tax reliefs.
We have protected pensions for our servicemen and women.
We have ensured that injured service personnel have access to the latest prosthetics and world-class rehabilitation facilities.
And we have used £450 million of LIBOR fines from banks to support the Armed Forces community.
The money has been used to support a wide range of charities and good causes, from providing better play facilities for the children of service families, to helping rehabilitation through sport for injured veterans.
We pressed for the introduction of the Arctic Star medal – for veterans of the Arctic Convoys – and the Bomber Command Clasp, to ensure proper recognition for those who risked their lives to keep us free.
We will build on this proud record, implementing Lord Ashcroft’s recommendations on the way the nation fulfils its obligations to veterans.
We will work to address hearing loss among veterans.
And we will continue to support the unsung heroes of the Armed Forces community: the partners and families of those who serve.
Tackling global challenges to make you safer and more prosperous
Our plan of action:
By 2020, we will save 1.4 million children's lives
We will continue to honour our commitments
Tackling global poverty is both the right thing to do and in Britain’s interests.
We have delivered on our promises to meet the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income as aid and to enshrine this in law.
We will continue to meet the 0.7 per cent target,
maintain an independent Department for International Development
and keep aid untied.
Our aid budget meets the OECD aid rules,
and we will actively engage in international discussions to ensure that these rules fully reflect the importance of peace, stability,
and effective institutions for reducing poverty.
We will insist that every government and organisation we fund meets global transparency standards.
We will save lives
By 2020, we will save 1.4 million children’s lives, by immunising 76 million children against killer diseases.
We will help at least 11 million children in the poorest countries gain a decent education,
improve nutrition for at least 50 million people, who would otherwise go hungry;
and help at least 60 million people get access to clean water and sanitation, to stop terrible diseases.
We will continue to lead the response to humanitarian emergencies, and establish a means to respond rapidly to crises.
Our leading role in dealing with the recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa is a good example of how our aid programme helps protect Britain from serious threats,
while also helping countries tackle major emergencies which put their stability at risk.
We will lead a major new global programme to accelerate the development of vaccines and drugs to eliminate the world’s deadliest infectious diseases,
while investing to save lives from malaria
and working to end preventable child and maternal deaths.
We will expand payment by results and ensure all money to governments is clearly earmarked for specific purposes.
We will tackle the causes of poverty and promote gender equality
We will push for new global goals to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030
and promote human development,
gender equality
and good governance.
We will work to prevent climate change and assist the poorest in adapting to it.
As the route out of poverty is about much more than just aid,
we will boost growth and jobs,
making it easier for people to start up businesses
and trade freely with each other.
We will continue to promote the golden thread of democracy, the rule of law, property rights, a free media and open, accountable institutions.
We will promote girls’ education,
encourage equal access to property rights
and work to achieve access to family planning for everyone who wants it.
We will continue to lead efforts to tackle violence against women and girls, end FGM
and combat early and forced marriage, both at home and abroad.
We will help you fight poverty
Our International Citizen Service has given thousands of young Brits the opportunity to volunteer abroad.
We will triple it in size.
We will also double our successful Aid Match scheme, which matches donations to charity from the aid budget.
We will boost partnerships between UK institutions and their counterparts in the developing world,
and help people in the UK give or lend money directly to individuals and entrepreneurs around the world.
Conclusion SO THIS IS OUR DETAILED PLAN FOR BRITAIN. Our plan to entrench the progress of the past five years. Our plan for you and your family, at every stage of your life. IT IS UNDERPINNED BY SOME SIMPLE CONSERVATIVE VALUES. Those who work hard and do the right thing must be rewarded. Everyone should be able to rise as high as their talents and effort will take them. We measure our success not just in how we show our strength abroad, but in how we care for the weakest and most vulnerable at home. ABOVE ALL, RUNNING THROUGH THIS PLAN  IS A TRUE BELIEF IN BRITAIN. In the past five years, as so often before in our history, we have once again defied the expectations of the world to rise up and meet our challenges. The British character is renewed every day by the millions who work hard, raise their families, care for those who need help, who do the right thing – and make this country what it is. THIS MANIFESTO IS ABOUT IMPROVING THE LIVES  OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE PEOPLE. Together we have come so far. If we stick to our long-term plan, we can secure a better future for you and your family. So let us keep moving forward; and set our sights on making our great country greater still.
One Day  One Vote ONE CHANCE FOR CHANGE
Westminster Manifesto
2015
We understand that if you have a problem, you expect us, the politicians, to find the solution, irrespective of which level of government has the power to make it happen. That is why this 2015 Ulster Unionist Party Manifesto contains policy proposals across the full range of governmental bodies, from Europe, through Westminster, to the Northern Ireland Assembly and our new eleven Councils.
PLAYING A POSITIVE ROLE WITHIN THE UNION
“Our values are not an auction item”
This is an uncertain time for the United Kingdom.
Scottish Nationalism has not accepted the democratic outcome of the referendum on Independence.
They may have lost that battle, but their war continues.
In fact, they have done more to destabilise the Union than Irish Republicanism ever did, and the Scottish Nationalist Party did so without bombs or bullets.
Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond see themselves as Kingmakers on the 8th of May.
Their SNP will not put the broader interests of the UK first and foremost.
If their MPs are required to support a Government, then there is a very real prospect that it will further destabilise the Union, creating fear and uncertainty, not just among the citizens of the UK, but also with our global partners, economically and politically.
We have spoken to the US Administration and they do not welcome an undermining of the “Special Relationship” between the UK and the United States of America.
A stable Union is the most important result a good unionist should hope for in this Election.
Ulster Unionist MPs will be responsible citizens of the United Kingdom, defending, promoting and advancing the Union at this time of immense uncertainty.
While our MPs will seek to do the best they can for the people of Northern Ireland, we will also work in the best interests of the UK as a whole.
In the event that neither Labour nor the Conservative Party secure a majority of seats in the House of Commons, the Ulster Unionist Party will not be going to Downing Street holding out the begging bowl.
Neither the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland will profit from MPs intent only on short-term advantage, no matter what the longer-term damage that does to our place in the Union.
The Ulster Unionist Party values are not an auction item, available to the highest bidder.
“The Union makes sense: politically, economically, socially and culturally.”
Instead we aspire to work with the UK Government to secure the tools and resources that will help us start moving away from our Dependency culture and start generating serious wealth for our people.
We believe the Union makes sense: politically, economically, socially and culturally.
Economically, you need look no further than the global league table of prosperity.
Who votes for relegation?
While the UK economy is one of the strongest in the world, there are key challenges to be faced, none bigger than our debt mountain.
Currently, the UK Government spends more servicing debt than it does on Education.
It is also more than is spent on public services in Northern Ireland and Wales combined.
That is an inconvenient truth for those who oppose actions to address the issue.
We do not wish to leave £1.4 Trillion of debt as a legacy for our children.
Rebalancing our economy should have three focal points for the public sector:
DEBT REDUCTION.
At £1.4 Trillion, that equates to £54,353 per household;
PRODUCTIVITY.
Every one percent of public sector staff time saved through increased productivity is worth £1.6 Billion to the public purse, or £64 Million in Northern Ireland;
TALENT MANAGEMENT.
It is crucial that the current Voluntary Exit Scheme manages the radical change in public sector headcount, to ensure we retain the right people, with the right skills, in the right places.
For our private sector, the challenge is simple: growth.
A HEALTHIER PEOPLE
“If we feel unwell, the National Health Service is there for us.  Now the NHS itself is sick, we need to be there to make it better.”
SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE HEALTHCARE
Over the last four years our National Health Service has been put under intolerable strains.
Health and Social Care Trusts being forced to make swingeing in year cuts to frontline services last year was an appalling demonstration of how badly the situation has deteriorated.
We want to cure that, with: Better use of funding and resources;
Decisive political leadership;
Strategic vision for health provision.
We need to get serious about prevention, ensure the NHS is fit for the future and more efficient in its use of staff, funding and resources.
We will benchmark the performance of the NHS in Northern Ireland against the best performing aspects of the NHS in Great Britain, measuring:
Safety, Quality of Care and Patient Experience;
Investment in people, skills, facilities and resources;
Waiting times.
The UK expenditure on health has now fallen behind many of our major European neighbours such as France, Germany and Denmark.
The trend within Northern Ireland over recent years is of ineffective investment whilst demand and cost pressures continue to grow exponentially.
We will provide the political leadership that ensures there is a strategic vision for the future that takes account of changing demand, delivering the resources required to maintain a consistently safe and high quality NHS.
Waiting times for elective surgery are spiralling, with patients facing the trauma of late-notice postponement;
Waiting times in Emergency Departments are unacceptably long with target times not just missed, but missed in ways that are unsafe to the point of posing increased risk to patients;
Many cancer services are in crisis, with far too many patients waiting unjustifiable lengths of time for diagnosis and treatment.
These factors impact hugely on staff morale, which is at an all-time low; the impact of underfunding and ineffective use of resources has only served to further undermine public and staff confidence in the health service.
We will: Not compromise on the core principle of the NHS remaining free at the point of delivery, available to everyone based on need, not the ability to pay;
Continue to oppose the introduction of charges on the sick.
That includes falsehearted attempts to predetermine a specialised drugs fund on the reintroduction of prescriptions charges;
Put patients back at the heart of all the NHS does and ask frontline staff to tell us how best to transform the NHS back to its best.
Our commitments to our hospitals:
In light of the growing evidence that demonstrates higher death rates at weekends in our hospitals and in the knowledge that illness and injury does not discriminate in relation to time of day or day of the week, we will begin the process of ensuring acute services within the NHS are delivered 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
We will extend evening and weekend consultant coverage and ensure staffing levels match patient flows;
We will tackle the shortage of specialist staff working in Emergency Departments, ensuring senior doctors are present 24 hours a day, removing patients’ fear of inappropriate or untimely treatment;
We will introduce a new revised workforce planning structure to ensure every hospital maintains safe and sustainable staffing levels.
“Hospitals are also not always a safe place if patients do not absolutely need to be there”
Our commitments to primary care:
We will reverse the trend of Northern Ireland having the lowest number of GPs per head in the United Kingdom;
We will ensure GP hubs are equipped to provide extended opening hours to reduce the number of patients having to seek help inappropriately at hospital;
We will place a greater emphasis on public health awareness campaigns and invest in early intervention efforts
; we will focus on keeping our communities well and preventing illness.
Our analysis of future needs:
Dementia is a growing epidemic.
Every year across the UK, dementia is attributable to 60,000 deaths.
By 2025, we will have 1,000,000 people in the UK suffering from dementia.
We need to prepare the NHS now!
We will make our health service dementia-proof, so that every health care professional is trained and aware, and every healthcare facility is dementia-friendly, tackling issues including light and sound, not least the sometimes chaotic and confusing environment of an Emergency Department.
Family members who care for people with dementia save the UK 11 Billion pounds every year;
Northern Ireland has one of the worst per capita rates of poor mental health and wellbeing in the world, directly linked to the Troubles.
We will tackle that to unlock a Triple Win: tackling a toxic Troubles legacy,
empowering people to come off Welfare,
and rebalancing our economy by making more people economically active;
Cancer diagnostic and treatment services require urgent investment.
The cruelty of leaving patients and their loved ones waiting for months for a medical diagnosis must be ended.
Balancing the NHS budget:
Frontline and administrative staff agree, there are huge efficiencies to be made to free up funds to make the NHS work for you;
Following the significant reform of local health structures carried out by Michael McGimpsey, it is regrettable that only four years later a number of bodies set up to act in a more streamlined manner have actually been allowed to swell in size by over 40%.
It is clear there are significant savings to be made once again in the administration of our local health service;
We will review procurement in the Health Service;
We will ensure that all revenue raised through the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme (PPRS) goes towards ensuring our patients with rare diseases are no longer last to receive new revolutionary treatments;
We will reduce costs by introducing a new alcohol and drug misuse framework.
The NHS is the jewel in the United Kingdom’s crown.
We will protect it, revive it, restore it to good health.
In return we will deliver healthier people, not least in the area of poor mental health and wellbeing.
Too many of our people wake up every morning with no real sense of purpose in their lives and go to bed without a sense of having achieved anything worthwhile.
Good health, mental and physical will transform our society;
we will restore the NHS to its former glory.
We will sustain it and make it a service that everyone can be proud of and others envy.
The NHS is the bedrock of our society.
You can only build a strong, healthy and sustainable forward-thinking population on the basis of good physical and mental health, with a focus on prevention as well as treating illness.
A STRONG AND SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT
COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE
It is our responsibility to create a clean and healthy environment to pass on to future generations.
Yet, the challenge of tackling climate change is no less formidable now than it was five years ago.
We will: In the absence of Northern Ireland specific legislation, reduce our carbon emissions in line with the United Kingdom’s commitments;
Require all public bodies, including our eleven local councils, to set carbon reduction strategies with accompanying targets to measure progress;
Improve outdoor air quality, by continuing to reduce traffic emissions by further promoting public transport.
We’ll also continue our cycling revolution to allow more people to avail of this healthy and sustainable mode of travel.
A SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY OF ENERGY
Northern Ireland is facing an energy crisis.
We remain far too dependent on the import of fossil fuels as our capacity to generate power through traditional means is being much reduced.
A new approach is needed.
We will: Work closely with partners across the UK and Ireland to achieve a coordinated supply of energy,
and to promote the longer term integration of the electricity market;
Maximise Northern Ireland’s sustainable energy resources by supporting further renewable advances in solar,
biomass
and hydro technologies;
Oppose applications to frack unless they have been independently supported by means of positive Environmental Impact Assessments, Health Impact Assessments, Economic Business Plans and any other process necessary to form an evidence based judgement;
Seek support to ensure the electricity grid can facilitate a greater range of decarbonised energy sources;
Increase storage capacity to safeguard our energy security from global events;
Secure a final resolution to the application for the North South Interconnector by using both overhead and underground cabling.
TACKLING THE BLIGHT OF FUEL POVERTY
Northern Ireland continues to suffer from the worst rates of fuel poverty in the United Kingdom.
Far too many households, over 43% at last count, have to spend more than a tenth of their income on heating their home.
Advances in tackling fuel poverty have been minimal with progress far too slow.
It’s clear a new approach is needed.
We will: Introduce an extensive area based approach to identify households in acute poverty;
Rectify the flaws with the current Affordable Warmth scheme, including the problems with self-referrals;
Support local councils to provide innovative retro-fit schemes with a particular focus on cavity wall insulation;
By 2020, ensure that Northern Ireland implements a full rollout of gas and electricity Smart Meters;
Make it a requirement for social housing to meet a minimum level of efficiency;
Make it a requirement for private rental properties to meet a minimum Energy Performance Certificate rating.
DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE PLANNING SYSTEM
The importance of planning cannot be over-estimated.
It impacts everything from economic development (airport runways, new retail outlets, factory expansions) to daily lives (neighbours building extensions to their homes, replacement dwellings).
In short, it is key to our quality of life.
We believe planning should achieve sustainable development,
whilst promoting economic and societal improvement.
With the transfer of planning powers to our eleven new Councils, local people now have a greater opportunity than ever before to shape the look and functionality of their communities.
We will: Ensure a balance between sustainability and economic considerations in planning decisions;
Encourage greater use of land that has been previously developed;
Ensure that our Councils use their new planning powers to deliver more energy efficient buildings.
CONSERVING OUR NATURAL LANDSCAPE AND NATIVE SPECIES
Northern Ireland’s countryside is coveted internationally and cherished locally.
That requires that a balance must be reached to maximise the dual responsibilities of maximising the economic and tourism potential,
and our duty to preserve the countryside for future generations to enjoy.
We wish to reverse the unfortunate trend of recent years that has seen statutory bodies acting reactively.
They must be proactive.
Instead of schemes such ASSIs (Areas of Special Scientific Interest) being allocated only to meet targets, we will ensure that communities are given the real opportunity to feed into the discussions on how best to protect their local landscapes.
In addition, real focus is needed on preserving our historic built environment.
Buildings can be restored but if lost they can never truly be replaced.
We will: Tackle robustly the threat posed to our local biodiversity by invasive species;
Work effectively with the European Union on policies such as the European Birds and Habitats Directive in order to ensure that breaches, such as those on Strangford Lough, are avoided;
Give local communities and land owners greater say in the designation of lands.
ENHANCING OUR ANIMAL WELFARE STANDARDS
Too often, animals in Northern Ireland are subjected to cruel and unnecessary suffering.
Despite repeated media exposés of abuse of sickening proportions, animal welfare remains a major issue here.
Previous attempts to tackle the problem have clearly not been enough.
Further action is needed.
The Ulster Unionist Party strongly believes in the principle that securing animal welfare and respecting the rights of those who engage in country sports, such as shooting, are values that should be mutually dependent - not exclusive.
We will: Overhaul the Welfare of Animals Act to deliver greater numbers of successful prosecutions;
Seek to regulate the sale of live poultry and domestic pets in open and indoor markets;
Review the online sale and distribution of cats and dogs;
Ensure all animals are stunned pre-slaughter with strict enforcement by DARD.
“Whilst our local businesses are world leaders at providing the labour and materials for renewable energy generation, we are yet to fully harness the opportunity for ourselves”
A PROSPEROUS PEOPLE
“If you want Northern Ireland to be less dependent on the Block Grant from London, join us in generating serious wealth for our people.”
AN ECONOMY EQUIPPED FOR THE FUTURE
Our ambition for the people of Northern Ireland is simply put.
The Ulster Unionist Party wants Northern Ireland to be the most attractive region in Europe in which to do business.
Why? Because to succeed will make our people more prosperous and we believe that will be transformational for our society.
There was a time when this corner of the United Kingdom was a major economic powerhouse.
It led the world in ship building;
we had the globe’s largest rope works;
our textile industry was vibrant;
we produced brilliant engineers
and agriculture was a staple industry.
“We paid our way”
The Ulster Unionist Party wants Northern Ireland to once again establish itself as a major economic powerhouse.
We may always require a Block Grant from Westminster,
but we should aspire to be less dependent, generating our own wealth,
and with it, restoring pride and a sense of purpose to our people.
When we talk about the economy, it boils down to how much money our people have in their back pockets.
In simple terms, there is a huge prosperity gap between ourselves in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.
If people in Great Britain have £1 in their pockets, our citizens have only 77 pence.
To close that gap, we need to start generating serious wealth.
"We want a shift from dependency to wealth generation.”
CORPORATION TAX
Giving Stormont the power to vary the rate of Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland was an Ulster Unionist idea.
We regret it was not resolved sooner, because it could and should have been, but that is in the past and the challenge now is to move swiftly to agree the Rate and Date.
We support: A rate of 12.5%.
This matches the current rate in the Republic of Ireland and represents a 7.5% positive differential with GB, now that the UK-wide rate has dropped to 20%;
Introducing the rate at the earliest possible date, which is 1st April 2017;
Encouraging Invest NI, supported by Leaders of all the Executive Parties and Northern Ireland’s business spokespersons, to start immediately marketing Northern Ireland to Foreign Direct Investors,
not least in the USA, where the Corporation Tax rate is 35%.
BEYOND CORPORATION TAX
The Ulster Unionist Party never considered a lower rate of Corporation Tax as a silver bullet for our economy.
Rather, it is the centre piece in a basket of measures, including: An appropriately skilled workforce;
Sufficient A grade office accommodation to meet demand;
Fast track planning for major economic initiatives.
In order for Northern Ireland to meet its potential to make its people more prosperous, we need a new economic model;
a model that is not so overly-dependent on the public sector, or which stifles private sector growth, or ignores the massive potential of social enterprises, which make up the Third Sector, the so-called “not for profit” businesses that plough profit back into the organisation and the communities they serve.
In order to grow the economy in Northern Ireland we will: Seek to deliver the latent ambition among our business community for a Northern Ireland-owned bank, focused on promoting and advancing the rebalancing of our economy;
Support long-term business investment by opening up access to finance.
We will also seek a formal review of the market restrictions for new non-bank sources of finance;
Reform procurement to further open up the £3 Billion annual procurement budget in Northern Ireland to make it more accessible to our micro and SME companies;
Reduce unnecessary business costs, especially for startups;
Focus government on properly supporting, empowering and resourcing social economies;
Demand reform to EU regulations that disproportionately impact small and medium sized businesses;
Ensure our councils adopt a town centre first approach, with out-of-town planning applications going through rigorous tests to check their potential impact on existing businesses;
Identify and remove gaps in our broadband and mobile network service provision;
Foster and develop the untapped potential of the third sector, including Northern Ireland’s 3,300 community and voluntary organisations.
This will include improving the relationship, communication and structures between Government and these organisations.
This is especially relevant for organisations that rely on funding from sources such as the European Social Fund;
Keep the interests of businesses and employers at the heart of the decision making process.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE EDUCATION
The Ulster Unionist Party believes now is the time to start commencing the transition to a single education system where children of all faiths and none learn together.
There would be no more sectors, no more enforced social segregation.
If we offer inoculation jabs against MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) why not give a virtual inoculation against sectarianism?
If children share space and experience from age 4, you transform our future, by eliminating the ignorance of “the other” and truly embracing the strength of diversity.
The Ulster Unionist Party has a vision of education where every child is valued equally for their individual, innate ability, creativity and talent, irrespective of whether it is academic, technical, vocational, sporting, artistic, or any unique combination of all.
That means every child is cherished, not just the academic boys and girls.
When Martin McGuinness became the first Minister of Education post the 1998 Agreement, he listened when you told him you did not like the 11-Plus Examination, but he closed his ears when you also said you wanted selection, because life involves selection; for jobs, sports teams, performing arts - name it, you will face selection!
Our discussions and broader research with business leaders leaves us in no doubt: if we are serious about closing the prosperity gap, we need to align our education system to three key questions:
What ability, creativity and talent lies within the individual child;
How does that fit within making our people more prosperous:
What do we need to change to make it happen?
To improve the prospects of our young people, we will: Match Scotland’s record where 80% of day to day expenditure is managed by School Principals supporting children, by cutting administrative costs and putting more of the budget into frontline, classroom teaching;
Resolve the post primary transfer stalemate.
The current commercialised nature of the test means the State has lost control of State schools;
Recognise your child’s education is about more than their transfer to post-primary education and bring forward a holistic package of teaching, learning and support.
Our commitments: We will target schools in deprived communities and introduce a pupil premium.
It is abhorrent that successive Sinn Fein Education Ministers have failed to break the cycle of educational underachievement in these areas;
We will push hard to develop a skills-based agenda based around the STEM subjects -  Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths;
We will acknowledge and fix the problem of Careers Guidance.
We should, could, and with your support, will do better for our children, by making careers’ guidance a core part of the Northern Ireland schools’ curriculum from the age of 15;
We support the retention of the Dickson Plan;
We will amend the Fair Employment and Treatment Order to repeal the exemption for teachers and end the requirement for primary school teachers in the Maintained sector to hold a Catholic Certificate in religious education;
We will end the postcode lottery for pre-school places.
Currently, that allows the Government to boast huge success rates in placement offers, with no acknowledgement of the impracticality of families availing of same and the consequent lowering of the percentage of placements accepted.
STEPS TOWARDS RECOVERY - FOR BOTH PEOPLE AND BUSINESS
FAIRER WAGES AND TAXATION
The introduction of the National Minimum Wage in 1998 increased low-end wages for several million workers effectively overnight.
However, as a result of only modest increases up until 2014, the value of the minimum wage has fallen significantly in real terms since 2008.
We support the principle of the Living Wage, but given the Northern Ireland economy is constituted almost exclusively by micro and SMEs, for whom the Living Wage would represent an existential threat, the practical step for Northern Ireland at this stage is to restore the Minimum Wage to the position originally intended.
We will: Increase the national minimum wage over the next 3 years to rebalance the shortfalls from previous years;
Expect any company benefitting from the 12.5% rate of Corporation Tax to pay the Living Wage from April 2017;
Close taxation loopholes with zero tolerance on tax evasion;
Seek to gradually rebalance the relationship between the Regional and Domestic Rates, to ensure a greater share of a household’s annual rates bill is collected for the benefit of their local council;
Commission an expert panel to review business rates, listening closely to the often devastating impact rates have on our private sector;
Support measures to increase the personal allowance to £12,500 by 2020;
Introduce a simpler PAYE payroll process for small businesses;
Review the current pension tax relief rates so that greater support goes to savings from the lowest incomes, rather than at present disproportionality benefitting the wealthiest savers;
Oppose reintroducing the 50% top rate of income tax for people earning over £150,000 as previous experience shows an increased rate could actually lead to a reduced total tax take.
REFORMING VAT
The current 20% value added tax rate is crippling two of our key industrial sectors: Construction and Tourism.
The Ulster Unionist Party has repeatedly argued the need for concessionary VAT rates for these sectors, to help rebalance our economy and grow our private sector.
We believe Northern Ireland should learn from the experience of the Isle of Man, where a 5% VAT rate has applied since 1995 to hospitality, and from 1999 to aspects of construction, both with identifiable benefits to their economy.
The Tynwald government, aided by HM Treasury, successfully lobbied the EU for a concessionary VAT rate for the Repair Maintenance and Improvement (RM&I) of existing dwellings.
RM&I covers all activities to existing dwellings, from relatively minor works such as painting and decorating, to the more major, including extensions and conversions.
In 1999, under Council Directive 1999/85/EC, the Isle of Man applied a concessionary 5% VAT rate to RM&I, with the Isle of Man Government assessing the initiative being responsible for:
Stimulating the construction industry;
Retaining skills;
Creating new, permanent jobs, including apprenticeships;
Offering citizens an affordable way to improve their dwelling;
Regenerating the existing housing stock;
Helping Government achieve its target of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050;
Reducing the viability of the black / shadow / informal economy;
Generating a perception of positive momentum and hope.
While there is no reliable, discrete data for Northern Ireland, a forecast by Experian (global information forecasters) predicted that had a UK-wide 5% VAT rate for RM&I applied in 2010, this would have seen estimated revenue loss to the HM Treasury of between £102 and £508 million, but a stimulus effect of £1.4 billion, to include the multiplier effect.
The Isle of Man has also operated a concessionary VAT rate on hotel accommodation, which has been judged to be a direct stimulus to that sector.
Given Northern Ireland’s tourism competes with the Republic of Ireland, which enjoys a 9% VAT rate for this type of purchase, the 11% differential is clearly off-putting for potential visitors to Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Hotels Federation, representing 85% of the hotel sector in Northern Ireland, report in their Tourism 2020 analysis, that the UK has the third highest VAT rate in Europe and is only one of four EU states that does not have a concessionary VAT rate for hotel accommodation.
The potential benefits for Northern Ireland are measured in significant boosts to GDP, job creation, and additional tax take.
We will: Seek a concessionary 5% VAT rate being applied to the Repair, Maintenance and Improvement of existing dwellings in Northern Ireland;
Seek a concessionary 9% VAT rate being applied to the hospitality sector, to negate the marketing disadvantage with the Republic of Ireland.
A KNOWLEDGE BASED ECONOMY
If Northern Ireland is to fully reach its potential, it must continue to invest in its biggest asset: its people.
We need to transform how we equip our people with the skills without which we will fail to deliver the bedrock of a new economy.
We will: Ensure that every school leaver has three essential options: third level education, training for a skill, or an apprenticeship;
Demand greater liaison between business, second and third level education, focused on marrying the individual young person and the needs of rebalancing our economy;
Support our micro and SMEs in the delivery of more apprenticeships;
Ensure public bodies with over 50 employees, and private companies delivering major public contracts, are required to offer additional apprenticeships;
Increase the delivery of IT training and programming skills in schools;
Continue to invest in research, development and innovation.
INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE
In order for Northern Ireland to become a world class economy, it needs world class infrastructure.
We will: Develop a 25 year vision for world class infrastructure, listening carefully to the needs of those who will drive the rebalancing of our economy;
Build on our increasingly successful drawdown of competitive EU funding by DRD Minister Danny Kennedy, over £30m since 2013, to make infrastructure projects deliverable;
Fill the gap in A-Grade office space in Belfast and beyond, an essential requirement of global service sector firms considering investing in Northern Ireland;
Fast track regionally important planning decisions;
Develop a robust and stable electricity transmission system.
MAKING THE MOST OF OUR ECONOMIC ASSETS
For a small country Northern Ireland continues to be a world leader in a range of areas.
We have sectors such as the creative industries that are the envy of our much larger competitors.
We also have a tourism brand worth marketing globally.
While Northern Ireland 2012 enjoyed a degree of success with the emphasis on Our Time Our Place, the Ulster Unionist Party regrets the failure to add our call for Our People to be the essential third element.
With the World’s Number One golfer in Rory McIlroy, supported by the immensely popular Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, we have three citizens who open an unique marketing opportunity.
Matched by the fact we have some of the best golf courses in the world (Royal County Down always in any sensible list of the world’s top 10; Royal Portrush again on the rota to host the Open), golf should be our greatest single driver of tourism.
The target of £50m per annum by the time the Open Championship returns to Northern Ireland, possibly in 2019, should be more ambitious.
We will: Redirect £40m Financial Transaction Capital funding towards major projects that would support our tourism industry;
Promote apprenticeships using the ‘Unlocking creativity’ programme as a model to release individual creativity and ensure young people are prepared for careers in creative industries.
AGRI-FOOD
The agri-food sector is Northern Ireland’s largest indigenous employer, with 47,000 people working in farming and a further 27,000 working in food and drinks processing.
It is now worth well over £1Billion a year.
However despite the proven potential the Northern Ireland Executive has only recently started to commence its much lauded ‘Going for Growth Strategy’.
This malaise inevitably limited the growth of the sector in recent years.
We will: Seek to build a single, sustainable supply chain where the provenance and reputation of our produce is not compromised;
Promote agriculture as a sustainable career for young people;
Open up new export markets for our food and drink, particularly in China and the Middle East;
Cut the bombardment of unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape on our farmers;
Campaign for a review of the decision to relocate DARD headquarters to Ballykelly, taking into account the now vacant DVA premises in Coleraine.
THE RIGHT TO AN AFFORDABLE HOME
Northern Ireland is heading for a housing crisis.
Whilst prices have only just started to recover, we are still not building anywhere near enough homes.
Over the next ten years, Northern Ireland needs 12,500 new homes per annum just to keep up with demand, yet we’re not building even two thirds of that.
We will: Make it a priority for councils to review housing demand in their areas and to identify a supply of specific, developable sites;
Accelerate the transfer of properties from the NIHE to Housing Associations;
Put an end to publicly owned homes remaining endlessly boarded up;
Give Councils the ability to give preference to planning applications that target first time buyers or owner occupiers.
This would protect against housing speculators;
Increase the development of greater mixed tenure housing - a mix of owner occupied, privately rented and social rented properties.
A HAPPY PEOPLE
We hold these truths to be sacred & undeniable; that all men are created equal & independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent & inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, & liberty, & the pursuit of happiness.
These are wise words from the United States of America’s Declaration of Independence.
The pursuit of happiness has a lot going for it.
If our people were happier, society would be transformed.
We believe the actions and commitments listed to date in our 2015 Manifesto will go a long way to making our people happier:
a vibrant economy putting more money in your pocket;
a Health Service that prevents you becoming sick and cures you if you do;
housing to be proud of;
an environment to cherish and share equally with all.
But in the world of the 21st Century, we must be alive to the threats that surround us.
DEFENDING OUR ARMED FORCES, OUR SECURITY AND OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS
It is not just here in Northern Ireland that sovereignty and identity clash violently.
There are citizens of the Ukraine who offer loyalty to Russia;
Islamic State (IS or ISIS) refuse to give allegiance to the countries of their birth, fighting instead for a Caliphate.
We acknowledge that many residents of Northern Ireland do not consider themselves to be British;
we respect their right to a separate identity, be it Irish or other.
By the same token, we reaffirm that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, as endorsed by the people of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, voting in the 1998 Referendum.
That means the only sovereign flag that represents our constitutional position is the Union Flag.
We ask no more than this fact be given reasonable and respectful expression.
Equally, we wish to promote zero tolerance for the disrespectful use of the Union Flag.
The United Kingdom must continue to stand up and speak out in defence of freedom and democracy in the world.
The Ulster Unionist Party will ensure Northern Ireland continues to makes an important contribution to make to this.
For over 300 years Irishmen have served in the British Armed Forces.
They have served with distinction at Waterloo, The Somme, Imjin River in Korea, the D-Day landings and the Falklands War.
On the way they have been awarded over 190 Victoria Crosses (VCs).
For their sacrifice and dedication in Northern Ireland on Operation Banner they were awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC).
Our servicemen and women also served with distinction in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.
In Afghanistan 10 made the ultimate sacrifice with many more wounded mentally and physically.
Yet service personnel, both those from Northern Ireland and others living or stationed here, do not have full access to the benefits of the Military Covenant.
This leaves many veterans feeling like second class citizens in their own country, the country they served, often at a terrible personal cost.
As the UK Government has it: The armed forces covenant sets out the relationship between the nation, the government and the armed forces.
It recognises that the whole nation, has a moral obligation to members of the armed forces and their families, and it establishes how they should expect to be treated.
The Ulster Unionist Party believes we should honour the sacrifice and commitment of our Armed Forces and Armed Forces community in Northern Ireland, not to advantage but to ensure they are not disadvantaged by their service.
That is why every Ulster Unionist candidate standing in this election has signed a pledge to do all they can for our armed forces, our veterans and their families.
We will: Work to secure the full implementation of the Military Covenant in Northern Ireland.
Veterans have waited for too long for the Covenant to be given meaning in Northern Ireland.
Our candidates have pledged to change that; Support the growth of Northern Ireland’s reserve and cadet forces;
Vote to ensure UK Defence Spending meets the NATO Target of 2% of national GDP;
Support the renewal of Trident in order to maintain our independent nuclear deterrent;
Resist any formation of an EU Army;
Resist any reduction in UK Armed Forces regular manning levels.
SENSIBLE POLICIES ON EUROPE AND IMMIGRATION
The Europe of today is very different from 40 years ago.
The founding model of concentrating on a common market has been exchanged for a political institution that now interferes too much in our day to day lives.
Change is required.
Change is inevitable.
The Ulster Unionist Party believes there could be a beneficial future for Great Britain and Northern Ireland within the European Union.
However this is entirely dependent on what we call the ‘three Rs’: a Review of how the EU impacts on the everyday lives of our citizens;
a Renegotiation of the UK’s relationship with the EU;
a Referendum allowing you, the people, to decide if you approve of the proposed new relationship.
A review of every aspect of our relationship is needed, not least how much it costs us and what we get back in return.
But this must be balanced by consideration of the cost of the UK’s potential withdrawal from membership of the EU, not least the economic cost, given continuing trade with EU member states is essential for our economy.
It must also take account of the non-financial benefits of a strong, united Europe, not least in standing up to terrorism and belligerent nations outwith the EU.
Like all good things, immigration should be practiced with a degree of moderation.
The Ulster Unionist Party welcomes immigrants who have something to offer our society;
who wish to assimilate and absorb our values of tolerance, hard work and civic responsibility;
who add value to who we are.
We also recognise we operate with finite resources and will seek the power to stop those who see our way of life as nothing more than a meal ticket, or a means to access already stretched public services.
We seek an immigration policy that is open, transparent and fair.
We will: Have a zero tolerance policy on illegal immigration,
while being responsive to genuine asylum seekers;
Place the EU free movement rules at the heart of renegotiations to ensure that our hands aren’t tied to tackle illegal immigration;
Seek to withdraw from agreements where decisions are better made at the member state rather than at the European Level;
Have a zero tolerance approach to racist attacks;
Remove any unfair impediment in the way of immigrants and their families who wish to help Northern Ireland grow into the most successful region in Western Europe;
Seek a memorial to those Polish service personnel who served in the Royal Air Force and paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War and were based here in Northern Ireland;
Support the exclusion of the NHS from the scope of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) currently being negotiated between the European Union and the United States of America.
OUR ETHNIC MINORITIES
The Ulster Unionist Party is moving away from the old binary approach to life in Northern Ireland, where each individual is labelled as Orange or Green.
We embrace the richness of our new, diverse society, as evidenced by multi-coloured and multi-cultural events like the annual Mela celebration in Belfast, which packs 25,000 people into the Botanic Gardens in a single day, to experience cultural diversity in song, dance and food.
For some, it is an inconvenient truth that without immigrants, parts of our private and public sectors would struggle to operate.
We have successful businesses that thrive only because members of our ethnic minorities are prepared to do jobs that others would rather avoid.
Our Health Service relies heavily on highly skilled immigrants, without them it would almost certainly collapse.
Some highly intensive manual jobs, not least in the agri-food sector are also deeply dependent on workers from our ethnic groups.
We will: Support a Racial Equality Strategy for Northern Ireland;
Focus on the inclusion and integration of young people from minority backgrounds;
Open all public spaces to becoming welcoming of people from ethnic minority backgrounds;
Monitor funding of minority ethnic and religious groups to ensure government support is fair, transparent and proportionate;
Commit to ensuring people from minority ethnic backgrounds feel safe;
Support people from minority ethnic backgrounds who fully contribute to our society, through education, the economy, health services, community activities, sports and the arts.
LOOKING OUT FOR ALL IN SOCIETY
KEEPING COMMUNITIES SAFE
Throughout its existence the Ulster Unionist Party has been the Party of law and order.
The fundamental right of people to feel safe in their own home is as valid now as ever before.
Unfortunately, not only is crime still prevalent in many areas, but so too is the fear of crime.
We must help the PSNI address this.
For decades, our police force tackled terrorist groupings from within our society.
Now the focus has broadened to international organised crime gangs.
The eventual roll out of the National Crime Agency will assist their efforts, but Northern Ireland’s politicians collectively must adopt a zero tolerance approach to organised crime.
We will: Campaign to include Kincora in the terms of reference for the national inquiry into historical child abuse;
Ensure the focus remains on police officers carrying out frontline services rather than administration;
Monitor the PSNI's efforts in tackling the threats posed by serious crime;
Prioritise the tackling of crime against our older people;
Set up a taskforce to tackle fuel laundering in border areas;
End unnecessary delays in the criminal justice system.
STANDING UP FOR RIGHTS OF VICTIMS
Thirty years of terrorism devastated Northern Ireland and left a legacy that will be acutely felt for many years to come.
Outrages such as the On The Runs scandal serve to inflict further pain and trauma on those who suffered the most.
We will: Introduce legislation at Parliament to ensure that the OTR letters have no legal effect and which also enable prosecutions to take place, where possible;
Take measures to end the trauma suffered by victims and survivors who do not know whether the person who hurt them or their loved one is in receipt of an On The Run letter;
Provide victims and survivors groups with the resources they need to operate effectively;
Continue to campaign to end the equivalence of perpetrators and genuine victims;
Continue to ensure the former Maze Prison site does not become a shrine to terrorist violence;
Continue to work with the new UK Government to secure settlements from foreign countries that assisted terrorist groupings.
SUPPORTING YOUNGER AND OLDER PEOPLE
No matter a person’s age they all deserve to be supported adequately by their Government.
Old age should be a joy, not a journey of fear, uncertainty and abandonment.
Growing up should be full of the excitement of the voyage of discovery.
Our younger people and our elderly face particular challenges and the Ulster Unionist Party is determined to support you.
Of particular concern to us is the unnecessary and extremely unsympathetic treatment by some health trusts of elderly citizens in care homes.
To reduce octogenarians to tears because they have been told to find a new place to live is simply unacceptable in our vision of Northern Ireland.
We will: Ensure adequate provision of domiciliary care to allow older people to remain in their own homes;
Protect universal benefits such as the winter fuel payment,
concessionary fares
and the TV licence for the elderly;
Introduce adult safeguarding legislation that specifically tackles abuse of the elderly;
Support lowering the voting age to 16;
Expand internet safety measures to protect children in Northern Ireland;
Retain the Educational Maintenance Allowance to allow young people to remain in education.
ASSISTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
In the 21st Century everyone deserves to be treated equally.
That includes those who face the challenges of a learning or physical disability.
The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to removing economic, social and cultural barriers for people with a disability.
We will: Ensure that young people with a disability have a statutory right to learn in all appropriate educational settings;
Introduce legislation that provides a legal right to independent living;
Require public sector bodies to offer and facilitate work placements for people with a disability;
Guarantee the appropriate construction and provision of housing for people with additional need.
RESPECTING ALL CULTURES, FAITHS AND SEXUALITIES
Northern Ireland’s unique mix of fascinating heritage and its rich culture makes it a fascinating place to live and work.
The Ulster Unionist Party is committed to building a society that welcomes diversity.
We will: Safeguard the rights of those who wish to express their culture.
That includes respecting the rights of bands and the Loyal Orders;
Ensure young people leave education with a better understanding of sexual and cultural diversity through age-appropriate teaching.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF RURAL COMMUNITIES
Many people in Northern Ireland are fortunate enough to live in our rural areas.
However, it does present particular challenges.
We will: Ensure appropriate access to health, education and public transport services;
Place a statutory obligation to ‘rural proof’ changes to services in rural areas;
Deliver a planning system that allows rural communities to become more sustainable with new housing;
Promote the diversification of agricultural and other land-based rural businesses to grow the rural economy;
Support sustainable rural tourism.
TACKLING DISADVANTAGE
Despite all our economic advances and innovations, the proportion of households who fall below society’s minimum standard of living has increased greatly over recent decades.
Entire communities are now blighted with poverty.
In addition, our experience of violence in the past has also greatly increased deprivation and disadvantage in the present.
We will: Ensure work pays in order to break the cycle of welfare dependency;
Introduce a statutory duty on Departments to work towards eliminating child poverty;
Close the 23% prosperity gap that has developed between citizens here and the rest of the UK.
2015 Westminster Election Manifesto
Plaid Cymru means ‘The Party of Wales’ - we stand up for you, your family, your community and all of Wales. Always. We are a party for the whole of Wales - whether you live in a town or in the countryside, whatever your backgroundor language.
We are ready and able to take on Westminster, challenging the UK parties.We refuse to let Wales be treated as second class, because we’re not tied to London party bosses, unlike ALL the UK parties.
Our detailed proposals in this manifesto are focused on improving the lives of everyone who lives in Wales.
What Plaid Cymru wants for Wales:
ccThe people of Wales face a real choice at the election. All three Westminster parties are committed to slash and burn economics. It is likely that there will be another hung parliament after the election. In that scenario, Plaid Cymru could hold the balance of power alongside our colleagues in the SNP. Should that happen, Plaid Cymru will seek a rebalancing of power and wealth in the UK If the people of Wales return a strong team of Plaid Cymru MPs in May then Wales will be best placed to secure an outcome to improve the prospects of our people and communities
The same deal for Wales on funding and powers as Scotland
To save and strengthen our NHS: 1,000 extra doctors and more nurses
To get Wales working again:50,000 jobs through more public contracts for Welsh companies
A fairer economy: increase the minimum wage to a living wage for more than 250,000 workers
and zero business rates for over 70,000 Welsh companies
Contents1. Working For Wales - Bringing our Government Home2. Working for Jobs -Growing the Economy, Getting Wales Working , Finance and Taxation3. Working for Better Healthcare - Saving our NHS, Public Health4. Working for our Children’s Future - Education, Higher Education, Training and Skills5. Working for a Fairer Wales -Welfare, Pensions, Fuel Poverty, Housing6. Working for a Safer Wales - Crime, Justice, Policing7. Working for Wales -Defence, International Policy and Security8. Working for Wales in Europe - Reform, Migration9. Working to Connect Wales - Transport10. Working for a Better Wales - Democracy and Government11. Working for a Greener Wales -Energy, Natural Resources, Food and Agriculture12. Working for all our People -Rural Affairs, Sustainable Communities,The Welsh Language, Equality13. Working for a more Successful Wales -Brand Wales, Tourism, Sport, Arts, Media and Culture
Working For WalesBringing our Government Home
“People across the British state are looking for an alternative to the broken Westminster system. Plaid Cymru wants to bring our government home to Wales so that we have the powers and levers to at least put us on a par with our neighbours. Wales must have the control over its own natural resources, criminal justice and policing system and our government must be made accountable to the people for the money it spends on their behalf. Wales must be treated as a nation and have the powers to act as a nation.
We want the decisions that affect us made here in Wales //-
not by a Westminster government that doesn’t prioritise Wales.
Wales must be treated as a nation and have the powers to act as a nation.
Plaid Cymru believes that Wales is a sovereign country, and that power belongs in the hands of the people of Wales.
It’s only fair that Wales should have the same powers as Scotland.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru were the first party to respond to the Silk Commission and the Independence Referendum in Scotland, publishing our ‘Bring our Government Home’ paper and tabling far-reaching amendments to the Wales Act to give powers to Wales.
Plaid Cymru has long made the case for giving the Welsh Government more powers.
In our submission to the Silk Commission we called for job-creating powers in finance, responsibility for energy, responsibility for energy, and criminal justice.
As part of the One Wales Government from 2007 to 2011 in Wales, we led the campaign for the 2011 referendum, where nearly two-thirds supported giving the Welsh Government lawmaking powers for the first time.
Plaid Cymru calls for the following powers to become Welsh government responsibilities immediately:PolicingCriminal Justice and the courtsSentencing, Legal Aid, Crown Prosecution Service and judiciaryPrison service and probation servicePublic Sector pay and conditionsElements of Social ProtectionAdditional Planning PowersBroadcastingNatural Resources and EnergyAll licensing and oversight powers for the exploitation of natural resourcesThe Crown EstateWater, including seweragePorts and harboursMaritime Coastguard AgencyWales and Border rail franchiseNetwork Rail operations in WalesSpeed limits and drink drive limitsBus and taxi regulation
Decisions closer to home
We want to see the full transfer to the Welsh Government of the powers recommended in both reports by the Commission on Devolution in Wales as quickly as possible so it will be possible to create a better, fairer and more prosperous society for the people of Wales.
Our proposed reserved powers model would set out which powers are in the hands of the people of Wales and which still lie with Westminster.
Citizen-led Constitution
All powers should be given to Wales except those the Welsh people agree should be kept by Westminster, as is the case in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Plaid Cymru will push for a written constitution for Wales which will be guided by its citizens not by politicians.
Developing the Welsh constitution in this way will enable us to consider the society we want to build, not just where the powers should be held.
Working together
Much can be done to improve the way the four nations work together for the benefit of their peoples.
The Joint Ministerial Committees, where Ministers of all four nations meet, can allow co-operation in areas of mutual interest, such as those which are decided by Westminster alone but which impact upon all four nations.
The British-Irish Council should develop further to improve relationships and co-operation between the countries of these islands, regardless of their constitutional status, with a roving EU-type presidency between them and formal structures for better co-operation on shared assets and developing the Common Travel Area.
Working for Jobs A Growing Economy
We want to free Welsh industry and enterprise to thrive and play their part in getting Wales working again. We want to create the conditions for a thriving economy, to build the fair and prosperous society we know we can be.
Plaid Cymru wants a successful economy for Wales, where everybody can maximise their potential.
This will be a growing economy where everyone benefits - not just the richest 1%.
Investment and planning will provide opportunities for everybody to have a well-paid job and a good work-life balance.
As the economy improves, Plaid Cymru believes that everyone should benefit.
Unlike the Westminster parties, we do not support the continuation of ‘austerity’ policies - the cuts that have had such a detrimental effect on our way of life and hit the poorest in our society the hardest.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru has consistently opposed the austerity cuts forced through the UK Parliament by the major UK parties because they lead to severe cuts in funding for Wales.
Recognising the failure of UK economic policy, we published our plans for an Economic Fairness Bill to level up wealth across the UK, in both geographical and individual terms.
Our ‘Plan C for Cymru’ economic plan, published in 2012, sets out how Wales can improve its economy using the economic powers we currently have -
but the current Welsh Government are failing to use successfully.
Our Budget deal in 2012 helped secure £40m of finance for thousands of new apprenticeships across Wales, training people for skilled jobs.
Plaid Cymru has successfully secured funding for important projects such as the Menai Science Park which will grow the Welsh economy
and create new jobs.
Economic Fairness B
So that wealth is shared out more fairly within the UK, and to ensure that Wales receives its fair share of public investment, Plaid Cymru will introduce an Economic Fairness Bill to rebalance the wealth of the UK.
This means that the UK Government would have to always assess the impact upon Wales of its economic plans before they’re put in place.
We will create 50,000 jobs in Wales by giving more Welsh public sector contracts to companies working in Wales,
so that our economy benefits more from the £4.3bn spent by the Welsh public sector each year.
Helping Welsh businesses grow
By increasing business rates relief in Wales, more than 83,000 small and medium sized businesses will be helped
and 70,000 businesses will pay no business rates at all.
Plaid Cymru will create a Welsh Development Bank whose primary role would be to ensure adequate credit lines for Welsh businesses to maintain businesses and support expansion to create additional jobs within Wales.
To support Welsh exports across the world and grow new markets in Europe and developing countries, Plaid Cymru will develop an Overseas Trade Initiative to better support Welsh exports across the world, growing new markets in Europe and in developing countries.
More support for town centres
Welsh town centres are the heart of communities, generating local wealth and bringing people together but they need more support.
Plaid Cymru encourages people to shop local.
We will improve Welsh town centres by attracting people back to the highstreet, improving public transport and bringing back essential local services, such as medical centres, to town centres.
Green New Deal
Plaid Cymru will set up a Green Skills College to develop the skills needed to make our economy more environmentally-friendly
whilst creating research and development and manufacturing jobs to meet this need through a ‘Green New Deal’ for householders and business.
We will support and encourage Welsh businesses to use energy and natural resources efficiently.
Research, Development and Manufacturing
A new manufacturing strategy for Wales will be developed, taking advantage of the existing skills in our communities and universities to create skilled and high-value jobs through research, development and manufacturing.
More Investment
Investment projects in Wales must be better facilitated and managed.
Plaid Cymru will give the Welsh Government the powers to guarantee major investment projects for Wales to give security that they will be carried out, with appropriate scrutiny of this investment to ensure it is well spent.
We support the Welsh Government having sufficient borrowing powers to invest in Welsh infrastructure projects and will increase those contained in the Wales Act.
We will commit 1% extra of UK GDP to infrastructure investment each year.
This would secure £800m to invest in Welsh infrastructure projects each year.
Plaid Cymru will also introduce our ‘Build 4 Wales’ programme to borrow funding for Welsh infrastructure projects
and create a centre that specializes in major infrastructure project management.
Keeping jobs in Wales
Plaid Cymru will encourage alternative company models to the limited company/plc model, and will consider the benefits of establishing a Welsh Institute of Employee Ownership to encourage the creation of companies which are owned or controlled by employees.
Working for JobsGetting Wales Working
Our workers should be given a decent day’s pay for an honest day’s work. It is unacceptable that 25% of workers in Wales are paid less than a Living Wage. If you work a forty hour week, you should earn enough to live on. That is why in this election we are committed to getting a living wage for all by 2020 - a pay rise for 250,000 Welsh employees. We want Wales to be a beacon of economic fairness.
Plaid Cymru wants to get more people in Wales into work, with better pay and conditions.
We will improve work opportunities for all - helping people get higher paid jobs,
guaranteeing help to young people going to work for the first time
and those who currently find it difficult to get a job.
A Living Wage
Plaid Cymru will increase the minimum wage to be the same level as the Living Wage over the next Parliament.
This will ensure a pay rise for more Welsh workers by 2020,
and could create new jobs in Wales through increased spending in local communities.
We will ensure that more companies alleged to pay below the minimum wage will be investigated and prosecuted.
We want to end exploitative zero hours contracts that tie workers to a company while not giving them a guaranteed weekly income.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru has opposed plans to cut workers’ rights that would make it easier for bad bosses to fire staff.
Plaid Cymru tabled amendments in the National Assembly for Wales to ban the use of zero-hours contracts in healthcare and in agricultural work.
These were defeated by the Welsh Government.
We have fought against cuts in the public sector, recognising that these provide high quality and well-paid jobs in otherwise economically challenged parts of Wales.
While recognising the value of any work during difficult economic times,
Plaid Cymru has highlighted the need for better paid jobs and a strong private sector so as to avoid under-employment.
Helping people find work
One of the biggest challenges we currently face in Wales is getting people back into work.
Plaid Cymru disagrees with the Westminster parties who say that people are to blame for the situation in which they find themselves
and we reject the privatisation of schemes to help people into work.
To help reduce unemployment, we will help people who have the most difficulty finding work, including those with a disability and who have limited skills and qualifications, to find a suitable job.
This will be achieved by dealing with people fairly and by focusing on what individuals can achieve on a day to day basis without the threat of sanctions.
Plaid Cymru will tailor job search and creation services to the needs of Wales by giving the job-search functions of Job Centre Plus to the Welsh Government.
As the WelshGovernment has responsibility for education, training and skills and the performance of the Welsh economy, it makes sense to integrate these with job-search functions.
We support the European Union’s Youth Jobs Guarantee that will provide training or employment to any young person under 25 who is out of work for more than four months,
tackling youth unemployment at its root by supporting young people to find and take up work experience and earn new qualifications.
Plaid Cymru will provide tax relief for self-employed workers undertaking training
and investigate the creation of a Welsh based training agency, specializing in training the self-employed.
Fairness in the workplace
Supervisory boards of major companies who employ more than 500 staff will include elected employees, to ensure scrutiny of the management in the interests of the company as a whole, building on established practices in industrially successful countries such as Germany.
A ‘fair pay’ scheme will be introduced to link the pay of everybody within a company, to prevent spiraling executive pay whilst other staff receive no pay rise, following a commission to determine the most appropriate level of comparable renumeration.
Plaid Cymru will create an Independent Commission to consider industrial relations policy and will legislate against ‘blacklisting’.
We will review the current levels of Employment Tribunal Fees implemented by the UK Government, whose high costs prevent workers from getting access to justice.
Working for JobsFinance and Taxation
^ Plaid Cymru is committed to a genuine Wales-wide recovery driven by well-paid, high-skilled jobs. Our policy to pledge an extra 1% of UK GDP to infrastructure investment would secure £800m to fund Welsh roads, railways, schools and hospitals.
Plaid Cymru believes that everybody should pay a fair share of tax so that we in Wales can all share excellent, world-class public services.
That means that those who earn most - as individuals or as companies - must make a fair contribution, just like those who earn lower incomes.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru has always challenged the fairness of the Barnett Formula, which the independent Holtham Commission agreed has under-funded Wales by hundreds of millions of pounds each year.
Plaid Cymru supports Wales taking greater responsibility for raising and spending major taxes.
We tabled amendments to the Wales Act that would put income tax powers in the hands of the Welsh Government if a super-majority of the National Assembly of Wales supported this, without the need for a wasteful and technical referendum.
Plaid Cymru MPs voted against the reduction in the additional rate of income tax from 50p to 45p in the 2012 Budget debate
- unlike Labour MPs who went home early.
A better deal for Wales
We will demand that Wales is funded to the same level per head as Scotland, helping us to provide quality public services and invest in our economy.
To ensure Wales gets a fair deal, Plaid Cymru would create an Independent Commission to resolve funding disputes on the funding and finance of Wales.
Under the current system, Plaid Cymru will improve the resources available to the Devolved Countries Unit so that it can properly deal with issues relating to funding for Wales.
Plaid Cymru believes that Wales should have the same taxation powers at the Scotland.
Fair taxation
The UK additional tax rate will be set at 50p in the pound for those earning more than £150,000 per year.
To help lower paid workers, we will raise the personal allowance threshold at which National Insurance Contributions are paid, with the aim of making this the same threshold for paying income tax, over the term of the Parliament.
We would increase the Upper Earnings Limit on National Insurance Contributions to £100,000 per year.
We will end the unfair 40% plus pensions relief subsidy for higher rate tax payers.
We will double the bankers’ levy.
The cost of tax avoidance and evasion is estimated at £120bn per year across the UK, according to the Tax Justice Network.
HMRC need more staff to crack down on corporate tax avoidance and income tax evasion, and close this ‘tax gap’.
Plaid Cymru would reverse the 25% cut in staff started by the last Labour UK Government.
Plaid Cymru will transfer control over Corporation Tax to Wales.
Supporting Wales
Plaid Cymru will create a fuel duty regulator to prevent sudden spikes in fuel prices, helping households and businesses to manage their bills.
To improve the Welsh housing stock,
support the Welsh construction industry
and reduce energy bills,
we will reduce VAT to 5% on certified housing renovations.
We will support the tourism industry in Wales by reducing VAT to make holidays ‘at home’ more affordable and attract foreign tourists,
creating up to 7,000 jobs.
Working for Jobs Financial Powers
“The cuts being forced on Wales because of the financial crash are a reminder that when banks and big business fail, it is the rest of us that pick up the tab. Plaid Cymru believes that Wales should have a voice at every level of decision-making which influences Welsh life, especially those that impact on people’s jobs and livelihoods. It is vital that UK monetary policy works for Wales.* *
We believe that decisions over our money should be made in Wales, on behalf of the people that they affect.
It wasn’t the people of Wales who caused the banking crisis and the recession.
This is how we’ll make sure that it won’t happen again.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru has made the case for Bank of England recognition of the Welsh economy when formulating monetary policy.
Our MPs tabled a motion in Parliament calling for reform of the Bank of England to better reflect the requirements of Wales and the devolved nations.
We developed proposals for a business development bank for Wales, putting forward the case for such a bank that lends to and develops small businesses and local industry.
Accountable to Wales
Plaid Cymru supports the introduction of a Welsh Treasury, with a Green Book to ensure sustainable development.
The Bank of England will be renamed the Sterling Central Bank to reflect its responsibility to all countries which use sterling as a currency.
The Monetary Policy and Financial Policy Committees will include Welsh representation, nominated by the Welsh Government.
The Governor will also have a statutory requirement to attend National Assembly for Wales scrutiny meetings to explain how decisions taken will affect or have affected the economy and people of Wales.
The Bank will be made responsible for considering the needs of the whole, wider economy, including regionally-balanced economic growth, unemployment and inflation amongst indicators.
Broader representation on Bank committees will ensure that interest rate decisions are reflective of the Sterling-zone economy as a whole, not just the City of London and south-east of England.
Better controls
We want to see a full separation of investment and retail banks so that investors’ deposits are not used for speculation unless instructed.
We will strengthen tax antiavoidance legislation to make it harder for companies, individuals and other organisations to avoid paying their rightful amount.
We will introduce a Financial Transaction Tax on financial transactions and legislation similar to the Communities Reinvestment Act in the USA to ensure that appropriate credit is available to individuals and businesses, wherever they are based.
Financial powers in Wales
Our ‘Build 4 Wales’ scheme will allow additional infrastructure spending opportunities for the Welsh Government,
creating up to 50,000 jobs
and developing a centre of excellence for infrastructure procurement and delivery within Wales.
We will continue to oppose the public sector use of Private Finance Initiatives that have proved to be such poor value for money for the taxpayer,
and will try to re-negotiate a better deal from PFI contracts that are not providing a good deal and are setting back attempts to improve the Welsh economy.
To help provide answers to the challenges facing the Welsh economy, we will further investigate the benefits of creating a Public Bank in Wales that can invest in Wales’ infrastructure needs and ensure more information on the Welsh economy, including an accurate figure for Welsh GDP, is published regularly.
Working for Better Healthcare
“Wales is the birthplace of the NHS and we are rightly proud of that contribution. The NHS in Wales today is one in need of renewed leadership. Plaid Cymru wants the Welsh NHS to be at its best, for staff and for patients.
Healthcare affects us all, old and young.
That’s why we want the best care to meet everybody’s needs.Plaid Cymru’s ambition is for a genuinely world class Welsh National Health Service.
To achieve this we need to train and recruit more doctors, nurses and other health workers and to invest more in our hospitals and ambulances.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru has consistently opposed the removal of crucial life saving services from local hospitals due to staff shortages.
In January 2014 we outlined our proposals to train and recruit an extra 1000 doctors in order to safeguard the future of our NHS in all parts of Wales.
Plaid Cymru has led the debate on strengthening community based healthcare services to keep chronically ill people out of hospital.
In October 2013 we worked to secure an extra £50 million investment from the Welsh Government in specialist services to help prevent chronically ill people needing to attend Accident and Emergency.
We have outlined proposals for the integration of health and social care, to ensure that our community health services are based on the needs of the patients rather than the organisation.
No Privatisation
The NHS was created to preserve the health of the people.
The NHS should not be subject to the principles of a free market.
There is no place for profiteering in our health service.
Plaid Cymru rejects the marketisation and privatisation of the NHS and will oppose any moves in that direction from governments in Westminster and Wales, particularly if it affects the funding of the NHS in Wales.
We strongly oppose the inclusion of the NHS within the EU-US free trade deal, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
Improving staffing
Currently, Wales has fewer doctors per head than almost every other country in the European Union and fewer than any other country in the UK.
To allow us to cut waiting times for hospital operations and help patients can get faster GP appointments at convenient times, Plaid Cymru will train and recruit1,000 additional doctors to work in the Welsh NHS,
increasing our doctors per head of population to the UK average.
A national workforce plan will be developed to ensure that there are sufficient healthcare staff in all parts of Wales.
We will increase the number of district and community nurses to support people outside of hospital.
We will focus on providing training here in Wales for more doctors, paramedics, nurses and other professional healthcare workers, so that they can contribute to the Welsh NHS and ensure safer staffing levels.
This will include a focus on ensuring sufficient Welsh speaking healthcare professionals and social workers to meet the needs of a bilingual society.
So that more ambulances are available for dispatch and able to release patients into A&E without undue delays, we will increase resources for ambulances and staffing and ensure that there is sufficient emergency care available,
including advanced practitioners such as nurses and paramedics, to treat people at the scene.
Health services where you need them
We want to make sure that people can receive healthcare and support from the NHS in their own home or community.
This includes protecting and promoting the district nursing service, and developing specialist services as required for people with particular needs such as children, older people and those in need of palliative care.
Plaid Cymru will provide funding to assist the independent Air Ambulance Service, which is more necessary than ever following hospital reorganisation in Wales, particularly in rural areas.
We will ensure that everybody will have the same access to an NHS dentist wherever they live in Wales, which will allow everybody to benefit from the same level of preventative care.
We will implement a National Cancer Plan so that all patients are able to receive the best possiblecare, regardless of where they live.
We will prioritise early diagnosis through tackling unacceptably long waiting times for diagnostic tests, so that patients have the best chance of recovery.
Plaid Cymru will also work to ensure that all cancer patients have access to a specialist cancer nurse so that they are supported throughout treatment and beyond,
including providing clinical advice and support with important practical issues such as finance and employment.
Quality of Care
Whether a person needs home care, residential, nursing or NHS nursing care should be a matter that is decided on the basis of an individual’s need, not on organisational convenience.
By integrating health and social care we will ensure that the focus is always on the needs of the patient, by removing un-necessary paperwork and ensuring cooperation between organisations.
Plaid Cymru will work towards a paperless NHS that will save money and bureaucracy so that, within confidentiality rules, appropriate healthcare professionals can access records wherever in Wales you are being treated.
We will support all measures to improve dignity in care and in hospitals, working to ensure that there is sufficient time to care for you wherever you are treated.
Anyone who raises concerns about healthcare standards will be supported and we will ensure that those responsible, whether bosses or workers, are held to account if there are failures.
We will ensure a rigorous and independent Healthcare Inspectorate Wales that will safeguard all individuals who receive care in Welsh hospitals, as well as supporting CSSIW, so that improvements are introduced promptly.
Plaid Cymru proposes a Medical Accountability Bill, including a duty of candour, so that healthcare professionals are legally bound to tell the truth to the patient and their family.
All NHS buildings will be required to be energy efficient to cut waste and ensure more money for patient care.
Access to medicines and technology
Plaid Cymru will keep free prescriptions in Wales.
We will introduce a New Medicines and Treatments Fund for treatments not ordinarily available for patients on the NHS, with decisions applying nationally across Wales.
Improving IT in healthcare could help save lives.
That’s why we support the development of eHealth and Telemedicine, to increase quality and speed of patient care, and pushed for this in our 2013 Budget agreement.
Our clinical staff and medical researchers need the most comprehensive and up-to-date evidence-based information and Plaid Cymru supports the All Trials campaign for publication of all clinical trials.
We will also work to ensure that Wales improves its share of health research funding, attracting quality researchers to Wales.
Mental Health
So that people with mental health conditions get more help with diagnosis, treatment and advice, we shall work to raise awareness of mental health issues in the workplace and across society.
Plaid Cymru will increase access to talking therapies,
as well as funding support for eating disorders, and drug and alcohol treatment.
We will also increase resources for mental health services for young people in Wales.
Public Health
Sport and physical activity not only contribute to people’s wellbeing and happiness - they lengthen and improve lives,
and they are good for our country in terms of having a fit workforce and less of a burden on health services.
We will make it easier for people to accesswellbeing facilities and to get active to prevent health problems.
To help reduce sugar intake, reduce obesity and combat associated health problems such as diabetes, Plaid Cymru supports a tax on sugary drinks
and will work with manufacturers to reduce sugar in food and drink.
We support the introduction of plain packaging on tobacco products and other measures to stop addiction to smoking.
We will introduce better regulation, including stricter marketing rules, on e-cigarettes.
We will introduce a 50p minimum price per unit on alcohol sales.
This will tackle the crime and health problems which result from cheap but highly intoxicating drinks and will reduce violent, drunken behaviour.
Working for our Children’s FutureEducation
“Our greatest asset, like all countries, is our people. How and what we invest in our young people in particular will have a bearing on our prospects for decades.5 5
We want to see Wales reclaim its name as a beacon of educational excellence.
Plaid Cymru wants all of our children and young people to reach their full potential.
We will ensure high standards of teaching, the latest equipment and the best possible outcomes for each and every child.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
To ensure that no child is left behind, we doubled the funding per pupil of the Pupil Deprivation Grant in 2014.
We now want to ensure that this funding is most effectively used to support children from deprived backgrounds reach their full potential.
Plaid Cymru opposed the school banding system from the start as it created league tables under another name.
Our opposition led to the Welsh Government abandoning plans to introduce these for primary schools and eventually scrapped banding for secondary schools.
As part of the One Wales Government, we introduced the Welsh Medium Education Strategy under which local authorities have to measure demand for Welsh-medium education.
The Strategy also sets targets for increasing provision of Welsh-medium education.
The obligation on local authorities to measure demand is now statutory under the Schools Standards and Organisation Act.
We oppose the truancy tax - fixed penalty notices of up to £150 imposed on parents of children absent from school without authorization.
Improved communication between schools and families is an effective way of dealing with absence from school without penalising often vulnerable families.
We secured agreement from the Welsh Government for a review after a year of the truancy tax.
Supporting Success in Education
We will provide an additional year of schooling to our youngest children, with qualified educational staff providing classes for 3-4 year olds.
We will give our teachers and classroom assistants the time to teach so that they can focus on ensuring the development of core skills in schools.
By working with teaching unions and staff, we will reduce red tape and bureaucracy so that head-teachers can lead their schools and more time is spent teaching children, rather than doing paperwork.
We will improve the quality of teacher in-service training and ensure teachers in all parts of Wales have access to best practice.
We will transfer powers over teachers’ pay and conditions to the National Assembly for Wales, as recommended by the Silk Commission.
No child left behind
We will set the learning outcomes to be achieved by schools, ensuring the best possible English, Welsh and Mathematics GCSE results,
but will allow schools themselves to determine how to achieve those outcomes.
Those schools which achieve the required standards will be allowed to develop as they see fit, but less successful schools will get additional support to ensure that no child is left behind.
Successful schools will have fewer school inspections but we will introduce ‘on the spot’ inspections for those which are not reaching their potential.
A single consistent framework will be introduced for assessingchildren’s progress throughout their school career so every child can reach their full potential.
We will create an independent examination regulator to restore faith in the Welsh examination system.
To better protect our most vulnerable children, we will review the effectiveness of child protection provision to make sure that schools and social services co-operate efficiently.
Plaid Cymru would remove the reasonable punishment defence, giving children equal protection under the law and preventing smacking.
All children and young people should receive a comprehensive programme of healthy relationships education.
Values of equality, tolerance and respect should be embedded in everything schools do to tackle sexist, racist, homophobic and other discriminatory bullying.
Curriculum and Qualifications
A new National Curriculum will ensure that all children leave education with a positive understanding of the history of Wales and the cultures of their communities.
Schools will ensure that young people develop key skills, including literacy, numeracy, IT skills and thinking skills,
and an understanding of climate change and the environment.
It is vital that our children understand the technology that surrounds them, through coding and advanced computer technology development lessons, such as the Raspberry Pi device.
To counter the growing deficit in language skills, Plaid Cymru will ensure that modern foreign languages are taught from an early age,
and introduce a compulsory modern language GCSE so that our pupils can compete in a global economy.
Plaid Cymru wants all young people to stay in education or training to 18, so that they can get the right skills for employment or higher education.
Funding
We recognise the impact poverty has on a child’s education and success in later life, and the effect on the wider economy.
We will therefore continue to ensure disadvantaged pupils are helped to reach their full potential, as we have done by supporting the Pupil Deprivation Grant, and by further supporting schools to ensure effective early intervention.
Plaid Cymru will support methods which will help children to overcome the challenges that a disadvantaged position may present.
All local authorities will be required to have an accurate and up-to- date Welsh Education Strategic Plan to meet the call for Welsh language education in their county
and adequate funding will be provided within local education authorities and consortia for these to be delivered, including the requirements for new schools, staff and other resources where needed.
Provision for children with special educational needs will be reviewed to ensure resources are used in the most effective way.
Plaid Cymru will put in place a programme to develop new and modern schools to replace unsuitable school buildings
We will ensure that schools co-operate and learn from each other’s best practices and allocate funding so that this can be planned.
Plaid Cymru will continue to oppose the ‘free school’ model of education promoted in England and will not follow this model in Wales.
Working for our Children’s FutureHigher Education, Training and Skills
Our vision is to equip all our young people with the highest level of skills possible, whether in Further Education or Higher Education. This will be done by providing an education setting for all young people up to the age of 18. For Wales to be at its best, we need a world class education system that provides our people with the skills required for well-paid, high skilled jobs.
Plaid Cymru wants to get more people in Wales into work, with better pay and conditions.
We will improve work opportunities for all - helping people get higher paid jobs,
guaranteeing support for young people going to work for the first time
and those who currently find it difficult to get a job.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru AMs secured funding to create thousands of new apprenticeships across Wales from 2013 onwards,
and a deal for the Menai Science Park in North Wales, showing how we value both academic and vocational education.
As part of the One Wales Government, we secured funding for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol - the first plan for a national Welsh language higher education, training new researchers and lecturers and offering Welsh language higher education courses.
We opposed the rise in tuition fees at Westminster to £9,000 per year for undergraduate courses.
In government, we supported a policy of subsidising Welsh students so that they wouldn’t be penalised by the changes at Westminster.
We called for a cross-party consensus to ensure that student fees are sustainable in the long-term and meet the needs of Welsh Higher Education Institutions, and welcome the formation of the cross-party Diamond Review.
Student Fees
Plaid Cymru believes that, in principle, higher education should be free for all, and we will continue to work towards this aim.
We will provide a subsidy to students resident in Wales who wish to study in Wales.
Target groups and those studying subjects vital to the Welsh economy and public goals will pay no tuition fees in Wales,
including those taking up key healthcare posts,
studying science, engineering and technology subjects
and students from particularly challenging backgrounds.
Supporting our Universities
Our Higher Education Institutions play an important role in the national and local economies in attracting research investment, qualified staff and students to their localities.
Welsh universities are currently under-funded.
We will work with our universities to increase research capacity and funding,
particularly ensuring that Welsh universities get a fair share of UK-based research funding
and to get the best investment from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 funding.
We will use this to enable our universities to work more closely with industry, promoting research and development related to universities, such as at the Menai Science Park that is being developed as a result of our 2012 Budget deal.
We will provide long-term sustainable funding for the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, ensuring greater availability of higher education in Welsh, subject to successful evaluation.
Developing Further Education
Further Education Colleges play an important role in providing education and training for young people aged 16 years and over,
and we will work with colleges to ensure that the sector continues to offer excellent education and training to widen participation,
tackle social exclusion
and stimulate economic regeneration.
We will continue to promote apprenticeships, particularly Higher Level Apprenticeships, as agreed in our 2012 Welsh Budget deal, and in-work learning courses.
Plaid Cymru values vocational and non-academic qualifications and we will continue to promote them through our Further Education sector, providing appropriate funding for training and courses in order to increase skills amongst our workforce,
including adult community learning.
We will introduce a Citizens’ Service, focusing on skills and learning, so that young people are ready for the world of work.
Using the model of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in Higher Education, Plaid Cymru will increase the provision of Welsh language courses and tutors in Further Education across Wales, ensuring that vocational subjects are equally available to Welsh speakers in the 14-19 Learning Pathways.
We want both our young women and our young men to be equally successful in their further education, and we will therefore ensure that training for providers of educational, training and careers services includes an improved understanding of the effect of gender on learning and how this can be tackled.
Working for a Fairer WalesHelping our People
Over £1 billion in welfare payments has been taken out of the Welsh economy since the beginning of the Tories’ cruel assault on vulnerable people in 2010. That’s money taken from the pockets of people trying to make ends meet. But it’s also had a knock on effect on local businesses and communities more generally. Plaid Cymru says that we, the people, have already paid enough for the greed of the bankers. They got a bail out. Payback for the people is well overdue.
Plaid Cymru believes in our people, and we want to give them the best chances in life.
We will help people to stand on their own two feet and give them the tools to make a success of their own lives.
Reducing the deficit must not be done by punishing the most vulnerable in society to pay for the mistakes of politicians and bankers.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru MPs voted against the Welfare Reform Bill that brought in many of the most oppressive measures targeted at the vulnerable such as the ‘Bedroom Tax.’
Plaid Cymru led the opposition in Parliament to the ‘Bedroom Tax’ by forcing a debate and vote.
Our MPs voted against the real terms cut to all working age benefits that the Government brought forward to limit annual increases in benefits to below inflation at only 1%.
We opposed the UK Government’s Welfare Spending Cap which could mean that individual and family benefits will be massively reduced irrespective of a potential economic downturn and a rapid rise in unemployment.
We have published plans to devolve Job Centre Plus.
Welfare Policy
We will scrap the bedroom tax.
The Universal Credit system should not be implemented until a fully independent and comprehensive review is carried out.
If the Universal Credit is introduced, then Plaid Cymru support the provision of weekly, rather than monthly, payments, direct to individuals, rather than households,
without requirement for internet access or IT skills.
We are also concerned that the tax rates for Universal Credit act as a barrier to work, and we will change this.
Plaid Cymru will prepare for the further devolution of welfare by developing a Welsh employment and benefits system that supports individuals to find suitable jobs.
We will involve disabled people and groups that represent the interests of disabled people in designing and developing such a system.
Plaid Cymru will work to remove the need for food banks, whilst supporting the good that they carry out in the face of economic pressures placed upon people from government.
Plaid Cymru will ensure an independent review on the use of benefit sanctions to ensure a humane and effective social security system.
Helping people into work
Plaid Cymru’s proposals for a Welsh JobCentre Plus system will put the focus upon helping people into work rather than punishing them for disadvantages that they face.
With an increase in in-work poverty, child poverty will be best tackled through better-paid and full-time work rather than simply finding a job.
We will also investigate how tax credits can be better used to reduce child poverty.
A fair deal for pensioners
Plaid Cymru will stand up for the needs of pensioners.
To bring about an end to pensioner poverty, we would ensure that the new single-tier pension is a Living Pension for all, set at least at the rate of Pension Credit, and support moves to allow early access to pensions.
We have opposed increases in the state pension age and have grave concerns about the increase in the retirement age for frontline services.
We will investigate flexible pension access rights for self-employed workers so that they can save for a pension without sacrificing liquidity.
Tackling Fuel Poverty
High energy bills are hitting many people hard.
Plaid Cymru will ensure that Winter Fuel Allowance is paid to off-grid households during the summer so that they can get better value for money.
We will continue to press our ‘Get on the Grid’ Campaign to increase the numbers of people on the national grid, regulate off-grid prices and support community bulk energy purchasing to lower bills.
We will ensure that cold-winter payments are based on accurate local temperatures.
Penalties for using pre-payment meters for energy bills will be removed to help those on lower or fixed incomes.
We will also start a new ‘Claim It’ campaign so that everybody entitled to their benefits claims them, working alongside the Citizens Advice Bureau, Local Authorities and the third sector to promote this.
Financial Inclusion
We have long supported a credit cap on payday lenders to prevent a vicious circle of lending that cannot be repaid.
We will closely monitor the effects of new legislation upon the market.
We will investigate a windfall tax on payday lenders that can be used to promote credit unions and responsible lending.
By teaching people of all ages about dealing with money, we hope that future generations will be better prepared to deal with their financial situation, so people will depend less on unnecessary debt.
Working for a Fairer Wales Housing
“Plaid Cymru wants to see more housing being available to bring down the costs of rents and house prices in the medium term. This must be based on communities’ current and future need. New housing must be designed around where people want to live, and providing spaces people want to live in - supporting the sustainability of existing communities.
The quality of people’s housing affects their health and well-being.
Everybody needs a home, and we will make sure Wales can provide suitable housing for everybody, whatever their age or income.
Fairer Planning
We will reform planning in Wales to put local need and benefit, sustainability and impact on the Welsh language at the heart of a new planning system.
New Housing
We will implement rent controls to ensure affordability of rental housing.
We will look at how savings from housing benefit and additional borrowing powers could be used to support the building of social or council housing which will help local authorities or housing associations to maintain and improve their housing stock in future.
Plaid Cymru has successfully argued that, rather than allowing £70m per year of Welsh council housing rents to be paid to the Treasury in London, local authorities who control their own housing stock will be able to invest in them and build new council owned housing.
We will ensure the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy System works for the benefit of Welsh local authorities who have retained their social housing stock and continue to support local procurement for housing, using the i2i toolkit to ensure greatest local economic and social benefit.
Plaid Cymru’s ‘Build 4 Wales’ infrastructure programme will be used to further assist local authorities or registered social landlords to build new houses across Wales, based on local need.
We shall establish ownership of existing buildings, including empty houses, disused warehouses and offices and seek to convert them into housing or other useful spaces to meet local need.
Helping Buyers and Tenants
We will extend the HomeBuy scheme to allow first time buyers to get on the property ladder and help people to buy houses in their town or village.
We will look at the Scottish and Canadian house buying models where legal fees are paid by the person withdrawing from a housing deal, not the purchaser.
We support the introduction of higher council tax charges for second homes up to 200%, particularly where the purchase of second homes is affecting the market and making it harder for local people to get on the propertyladder.
We will help reduce people’s fuel bills by retro-fitting houses as part of a Green New Deal
and help private homeowners with a reduction in VAT on certified house repairs.
We will strengthen tenants’ rights by ensuring that the Housing Act provisions reform tenancies and we will ensure landlord regulations provide a fair service to tenants and landlords.
We will establish a reasonable minimum tenancy length.
This will be twelve months for those housed into the Private Rented Sector following homelessness.
Following our introduction of the Intermediate Care Fund in the 2013 Budget, Plaid Cymru will continue to promote adapted housing that allows residents to choose to stay in their own homes or specially-built accommodation, rather than move into care.
We will continue to promote Extra-Care housing and will work closely with local authorities to ensure that Disabled Facilities Grants and Care and Repair adaptations are implemented efficiently and that housing stock is well maintained.
Plaid Cymru will adopt a preventative approach to tackling homelessness, prioritising early intervention.
This will enable us to phase out priority need and intentionality within the support system so that all people can be helped.
Working for a Safer WalesCrime and Justice
Now that Wales makes its own laws, there is an obvious need for aWelsh legal jurisdiction to reflect this, and this should be introduced quickly, followed by Welsh policing and criminal justice powers. We believe justice is best administered locally.**
Plaid Cymru wants a safer Wales.
We will give strong rights to victims of crime, while tackling the causes of crime to reduce it all across Wales.
To achieve this, decisions about policing and criminal justice need to be made in Wales so that we can set our own priorities for keeping our streets safe.
Devolved criminal justice would allow us to provide more appropriate sentencing, including diverting young people and those with mental health problems towards alternatives to custody.
We will devolve all powers over Criminal Justice to the Welsh Government.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru MP Elfyn Llwyd has shown how Plaid Cymru can influence UK Government policy, having successfully fought for new laws to protect women from stalking and domestic violence, in the Protection of Freedom Act in 2012 and this year’s Serious Crime Act.
We have consistently called for the devolution of criminal justice powers to Wales,
arguing for a Welsh way of justice and policing that focuses on prevention of crime.
Plaid Cymru has opposed the closure of magistrates courts, the privatisation of the probation service and cuts to legal aid services - all of which restrict people’s right to fair justice.
Elfyn Llwyd MP has chaired the Justice Unions’ Parliamentary Group throughout the 2010-2015 UK Parliament, and has beenVice-Chair of the Justice Select Committee.
Crime Prevention
Our justice policy will focus on prevention, using restorative justice and rehabilitation through probation rather than only offer ineffective short-term sentences that have been proven not to prevent reoffending.
We will also tackle mental health issues amongst prisoners in order to prevent future criminal behaviour.
Supporting Victims’ Rights
We will introduce a Victims’ Rights Bill and train all professionals in the criminal justice system so victims of crime cannot be ignored or forgotten.
We welcome stronger legislation to tackle domestic abuse, giving police and courts the power to tackle all forms of abuse, which can include coercive and controlling behaviour as well as violence.
We will reverse Legal Aid reforms to allow fair access to justice and will monitor its implementation.
Prison
There is a lack of appropriate prison facilities for women prisoners in Wales
and limited facilities for young offenders.
We will identify suitable sites and funding to put this right.
We will ensure that women in prison are treated fairly.
Plaid Cymru opposes the development of a privately built and run ‘super-prison’ at Wrexham, which does not meet the needs of North Wales.
We will help prisoners to develop reading and literacy skills to help them find a job away from a life of crime.
Substance Use
Problems and deaths from substances are more prevalent in Wales than other parts of the UK.
Plaid Cymru wants to reduce problematic substance use and substance related deaths by investing in a long term substance use strategy which focuses on harm reduction though a wider range of services and education programmes that treat problematic substance users as patients rather than criminals.
‘Legal highs have outdated the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The Party Of Wales supports an impact assessment on the Misuse of Drugs Act to review its effectiveness in dealing with today’s substance related problems.
We support the decriminalisation of cannabis.
The resources used policing the illegality of cannabis should be diverted into education and information programmes which aim to keep people safe from harm.
More effective probation and policing
Plaid Cymru has consistently opposed the privatisation of the probation service.
We will look to bring the Welsh probation service back into public control to ensure the best results for our communities.
The profit motive has no place in the Criminal Justice System.
We will scrap the role of Police and Crime Commissioners and transfer police oversight to the Welsh Government, with effective scrutiny from elected AMs.
We will continue to support intelligence-led cross-border crime- fighting initiatives across the British Isles, Europe and worldwide, with a particular emphasis on preventing terrorism and ending human trafficking.
We will stop undercover agents from forming relationships as part of their double-agent work, causing devastation to those duped and undermining confidence in the security services.
Justice and the Courts
We will introduce Welsh legal jurisdiction to codify our own laws.
This will make clear the growing body of legislation that applies only to Wales.
We support the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights, and will oppose any moves by a UK Government to withdraw from those.
Following the large cuts to the number of magistrates’ courts in Wales, we will allow for hearings to be held in alternative locations such as council chambers and other public buildings, where this is safe and appropriate.
We will create ex-servicemen’s courts to better recognise the particular problems faced by former members of the armed forces.
Working for WalesDefence
“Trident is a £100 billion white elephant that would be better spent on providing public services and safeguarding jobs.
Plaid Cymru believes that we should look after our armed forces and veterans by ensuring a peaceful and secure world, not by putting them unnecessarily in harm’s way.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru has consistently demanded the end of expensive nuclear weapons that can never be used.
We have called for a Veterans’ Cabinet Member to engage on behalf of veterans, tens of thousands of whom are from Wales to ensure that veterans are fully supported.
As far back as 2010, Plaid Cymru published a paper outlining how veterans have been forgotten by the British state,
setting out how we can better support veterans back into civilian life and help them later in their lives.
As a member of the Nutting Inquiry, Elfyn Llwyd MP investigated the issue of veterans in prison, something that he frequently raised in the House of Commons, working with prisons officers’ union, NAPO.
Plaid Cymru’s amendments to the 2011 Armed Forces Act included proposals to legislate for the Military Covenant, the previously unwritten agreement that the British state would look after veterans when they return home.
Trident
We oppose the wasteful and unnecessary replacement of Trident that is anticipated to cost in excess of £100bn in its lifetime but can never be used in conventional warfare.
We also oppose the relocation of nuclear weapons to Welsh waters, as suggested by Labour’s leader in Wales’.
Our Armed Forces
We will look at basing Welsh army units in Wales in order to improve relationships with the local community and help soldiers’ families.
Looking after our Veterans
Plaid Cymru have made a vow to our veterans, pledging to work in their best interests.
We will provide improved aftercare and wellbeing for military personnel after leaving the forces, including legal advice, healthcare and counselling support by reinforcing the Military Covenant through a Military Well-Being Act.
We support the introduction of a Minister for Veterans in the UK Cabinet in co-operation with a nominated person in devolved administrations.
We will help reduce problems with alcohol amongst soldiers and recent veterans by supporting an alcohol dependence strategy.
We want to see further research into effective treatment of Gulf War veterans and the sharing of research developments and we will ensure that veterans receive appropriate and specialist mental health care.
We support the introduction of a Welsh red poppy to honour our veterans, just as there is a Scottish poppy.
We support a Welsh Peace Institute to research, advise and inform policy makers on the consequences of their decisions and to promote conflict resolution.
We want to see an EU civilian peace corps to work in areas of potential conflict, building trust and preventing violence.
Proposed military intervention, by the UK Government or any other organisation representing the Welsh people, should be agreed by the representative Parliament, with the assent of the National Assembly for Wales
and be legal according to UN convention.
Tackling Extremism
Plaid Cymru will work across our communities, whatever their backgrounds, to promote a Welsh civic identity.
Our Welsh civic identity is inclusive, offered to anybody who chooses to make Wales their home.
This will be promoted through schools, by faith and community organisations, encouraging everybody in Wales to participate in our wider Welsh society,
in contrast to the UK Government’s divisive and stigmatising proposals that blame particular groups.
Cyber-Defence
Increasing reliance upon technology leaves countries open to attack by foreign powers without the need for conventional weapons.
We will bolster cybersecurity defence capabilities to increase security and prevent cyber-attacks.
Woridng for Wales International Policy and Security
“Plaid Cymru is committed unswervingly to human rights. We are an internationalist party. We want Wales to take its rightful place among the family of nations, in Britain, Europe and globally.55
Plaid Cymru supports the international right to selfdetermination
and believes in improving our world through global equality and the ending of poverty.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru supports peaceful negotiations over destructive warfare
and supports the rule of international law through the United Nations.
We attempted to impeach Tony Blair over his illegal invasion of Iraq and are disgusted that the Chilcot Review has been delayed until after this election.
Plaid Cymru has consistently called for an ending of the blockade on Gaza and for a two state solution for Israel and Palestine.
Plaid Cymru has supported the rights of minorities in all parts of the world, including the Kurds, Tamils and in Western Sahara amongst others.
Action on Human Rights
There is no excuse for continued global inequality and injustice.
We oppose illegal occupation and oppression,
and support legal international action through the International Criminal Court against governments of any countries that commit human rights abuses.
We want to see the full publication of the Chilcot Inquiry so that the public can see the unvarnished truth of how and why the UK participated in the illegal invasion of Iraq.
Plaid Cymru opposed this illegal war at the time, with Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price attempting to impeach Tony Blair for his war crimes.
We support the right of peoples across the world to selfdetermination
and to make the decision for themselves to become an independent self- governing nation.
Any voting process must comply with international standards.
We support the Human Rights Act and will work with international organisations to ensure that LGBT rights are understood and implemented on a global scale.
The importance of International Aid
Failure to assist the developing world will only fuel resentment, violence and division.
Countries must be helped to develop their own path out of poverty and we support legislation to underpin the 0.7% Gross National Product that should be provided in international aid.
This funding must be stringently monitored by independent organizations to avoid misuse.
We believe that goals must be set to reduce inequality at home and abroad.
Following the Millennium Development Goals, strong post- 2015 goals must be set,
which also recognise of the impacts of climate change upon poverty and the importance of sanitation.
These goals must be respected by international organisations,
including those outside the development sector,
and business must play a role in meeting these goals.
Wales will provide humanitarian aid to the best of our ability whenever required
and accept displaced persons and refugees where possible and appropriate.
International agreements on arm sales must be strengthened to restrict access to deadly weapons,
particularly those intended for civil repression,
and we want arms trade promotions with despotic countries ended.
We will ensure international cooperation to prevent modern slavery, female genital mutilation (FGM), cyber-crime and other serious cross-national crimes.
Working for Wales in Europe
“Now more than ever we need European funding to support Wales’ economy and bring the jobs here that we need. Almost 200,000 jobs in Wales depend on the EU, that’s around 1 in 7 jobs, and trade between Wales and the EU is worth £5 billion. Plaid Cymru’s goal is for Wales to be an equal nation with all of the other full members of the European Union. Then we can make Wales a more prosperous nation.
Plaid Cymru wants Wales to be an independent nation
within the European Union.
Wales benefits from our membership and we will not put hundreds of thousands of jobs in Wales at risk through leaving.
Wales’ voice in Europe
Plaid Cymru wants Wales to be an independent country, a member of the European Union with a seat at the United Nations.
We believe that Wales should have a voice at the top table and be directly represented,
rather than have the UK Government speak on our behalf - and often against our Welsh national interest.
An independent Wales would have a seat at the EU Council, an EU Commissioner and an increased number of Members of the European Parliament representing Wales.
If a referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union is held, then there should be no withdrawal from the European Union if that is not supported in all four of the nations consulted.
Plaid Cymru is opposed to the ‘repatriation’ of powers over regional funding to the UK.
Funding for West Wales and the Valleys and other regional funding should continue to be passed directly to Wales for distribution, not to Westminster.
We insist that any re-negotiation with the European Union over powers must not weaken Wales’ interests.
Any re-negotiation must include the transfer of powers directly from Brussels to Cardiff and other devolved governments.
We will continue to support the Common Agricultural Policy that supports Welsh farming.
Reform
Plaid Cymru is a pro-European party
but we are critical of many aspects of the European Union and that is why a debate is needed about its future.
We will work towards a ‘New Social Chapter’ reflecting the realities of the European Union after the economic recession and the need for Europe to support its population,
not international neoliberal economic corporations who have no responsibility to people.
We will push for the UK’s 2017 European Union Presidency to work in the best interests of Wales,
including hosting a major international summit in Wales and shared discussions over priorities between the UK and devolved governments so that the Presidency period is in the Welsh national interest.
We will continue to press for the closure of the un-necessary second European Parliament in Strasbourg that costs £120m per year to operate
and uses 19,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
We also continue to oppose the EU-US free trade agreement, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
We are concerned that it puts too much power into the hands of international corporations,
threatens to weaken our democratic institutions
and undermine hard-earned improvements in public services, intellectual property, food safety, health and environmental standards.
We oppose any part of this deal that may lead to the privatisation of the NHS.
Working for Wales Migration
“Plaid Cymru’s mission - at all levels of government - is to further the Welsh national interest in an outward-looking spirit of solidarity and inclusivity. Ours is a civic nationalism that does not distinguish between creed or origin or religion, only between those who want to see Wales an international success story and those who want to hold us back.
Plaid Cymru is a party for everybody who lives in Wales.
We want to ensure the best quality of life for everybody here //-
that means recruiting world-class experts and those who can help run our public services,
as well as welcoming those who want to be part of our country.
We will create a Welsh Migration Service to ensure that migration meets Welsh needs and introduce a skills shortage list of trades and skills which are not currently being met by Welsh workers and seek to attract internationals with those skills, including in the health service and in technology.
We will re-introduce a poststudy work visa for two years for students who have qualified from Welsh universities so that they can use their skills to contribute to the Welsh economy
and create further jobs in Wales.
We will ensure that a Welsh voice is heard in the development of UK migration policy, through meeting regularly with the Migration Advice Committee to discuss Welsh needs.
All integration services for refugees and other migrants in Wales
All peoples new to Wales, whatever their country of origin, will have the opportunity to learn both Welsh and English
and will be encouraged to participate in our society.
We will make Wales a Country of Sanctuary, so that we take our fair share of displaced people, such as refugees from wars in Syria and Iraq, and ensure they are given a stable life and security.
The Welsh Government should be allowed to determine Immigrant Sponsors in Wales so that those with a particular interest or relevance to Wales can be invited.
We will protect local workers by strengthening the Gangmasters Licensing Act, making it illegal to offer unfair advantage or incentive to migrant workers over local workers.
We will also work across the UK and European Union to prevent modern slavery and to support those subjected to such experiences.
We will support an independent review of the Financial (Minimum Income) Threshold to ensure families with spouses from non- EU/EEA nations with stable and reasonable incomes are granted permission to immigrate to the UK, as supported by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.
Working to Connect Wales Transport
“Lack of infrastructure investment dampens all efforts to boost our economy. If the people of Wales want improved services, quicker journeys and better-connected communities, they should back Plaid Cymru’s efforts to secure fair transport funding for our nation.
Wales needs a 21st-century transport system.
We will make it easier for people to travel to all parts of Wales - for work, for family and for leisure,
and make it as affordable as possible.
Improving public transport will reduce carbon emissions
and safeguard Wales against future fuel shortages.
Wales must be given its fair share of the money being spent on public transport investment in England, such as HS2, HS3 and Crossrail,
and we will ensure that public transport in all parts of Wales is improved.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru has always argued for the best deal for Wales.
If HS2, a railway between cities in England, is built, then Wales should also get a fair share of funding so that we can improve our own public transport.
During the One Wales Government, Plaid Cymru’s Ieuan Wyn Jones was Minister for Transport and developed a National Transport Plan for Wales that improved links between north and south Wales.
We have always supported the electrification of railway lines in Wales, despite the Westminster Government dragging their heels.
Our first MP Gwynfor Evans argued against the Westminster government for this in the 1960s.
Plaid Cymru first proposed taking a stake in Cardiff Airport, recognising the strategic importance of the airport to Welsh business and industry.
Railways
We support the public ownership of railways in which profits are reinvested into better services,
and the transfer of powers over railways to Wales,
including the transfer of full funding for railway infrastructure.
We will work with Network Rail to deliver this.
We support the electrification of railways in Wales, with the aim of all major lines being electrified by 2034
and will ensure electrification of the North Wales Main Line in the next Control Period.
While electrification is being rolled-out, we will make best use of stock by increasing the number of services in diesel-operating areas so that there are more services in West Wales, midWales and north Wales.
We support a South Wales Metro around the Cardiff Capital Region, which will link with economically developing Valleys and coastal communities.
To help connect our communities and boost tourism, we will fund a feasibility study for re-opening former railway lines, particularly between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth
and we will support the maintenance of the Cambrian Coast Line.
The next franchise in Wales should include the introduction of a Welsh transport Smart Card compatible with other forms of transport.
Roads
We support the ‘Blue Route’ M4 improvements which are less costly and can be completed faster than the ‘Black Route’ that is proposed by the Welsh Government.
The ‘Black Route’ would prevent other transport projects from taking place across Wales.
We will bring the Severn Bridges into Welsh public ownership,
cutting the tolls
and re-investing any profits into Welsh transport infrastructure.
We will push for improvements to the A55, including the construction of a third Menai Bridge,
and we will improve roads between north and south to improve access to all parts of Wales.
We will create a fuel duty regulator to prevent sudden spikes in fuel prices.
We will also seek European agreement for fuel price reductions in rural areas, recognizing the additional costs of living in rural parts of Wales, as already introduced in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
We will introduce additional electricity charging points in Wales to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
Connecting our communities
We will keep free bus passes.
We will protect bus services in all parts of Wales and ensure early morning and late evening services for workers.
We will expand Traws Cymru into a dedicated Welsh national coach company, linking our towns and cities with regular services, especially where train links are not an option.
We will extend the Bwcabus scheme currently running in South Ceredigion and North Carmarthenshire into other rural areas to connect communities across Wales where traditional bus services are not viable.
Our Airports and Ports
We support the transfer of powers over air passenger duty, both short and long haul, to the Welsh Government
and we will support Cardiff Airport in creating an improved freight and passenger development strategy.
We will not support the creation of a major new UK airport to the east of London.
We will develop a ports and freight strategy for Wales, using European funding to improve infrastructure.
General Transport
We will ensure funding for urban cycle paths and between communities, particularly in travel to work areas.
We will ensure that the Welsh Transport Commissioner is based in Wales, unlike at present.
Working for a Better Wales
“ Welsh democracy can only benefit if people of all ages are engaged in the political process.”
Plaid Cymru wants a Wales where everybody can get involved.
That means replacing the broken Westminster system with something that all of us in Wales can be proud of, and which lets us play our part in creating a better nation.
Serving the people
Plaid Cymru will ensure that local government and public services in Wales are democratically accountable to the people and communities they serve.
We will have a grassroots approach, with a stronger, community level of local government that focuses on delivery of services.
We will support community councils to be able to scrutinise and ensure effective local services in all Welsh communities.
This means that all decisions can be taken at the level closest to the people.
We want to strengthen the democratic process by increasing the number of Assembly Members and decreasing the number of Members of Parliament.
Giving people a voice
We will work to increase the number of people who are registered to vote and will increase resources to electoral registration officers.
We will encourage engagement by lowering the voting age to 16 and introducing compulsory citizenship classes in schools and colleges.
We want to see the Single Transferable Vote used, where applicable, for all elections, so that as many votes as possible count towards the election of a representative.
How England should be governed is a matter for the people for England, and they should be given an opportunity to decide the best method for governing themselves.
In principle, we support English Votes for English Laws.
However, Welsh MPs must be able to vote upon any issue which affects the people of Wales or the Welsh Government’s finances.
Accountability and Transparency
Elected representatives must be answerable to the people.
We support a right to recall Members of Parliament, and other elected representatives, who have broken the law or otherwise brought their role into disrepute.
We want to see an elected House of Lords,
elected by Single Transferable Vote, while decisions affecting Wales continue to be made there.
There should be a Welsh constituency for elections, with a weighted balance to ensure that Wales is heard on all matters
and a reduction in the number of members in the second chamber.
We do not approve of the current patronage appointment system to the second chamber.
We will give the Welsh language official status within the UK Parliament so that meetings of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee and the Welsh Grand Committee can be addressed in either of Wales’ two official languages.
We will remove part two of the Lobbying Act and will ensure that the lobbying system is genuinely transparent with appropriate access to all.
We will create a Welsh Civil Service, with a Welsh Civil Service training system, based on international best practice.
Working for a Greener Wales Energy and Natural Resources
“Plaid Cymru has always argued that Wales should be fairly compensated for the exploitation and export of her natural resources. All around us we see Welsh resources plundered without economic gain for our people. Devolving control over major energy projects could utilise our natural resources to generate jobs and growth.
We believe that our energy and natural resources belong to the people of Wales.
We will use those natural resources in the best and sustainable interests of our people and communities,
showing the importance of nature and the environment to Wales.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
Plaid Cymru has demanded the transfer of energy powers in the Localism Act and in the Infrastructure Act.
We have published plans for a not-for-dividend energy company, Ynni Cymru, proposing this in Westminster and in the National Assembly.
We tabled amendments to the Wales Act so that Wales would directly receive a share of tax receipts from any natural resources extracted from here.
Powers and Responsibilities
Plaid Cymru will transfer full responsibility for Wales’ natural resources to the National Assembly for Wales.
We will ensure Wales always has the energy supply we need through best use of our resources,
and prioritizing renewable sources as part of our transition to a cleaner, more sustainable and secure energy future.
We will introduce a not-for- dividend energy company, Ynni Cymru, that will put our energy and natural resources in the hands of the people of Wales.
This will ensure value for money for Welsh households and businesses.
We should have full powers over our natural resources.
We do not accept the imposition of artificial limits on Wales’s responsibility for its own energy generation, whether that be 50MW as at present or those recommended by the Silk Commission.
We will introduce a Climate Change Act for Wales, adopting challenging but achievable greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030 and 2050.
Renewables
We believe that the people of Wales should be better able to benefit from the energy we produce.
Our natural resources are highly valuable, and if we can harness these renewable sources properly then we could becomeself-sufficient in renewable electricity which would help deliver environmental and economic gains to the people of Wales.
Our energy policy will focus on increasing energy generation from renewable sources,
with particular emphasis on tidal and hydro sources, such as the proposed tidal lagoons, and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
As energy generation is linked to energy use, we will also work to reduce the amount of energy we use in Wales,
using local businesses to deliver the work of making houses more energy efficient
and assisting high-use industries to reduce their energy consumption.
We will encourage transfer of investment from fossil fuel extraction to exploitation of sources of renewable energy.
We will set ambitious targets for recycling, based on the waste hierarchy so that the assumption is to reuse rather than recycle or send to landfill
We will work with supermarkets and others to reduce non- biodegradable waste from packaging
Infrastructure
Communities should benefit more from energy generation.
We want to see local people owning and investing in energy projects.
We will increase the advice and support available to local communities on how they can best benefit from energy generation projects.
We will look into establishing local power grids and a Wales-wide national energy grid to secure energy transmission in Wales, linking north and south entry points undersea.
Access to the National Grid should be made easier for renewable users and allow new energy generators to come on-line, as in Germany.
We oppose the use of pylons to carry energy through National Parks and Areas of National Beauty, and support the use of underground and undersea cables technology to carry electricity, where possible.
We support a moratorium on fracking and other forms of unconventional gas.
Welsh water should not be used for fracking elsewhere
nor should fracking take place without full permissions being given by landowners and residents,
or without a full Environmental Impact Assessment.
Plaid Cymru will also continue to oppose opencast mining, especially when close to housing or regularly used buildings, such as hospitals and schools,
and underground coal gasification.
We continue to oppose the building of nuclear power plants in new locations,
and will work to ensure local people and businesses benefit from existing plants.
Working for a Greener Wales Food and Agriculture
Like all industries, agriculture in Wales is feeling the effects of the cuts enforced by the Westminster Government. We want to help the sector get back on track and help people choose the safer, healthier option of buying produce in local shops which will also give a much needed boost to small businesses.5 5
Food and agriculture are of key importance to all other activities in Wales.
We will ensure that Wales always has enough food and will support the sector to stand on its own two feet.
Support for our farmers
We support the continuation of the Common Agricultural Policy that keeps over 80% of Welsh farms in business with direct payments.
We opposed the maximum transfer of funds from Pillar One to Pillar Two.
This took over a quarter of a billion pounds directly out of Wales’ rural economy.
We believe that on-farm capital investment should be a bigger priority of the Rural Development Plan,
and that resources should be allocated accordingly.
We want to increase the promotion of Welsh farm products by opening up new international markets to our quality food and drink.
We will continue to promote Welsh food and drink both nationally and internationally through the European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.
We will increase procurement of Welsh produce in Wales as part of our Welsh contracts for Welsh companies scheme.
We want to see reform of the Red Meat Levy rules.
Current regulations mean that Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales loses out on £1m per year that is vital to the Welsh farming industry.
We will strengthen the role of the Groceries Adjudicator to better protect farmers and those involved in the supply chain to ensure they get a fair deal.
Plaid Cymru will ensure that the Common Agricultural Policy works for Welsh farmers and that all farmers receive the fullest Basic Payment by 1st December 2015.
We will also ensure that RDP funding is used effectively, particularly targeting on-farm investment to improve skills
and strengthen infrastructure.
We will accelerate actions to reduce bureaucracy and red- tape within the farming industry, including the early scrapping of the ‘six-day standstill rule’ which prevents animal movements even when it is safe to do so and has now served its purpose.
Supporting locally produced food
We want to see food produced, processed and sold locally
and support the localisation of the food chain to reduce ‘food miles’
to reduce pollution
and support local farms, processing facilities and farmers’ markets.
We will introduce a Food Waste Bill, requiring large food retailers and food manufacturers to take steps to reduce food waste,
including donating surplus food to charities for distribution.
We want to see local authorities making best use of land and promoting allotments and healthy, home grown food.
We will continue to combat ‘food fraud’ through working closely with governments at all levels to ensure that food quality standards are not breached,
including opposing the lowering of quality thresholds as part of the EU-US TTIP trade negotiations.
We will support and safeguard sustainable sea fishing and seafood production.
We support the Blue Growth strategy to strengthen the maritime and marine economy,
linking with the land-based economy to produce added value through local markets and innovative products.
We support the introduction of a European-level Animal Welfare Commissioner
and adoption at all government levels of the new and comprehensive Animal Welfare law to end animal cruelty.
Protecting our natural environment
Plaid Cymru values Wales’ natural environment.
We understand the crucial role of healthy, functioning ecosystems and are committed to maintaining and restoring our biodiversity
We are against the growth of Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) in Wales and support a GMO-free British Isles and Europe on the precautionary principle.
We have concerns about the impact of cross-pollination if the UK Government pushes ahead with plans to introduce GMO-crops in England.
We will continue to work across the British Isles and Europe to prevent the spread of invasive alien species, both flora and fauna, including creating early threat warnings.
Working for all our people Rural Affairs
“As the cost of living crisis bites it is clearer than ever that rural communities throughout Wales are struggling. Plaid Cymru are determined to help communities who face some of the highest energy and fuel prices. Our plans are about not just about delivering for one area but about delivering for the whole of Wales.
Plaid Cymru recognises the importance of rural life, and the different challenges faced by our rural communities.
We want to ensure that families can enjoy the benefits of living in the countryside while reducing any difficulties.
Plaid Cymru will increase the number of ambulances available for rural areas, support air ambulances and ensure availability of paramedics.
We will invest in the community nursing service, providing district nurses in rural areas across Wales.
We will reduce business rates, making town centres more affordable for small shops and helping them to thrive.
We want to see an improved broadband connection, getting everybody online so that people can do business from home,
with a target that all parts of Wales have access to speeds of at least 30Mbps
and ensure that mobile phone operators provide a better service in all parts of Wales.
We will give communities stronger powers to protect their local assets, including land and buildings.
This would help communities keep their local parks, pubs, shops and post offices.
We will push for European Union approval for a reduction in petrol and diesel prices in rural Wales.
We will ensure better public transport by extending the Bwcabus scheme where there are not enough conventional bus services.
We will increase the number of GPs and health expertise in rural Wales.
We will allow development on farms so that families can continue to live and work on the same farm when children grow up and raise their own family.
We will make sure that farming remains viable in Wales through supporting the CAP
and helping young people get into the industry.
We will make sure letters and parcels cost the same wherever they are sent by keeping the Universal Service Obligation for postal services.
We will change public funding formula, such as that of local government, to reflect the extra cost of providing services in rural areas.
We will ensure that staffing levels of full time and retained fire crews are at an adequate level to provide comprehensive cover in all parts of Wales at all times.
Working for all our people Sustainable Communities
“Plaid Cymru’s vision is for thriving communities across Wales. That means communities that are active, supported by strong local economies, high quality services and good relationships. Communities should be sustainable, investing now in a good quality of life for the future.
Plaid Cymru believes that our communities have the right to make their own decisions.
We will give them the tools to do what is best in all parts of Wales,
to ensure a sustainable and fair country - a community of communities.
Starting with citizens and communities and building outwards is the best way of achieving sustainable communities.
We will develop person-centred, flexible services that are better able to respond to today’s challenges.
Plaid Cymru will set up a Prevention Fund to encourage preventative, integrated working at local level,
and will work to ensure organisations work together in a transparent manner with clear democratic accountability.
We will restructure the Welsh Government’s failed delivery unit to a Strategy and Integration Unit to drive forward long-term crossgovernment issues.
We will use existing third sector structures to ensure a Connected Communities programme - a national community development programme aimed at promoting and supporting community and neighbourhood level action across Wales.
We want to establish a Social Innovation Hub to explore pressing social issues,
creating lines of communication and access between those interested in developing a better society, e.g.better communication between NHS practitioners and patients,
or in reducing carbon emissions.
We will develop co-operative and co-production methods to deliver better local services.
We will reform public finance and investment to make it easier to invest in creating more sustainable communities.
We will create more sustainable infrastructure with a particular focus on better housing, public transport, leisure and education facilities, developing urban green areas and cycle routes.
Working for all our people The Welsh language
If we are serious about reversing the decline of the Welsh language, different and more radical steps are necessary. Plaid Cymru has been campaigning hard to improve employment opportunities for Welsh speakers, for instance by ensuring a number of Welsh-language apprenticeships in our budget agreement, but much more needs to be done if we are to support the language to thrive.
Plaid Cymru believes that the Welsh language belongs to everybody in Wales.
We want to see Welsh being used the length and breadth of our country and we will take action so that everybody has the right and opportunity to use Welsh.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
In government we introduced the Welsh Language Measure 2011 which makes Welsh and English the official languages of Wales and created the Welsh Language Commissioner and Welsh language standards.
The purpose of the Welsh language standards is to ensure that Welsh is not treated less favourably than English and that people have the right to use the language.
Unfortunately, due to the Welsh Government dragging its feet, the standards are yet to be introduced.
We will not support the introduction of any standards that are weaker than the current 1993 Welsh Language Act.
Rights
We want to see the Welsh language thrive, with a rights- based approach
allowing speakers to receive Welsh language services in all parts of Wales
and supporting Welsh language communities, wherever they are.
We will ensure that strategies are in place to promote Welsh language education and ensure employment of bilingual people so that these services can be provided across Wales.
We will also introduce tougher regulations for those who fail to meet their statutory commitments to support the Welsh language.
We will support local authorities to work through the medium of Welsh, using the good practice developed by Gwynedd Council.
We will strengthen the Welsh language standards so that all Welsh speakers in Wales have the right to expect a service in their choice of language from public sector bodies and major private sector companies.
We will allow for the empanelling of bilingual juries in Wales.
We will review any legislation which treats Welsh less favourably than English, with particular reference to those relating to major life events, including registration of births, weddings, same- sex partnerships, deaths and cremations
We will ensure that bilingual certificates are available for births and deaths that take place in England to people normally resident in Wales.
We will ensure that service providers located outside Wales meet the same standards of Welsh language provision as those based within Wales when they are contracted to deal with the Welsh public.
We will push for the Welsh language to have official status within the UK Parliament so that meetings of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee and the Welsh Grand Committee can be addressed in either of Wales’ two official languages.
We will press the UK Government to make Welsh an official European Union language
and give Welsh speakers the right to use their language at all levels and for its status to be internationally recognised.
Community Language
Plaid Cymru will provide support for the Welsh language to thrive as a community language and support the use of Welsh in business, education and in the media.
We will ensure that the sustainability of Welsh language communities will be a key part of planning decisions in Wales.
We will use international best practice to set the 2016 Welsh language budget at a level where it can be effective in promoting Welsh as a community language, and protect the budget until the following elections.
We will ensure that Welsh language coverage of the Foundation Phase is improved so that, in time, all pupils will have the opportunity to follow a Welsh language education from the age of 7 onwards.
We will promote the Siarter Iaith which helps schools encourage children to be proud of their Welsh language skills and to use them outside the classroom.
Using the model of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in Higher Education, Plaid Cymru will increase the provision of Welsh language courses and tutors in Further Education across Wales, ensuring that vocational subjects are equally available to Welsh speakers in the 14-19 Learning Pathways.
We support establishing a new Welsh language multimediaservice to operate online, on radio and other platforms, in order to reflect the needs of Welsh language audiences and improve current affairs coverage in Wales.
We will legislate to protect traditional Welsh names from being changed and so prevent changes to the linguistic landscape, particularly in traditional Welsh language town centres.
The Welsh language and the economy
We will support a strategy that uses Carmarthen, Aberystwyth and the Menai area as centres for Welsh business, ensuring funding to support businesses across West and NorthWest Wales and helping them to recruit and use the Welsh language in their everyday business.
We will develop a bespoke strategy to support Welsh speakers to become entrepreneurs and develop their own businesses.
We will build on the Plaid Cymru Budget deal of 2012 to deliver more apprenticeships at all levels through the medium of Welsh,
and help companies who work through Welsh.
Working for all our people Working for a Fairer Wales
Plaid Cymru want a Wales in which everybody has the opportunity to reach their potential and make their own life choices.
To achieve this, we will aim to reduce the gap in terms of equality of opportunity and life-chances that currently exist in Wales.
Plaid Cymru is committed to human rights.
We are a party that celebrates diversity and wants to create a fair and equal society in which difference is respected.
We believe that everybody, regardless of their characteristics or background, has a place in Wales’ future.
Disability
We will work with local authorities to ensure that all schools have appropriate access for physically disabled pupils.
We will work with local authorities to ensure that all Blue Badge holders have access to free parking.
We will provide additional support to mental health services for children and young people with mental health problems including access to appropriate care settings.
We will ensure that all schools include the teaching of tolerance and anti-discrimination.
We will provide greater opportunities for disabled people to find jobs across Wales through our proposals for a new Welsh job- search service.
We will help families with disabled children to be able to afford child care
and improve the availability of childcare for children with disabilities.
Mental Health
We will encourage employers to provide adequate support for staff experiencing mental health difficulties.
In order to help prisoners with mental health and drug or alcohol problems we will improve cooperation between the prison service and health and substance misuse services.
Older people
If older people wish to find work after reaching pensionable age then they should be supported to do so and we will work with employers to ensure this.
We will work with third sector organisations and the Police to prevent the exploitation of older people through various forms of ‘scams’.
The elderly and vulnerable people must be treated with understanding and respect.
We will improve on the methods and frequencies of inspections of the care provided in hospitals, care homes and nursing homes to ensure this.
We will work to tackle the growing problem of isolation and loneliness among older people by ensuring that community workers are able to spend more time with older people than is currently the case.
We will provide opportunities for older people to remain socially, physically and mentally active into later life.
We will protect the free bus pass service that helps older people travel safely in their communities.
LGBTLesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
We will ensure that all schools and local authorities record incidents of homophobic bullying and seek to eradicate it by providing support and training to teachers, building on work that Plaid Cymru has already carried out.
This will help them to better identify victims and act appropriately in cases of LGBT bullying in schools.
We will end the twelve month ban on blood donation by gay and bisexual men.
We will provide support wherever possible to tackle isolation and provide safe spaces for individuals and groups.
We will toughen sentencing on homo, bi and transphobic hate crime and work closely with police authorities to ensure widespread recording.
We will work towards the implementation of a framework for Primary Care Service for Trans and Intersex people and the development of a Gender Identity Clinic in Wales.
Tackling Discrimination and Abuse
We will work closely with the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Race Equality to raise awareness and prevent discrimination in terms of access to employment.
We will increase the opportunity for restorative justice, where the face to face meeting of victim and perpetrator of abuse is considered to be an effective way to prevent further offending.
Gender inequalities
We will ensure that men and women are paid the same for comparable work.
We recognise the impact of segregated workspaces where women and men follow different career paths and the effect of this upon wage levels.
We will aim to raise the status of work often carried out by women and promote women’s access to careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics andother careers where women are under-represented, providing mentors and support networks.
We will aim to provide additional support for young women to enter the job market at an appropriate level through our Welsh JobCentre Plus proposals,
especially helping young or single mothers to access work and reach their potential.
We will provide an extra year of early-years education which will allow parents to choose to work and provide financially accessible child care in order to enable women to work.
We will aim to provide flexible and affordable childcare, particularly in deprived areas,
through the Welsh language
and for children with disabilities.
We will work towards improving facilities and qualifications for childcare and older persons’ care, including social enterprises and co-operatives,
recognising that caring duties fall predominantly upon women.
We will ensure a Living Wage, which will particularly help women who are in low-paid or part-time work and allow them greater financial independence.
Recognising that the impact of austerity has been greater upon women, Plaid Cymru will insist that further cuts include equality impact assessments to prevent disproportionate disadvantage falling upon any particular groups.
We will ensure that all substantially government funded bodies or agencies include at least 40% membership of both men andwomen on their management board.
They should also have a gender awareness plan to achieve appropriate gender balance at all levels, particularly in gender segregated workplaces.
We want both our young women and our young men to be equally successful in their further education, and we will therefore ensure that training for providers ofeducational, training and careers services includes an improved understanding of the effect of gender on learning and how this can be tackled.
Plaid Cymru will remove VAT from women’s sanitary protection products, making the argument for this in Westminster and in Europe.
Working for a more Successful Wales
We know here in Wales that our country is a fabulous place to holiday. From the stunning coastline to the scenic villages and the ancient monuments, there really is something for everyone. The challenge now is to get that message spread far and wide to tourists for whom Wales is not on the radar as a holiday destination. We could be generating much more money for our economy with more investment. Plaid Cymru want to make the most of our country’s natural beauty and show some real support to our tourist industry.
Plaid Cymru wants Wales to be recognised internationally as a successful country.
We want a strong, well-known brand to attract more visitors to Wales,
creating more jobs across the country.
Brand Wales and Tourism
Visit Britain has failed to promote Wales within the UK and abroad.
We will double the budget for Welsh tourism.
Plaid Cymru will support the Welsh hosting of major international events.
We will ensure that they are supported by a strong business case which will demonstrate the benefits to Wales of bringing events such as the Commonwealth Games or a World Expo to the country.
We will hold a Celebrate Wales year to stimulate tourism across the country, similar to ‘Homecoming’ events in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
Wales has fewer bank holidays than any other European Union country.
Plaid Cymru will make St David’s Day, or the nearest appropriate weekday, a public bank holiday in Wales.
We will support tourism by cutting tourism VAT
which will create 7,000 jobs in Wales.
We will support food festivals across Wales, which invest in local produce and attract tourists
Sport
We will promote sports, exercise and activity for all age groups, genders, abilities as a means of maintaining individual health and wellbeing, recognizing the overall benefits this provides.
Following our excellent performance in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, it is crucial that the momentum is maintained at leisure, intermediate and elite level sport in Wales.
We will continue to develop Plaid Cymru’s Inspire Wales programme to involve all ages in sporting activity and ensure our people stay fit and healthy.
We want to see sport and fitness activities available to everyone in many different types of locations around Wales.
This could include community centres, schools and colleges, and not just leisure centres or dedicated specialist sporting arenas.
Learning from Ireland’s Local Sports Partnerships, we will look to deliver sporting participation regionally across Wales, linking between Welsh governing bodies, sports authorities, local authorities,schools, sports clubs and leisure centres to ensure communities have the relevant sports and leisure facilities for their needs.
By familiarising young people and their families with different types of sports and activities, we hope to see more people taking part in sports, with subsequent beneficial effects upon health and wellbeing.
We think schools have an important role in promoting this, as well as volunteer and council-led organisations outside school.
Although we will promote fitness and activity at all ages, we will design particular schemes to encourage teenage girls to take part in fitness programmes.
In developing our Inspire Wales programme, we want elite athletes to play a role in promoting sport across Wales, visiting schools, youth clubs and Summer events to inspire others to take part,
including people of all abilities from all social, ethnic and economic backgrounds.
We want to see a Welsh international cricket team that can compete in ICC events.
We will support the development of grassroots sports in every part of Wales,
promoting Welsh national leagues where sporting development allows,
and supporting existing structures, such as the Welsh Premier Football League.
Working for all our people Arts, Media & Culture
Plaid Cymru wants everybody in Wales to access our arts, media and culture.
We want a vibrant and exciting scene, full of quality, innovation and originality, helping to create and represent all facets of Welsh life.
Plaid Cymru has worked for Wales
As part of the One Wales Government, Plaid Cymru ensured the creation of an English-language National Theatre Wales, which has won many awards since its formation.
We also supported the development and improvement of the St Fagans National History Museum, so that it remains one of Europe’s foremost heritage attractions and continues its vital role in explaining Welsh history.
Plaid Cymru supported S4C to maintain its editorial independence and funding when under threat from the UK government.
As a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Former Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price exposed alleged phone hacking by the News of the World.
Media
We will devolve broadcasting to Wales and implement recommendations on broadcasting made by Plaid Cymru to the Silk Commission.
These include establishing a BBC Trust for Wales as part of a more federal BBC within the UK.
Trustees would be appointed by the Welsh Government and the appointment process including public hearings held by the National Assembly for Wales.
Responsibility for S4C, the world’s only Welsh language channel, would transfer to the National Assembly for Wales, as would the funding for the channel that is currently with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
We will ensure that S4C is adequately funded and that the channel maintains editorial independence.
Again, the Welsh Government should appoint the board members of the S4C Authority following public hearings.
We support establishing a new Welsh language multimedia service to operate online, on radio and other platforms, in order to reflect the needs of Welsh language audiences and improve current affairs coverage in Wales.
Ofcom’s office in Wales shouldhave greater powers, including the authority to take licensing decisions.
The members of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Wales should be appointed by the Welsh Government.
This would be best achieved by the federalisation of the work of Ofcom in a UK context.
We will give local newspapers the status of ‘community assets’ so that owners could not close them without communities having the opportunity to keep their paper.
It is important for there to be a plurality of opinions and information sources.
We will oppose any reduction in Welsh produced news and non-news content in our media.
Arts, heritage and culture
Plaid Cymru will introduce a right for everybody to have access to the arts, heritage and culture.
They must be presented so that they are relevant and available to all.
We will increase access to the arts for young people, particularly those of disadvantaged backgrounds,
through promotion of apprenticeships in media and the arts,
and promote the arts to families to participate together.
We will ensure that free access to National Museum Wales continues.
Building on the success of the Dylan Thomas centenary, we will hold a poll to agree on figures of importance in the world of writing in Wales that we can celebrate through holding national events to increase interest in literature.
In 2016, we will celebrate the life and works of Roald Dahl on the centenary of his birth.
We will support Cardiff to become the European City of Culture, and use this as an opportunity to promote the culture of Cardiff and the whole of Wales.
Develop closer links with organisations in Scotland and across Ireland to promote our cultures will be developed.
We will create apprenticeships in the field of historical documentation and culture so that staff skills, knowledge and experiences are retained and nurtured.
We will retain the Royal Commission on Ancient Monuments as a body outside of government
and start a review of the listing process in Wales to ensure that all heritage is protected, with a greater focus on industrial and more recent heritage.
"" Wales does not have to be poor. It is not inevitable that our economy has to be weak. We will not accept that this is as good as it gets. This is why Plaid Cymru’s aim is to create a fairer, greener and more prosperous Wales. ”
Manifesto 2015
SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY MANIFESTO 2015
Follow theSNP
My vow is to make Scotland stronger at Westminster. At this election, we have the opportunity to shake up the out of touch Westminster system so that it serves Scotland better. A vote for the SNP on May 7th is a vote for MPs who will always stand up for Scotland's best interests. It is a vote to make Scotland's voice heard at Westminster more loudly than it has ever been heard before. And it is a vote for more progressive politics. The SNP will use our influence at Westminster to help deliver positive change for the benefit of ordinary people, not just in Scotland, but across the UK. We propose a real alternative to the pain of austerity, an end to unfair policies like the Bedroom Tax, a higher minimum wage and protection for our NHS and vital public services. Instead of even deeper Westminster spending cuts, we want to see more investment in our economy, to create more and better paid jobs. And we want the precious resources of our country to be invested in building a better future for our children, not on a new generation of nuclear weapons.The SNP will never put the Tories into power.Instead, if there is an antiTory majority after the election, we will offer to work with other parties to keep the Tories out.And we will then use our influence to demand that Labour delivers the real change that people want and need instead of just being a carbon copy of the Tories.A vote for the SNP will make Scotland's voice heard loudly and clearly.And it will help deliver new, better and more progressive politics at Westminster for everyone.My vow is to make Scotland stronger at Westminster. With your support, we can secure a better future for you, your family and Scotland.
WHO CARES MOST FOR OUR HEALTH SERVICE?
Everyone agrees Westminster needs to change.
The SNP is ready to play a constructive role, to challenge the old order with new and progressive ideas.
It’s time to put fairness and equality back at the heart of government.
With a strong SNP team at Westminster we can use our influence to end the needless pain of Tory cuts.
And we can campaign to secure more money for health,
education
and childcare.
Here are our key priorities to make Scotland stronger at Westminster:
An end to austerity
SNP  MPs  will  demand  an  end  to  austerity.
We  oppose  further spending  cuts  and  propose  modest  spending  increases   of  0.5  per  cent  above  inflation   in  each  year  of  the  next  Parliament.
Under our plan, the deficit will still reduce each year,
but there will be at least an additional £140 billion across the UK to invest in skills and infrastructure,
in our NHS and other public services,
and in measures to protect the vulnerable and lift people out of poverty.
We will also vote for the following revenue raising measures the reintroduction of the 50 pence top tax rate,
a tax on bankers' bonuses,
a bank levy,
a mansion tax,
a crackdown on tax avoidance,
the abolition of 'nondom' status
and reversal of the married couple’s tax allowance.
Increased NHS funding
We will meet the NHS funding challenge laid down in the report of the NHS Chief Executive in England – the Stevens Report and vote for an increase in NHS spending across the UK of £24 billion by 202021 £9.5 billion above inflation.
This will deliver a total boost to the NHS Scotland budget of £2 billion by 202021.
SNP MPs will also vote against any further privatisation of the NHS in England and back any moves to restore it to a fully public service.
Fairer pensions
We will support a singletier pension of £160 per week
and vote to continue the triple lock, guaranteeing that pensions will always rise by inflation, earnings or 2.5 per cent whichever is the highest.
We will also vote to protect the Winter Fuel Allowance.
We will oppose the abolition of Savings Credit – introduced to reward people for saving for their pension
and we will seek a review of plans to increase the state pension age beyond 66.
Scrapping Trident
We will oppose plans for a new generation of Trident nuclear weapons
and seek to build an alliance in the House of Commons against Trident renewal.
We will vote for the £100 billion that the Westminster parties plan to spend on Trident renewal to be invested instead in better childcare, education and the NHS.
Better paid jobs
We will vote to increase the minimum wage to £8.70 by 2020.
We will also support measures to extend the Living Wage across the UK.
The Scottish Government already pays the Living Wage to all of its own employees and to those covered by its pay policy we will call on,
and vote for, the UK government to adopt the same policy.
Reducing child poverty
It is estimated that an additional one million children across the UK will be living in poverty by 2020.
That is unacceptable and would mean an additional 100,000 children in Scotland growing up in poverty.
That is why we will vigorously oppose plans for further cuts in Child Benefit and Tax Credits allowing these payments to erode in value simply pushes more children into poverty.
Instead, we will vote to increase benefits at least in line with CPI inflation//,
to ensure that the incomes of the poorest in society do not fall even further behind the cost of living.
And we will support an increase in free childcare to 30 hours per week by 2020.
More support for disabled people and carers
We will vote to block plans to cut Disability Living Allowance by £3 billion across the UK by 201718.
Scotland’s share of that cut is around £310 million per year.
These cuts would see more than 100,000 disabled people in Scotland – and one million across the UK – losing over £1,100 a year in the support that they rely on to live independent lives.
We will use our influence to make sure that these cuts do not proceed
and that disabled people are given the support they deserve.
We will also support an increase in Carer’s Allowance so that it matches Jobseekers' Allowance.
Those in receipt of Carer’s Allowance will benefit by almost £600 per year.
Scrapping the Bedroom Tax
We will vote for the immediate abolition of the unfair Bedroom Tax.
Abolishing the Bedroom Tax would mean that the £35 million a year that the Scottish Government is spending to compensate those affected by it would be available to spend on other priorities.
We would invest that money in measures to tackle and eventually eradicate food poverty.
Investing in education
We will guarantee the continuation of free university education in Scotland
and support the reduction of tuition fees across the UK.
We will extend the availability of Educational Maintenance Allowance in Scotland to an additional 10,000 school pupils
and 12,000 part time college students.
Opposing withdrawal from the European Union
At least 330,000 Scottish jobs – around one in seven of all jobs are dependent on our membership of the single market.
That is why we will oppose a referendum on membership of the EU.
Being part of Europe is good for business
and it supports jobs in Scotland and across the UK.
If an in/out EU referendum does go ahead, we will seek to amend the legislation to ensure that no constituent part of the UK can be taken out of the EU against its will.
We will propose a 'double majority' rule meaning that unless England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each vote to leave the EU, the UK would remain a member state.
Immigration policy that works for Scotland
Diversity is one of Scotland's great strengths.
Effective immigration controls are important,
but we must also remember that those who have come to Scotland from other countries make a significant contribution to our economy and our society.
We will support sensible immigration policies that meet our economic needs
and, as a priority, we will seek the reintroduction of the post study work visa, so that those we have helped educate are able, if they so choose, to make a contribution to our economy.
More affordable housing
There is a substantial shortfall of affordable houses for rent across the UK.
The Scottish Government is on track to meet the commitment to 30,000 new affordable homes by 2016, but more needs to be done.
We will back investment in an annual house building target across the UK of 100,000 affordable homes a year.
We will also continue our support for Help to Buy and shared equity to help people get a foot on the housing ladder.
A focus on job creation
We will support targeted reductions to employer’s National Insurance contributions to support job creation and the extension of the Living Wage.
We will support an increase in the Employment Allowance from £2,000 per business per year to £6,000 per business per year, reducing the cost of creating and maintaining jobs.
We will support this change being phased in over the fouryear period to 201920.
Fair work
In work poverty is a modern day scandal that must be tackled.
We support increases in the personal tax allowance
but will also back an increase in the Work Allowance – the amount people are allowed to earn before their benefit is cut – of 20 per cent.
This will encourage people back into work by reducing the amount the state claws back – making work pay more.
We will also support tough action to end exploitative zero hours contracts.
Action on energy bills
We will support lower energy bills for consumers by pushing for the Energy Company Obligation to be funded through general taxation and not as a levy on energy bills.
We will also support new powers to make sure that energy companies pass on the benefits of lower prices to consumers.
We will also press for a change to the transmission charging system that is penalising Scottish generators
and threatening the future of Longannet power station.
Greater care for our environment
We will call on, and vote for, the UK Government to adopt Scotland’s ambitious carbon reduction targets.
We will also continue to support a moratorium on fracking.
Ensuring equality
We believe that women should be properly represented in public life.
We will push for 50:50 representation on public and private boards, //`
and ensure that women are fairly treated at work with action to secure equal pay
and greater support for working parents with increased paternity leave.
Democratic reform
Westminster badly needs to be reformed.
An unelected second chamber is not acceptable in a modern democracy.
Those with no democratic mandate should not be writing the laws of the land
and SNP MPs will vote for the abolition of the House of Lords.
We will also vote for the replacement of the first past the post voting system with proportional representation.
Delivering Home Rule for Scotland
The SNP will always support independence but that is not what this election is about.
It is about making Scotland stronger.
We will use the influence of SNP votes at Westminster to ensure that promises made during the referendum are delivered.
We will demand, firstly, that the proposals of the Smith Commission are delivered quickly and in full.
We believe that these proposals do not go far enough to honour the promises made during the referendum.
We will seek agreement that the Scottish Parliament should move to full financial responsibility.
As implementation of the Calman Commission proposals has demonstrated, the transition to full fiscal responsibility and agreement of the detailed fiscal framework that would underpin it would take a number of years.
SNP MPs will work to secure the best deal for Scotland.
In the meantime, we will prioritise devolution of powers over employment policy, including the minimum wage,
welfare,
business taxes,
national insurance
and equality policy
the powers we need to create jobs,
grow revenues
and lift people out of poverty.
An end to Tory government
If there is an antiTory majority in the House of Commons, we will vote in a motion of confidence against a Tory government getting off the ground.
The SNP is the third largest party in the UK following a surge in new members since the referendum.
80,000 have joined since September 2014, with total membership now over 105,000.
The SNP’s 59 candidates includes prominent Yes campaigners and others who have only just joined the party.
Here are some of their stories:
MANIFESTO FOR A STRONGER SCOTLAND.
PRIORITIES FOR A FAIRER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL SCOTLAND
Whether in Scotland or at Westminster, our focus will be on growing Scotland’s economy
and making life better for people across our country.
This is what underpins our policies on public finances, on education, health, housing and social justice
and our support for the Scottish Parliament having more of the powers it needs.
We want more people in rewarding, well paid work.
We want stronger local economies,
with job opportunities for our young people close to home
So we can retain the important links of family and community that add to the strength and wellbeing of our society.
But this is not economic growth for its own sake.
It must be sustainable and with the benefits shared across society.
It will be wealth creation so we can, once and for all, address the unacceptable levels of inequality in Scottish society.
As we set out in this manifesto, we will be able to build Scotland’s success and deliver on our ambitions by harnessing the energy of our people, by building our skills and using them to the full, and by making the most of our nation’s great natural wealth and many competitive and comparative advantages.
The more SNP MPs that are elected to Westminster, the louder Scotland's voice will be in the decisions that are taken there
and that means we can secure the best deal for Scotland and a more progressive approach for the benefit of people across the UK.
SNP MPs, backed by hundreds of thousands of new supporters many voting SNP at Westminster for the very first time can make a real difference to the direction our country takes in the years ahead.
With greater influence for Scotland at Westminster
and new powers for our parliament in Edinburgh,
there is so much more we can achieve for the people of Scotland.
SNP MPs will: Make sure Westminster works better for the people of Scotland
The biggest threat to Scotland’s public services and our social fabric is the ongoing Tory and Labour obsession with austerity cuts to vital public spending.
That is why we propose responsible increases in public spending.
We will support increases in infrastructure investment
as part of our plans to generate new jobs
and support higher levels of growth,
and we will work to open access to finances for businesses looking to expand.
Our approach is to secure a fair deal for all
with those on the very highest incomes contributing a little bit more to ensure that we can continue to deliver universal, free public services
and protect the most vulnerable from the impacts of poverty.
Support the Scottish Government
We back the planned expansion of childcare with 30hours a week of free nursery education for all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds,
providing the best possible start in life for younger Scots and making life easier for their parents.
We support a big increase in NHS spending in Scotland, and across the UK, to enable the Scottish government to continue improving our health service.
Our plans will mean £2 billion more for our NHS by 202021.
We will also use our votes at Westminster to protect the health service in all parts of the UK from privatisation.
We agree that we need to maximise opportunities for our young people and support an increase to 30,000 Modern Apprenticeships
and the expansion of the Education Maintenance Allowance to an extra 22,000 school pupils and students.
An approach to the public finances that works
We will: Propose different choices on spending so we can protect fundamental public services and ensure irreparable damage isn’t done to the fabric of society.
This will allow modest increases in public spending in each year of the next parliament
– it will also see deficit fall every year as a share of income.
Argue for a fairer approach on taxation, with those with the very most contributing a little bit more
Focus on investment to support economic growth and the creation of a more productive, highskill, highwage economy
Seek to enshrine in law key principles of future financial management, including elimination of the deficit and balanced ‘current account’ spending
by stimulating growth in the economy,
as part of a medium term strategy to ensure prudent levels of debt are achieved
Support the creation of a sovereign wealth fund so that we create a financial buffer for the future, protecting public finances in times of crisis
BETTER OFF WITH THE SNP
We are working hard to make life better for people across Scottish society and the plans we set out in this manifesto will see some new and important gains.
For our NHS – we’ll support a funding package for the NHS, that would see spending in Scotland rise by a total of £2 billion by 202021,
helping us to deliver the worldclass care that people in Scotland rightly expect.
For fair pay – we’ll back an increase in the minimum wage to £8.70 by 2020,
making a quarter of a million people in Scotland better off by up to £4,000 a year.
For hardpressed households – we will support lower energy bills for consumers by pushing for the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) to be funded through general taxation
and tough new powers to make sure energy companies pass on lower energy prices to consumers, saving households around £100 on energy bills based on recent wholesale prices.
For more jobs and growing businesses – we will seek seedfund capitalisation of the Scottish Business Development Bank, enabling new investment in Scottish business growth and innovation,
helping create thousands of new jobs
For people approaching retirement – we’ll seek a review of the planned increase in the retirement age from 66 to 67, so that people in Scotland, who have paid in to a state pension all their lives, don’t lose out.
For people moving into work – we’ll vote for an increase in the work allowance by 20 per cent, which means people moving in to work from benefits will keep more of their income.
For unpaid carers – we propose an increase in carer’s allowance to bring it in line with jobseeker’s allowance, which will see over 100,000 unpaid carers in Scotland better off by almost £600 a year.
For pensioners – we want a singletier pension set at £160 per week, with the triplelock protection continuing.
This will guarantee that the value of the state pension is fully protected.
For no new nuclear weapons – we continue to oppose nuclear weapons and will seek to block a new generation of nuclear weapons,
saving as much as £4 billion a year in the mid2020s.
For a greener Scotland – we will continue to support a moratorium on fracking.
For our veterans – we believe that those who have been injured in the service of our country should get the full value of any war disablement pension and we will work to ensure that it is not treated as income in the assessment of entitlement to other benefits.
For our cities – we believe that City Deals should be made available to all Scotland’s cities, in addition to Glasgow, bringing substantial new investment to places that are key drivers of growth in Scotland.
For our farming community – we will look to secure a fair share of the UK’s CAP convergence uplift, which comes to the UK as a result of Scotland’s low hectare rates.
For workers in the oil & gas sector – we’ll keep the pressure on the UK Treasury to do all it can to protect jobs
and investment in the oil and gas industry in light of lower global oil prices
and will work to increase internationalisation opportunities for Scotland’s oil and gas industry
For a fairer Scotland – we’ll prioritise the immediate scrapping of the Bedroom Tax and a halt to the roll out of Universal Credit and PIP.
We’ll seek to reverse the replacement of Disability Living Allowance by PIP and oppose the £3 billion cut in disability funding.
In addition, we will seek an urgent reform of the conditionality and sanctions regime, to establish a fairer approach.
For Scotland’s creative sector – we’ll seek increased investment through BBC Scotland so that a fairer share of the licence fee is spent in Scotland, giving a £100 million boost to our creative sector.
For local job creators – we will continue the Small Business Bonus
and back reduced Employers’ NI contributions to support job creation.
For greater equality we will demand early action on equal pay audits for big companies to increase the pressure to deliver equal pay for women across the UK.
We'll also support the abolition of VAT on sanitary products.
For young Scots – we’ll deliver 30,000 Modern Apprenticeships each year
and continue to keep university education free.
We will also back an increase in the minimum wage rate for 18 to 21 year olds to £6.86 by 2020 and believe the same rate should be paid to apprentices.
We will also support an increase in the rate for 16 to 18 year olds to £5.07.
For our planet we will use our influence at Westminster to ensure the UK matches, and supports, Scotland’s ambitious commitments to carbon reduction.
For future generations – we should have greater financial security in the years ahead and so will call for a share of future revenues from our natural energy resources to be saved in an energy fund.
For lowincome households – we’ll back an increase of at least the cost of living in welfare benefits, such as child benefit, universal credit and disability benefits, and also in tax credits.
For an end to Tory rule – if there are more antiTory MPs than Tory MPs in the House of Commons the only way the Conservatives get back in to government is if the Labour party let them.
The SNP will work with others to lock the Tories out of government.
For safer communities – we’ll continue to deliver 1,000 extra police officers, a policy that has helped deliver record low crime levels in our communities.
We’ll also press for the revenue from court fines to be retained in Scotland
and for Police Scotland and our Fire and Rescue Service to receive the same VAT exemption as other forces, with the money reinvested in safer communities.
For a new northern focus – we’ll back budget plans to invest more in the infrastructure of Scotland and the north of England,
including the commissioning of high speed rail linking Glasgow, Edinburgh and the north of England.
For young families – we will work towards an expansion in free nursery education, from 16 hours a week to 30 hours, saving parents just under £2,000 per child per year by the end of the next Scottish Parliament
and giving thousands of young Scots a better start in life.
For more homes – we will back plans for an annual UK target of 100,000 affordable homes and use additional capital investment to deliver a further expansion of housebuilding in Scotland, including affordable homes for purchase or rent.
For small businesses – we will press the UK government to introduce effective legal protections to ensure small businesses are paid on time.
MAKING SCOTLAND’S VOICE HEARD
This election is an exciting opportunity for Scotland to deliver real change, here and across the UK.
At this election with every SNP seat, comes more power for Scotland.
More power to pursue a real alternative to unfair cuts, an end to the Bedroom Tax,
a higher minimum wage
and protection for our NHS and valued public services.
We will invest in our economy to create more and better paid jobs.
And we will oppose a new generation of nuclear weapons.
And we will stand up for Scotland's best interests.
We always do.
That’s why SNP MPs will vote against any measure at Westminster that affects Scotland's interests or has the effect of reducing Scotland’s funding.
We believe in independence but that is not what this election is about.
A vote for the SNP is a vote to rebalance the economic and political priorities of the UK.
It is a vote for new, better and more progressive politics for everyone.
It is a vote to make Scotland's voice heard.
Working for Scotland
Throughout this Parliament SNP MPs have worked hard to take forward the priorities of people in Scotland.
We’ve voted: against Tory plans, backed by Labour in January of this year, for an extra £30 billion of spending cuts.
A vote for the SNP in this election is the strongest possible vote against Westminster’s austerity agenda
to block the replacement of Trident, which would save as much as £100 billion over its lifetime,
money that we believe should be used for our health service
and to educate Scotland’s children
against the abolition of the top rate of tax
against the privatisation of the Royal Mail
and to protect people from drilling under their homes without their permission, by opposing the Infrastructure Bill, and backing a moratorium on fracking.
A STRONGER VOICE AT WESTMINSTER
An alternative to austerity cuts
With enough SNP MPs in the House of Commons, we can end the current austerity agenda and release new investment in jobs and growth, in strengthening our society and in protecting vital public services
SNP MPs will oppose austerity and never do a deal with the Tories.
If there is an antiTory majority of MPs, we will vote to lock out the Tories from government.
And we will make sure any Labour government can’t forget Scotland.
Quite simply, Scotland can get better government and real influence by voting for the SNP in May.
An approach to the public finances that works
The starting point for the next parliament and government must be an approach to the public finances that works.
There can be no doubt, based on the Office for Budget Responsibility’s figures and the targets set by the current government itself, that George Osborne’s approach has failed on multiple counts, with borrowing rising substantially.
Indeed, net borrowing in this financial year has exceeded the June 2010 forecast by around £50 billion.
This is due, in large part, to a crucial weakness in the economic recovery, in particular lower than anticipated tax revenues in an economy that has become low wage and low reward for too many.
At the same time, taxes have been cut for those at the very top of the income scale.
It is clear that a different way of doing things is needed one that places greater emphasis on economic growth
and social solidarity,
with a realistic target to reduce government debt to a prudent level
and to maintain a balanced budget on average over the medium term.
We need a proper fiscal framework based on proven principles that have been successfully implemented elsewhere.
This includes a commitment to reduce overall government debt and move to a position of operating budget surpluses over the medium term.
In addition, we believe fiscally responsible governments should establish a financial buffer against unforeseen future events.
We reject the current trajectory of spending, proposed by the UK government and the limited alternative proposed by the Labour Party.
Our proposal would see public sector borrowing and public sector net debt falling in every year as a share of national income.
In total, over £140 billion of additional public expenditure and investment would be available during the next parliament, compared to current UK government plans.
We will also look to release additional resources by backing a series of revenue raising measures the reintroduction of the 50p top tax rate, a tax on bankers' bonuses, a bank levy,   a mansion tax, a crackdown on tax avoidance, the abolition of 'non dom' status, reversal of the married couples' tax allowance, and a review of the pension tax relief available to the wealthiest.
A greater focus on job creation and growth
We need increased investment in economic growth
and action to get more people into rewarding, sustainable, wellpaid employment.
As set out above, we propose modest spending increases to invest in the economy, enabling us to deliver a stronger fiscal performance over the mediumterm.
A stronger economy is the essential underpinning for deficit reduction in the UK, with higher levels of growth delivering increased revenues and reducing spending pressures.
More broadly, improvements to productivity would translate into big medium and longterm improvements in the UK’s fiscal position.
We believe that this should be a central focus for government policy over the next 5 years.
The key is to both protect and promote key sectors of the Scottish economy.
The UK government has agreed to implement the key proposals put forward by the Scottish Government and the oil and gas industry.
This is a welcome step, however, we will continue to closely monitor economic activity in the North Sea and look for a prompt and effective response from the UK government so we can maximise the economic opportunity.
Action by the UK government was a necessary first step and will sit alongside the Scottish Government’s commitment to a new Oil and Gas Strategy, which will have a strong focus on Scotland’s oil and gas supply chain,
including ongoing skills development and opportunities for greater internationalisation of the sector.
We will also continue to push for the swift deployment of the new Oil and Gas Authority in Aberdeen.
There are a number of additional steps we believe should be taken by the UK government, while they continue to hold the reserved responsibility, to boost Scotland’s economic performance.
This includes additional capital investment to support sustainable and broadbased economic recovery
and make the country as a whole more internationally competitive.
The more economic powers we have the more we can achieve
Despite having limited powers, we have taken action to boost our economy and support employment.
For example, at the height of the financial crisis, we were able to accelerate capital investment in ‘shovel ready’ projects
and could also take forward a range of innovative financing mechanisms and get better value for money through the Scottish Futures Trust,
meaning more money was available for frontline, job creation projects.
In addition, our specific focus on youth employment, with guarantees on access to education and training and a massive expansion of Modern Apprenticeship places,
and our support for small businesses with an extensive rates relief package (helping many survive the worst of the crisis)
have made a difference for thousands of people across Scotland.
We’ve also made sure people have more money in their pockets, with the Council Tax frozen, real terms cuts in water bills and policies like free prescriptions providing a welcome boost for family incomes.
Thanks to this approach, more money is available to spend in local economies.
As a result, we have reduced unemployment, increased employment in Scotland and have a stronger record on youth employment than the UK.
Investing in infrastructure
We firmly believe that additional investment in Scotland’s infrastructure, and that of the rest of the UK, is an important part of building the wider strength of our economy and society.
Our proposals for additional expenditure in the next Parliament will include substantial new infrastructure investment.
Properly deployed, capital expenditure has the ability to reduce inequalities by providing good, well paid employment, with opportunities for the longterm unemployed, for apprenticeships and for wider skills and professional development.
It also serves to expand the productive capacity of Scotland, making our economy more competitive, with improved connectivity and infrastructure that is fit for the 21st century.
The additional investment we seek should include investment in our energy infrastructure so we can continue to maximise renewables generation, in particular offshore.
Current Westminster plans put at risk the creation of a strong domestic renewables industry, including a sustainable supply chain, and threaten Scotland’s security of supply.
We will, for example, press for further progress and a clear timescale for the delivery of the islands interconnector and reform of the transmission charging regime which could lead to the premature closure of Longannet power station.
We will also support steps to increase the capital available to the Green Investment Bank
and will ask the next UK government to report on options including new borrowing powers for the bank.
We will also seek adequate transport infrastructure investment, with a particular aim of improving transport and communication links across the north of these isles.
That includes connecting Scotland to HS2 as a priority, with construction beginning in Scotland as well as England,
and a high speed connection between Glasgow, Edinburgh and the north of England as part of any highspeed rail network.
In addition, we will seek additional investment to support a more rapid roll out of superfast broadband and 4G across Scotland
and to support wider and affordable access to the internet in our most disadvantaged communities,
and for a Universal Service Obligation to be applied to telecoms and broadband providers ensuring everyone is able to access the communications they need.
We will back investment a housebuilding target across the UK of 100,000 affordable homes per year.
We are determined to use capital investment to create jobs,
and support higher levels of economic growth.
This additional investment would support at least 6,500 jobs in the construction sector in Scotland.
Supporting Scotland’s job creating businesses
We want to make it much easier for growing businesses across Scotland to access finance and will look for an expansion of lending options, including peertopeer lending and making it easier for new entrants to the market, in particular to help with short term financing.
We believe the UK government should be doing more to rebalance economic activity on these isles
and so we will press for seedfund capitalisation of the new Scottish Business Development Bank, enabling new finance and investment for Scottish business to maximise job creation and growth.
We support calls for more readily available export finance and believe the steps outlined in the Scottish Government’s updated Economic Strategy, with its focus on internationalisation, will boost export opportunities for Scottish businesses and help increase the number of Scottish exporters.
We also believe that more should be done to help small businesses with cash flow and will press the UK government to introduce effective legal protections to ensure small businesses are paid on time.
We agree that small businesses should have rights within key utility markets more akin to those of household consumers.
For our tourism sector, we will press for the early devolution of Air Passenger Duty (APD) so we can use this new power to encourage more direct flights to Scotland,
with a reduction of 50 per cent and longer term plans to abolish APD completely.
We will also support examining a reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector,
levelling the playing field with other EU nations
and helping create as many as 10,000 new jobs.
For our creative industries, we will press for the BBC in Scotland to receive a fairer share of licence fee revenue generated in Scotland, which would bring a £100 million boost to Scotland’s creative sector.
We support the creation of a Creative Content Fund for the games industry to encourage the formation of new studios
and also back the retention of the Video Games tax relief.
We back industry calls for an increase in the SEIS investment limit and changes to the Shortage Occupation List to recognise specific skills needs in the sector.
Scotland needs an immigration policy suited to our specific circumstances and needs.
In particular, we wish to see the reintroduction of the poststudy work visa so students who have been educated in Scotland can spend 2 years working here after their studies and can contribute to growing our economy.
We will examine proposals to maintain the Annual Investment Allowance at a stable rate and consider whether it can be maintained at £500,000 and whether it can be extended until the end of the next Parliament in 2020.
This allowance supports investment in plant, machinery and premises and we believe business deserves certainty to enable them to make longerterm investment decisions.
We will also support a phased increase in the Employment Allowance from £2,000 per business per year to £6,000 per business per year by 201920.
This will provide a boost to employment growth by reducing the cost of creating and maintaining jobs.
This proposal will particularly benefit smaller businesses with over 95% of the support going to smaller firms.
Getting more people into wellpaid and rewarding work
The SNP will use its influence at Westminster to deliver key economic advantages for Scotland.
Our proposals include: An increase in the minimum wage to £8.70by 2020.
Easier access to finance for growing Scottish companies through the Scottish Business Development Bank
A boost for Scotland’s tourism and hospitality sectors with plans for a reduction in Air Passenger Duty
More spending in local economies with an increased minimum wage and lower National Insurance costs for companies to help create jobs
A £100 million investment in jobs in the creative sector with BBC Scotland receiving a fairer share of the licence fee.
Increased investment in infrastructure as part of our alternative to the failed UK austerity agenda
We believe that public sector organisations should be able to bid to operate rail services,
as allowed in EU law but currently prevented by UK legislation.
This would enable us to ensure the delivery of rail services in Scotland that deliver maximum economic and social benefit.
A government that works for all the country
One of the greatest indictments of the current Westminster system is that it works best for one part of society and one part of the country.
Social and geographic imbalances are increasing at a worrying rate, with an increasing imbalance between London, and the southeast, and the rest of the UK.
SNP MPs will seek to rebalance the UK for the benefit of people in the north and west of these isles.
We believe that investment in so called “national” projects in London, should be subject to normal consequential funding for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
and that the North of England, in particular, should see a significant increase in infrastructure expenditure.
Alongside the development of High Speed Rail from London to the Midlands,
we will seek a commitment to deliver High Speed Rail between Glasgow, Edinburgh and the north of England as the first stage of a link connecting Scotland and the north of England to London.
High Speed Rail should be constructed both from the north down and from the south up.
We will support Scotland’s city authorities with proposals for new City Deals – like the one already agreed with Glasgow and Clyde Valley – and will seek the creation of a £300 million Scottish Cities Fund, and similar Northern Cities and Welsh Cities funds, to ensure adequate resources are available to support the growth of major urban centres in the north and west of the UK.
While a strong London is good for the UK, also having a strong Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, Cardiff, Newcastle and Leeds is even better.
The SNP will also aim to right a longterm economic injustice, by ensuring that a share of future oil and gas and renewable energy revenues are used to create a Sovereign Wealth Fund.
The current UK government has conceded the principle by proposing a natural resource fund for the benefit of the North of England.
The fund should be established when economic circumstances allow and should come under the ownership and management of the Scottish Parliament and Government.
We will look to boost Scotland’s rural economy by pressing for a fair share of the UK’s CAP convergence uplift, which comes to the UK as a result of Scotland’s low hectare rates.
The rural economy
The Scottish Government has prioritised Scotland’s rural economy and is working to strengthen our rural and remote communities.
This includes measures such as Road Equivalent Tariff,
a focus on the promotion of our food and drink sector
and key infrastructure investment such as the dualling of the A9.
At Westminster, SNP MPs will seek the same level of commitment to our rural industries and communities.
In particular, we will scrutinise UK government actions at an EU level to ensure that our farming and fishing industries receive full backing and support.
Other measures, proposed in this manifesto, that will be of particular benefit to our rural economy and rural communities are:
Protection of the Royal Mail’s Universal Service Obligation,
the maintenance of the 30 per cent government share of Royal Mail in order to protect the public interest
and, over time, the return of the Royal Mail to public ownership.
The introduction of a Universal Service Obligation for broadband services
Increased investment in 4G
Taking forward Scotland’s £1.3 billion rural development programme
Action at an EU level to deliver a simplified CAP
Work to ensure the discard ban is workable for our fishing fleet
Our commitment to ensure coastal communities benefit from the net income of the Crown Estate’s seabed leasing revenues
Pressing for a fair deal on fuel prices for rural areas
The full devolution of all food levies so we can support the promotion of Scotland’s food and drink
A FAIRER SOCIETY An economy that works for the many
We will firmly oppose, and seek to reverse, the growing inequality in UK society
– inequality that acts as a dampener on growth and limits opportunity for people in communities across the country.
That is why we must create a fair wage economy,
with higher wages for those on low and middle earnings translating into increased revenues for the Exchequer.
Underpinning this is our belief that everyone should have the opportunity of a good life in return for their effort and hard work.
Increasing the minimum wage and expanding the living wage will help deliver both a strong economy and a fairer society.
Instead of the current, failed Westminster approach, which is based on the false belief that the fruits of economic growth ‘trickle down’, we believe that increasing the incomes of those lower down the income scale will deliver a more direct benefit for our economy, as well as improving quality of life for hardpressed households.
This alternative approach sees all our citizens as valued contributors to society,
with the impact of higher disposable incomes felt most significantly in local economies and our thousands of small and medium sized businesses, as well as in higher revenues.
We also propose different spending and taxation priorities.
At a time when thousands of our citizens are forced to use food banks, there can be no doubt that spending billions on a new generation of nuclear weapons is unjustifiable.
A vote for the SNP is a vote to halt progress on Trident renewal, delivering a saving of £100 billion over the next 35 years.
Alongside this, we will back proposals to return the top rate of income tax in the UK to 50p.
We support a levy on tobacco firms
and would also support proposals for a specific tax on properties valued at over £2 million,
increases to the bank levy,
a banker’s bonus tax
and a review of the pension tax relief available to the wealthiest.
We would also call on the UK government to move forward cautiously with plans to increase the higher rate threshold to £50,000, ensuring first that tax revenues are sufficiently buoyant.
We will look to ensure the public interest is fully protected in any future disposal of RBS and Lloyds shares, including decisions on how any windfall revenues should be used.
A tax system that works better
It’s clear that action needs to be taken to ensure we have a tax system that is fit for the 21st century.
We will back measures to tackle tax avoidance, including early legislation to address tax dodging and an increase in staff resources at HMRC.
We will put forward measures to strengthen antiavoidance law across the UK to ensure it is as strong as new Scottish legislation.
We will also support a review of controlled foreign companies exemptions
and favour a rolling review of tax reliefs as part of an ongoing programme of simplification of the tax system.
We support calls for a global fair tax summit to agree international measures to tackle tax abuses.
More support for hardpressed households
Using the current powers of devolution, the SNP Scottish Government has taken forward policies designed to support households through the recession.
For example, we have frozen the Council Tax,
removed prescription charges
and road tolls,
increased free nursery provision,
provided free school meals in the early years of primary school
and reintroduced free university education.
Taken together, these measures have saved people across Scotland hundreds of pounds.
That includes pensioners saving an average £250 a year from concessionary travel or people with long term illnesses an average of £104 on prescription charges.
A vote for the SNP in May is a vote to protect these gains.
As well as certainty on Council Tax bills, we have also placed limits on increases in rail fares and water charges.
Through tough and effective regulation of Scottish Water we’ve been able to deliver realterms cuts in water bills.
In the same way we wish to see a more robust approach to energy bills and believe Ofgem should be empowered to enforce price reductions to reflect lower wholesale costs as a result of lower oil prices.
Consumers must see the benefit of lower wholesale costs in their bills, with savings of as much as £100 a year.
The Scottish Government and UK government should have joint oversight of Ofgem.
A fair deal for older Scots
We will continue to support older Scots, by retaining key policies such as the free bus pass and free personal care and we’ll back the continuation of the free TV license.
At Westminster, we will call for the pension triple lock to be retained, ensuring the State Pension increases each year in line with inflation, wages or by 2.5 per cent, whichever is higher.
And, we will support for a Single Tier Pension rate of £160 per week.
We will oppose the abolition of Savings Credit – introduced to reward people for saving for their pension.
We believe that there should be a review of plans to increase the state pension age beyond 66.
And, given Scotland’s colder climate, we will also resist any attempts to end the winter fuel allowance.
We will continue to support the roll out of auto enrolment for occupational pensions and also back, in principle, proposals to give pensioners more flexibility over their pension pots.
However, we must ensure adequate levels of advice and support.
We will work with pensioner groups to identify and target unfair, hidden pension charges.
Fairness in the welfare system
Westminster has presided over a relentless undermining of our social security system.
The SNP is determined to target the worst and most damaging welfare changes introduced by the current government
and to address issues such as zerohour contracts, which create unacceptable levels of uncertainty and financial insecurity for often low paid workers.
We will support efforts in the next parliament to end unfair and exploitative zerohour contracts,
with a timelimited consultation, which fully involves businesses and the trade unions, to agree the most effective way forward.
SNP MPs will vote for the complete abolition of the bedroom tax.
This will mean that the £35 million that the Scottish Government spends on mitigating its impact will be available for other purposes.
We would invest that money to tackle and eventually eradicate food poverty.
We also back increases of at least the cost of living in welfare benefits and believe the roll out of both Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Universal Credit should be halted.
We will aim to reverse the replacement of Disability Living Allowance with PIP.
We will also oppose the £3 billion cut in disability support.
In addition, we have given assurances to people already supported by the Independent Living Fund that support will continue.
We will also support an urgent review of the system of assessments for disability benefits.
The current tapers for Universal Credit have been set too low, which means claimants will still be caught in the benefits trap, with clear financial disincentives in place for work.
We believe there should be an increase in the work allowance, to deliver a significant boost to the incomes of people moving into work, helping to lift them and their families out of poverty.
We will also support an overhaul of the Work Capability Assessments.
These are still delivering too many poor decisions, which are overturned on appeal, creating real hardship for households.
We will demand an urgent review of the conditionality and sanctions regime, in order to deliver an overhaul of the current, deeply ineffective arrangements, which impact on some of the most vulnerable in our society.
The review will take particular account of the needs of people with mental health issues.
We will seek to establish an approach that is proportionate and ethical, that recognises the particular challenges facing some individuals, and that avoids excessive or blanket measures which penalise those looking for work.
The removal of cash benefits should be a last, rather than a first, resort.
We will support an increase in Carers' Allowance so that it matches Jobseekers' Allowance.
Those in receipt of Carers' Allowance will benefit by almost £600 per year.
We will also press for the introduction, in Scotland, of a pilot programme of carer’s leave.
We will not support attempts to restrict housing benefit for 18 to 21 year olds and believe exemptions to the Shared Accommodation Rate should be extended, for example, to cover all ages.
We believe that those who have been injured in the service of our country should get the full value of any war disablement pension and so will ensure that it is not treated as income in the assessment of entitlement to other benefits.
Ending fuel poverty has also been a key campaign for the SNP at Westminster for decades.
In this next Parliament, we will seek action to ensure that those using prepayment meters have access to the same lower energy prices available to those using other payment methods.
We will also press the UK government to ensure that pensioners whose homes are ‘off grid’ receive their winter fuel allowances earlier, so they can take advantage of lower prices earlier in the year.
A STRONGER SOCIETY
This election is an opportunity for Scotland to have real influence to deliver important gains and protections.
On a wide range of issues, Scottish values and priorities can carry real weight at Westminster.
Working in partnership
We will press the UK government to work with the business community on mechanisms to formalise the relationship between government, employer associations and employee associations with a particular focus on encouraging wider trade union participation and recognising the positive role that can be played by collective bargaining in improving labour market conditions.
Evidence from the OECD shows that stronger trade unions tend to reduce inequality in labour income and ensure a more equal distribution of earnings.
We support increased employee representation on company boards, believing that this can help bolster longterm decisionmaking and improve industrial relations.
We will urge the UK government to consult on how best to deliver such an increase.
We will seek to reverse recent changes, which reduced key aspects of workers’ rights.
For example, we will press for the restoration of a 90 days consultation period for redundancies affecting 100 or more employees.
In addition, we will also oppose Tory plans to further restrict the right to strike
and support trade unions with their proposals to modernise the way strike ballots are undertaken, with safe and secure online voting to maximise participation.
Caring about climate change, our environment and the natural world
CARBON REDUCTION
We will use our influence at Westminster to ensure the UK matches, and supports, Scotland’s ambitious commitments to carbon reduction
and that both Scotland and the UK are able to play a constructive role at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference.
And, we will call on the UK government to match the approach of the Scottish Government with a dedicated Climate Justice Fund.
RENEWABLE & COMMUNITY ENERGY
We will seek to maximise support for offshore wind, including by seeking alterations to the current Contracts for Differences (CFD) regime to ensure that support is given to the offshore wind sector to not only generate renewable energy
but also to boost manufacturing opportunities and ensure Scotland sees maximum investment.
Allocations from the next round of CFD should be made early and projects in Scotland should be prioritised and receive their fair share of funding.
We want to see a longterm commitment to the development of this industry.
We will continue to argue for changes to ensure that Scottish renewables, and Scotland’s islands, are not penalised because of their distance from markets in the south of England.
We believe that transmission arrangements should work to support, rather than undermine, production of renewable energy in the most favourable locations.
And we will press for onshore wind to continue to receive support through the lifetime of the next Parliament.
Our ambition is not limited to wind.
We want the UK government to remove barriers that are limiting growth in the hydro sector
and believe there should be additional support for pump hydro and Carbon Capture and Storage schemes.
We also wish to see a big expansion in community heating schemes and believe the Renewable Heat Incentive should continue beyond 2015.
The Scottish Government has ambitious targets to support community energy generation and we will press the UK government to make it simpler for communities to establish local energy companies and easier for community schemes to access the grid.
SPECIES PROTECTION
While responsibility for animal welfare is devolved to the Scottish Parliament –and the SNP in government is already working to improve the conditions of kept animals, including consultations on responsible dog ownership
and wild animals in travelling circuses,
and giving consideration to further protection at slaughter,
the registration or licensing of horse establishments
and a review of tail docking in working dogs at Westminster
we will support further animal welfare measures with a global focus.
This includes action to end the illegal ivory trade and protect species such as polar bears and bluefin tuna.
Our place in the world
Scotland is an outward looking nation.
We have family in all parts of the world and our society has been strengthened, over generations, by new Scots arriving from across the globe.
This is part of who we are and provides untold benefits, socially, culturally and economically.
That is why we must do all we can to prevent increasingly insular attitudes at Westminster from shutting Scotland off from the world.
Backing the Scottish Government’s international strategy The Scottish Government’s international strategy is based on three core elements participation, promotion and protection and these will be central to our approach at Westminster.
We expect the UK government to participate fully in international institutions, to respect their role and to work with them.
This includes the UK fulfilling all its international obligations.
The UK’s standing in the world has been damaged by our involvement in the illegal war in Iraq.
We wish to see proper oversight and approval for any future UK military action, which would need to be in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and approved by Parliament.
We will call on the next UK government to pursue a two state solution for Israel and Palestine and to support the formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
MAKING THE EU WORK BETTER FOR SCOTLAND
The European Union is far from perfect, however we believe that it is overwhelmingly in Scotland’s interests for us to remain a member,
engaging with the institutions as fully as we can, and to argue for reform from within.
We will oppose UK withdrawal from the EU and will propose that, in any future referendum there should be a double majority requirement.
Each of the four constituent nations of the UK would have to vote for withdrawal before the UK as a whole could leave the European Union.
We believe there should be a greater role for devolved administrations in the Council of Ministers and more direct engagement in devolved policy areas, across the full range of European institutions.
We will seek a Cooperation Agreement between the UK government and devolved administrations, which will include formal agreement on speaking rights for Scottish ministers and direct Scottish input into the development of UK policy on key EU issues.
We support free movement within the EU and recognise both the contribution EU citizens make to Scottish society and the opportunities created for Scottish citizens elsewhere in the EU.
We also support Scottish participation in the European Arrest warrant, a measure that makes it easier to bring to justice criminals who have fled to other EU jurisdictions.
We will also seek an explicit exemption for the NHS and Scottish Water, as part of a general public sector exemption, from the terms of the proposed TransAtlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
A FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE AND PEACE
Today, Scottish international aid investment is making a big difference to thousands of lives in some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities.
We have long supported the United Nations target to spend 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on international development and will continue to support UK spending at this level
– which must be calculated on current, not former, measurements of GNI.
As part of a commitment to focus on aid quality, we believe that overseas aid funding should not be used for defence related expenditure
and should not undermine public services in developing countries.
And, we are in favour of an audit of outstanding debt owed by developing countries, with debt relief provided as appropriate.
SNP MPs will also make the case for the establishment of a special envoy a diplomatic post within the Foreign Office to promote the rights of LGBTI people throughout the word, as an integral part of UK foreign policy.
Defence that works for the people of Scotland
STRATEGIC DEFENCE AND SECURITY REVIEW
As a northern European nation, our near neighbourhood including the High North and Arctic are a key priority for Scotland.
The forthcoming UK Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) must take full account of the particular challenges and opportunities of the northern regional dimension,
and of the need to be more effective at combatting cyberterrorism where the SDSR must lay out a clear strategy,
including continued engagement with the Scottish Government.
The SDSR must review the current Ministry of Defence record, which includes falsely inflating spending commitments, mismanaging Army personnel reforms and creating dangerous capability gaps.
In particular, we believe there should be ocean going conventional patrol vessels based permanently in Scotland
and will seek the early procurement of multirole Maritime Patrol Aircraft purchased ‘off the shelf’ by the end of this parliament and operating from Scotland.
The SDSR must also fully consider the advantages of a defence policy without weapons of mass destruction and wasting £100bn renewing Trident.
We will continue in our principled opposition to nuclear weapons and believe that the UK should abandon plans to renew the Trident nuclear missile system.
In addition, the MoD should also publish in full current and projected annual costs of the Trident system and its proposed successor programme, including nuclear weapons throughlife costs.
THE CONVENTIONAL DEFENCE FOOTPRINT
UK policy has seen reductions in conventional footprint in Scotland, leading to a significant underspend, meaning fewer jobs and less defence related spending to benefit local economies.
Existing conventional bases in Scotland should be retained and all conventional rebasing activities should be completed by the end of this parliament.
There should be no further erosion of the Scottish regiments
and it remains our ambition to see the traditional regiments restored.
DEFENCE SPENDING
We support greater transparency in UK defence spending, with a full breakdown of spending by nation and region in the UK, including all procurement and SME expenditure and a full breakdown of component costs of all major projects by location.
With taxpayers in Scotland contributing billions of pounds more than the MOD currently spends in Scotland we believe that a far larger proportion of the defence procurement budget should be spent in Scotland.
There should be a strategy developed by the MOD to ensure more small and medium sized enterprises in Scotland are part of the manufacturing support chain for major defence projects.
The Type 26 frigates must be built in Scotland and the Aircraft Carriers refitted at Rosyth.
LOOKING AFTER OUR SERVICE PERSONNEL
The duty of care to our service personnel, veterans and their families must be a key priority.
The MoD should provide much better support to next of kin and bereaved families in the event of a loss of a serving relative.
As a matter of safety, we believe a collision warning system should be installed on Tornado and Typhoon aircraft as quickly as possible.
We also support giving Armed Forces representative bodies a statutory footing.
New powers to protect our communities
There is no doubt that Fixed Odds Betting Terminals cause harm and hardship in communities across Scotland.
That’s why the Scottish Government needs legislative powers to control the growth and impact of these machines,
and we believe the UK government should devolve these powers in full.
The problem of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals is linked to the proliferation of betting shops in some communities and so we will continue to argue for Scotland to have full responsibility for the regulation of gambling.
We will also seek new powers so we can effectively regulate payday lenders in Scotland’s communities, building on the recommendations of the Smith Commission and going beyond proposals set out so far by the current UK government.
Protecting personal data
We do not support Tory plans for the reintroduction of the so called ‘snoopers’ charter’, which would see all online activity of every person in the UK stored for a year.
Instead, we need a proportionate response to extremism.
That is why we will support targeted, and properly overseen, measures to identify suspected extremists and, if necessary, examine their online activity and communications.
A flourishing media environment and creative sector
We believe that responsibility for broadcasting in Scotland should transfer from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament and we will support moves to more devolved arrangements for the BBC with greater powers and funding for the different national and regional broadcasting areas, such as BBC Scotland.
We believe that the licence fee should be retained with any replacement system,
which should be based primarily on the ability to pay, in place by the end of the next BBC Charter period.
BBC Scotland should receive a fairer share of BBC income, reflecting more accurately the licence fee revenue raised here in Scotland.
This would provide a boost of over £100 million, which we believe will provide important new opportunities for production companies and the creative sector in Scotland.
The Scottish Government and Parliament should have a substantial role at all stages in the review of the BBC Charter and we will work to ensure that any new governance arrangements for the BBC better reflect Scotland’s interests.
It should also be for the Scottish Government to decide which sporting events in Scotland should be included in the list of those that are free to view in Scotland.
Regulation of print media is already devolved.
The Scottish Parliament chose, on a cross party basis, to support the UK Government’s actions to implement Leveson.
We will consider carefully the results of the first year review and work with other parties, in Scotland and at Westminster, to ensure effective regulation of the media on a nonpolitical basis.
Safeguarding our land and seas
We will press the UK government to reinstate an emergency towing vehicle on the west coast of Scotland and to ensure that delays in recruitment don’t leave vital coastguard stations understaffed.
We will seek a commitment for the earliest possible return of the Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre to Kinloss, so that search and rescue operations can be coordinated in Scotland.
SORTING THE BROKEN WESTMINSTER SYSTEM
This election gives us a rare opportunity to begin to repair what is an increasingly broken political system in the UK.
We need to make clear to those who wield power that they do so only with the consent of the people.
Almost every aspect of the system needs an overhaul.
That includes an effective power of recall for MPs.
We will continue to work with others, across the political parties, to deliver a system that gives real power to voters to remove MPs who have forfeited the trust of their electors.
We also badly need a fair voting system for UK elections.
The electoral system means political focus is on the interests of a small number of swing voters in marginal seats, and that has meant the economic and social needs of areas like the north of England, Scotland, the West Midlands and Wales have been forgotten.
The SNP supports the Single Transferable Vote, a system that makes sure every vote and every part of the country counts.
Of course, the second chamber of the UK parliament is not even elected and continues to have hereditary members who have a greater say in the future of Scotland’s defence or welfare system than the elected members of the Scottish Parliament.
The SNP believes the House of Lords should be scrapped and replaced with a fully elected second chamber.
Given the successful inclusion of 16 and 17 year olds in the independence vote the Scottish Parliament is legislating to ensure they also have the vote in Holyrood elections.
We believe 16 and 17 year olds should be given the vote in UK general and European elections and will work with future governments to secure this change
Lobbying and charities
We  support  strict  rules  on  lobbying  but  believe  that campaigning  charities  should  be  allowed  straightforward  access  and  restrictions  on  their  activities  as ‘nonparty  campaigners’  should  be  removed.
Promoting equality and protecting human rights
Scotland’s new First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP, has given a very clear signal of the need to have more equal representation of men and women in public life.
The Scottish Cabinet is one of only three cabinets in the developed world to have an equal number of men and women
and, with the necessary powers devolved, we will take forward proposals to ensure 50 per cent female representation on public boards.
We will press for the same step to be taken for UK wide public bodies and will also encourage the new UK government to work with the private sector to increase the number of women represented at the most senior levels in our major companies.
We will support the tightening of the law on maternity discrimination, with legislation introduced within the first year of a new UK government.
We have also called for early action on Equal Pay audits for larger companies to ensure women are getting the salaries they are entitled to.
We will demand that section 78 of the Equalities Act 2010 is commenced and that regulations to compel employers of more than 250 people to publish annual gender pay gap information, starting in 201617, are consulted on and brought into law.
VAT on sanitary products
We are determined to ensure a fairer deal for women, not only in the work place.
That’s why we’ll address a longstanding failure in our tax system by demanding that VAT on sanitary products is removed.
Sanitary products are a necessity, not a luxury, and should not be taxed.
With powers over equalities devolved, we would bring forward an Equal Pay (Scotland) Bill to finally deliver equal pay law that works for women in Scotland.
It is unacceptable 45 years after the Equal Pay Act was passed in 1970 that the gender pay gap remains.
This would include consultation on how new regulations or structures can be created by the Bill to expedite the equal pay claims process, and ensure that settlements are enforced quickly.
We will seek to maintain the protections provided by the Equality Act 2010 and will ask the government to engage with key stakeholders on potential improvements.
We will also support calls to establish a Race Committee to advise the work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
In addition, we will ask the UK government to conduct an early review of the current immigration detention system and regime, in order to deliver a fairer and more effective system as we move forward.
Given the central place of human rights in Scotland’s constitutional settlement, and their importance at the heart of our politics, we will oppose scrapping the Human Rights Act
or withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights.
BACKING THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT
Too often in recent years, decisions by governments at Westminster have undermined the ability of the Scottish Government to deliver as much as it would wish.
This has included budget cuts as a result of austerity, questionable application of the Barnett Formula and long delays in giving approval for Scottish Government proposals, for example the mechanism to mitigate the Bedroom Tax in Scotland.
A strong team of SNP MPs at Westminster can do more to ensure that the UK government is not standing in the way of progress for Scotland.
Protecting a strong record of delivery
At the heart of this manifesto is our commitment to move away from the damaging austerity agenda of the current UK government, so that we can protect Scotland’s public services from future Tory cuts and protect the progress that has been delivered by tens of thousands of dedicated public sector staff.
In health, with the SNP, the number of staff working in Scotland’s NHS has risen to a record high, with over 10,000 more people now working in the NHS.
These staff have delivered shorter waiting times, including in vitally important areas such as cancer treatment.
While there is still work to do, the number of people starting treatment for cancer within 62 days of referral has risen from 84.5 per cent in 2007 to 94.2 per cent.
Nearly twothirds of people in Scotland now say they are satisfied with our health service, according to the most recent survey, compared to just twofifths in 2005.
In our schools, against every main measure, education is getting better.
We have record exam results and record high number of school leavers in either work, training or further or higher education.
The number of P1 pupils in Scotland taught in classes of more than 25 has fallen to just 451 this year
– 97 per cent lower than the 16,845 children recorded in 2006.
And the proportion of schools reported as being in ‘good’ or ‘satisfactory’ condition has increased again, to 83 per cent – up from 61 per cent in April 2007.
That means the number of pupils in poor or bad buildings has more than halved since 2007.
Working for a healthier Scotland
Since the election of the SNP government in 2007: There has been an increase of over 2,300 nurses and midwives in Scotland and 2,350 doctors
More than 320 extra GPs work in our communities
and there are almost 1,350 more consultants providing specialist care in our NHS,
including a 170 per cent increase in A&E consultants
We’ve seen an 8.8 per cent increase in the number of paramedics
while the number of senior managers in the NHS is down 29 per cent.
We’ve  protected  NHS  spending  against Westminster  austerity  –  and  we  will  argue  for increases  in  health  spending  across  the  UK  of £9.5  billion  above  inflation  by  202021   £24 billion  in  total.
This  will  deliver  a  total  increase for  NHS  Scotland  of  £2  billion  by  202021.
And in our communities people are feeling safer.
The crime clear up rate is the highest since comparable records began in 1976 and recorded crime has fallen for the seventh year in a row and is now at its lowest level for 40 years.
We’ve also acted to tackle the scourge of knife crime.
The average prison sentence for handling an offensive weapon in Scotland is now three times higher than in 200405.
Crimes of handling an offensive weapon (including knives) have reduced by 62 per cent since 200607.
Education – an investment in all our futures
Under the SNP Government at Holyrood: Tuition fees have been scrapped – and more young people than ever before are going to university
We’ve introduced the new Curriculum for Excellence and invested in new school buildings so more of our children can enjoy the best possible learning environment
Pass rates for Higher exams have reached record levels, with children sitting the new National exams for the first time last year.
And we’ve launched a £100 million Attainment Scotland Fund to support primary school pupils in some of our most disadvantaged areas
There are 25,000 apprenticeships available every year – and we have pledged to increase this to 30,000 by 2020.
The biggest threat to this progress is another swathe of Westminster inspired austerity cuts, which could have a devastating impact on services across the country.
Over half of the total planned cuts are still to come over the course of the next UK Parliament.
If we don’t act now to end Tory austerity, Scotland’s cumulative share of the proposed realterms cuts over the next five years is estimated at around £12 billion £2300 for every person in Scotland.
That is why this election is so important, so we can choose a different path forward, which enables the SNP Scottish
Safer streets and safer communities
We’ve rejected the approach adopted elsewhere in the UK and chosen to maintain investment in 1,000 extra police, enabling Police Scotland to deliver record low crime rates:
Recorded crime in Scotland is at its lowest level in 40 years, and the number of homicides has halved since 2007.
The clearup rate for recorded crimes is at its highest since 1976, when comparable records began.
Reoffending rates have fallen over the last decade, with a 17 per cent drop in the average number of reconvictions per offender.
SNP MPs will press for the revenue from court fines to be retained in Scotland and for Police Scotland and our Fire and Rescue Service to receive the same VAT exemption as other forces,
with the money reinvested in safer communities.
Government to continue to deliver the high quality services people in Scotland expect.
And it is a path that will enable us to build on the continuing economic recovery.
Over the past 12 months around 46,000 more people are in work.
That includes, in recent months, a record high number of women in employment in Scotland.
And youth unemployment is at a five year low.
Two in every five business properties across Scotland benefit from zero or reduced rates through the Small Business Bonus Scheme alone, supporting local job creators, and the latest figures show inward investment at a 17year high.
Overall, our business rates relief packages benefit around 100,000 companies.
But there is much more we can achieve and SNP MPs in the House of Commons will work with SNP ministers in the Scottish Government to ensure that we continue to make progress as a society and economy, across all three of the Scottish Government’s priority areas:
Creating more, better paid jobs in a strong, sustainable economy
Our ambition is for a stronger Scottish economy, with the fruits of economic success shared more widely.
We have set out our plans to deliver higher levels of sustainable economic growth through the Scottish Government’s refreshed Economic Strategy.
This includes proposals to boost Scotland’s competitiveness, reduce levels of inequality and increase productivity.
Our aim is to match the productivity levels of the most successful economies in Europe.
We also want Scotland to be in the top quarter of OECD countries in terms of wellbeing, sustainability and equality.
This includes narrowing the economic gap between the different regions of Scotland.
We are focused on four key themes – Investment, Innovation, Inclusive Growth and Internationalisation.
We know that building a highskill, connected Scotland is essential if we are to maximise our nation’s economic potential.
That is why we are investing in our people, infrastructure and assets, for example, by working to widen access to higher education.
New skills provide a route into rewarding, fulfilling employment.
Our approach will see 30,000 new Modern Apprenticeship opportunities every year by 2020, having already exceeded our current target of 25,000 per year.
Our aim is to reduce youth unemployment by 40 percent by 2021.
We believe that the more we can integrate skills and employment policy, with an extension of powers for the Scottish Parliament,
the more we can achieve for people joining the jobs market.
That includes the prompt devolution of the Work Programme and Work Choice.
We will also keep university education in Scotland free
and have increased the minimum income for our poorest students to £7,500 this year.
We are also investing to support Scotland’s job creators.
Through initiatives like the Scottish Business Development Bank we want to find ways of improving access to finance for growing businesses
and we will use the influence we have at Westminster to secure additional funds so we can further increase support for Scottish companies.
We are determined to maintain Scotland's position as the best place to do business in the UK with a package of business rates relief worth an estimated £594 million for 201415
and £618 million for 201516
– supporting around 100,000 businesses across the country.
And we will continue to maximise investment in our nation’s infrastructure, using both capital spending, new borrowing powers and a range of innovative finance mechanisms.
In government, we have adopted an ‘allScotland’ approach, with key infrastructure projects across the country to ensure the fruits of economic opportunity are shared as widely as possible.
Projects include the A9, Aberdeen to Inverness rail line,
the Aberdeen bypass,
the Borders Railway,
the completion of the GlasgowEdinburgh rail improvements
and the Dundee Waterfront project.
In addition, we are supporting our construction sector by providing £30 million of ringfenced support for smaller developers within the Help to Buy Scotland scheme.
We will also invest £70 million over the next year in the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme to help first time buyers, with low or moderate incomes, on to the property ladder.
Our aim is to foster a culture of Innovation.
In government that means establishing a new Ministerial led Innovation Forum and supporting the network of Innovation Centres, so that we can ensure effective knowledge and innovation transfer from our academic research base into the wider business community.
This approach includes a £1 million Innovation Challenge Fund to help address major societal and industrial challenges.
We are supporting international collaboration by piloting Innovation and Investment Hubs at key global locations
and are also promoting innovation in, and through, the public sector as a means of getting the most out of public expenditure across the economy.
We recognise and applaud the vital part played by our universities in creating worldleading research, including in areas of cuttingedge science and technology,
and boosting both Scotland’s international profile and innovation base.
We will continue to work closely with our universities to maintain their position of global excellence.
Supporting Scottish business
We have been working hard to help Scottish business succeed, including: Delivering the most competitive business tax environment anywhere in the UK through our business rates policies//,
and the package of business rates reliefs worth an estimated £618 million in 201516.
Maintaining the Small Business Bonus Scheme which removes or reduces rates for almost 100,000 businesses.
We’re helping business get access to finance through the Scottish Loan Fund and the Scottish Investment Bank
and we are providing advisory support through Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Business Gateway to help companies improve their chances of securing funding.
Promoting a culture of entrepreneurial ambition and innovation in Scotland by supporting ambitious collaborations between universities, businesses and others to capitalise on Scotland’s worldclass research including through a network of eight Innovation Centres.
And, we’re working to encourage more Scottish companies to become active exporters with Scottish Development International working with partners to support up to 10,000 more businesses develop the skills to go international.
Our plans are centred on the idea of Inclusive Growth.
We want more people in Scotland to share in the fruits of economic growth.
We are determined to deliver improvements in educational outcomes in Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities, which is why we have announced our £100 million Attainment Scotland Fund.
By establishing a Fair Work Convention we aim to draw on and promote best practice, while making it easier to work effectively with our partners across the business community, third sector and trade unions.
As Scotland’s government, we will continue to work closely with Scottish businesses to increase our country’s competitiveness and make the most of the underlying strengths in Scotland’s economy so we can deliver higher levels of growth.
As part of this partnership, SNP ministers have developed a Scottish Business Pledge because we know that a stronger economy emerges from a stronger society.
The business pledge includes commitments to pay the living wage,
not use exploitative zerohour contracts
and to take forward a programme of innovation.
In return, the Scottish Government will provide targeted support and advice to help companies export, grow, innovate and become more productive.
The greater share people have in economic growth, the more they will contribute to Scotland’s economic success and so we want a national endeavour, involving our business community at its core, so we can create the wealth
and share that wealth more fairly than under the Westminster model
We will also continue our support for the living wage, ensuring it is paid to all staff covered by the Scottish Government’s public sector pay policy.
SNP MPs will press for the UK government to adopt this policy across the UK.
We know that fair pay is an important part of creating a fairer society and so will use the powers and influence we have to further promote the living wage across the private sector.
SNP MPs will work with Scottish ministers to help ensure 500 organisations are signed up to the Living Wage Accreditation Scheme within the next year, by becoming local living wage champions in their constituency.
And through guidance on procurement, the SNP will work to ensure all suppliers to the Scottish Government also pay the living wage.
Our economic strategy is designed to ensure that Scotland can take more advantage of international opportunities.
In government, we are developing a new Trade and Investment Strategy and will establish One Scotland Partnerships.
These will set clear trade and innovation goals for specific international markets and ensure that activity is coordinated to maximise impact.
Our updated International Framework will set the context for how the Scottish Government, its agencies and public bodies engage most effectively worldwide to promote Scotland for the benefit of our economy and to increase trade and investment opportunities.
330,000 Scottish jobs depend on membership of the EU single market.
SNP MPs will vote against an in/out EU referendum.
However, if there is to be a referendum, we will seek to amend the legislation to insert a 'double majority' rule unless each of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the UK as a whole, voted to exit the EU, the UK would remain a member state
Building a fairer Scotland and tackling inequality.
The past year has shown there is a real demand for a new Scotland, where more of us can contribute fully.
Our approach in government, with its focus on early intervention, is putting in place the firm foundations for future success by giving more young Scots the best possible start in life.
We are determined to invest as much as we can in a brighter future for our young people.
That includes our current commitment to 600 hours of childcare for over 120,000 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds.
In the coming years, we will build on this to almost double the number of free hours to 30 hours a week of free childcare by the end of the next Scottish Parliament for all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds.
In government, we are providing £104 million in 201516 to protect as many people as possible from the damaging impact of the welfare reforms being imposed by Westminster.
That includes mitigation of the Bedroom Tax and the Council Tax reduction scheme, which has protected 500,000 of Scotland’s lowest income households from increased Council Tax.
The Council Tax freeze has also helped hardpressed households – by 2016 the freeze will have saved households an average of £1,200, with those on low incomes seeing the biggest savings as a proportion of their household income.
We are committed to maintaining the Council Tax freeze, as set out in our 2011 election manifesto,
and will work with others to review options for future replacement for the unfair council tax system.
We are creating a statutory basis for a permanent local welfare safety net
and will, through a Carers Bill, provide further support for carers and young carers.
Of course, there is so much more we could achieve with more extensive powers over welfare.
The Scotland we all seek is one where our most important public services are protected.
In the face of new UK cuts, we remain absolutely committed to the Scottish health service.
In this manifesto we propose big increases in spending on health across the UK, which would deliver an additional £2 billion for Scotland’s NHS.
As Scotland’s government, we will continue to pass on any new Barnett consequentials from health spending in England.
Our support for the NHS has been shown this year by the £383 million increase in health resource spending, bringing it to record levels.
As a result, each and every one of Scotland’s health boards will receive above inflation spending increases next year.
We have taken steps to reduce consumption of alcohol and tobacco and to promote a more active lifestyle through sport.
We have also worked hard to remove financial barriers to treatment and care.
Free prescriptions and the commitment to continue free personal care for the elderly are an important part of delivering a healthier Scotland, and the SNP will maintain these vital policies.
We will also continue with an ambitious programme of health and social care integration, ensuring that health and social care provision across Scotland is joinedup and provides a seamless service,
especially for people with longterm conditions and disabilities.
This includes £300 million over the next three years for the Integrated Care Fund
and £30 million for telehealth.
This is additional investment that will support integration, meaning better local primary, community and care services to help keep people safe in their own homes for as long as possible.
We’ve already committed £15 million to a mental health innovation fund
and, as part of our proposals for higher health spending, will seek to increase this investment to £100 million over the next 5 years.
Resources will be directed towards projects that will improve mental health treatments in the primary care sector.
The fund will also enable further investment in child and adolescent mental health services.
Scotland was the first country in the UK to introduce waiting time targets for these services,
and we have increased the workforce by 45 per cent.
We are also investing a further £100 million over the next 3 years to help tackle delayed discharges in our hospitals.
This will ensure more spaces are available for hospital admissions and enable boards and local councils to deliver quality care for people where they live.
Our plans also include an extra £40 million for new medicines.
We will invest more in specialist nursing care, with a commitment to new spending of £2.5 million,
with the first allocation going to support patients with motorneurone disease.
We also support calls to double research funding across the UK to find a cure for motorneurone disease, with Scotland well placed to play a central role in taking forward new research in this area.
Our approach to education is based on giving our young people the skills they need to flourish, now and in later life.
The introduction of Curriculum for Excellence is a big part of this, but we are also working to improve the learning environment and to remove barriers to education for our youngest pupils
and for those entering higher and further education.
Our decision to introduce free school meals for all pupils in primary 1 to 3 is providing a welcome boost to the wellbeing of thousands of children,
boosting their capacity to learn and helping to reduce educational inequalities.
It is also saving thousands of families, many on low incomes, over £300 each year.
Our school building programme will continue, so we can further improve the teaching and learning environment.
So far we have seen 526 schools rebuilt or refurnished under the SNP almost 200 more than were delivered in the eight years of Labour and the LibDems.
Through our £1.8 billion Schools for the Future programme we will continue to invest, delivering almost 100 more new and improved buildings by 2020,
on top of projects delivered through capital expenditure by local councils.
We will deliver increased investment in the year ahead to fund an additional 250 teacher training places the fourth year in a row we have delivered an increase.
And we are providing additional resources to local councils to maintain teacher numbers.
Our new Education (Scotland) Bill will focus on ways we can improve attainment, especially among Scotland’s most disadvantaged children.
Councils will have a statutory duty to narrow the attainment gap.
The Bill includes a range of other measures, including steps to ensure all teachers are appropriately trained and qualified.
It will also focus on Gaelic education by placing a duty on councils to assess the need for Gaelic medium primary education following a parental request.
As part of our ongoing support for Gaelic, we will ensure funding for Bòrd na Gàidhlig is protected.
We will also expand entitlement to the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) so that an extra 10,000 school pupils and 12,000 college students receive this important financial support, making it easier for them continue their education.
This will bring the number of young Scots receiving the EMA to 57,000.
We are proud to have delivered our unique Scottish Youth Guarantee, with a guaranteed offer of a place in training or education for all 16 to 19 year olds.
That is why we have seen an increase in fulltime college places and have committed to an increase in the number of Modern Apprenticeship places to 30,000 each year.
SNP MPs will press the UK to adopt the European Youth Guarantee to ensure faster intervention when a young person aged 16 to 24 is unemployed.
Passing power to people and delivering stronger communities.
Throughout the referendum campaign we said that decisions about Scotland’s future should be taken by the people who care most about Scotland, that is the people who live here.
That same broad principle should apply to decisions that most directly affect our local communities.
Over these coming months, we will ensure progress of the Community Empowerment Bill, which was introduced to the Parliament earlier this year.
The Bill proposes ways we can improve civic and community engagement and empowerment, including on the use of public assets.
SNP MPs will seek ways of extending the community asset transfer provisions of the legislation to include property in Scotland owned by UK government departments.
Mitigating welfare changes
The Scottish Government has been working to reduce the negative impact on households of UK welfare changes.
The UK Social Fund is now delivered by the Scottish Government and provides Crisis Grants and also Community Care Grants to enable independent living.
Following the abolition of Council Tax Benefit and the 10 percent reduction in funding made available for its replacement, the Scottish Government and Scotland’s councils, working together, are providing £40 million to ensure that no household loses out as a result of the UK change.
Over half a million households in Scotland have been protected from higher Council Tax bills.
We are also providing £35 million per year to ensure over 70,000 Scottish households can be protected from the damaging effects of the Westminster Bedroom Tax.
We have also established a new Empowering Communities Fund.
It has an additional £10 million to allocate in this coming year – enabling us to support over 200 community projects.
We are also committed to using public contracts to deliver clear community benefits,
including local employment and training opportunities
and support for community initiatives.
We will continue to take forward our partnership with Scotland’s island communities as part of the ‘Our Islands, Our Future’ project, with the clear intention to devolve new powers and responsibilities to Scotland’s three main island groups.
We will also work with local authorities to ensure that our island and coastal communities see a direct benefit from the devolution of the Crown Estate,
including full enjoyment of net income from seabed leasing revenue.
We believe that the natural wealth and resources of Scotland should deliver clearer advantages for the people who live here.
That includes one of our most valuable natural assets our land.
Our new Land Reform Bill will improve transparency and accountability of land ownership and ensure Scotland's land reform debate focuses on how Scotland's land can be best managed in the public interest to ensure it is of benefit to all of the people of Scotland.
We are also working to support increased community ownership of local energy projects, for example, through our £20 million local energy challenge fund.
This fund provides support for projects from community groups, local councils and housing associations, among others,
with the aim of delivering 500MW of locally owned renewable generation by 2020.
Our ambition is to achieve even more and we will explore ways of increasing support for community generation.
As part of our focus on meeting our climate change targets
and promoting sustainable economic growth,
we will support businesses, the third sector and public sector organisations working to boost productivity by using energy, materials and water more efficiently, so we can build a more resource efficient Scotland.
This includes work to stimulate remanufacturing networks and supply chains through the Scottish Institute of Remanufacturing, one of only four international centres of excellence.
As the Scottish Government, we are consulting on measures to reduce emissions in Scotland, including looking at the creation of Low Emission Zones.
We will continue to develop our zero waste strategy, supporting a range of initiatives, for example the ongoing pilot project for reverse vending machines to encourage rewards for recycling.
We will use our influence at Westminster to ensure the UK matches, and supports, Scotland’s ambitious commitments to carbon reduction
and that we play a positive role in the UN Climate Change conference in Paris.
We will also look for the Bank of England to continue its work on the potential impact of climate change on financial stability in the UK and report on how it can best respond.
In government we have made the promotion of Scotland’s food and drink a key priority with a particular focus on Scotland’s excellent produce as part of the 2015 Year of Food and Drink.
We will continue to work on promoting local food supply, including within the public sector.
We will seek full devolved responsibility over all food levies to support the promotion of food and drink,
so we can build on a record that has seen growth in the sector in Scotland of 20.8 per cent compared to 8.6 per cent in the UK.
Given that our whisky industry is a key national and export industry, we remain committed to a Treasury review of alcohol taxation to better reflect alcohol content, while securing health benefits through minimum pricing.
We are also taking forward the introduction of Scotland’s new rural development programme, which will provide crucial support for Scottish farming, food production, rural communities and the environment.
The new scheme is worth £1.3 billion over the next six years.
We will continue to press for speedy European signoff of Scotland’s rural development programme and, in the meantime, will continue to take action here in Scotland to minimise any delay or disruption to payments.
SNP MPs will urge the UK government to work with the European Commission to deliver a simplified CAP, in particular with a review of direct payments and Greening, in line with proposals in the Brian Pack report to reduce red tape.
We will also continue to press the Agriculture Commissioner to ensure Scottish farmers get clarity and certainty over the implementation arrangements for the new CAP.
Fishing is a very important industry for Scotland’s economy, with fishing, aquaculture and processing generating £690m
and employing around 14,300 people.
The SNP is working hard to increase revenues and profitability for the industry, with the deal secured at last December’s fisheries council adding around £10 million to the value of Scotland's whitefish and prawn stocks.
We are engaging with the industry on our review of fish quota management.
We want to ensure quotas are managed in the common interest,
so that active fishermen have access to the quota that they need, rather than seeing them concentrated in the hands of those with the deepest pockets.
We want to sustain jobs and find ways to support the entry of the next generation of skippers.
We will continue to work to ensure the discard ban is implemented in a way that does not damage the viability of the fleet and is workable for our fishermen.
Sensible implementation will deliver benefits for the fleet and consumers as we end the practice of dumping perfectly good fish back into the sea.
Our aim is to grow and strengthen local economies, both urban and rural.
By increasing the minimum wage and supporting a fair wage economy we can increase the disposable income of low and middle income households,
which will provide a direct boost to local businesses, enabling them to grow.
We are keen to see spending increase, and profits remain, within local communities so that more money is being circulated locally, generating jobs and opportunities for the benefit of all.
That is why we remain fully committed to the Small Business Bonus
and why we are expanding the Social Entrepreneurs Fund, to encourage and support community social enterprises.
We also recognise the importance of improving access to the internet, especially for some of our more remote or disadvantaged communities.
In government we are working to maximise the availability of highspeed broadband across Scotland
and are also providing funding of £1.5 million to increase free provision of WiFi in public buildings.
Our aim is to deliver a futureproofed infrastructure that will establish worldclass digital connectivity across Scotland by 2020,
including tackling the digital divide.
That is why we are investing in Superfast Broadband, so that at least 95 per cent of premises across Scotland will be able to access fibre broadband by the end of 2017.
From the very first days of the SNP in government in Scotland we have been determined to make our streets safer and to give people greater confidence and security in their communities and in their homes.
That’s why we invested in 1,000 extra police and why we are committed to retaining these extra police in our communities.
With record low crime rates and big improvements in detection, we know this is a policy that is working.
SNP MPs will join SNP ministers in pressing for all court fines income to be retained in Scotland so we can boost investment in crime reduction measures nationwide.
We will also press for Police Scotland to have the same ability to save on VAT as other police forces across the UK, enabling Scotland’s police service to invest £23 million more in frontline services.
The same VAT exemption should also apply to Scotland’s Fire and Rescue Service.
DELIVERING HOME RULE FOR SCOTLAND
The SNP believes that decisions about Scotland’s future – about our economy and society – are best taken by the people of Scotland:
the more powers we have in Scotland the more we can achieve for the people who live here.
That is why we campaigned for a Scottish Parliament and voted for the Scotland Act 1998.
It is why we supported the limited extension of devolution in the Scotland Act 2012, and called for a far more substantial package of powers at that point.
The same principle underpins our continued support for independence and was at the heart of our campaign for a Yes vote in September 2014.
During the referendum, the parties campaigning for a No vote promised the people of Scotland substantial new powers for our parliament,
amounting to real Home Rule, maximum devolution and as close to federalism as was possible.
It is our intention to hold them to that promise and the more SNP MPs elected in May, the greater our ability to deliver the strong package of effective devolution that people in Scotland want and need to build a fairer and more prosperous country.
We welcome the proposals set out in the Smith Commission, as far as they go.
The further watering down of the agreed proposals, by the UK government, is unacceptable.
There should be no effective veto for UK ministers on the exercise of the various new powers,
in particular over the welfare system.
We share the view of many organisations across Scotland that the package, as it stands, does not enable us to deliver fully either the greater social justice
or the powerhouse economy that our country demands.
As the STUC has said, “there is not enough” in the Smith Commission recommendations “to empower the Scottish Parliament to tackle inequality in Scotland".
And, we agree with the Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) “that anything less than wholesale devolution of welfare would be a real missed opportunity to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in our communities”.
The Smith Commission proposals were, in many respects, a missed opportunity.
Decisions about more than 70 per cent of Scottish taxes and 85 per cent of current UK welfare spending in Scotland will stay at Westminster.
Instead of limited and unambitious proposals on tax powers, we should have a greater ability to generate economic growth,
deliver more employment opportunities
and support family incomes with the devolution of additional taxes.
Instead of leaving decisions on wages and employment with Westminster, devolving these key areas to Scotland means we could ensure that people in Scotland receive fair pay for a day’s work.
We could bring together, more effectively, skills development and employment support – enabling us to get more people into wellpaid and rewarding employment, closer to home.
And, instead of choices on most aspects of our welfare system remaining at Westminster, the full devolution of the welfare state would give us the ability to halt the cruelest and most damaging welfare changes and instead develop a system that supports people and families in their time of need.
It is only with the more extensive devolution of welfare, wages, taxation and the economy that we can deliver greater prosperity for more of our citizens and for Scotland as a whole.
Powers for a Purpose
Our focus, therefore, will be securing specific new economic and social powers, over and above those set out in the Smith Commission proposals,
so we can tailor policy to make much more of the country’s strengths and finally address the challenges that we face as a society.
Scotland should have the opportunity to establish its own constitutional framework, including human rights, equalities and the place of local government.
The Scottish Parliament should also have the ability to directly represent its interests on devolved matters in the EU and internationally.
With more meaningful tax powers, we could provide more incentives and support for businesses to invest in Scotland
and enter new markets overseas,
encouraging inward investment and boosting our international exports.
We could also use targeted changes in business tax allowances to encourage higher levels of investment in capital or Research & Development, and encourage the growth of SMEs.
Proper economic powers would enable a fully cohesive industrial strategy focused on strengthening manufacturing and boosting innovation, allowing us to revitalise Scotland’s industries and rebalance our economy.
Full control over social protection would allow the Scottish Parliament to tailor a new and fairer welfare system for Scotland.
For example, no Scottish Government would have introduced the Bedroom Tax in Scotland and, looking forward, we would be able to protect people from any future ideological attacks from Westminster on the very essence of our social security system.
Devolving employment policy would allow us to take progressive action on low pay in order to tackle poverty and inequality,
with the power to raise the minimum wage, regardless of the political balance at Westminster
and we could more closely integrate skills and employment policy to support people in their search for rewarding work.
Securing Home Rule
We will use the influence of SNP votes at Westminster to ensure that the promises made to Scotland during the referendum are delivered.
We will demand, firstly, that the proposals of the Smith Commission are delivered quickly and in full.
However, we believe that the proposals of the Smith Commission do not go far enough to honour the promises made during the referendum.
We will seek agreement that the Scottish Parliament should move to full financial responsibility.
As implementation of the Calman Commission proposals and the Scotland Act 2012 have demonstrated, the transition to full fiscal responsibility and agreement of the detailed fiscal framework that would require to underpin it would take a number of years to complete.
SNP MPs will work with the Scottish Government to secure the best deal for Scotland in these negotiations.
In the meantime, we will prioritise devolution of powers over employment policy, including the minimum wage,
welfare,
business taxes, national insurance
and equality policy
the powers we need to create jobs,
grow revenues
and lift people out of poverty.
As we set out in our submission to the Smith Commission, the Barnett Formula should continue to be used to determine Scotland's resources during the transition to full fiscal responsibility and for as long as the Scottish Parliament's financial powers fall short of full responsibility.
SCOTLAND’S OPPORTUNITY
This General Election is an exciting opportunity for Scotland to have real power at Westminster.
The SNP goes into this election with a clear message none of us can afford more austerity//.
Our NHS, our economy and our children can't afford the billions of pounds of additional cuts that the Tories, Labour and Liberals have signed up to.
And none of us can afford the £100 billion they plan to spend on new nuclear weapons.
The Westminster parties have the wrong priorities.
And it will be ordinary people across the UK who will pay the price.
Unless you choose differently.
Labour alone won't be bold enough to deliver the change ordinary people need.
A big team of SNP MPs can force the pace of progressive change.
We offer an alternative.
A responsible plan for modest spending increases
and real investment in the NHS, housing, childcare
and jobs.
An SNP vote on May 7th will be a vote to make Scotland's voice heard loudly and clearly.
But ours will also be a voice for a new, better and more progressive politics at Westminster for everyone.
The Northern Ireland Plan
Our priorities
Make Northern Ireland an economic powerhouse
Deliver world class public services for our people
Create a society based on fairness and opportunity for everyone
Make politics and Government work better in Northern Ireland
Strengthen the United Kingdom and protect and enhance our British identity
We have a positive plan for Northern Ireland
To deliver our plan we need a strong team of DUP MPs returned to Westminster to negotiate a good deal for Northern Ireland in the event of a hung parliament.
Only a vote for the DUP will deliver our clear plan for a better Northern Ireland and a stronger United Kingdom.
We want to create a shared and united Northern Ireland
that is economically prosperous
and plays a full and active role as part of the United Kingdom.
We will use our position at Westminster to strengthen the UK
and to seek the best deal for Northern Ireland.
We will fight for the interests of everyone in Northern Ireland.
Since devolution was restored to Northern Ireland in 2007 real progress has been made across a range of areas.
Despite all of the political ups and downs, Northern Ireland is slowly but surely moving in the right direction again.
Over these last eight years we have been working to secure Northern Ireland’s position within the UK,
to help grow our economy,
to offer opportunity to all
and to build reconciliation and address the legacy of the past.
This challenge has been made all the more difficult by virtue of the global economic downturn,
the reduction in public expenditure available to the Northern Ireland Executive
and the system of government we operate.
In spite of this, things are changing for the better.
The transformation is visible wherever you look.
Northern Ireland is now a venue not just for international investment, but for events that would not have considered coming here just a few years ago.
We have a plan for where we want Northern Ireland to be in 2021, the hundredth anniversary of Northern Ireland’s creation.
We have been working to deliver it.
However, the election on 7 May will give Northern Ireland the opportunity of a lifetime to transform our Province for generations.
It is highly likely that after that election no single party will have enough seats to command a majority in the House of Commons.
That means that the votes of our MPs could be crucial.
Political commentators have consistently stated that the DUP could be crucial in what looks likely to be a hung Parliament.
The DUP will use such a position to negotiate on behalf of Northern Ireland.
This document sets out some of our key priorities for discussion with the parties which could form the next government.
It also sets out what we will do to create the kind of Northern Ireland we all wish to see.
A century ago Ulster was an economic powerhouse within the British Isles: today with the right investment, policies and dedication we have the potential to create the conditions where we can be so once again.
To do so we need help from Westminster and we need to take bold steps at home as well.
The influence that we may have after this election gives us the once in a lifetime opportunity to transform our economic fortunes for generations to come.
In doing so we are building on firm foundations that have been laid over the last few years.
In 2007 we made growing our economy the Executive’s number one priority.
The restoration of devolution to Northern Ireland has created the peace and political stability to encourage foreign direct investment at record levels.
In fact despite the worldwide economic downturn more jobs have been created in Northern Ireland over the last four years than at any time in recorded history.
Global businesses establishing in Northern Ireland are now the norm rather than the exception.
Our claimant count has been falling for over 25 months and our headline rate of unemployment is broadly in line with the UK average.
For the first time in many years Northern Ireland is emerging from an economic downturn alongside, rather than after the rest of the UK.
After years of campaigning we managed to persuade the UK Government to allow the Assembly to set a Northern Ireland Corporation Tax Rate
and previously had secured the devolution of Air Passenger Duty for longhaul flights.
We have attracted international events to Northern Ireland from the Giro d’Italia to the Irish Open Golf and from the European MTV Awards to the World Police and Fire Games.
We have invested in our tourism infrastructure with signature projects such as Titanic Belfast
and the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre
and of course Northern Ireland is now known worldwide as the home of the hit HBO television series, ‘Game of Thrones’.
With the right support we can build upon the important work that has been done in recent years to make sure that Northern Ireland once again plays its part as an economic driver
within the United Kingdom.
Make Northern Ireland an economic powerhouse
More satisfactory terms in relation to Corporation Tax;
FROM  WESTMINSTER,  WE  WANT:
LOCALLY,  WE  WILL:
The national debt and deficit addressed in a way which secures economic growth and longterm prosperity
while protecting essential public services;
UK wide tax policy improvements to encourage economic growth in Northern Ireland;
Assistance from the UK Government to attract FDI into Northern Ireland;
Northern Ireland businesses to be in a position to get a fair share of national government contracts;
Increased infrastructure investment to assist us in preparing Northern Ireland for the future;
Enhanced connectivity to Great Britain including guaranteeing direct access from Northern Ireland to London’s hub airports;
Help from the UK Government to market Northern Ireland internationally through its agencies and Embassies across the world;
The UK Government to encourage international events to Northern Ireland;
Northern Ireland prominently incorporated into UK branding;
Ensure that Northern Ireland maintains its 100% regional aid status;
Support to help reduce electricity costs for business customers;
Innovate UK to establish a Northern Ireland presence;
Ensure that schemes developed by the British Business Bank are tailored to suit Northern Ireland.
Make Northern Ireland the most attractive region in the whole of western Europe to invest in;
Set a low rate of Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland for the longterm from 2017;
Freeze the nondomestic Regional Rate in real terms to help local businesses;
Promote 25,000 new jobs by 2020;
Balance our budget each and every year;
Continue to make growing our economy the number one priority;
Create the environment in Northern Ireland where local business can prosper;
Provide a well educated and skilled workforce;
Take the decisions to make sure our people can take advantage of new economic opportunities;
Remove the barriers to economic growth;
Reform our planning system;
Build more economic and transport infrastructure for the future;
Continue to invest in our tourism infrastructure;
Bring international events to Northern Ireland;
Put Northern Ireland on the map internationally and attract visitors from abroad.
One of the most important duties of any government is to deliver high quality public services.
This task is challenging given the increasing expectations and increased demand and the reduction in public expenditure available to Northern Ireland.
However, despite the difficulties we have sought to meet the needs of our people by prioritising our key public services,
saving money by cutting waste
and by reforming the services that we deliver.
With the reduction in public expenditure over recent years we have had to prioritise what we need most and focus on what matters most to our people.
In spite of the £1.5 billion reduction, in real terms, in the funding we receive in Northern Ireland, over the last eight years we have made health
and education our top two priorities in terms of public expenditure.
As a result we have increases in spending on health by 33%
and education by 23% since 2007.
That has allowed us to make sure we spend the money available to us on the areas that matter most to the general public.
As part of this process we have set ambitious targets in terms of achieving savings across government departments.
As a result in the last two Assembly terms savings of over £4 billion have been achieved to free up money from important frontline services.
Those savings have been critical to ensuring we continue to deliver the best quality public services.
Since the restoration of devolution we have also invested more in capital spending in areas such as schools, hospitals and roads than at any point in our history.
That has meant more new schools, hospitals and roads and other key capital infrastructure.
The Northern Ireland Executive has also undertaken a significant programme of public sector reform with major changes in education administration, the health service and in local government.
These decisions will allow more resources to be targeted on front line services and less on administration in future years.
We have played our part in making the best use of the resources that are available to us
but it is always the dedication and commitment of those who work in the public sector that ensures world class public services can be delivered.
The challenges of delivering world class public services will only increase in the years to come but with support from Westminster and the right decisions taken at home we can not only meet but exceed expectations of our people.
Deliver world class public services for our people
A budget settlement which will allow real term increases in health
and education spending over the next five years
without decimating other key public services;
Capital investment to make our schools and hospitals fit for the twenty first century;
Assistance to reform and transform our public services.
Prioritise spending on health,
education
and growing the economy;
Set ambitious targets to cut wasteful spending;
Reform the delivery of public services to ensure that they meet the needs and expectations of the public;
Advance an ambitious egovernment agenda, seeking to deliver an increasing number of public services via digital and online channels,
making services more accessible to citizens;
Implement new and innovative sources of financing for infrastructure projects and the third sector;
Expand the scope and scale of Northern Ireland's government shared services system;
Develop a comprehensive Civil Service Reform Plan with the aim of achieving a public sector fit for the challenges of the 21st Century;
Continue to construct a public sector reform architecture that enables the Northern Ireland Executive to adopt innovative solutions to public service challenges.
One of our key goals has been to ensure that everyone can benefit from the new era that Northern Ireland has now entered and no one is left behind.
That means there must be the opportunity for everyone to succeed and a fair and level playing field for all.
This approach will not only create a society based on fairness but it will maximise the interests of Northern Ireland as a whole.
We have been working to achieve the twin goals of fairness and opportunity for all in recent years through a range of measures.
Through the Stormont House Agreement we sought to deliver affordable changes to the welfare system that would protect the most vulnerable
but would also encourage people back to work.
That includes ensuring that the bedroom tax is not in operation in Northern Ireland.
In dealing with the issue of welfare reform it is vital that we keep the proper balance between enhancing the GB welfare system and the protection of frontline public services.
We have sought to keep higher education open to all by keeping student fees much lower than in England.
Through the Social Investment Fund we have worked with communities to deliver programmes tailored to meet their specific needs.
Through Delivering Social Change we have invested in measures such as additional support for children to deliver good GCSE results.
We are working on a revolutionary new Childcare system that could help transform the sector.
We have extended support for older people including through the free transport scheme.
To encourage opportunity for all, in education we have also retained selection based on academic ability and not the ability to pay.
In the departments for which we have responsibility we are doing everything within the law to ensure that our Armed Forces, veterans and dependants have every possible support.
We have also ensured that local household taxes in Northern Ireland are significantly lower than anywhere else in the UK
and have resisted the introduction of Water Charges.
While we have achieved much in this area we will need the help and support of Westminster to deliver on some of our key outstanding objectives.
Create a society based on fairness and opportunity for everyone
Welfare Reform to incentivise work but also protect those most in need;
FROM  WESTMINSTER,  WE  WANT: The removal of the bedroom tax at a national level;
A national entitlement to enhanced support for members of the Armed Forces across the United Kingdom;
Victims and Members of the Armed Forces, serving and retired to be given protected status, akin to the protection for groups under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act;
A UK wide definition of a victim which excludes perpetrators;
To ensure economic migrants must have contributed to the UK before they are entitled to claim benefits;
Proper border controls and a tougher immigration policy;
A UK wide charter for animal protection.
Give additional support to those individuals and communities that need help;
Ensure we protect those most in genuine need through our welfare system;
Work to expand affordable childcare for working families;
Create an education system that guarantees a fair start and opportunity for every child;
Make Higher Education affordable for all;
Prioritise the needs of our older people through anti discrimination legislation;
Protect existing benefits for older people such as free bus passes;
Help families by keeping household taxes the lowest in the United Kingdom;
Be tough on crime;
Support tougher sentences for those who attack older people and vulnerable people.
For the first time in generations, despite all of the challenges and difficulties, Northern Ireland has had almost eight years of uninterrupted devolution.
Given the history of the last fifty years this is in itself a remarkable achievement.
During this time we have overcome many problems and have put in place arrangements that have been robust and stable.
We do not seek to do anything which will threaten the long term stability of the political institutions however, we must now make sure that it works better in delivering for the people we represent.
In seeking to create a better system of government we should remember the progress that we have made.
The St Andrews Agreement corrected some of the key flaws of the Belfast Agreement but we continue to work towards more normal politics in Northern Ireland.
As a result of these changes important decisions require Executive approval and we have a veto over all big issues.
After years of debate and dispute we negotiated appropriate arrangements which allowed Policing and Justice powers to be passed to the Assembly in 2010 on a basis which requires the Justice Minister to be able to command a cross community majority and have operated well since
.
For many years we have campaigned for changes to how devolution operates.
Some of these objectives were delivered as part of the talks process which concluded last Christmas.
The Stormont House Agreement made provision for a reduction in the number of MLAs which will take effect no later than 2021.
It also agreed to create arrangements for an official opposition at Stormont and better processes for the Executive.
We have agreed a reduction in the number of government departments from twelve to nine and a reordering of functions to improve the delivery of public services.
This will also mean a fundamental change and to OFMDFM and a more strategic focus with a new name, ‘The Executive Office.’
For us to deliver the kind of changes and improvements we want to see we will need the support of Westminster to make sure that politics operates better in Northern Ireland.
Make politics and Government work better in Northern Ireland
Support to strengthen the political process in Northern Ireland;
Constitutional stability for Northern Ireland;
Legislation to reform the structure of government in Northern Ireland;
The principle of devolution to be respected by Westminster;
A guaranteed seat at the Cabinet for a Secretary of State for Northern Ireland;
An agreed guaranteed minimum level of representation for Northern Ireland in the House of Commons;
Allowances removed from parties who refuse to attend the House of Commons;
No side deals with Republicans;
A level playing field by banning all political donations from outside the UK.
Deliver strong and stable government;
Secure the improved level of peace and political progress that has been made;
Make politics work for the benefit of the people;
Implement the changes to government set out in the Stormont House Agreement;
Work to provide for an Official Opposition at Stormont;
Work with other parties to agree further improvements to government in Northern Ireland;
Advocate an end to the present divisive community designation arrangements in the Assembly;
Seek to persuade others to end mandatory coalition government in Northern Ireland;
Campaign to cut the cost of government and reduce its size;
Work to maximise public confidence in the political institutions in Northern Ireland.
Support for Northern Ireland’s constitutional position within the United Kingdom has never been higher.
The number of people who want to see a united Ireland in either the short or the medium term is at an all time low.
The constitutional future of Northern Ireland has been settled for generations to come.
This has been achieved by agreeing political structures in Northern Ireland that can command crosscommunity support
and by ensuring everyone can play a full part in our society and community.
While we should never be complacent about what has been achieved,
the focus must now move to strengthen the United Kingdom as a whole
and to enhance our British identity in Northern Ireland.
Our place as a key and integral part of the United Kingdom has been highlighted in recent years by the decision to host the G8 at Lough Erne,
the visit of Her Majesty to Stormont in 2012
and the enormous role our people continue to play in the Armed Services.
Northern Ireland plays its full part alongside Scotland and Wales in intergovernmental relations within the United Kingdom
and every aspect of our government remains linked to Westminster.
Despite the opposition of Sinn Fein the work of the National Crime Agency is also being extended to Northern Ireland.
At Westminster our MPs have been at the forefront of the campaign for a referendum on the European Union
and in defence of our Armed Forces.
They continue to play a key and critical role in the decisions, which affect our nation as a whole.
We have built strong and solid relationships with both major Westminster parties to allow us to maximise our influence whatever the outcome of the general election.
In Northern Ireland we are working with other unionist parties to maximise unionist representation at Westminster and to deliver on the many areas of policy where we can find agreement.
While there is much we can do in Northern Ireland, some of these issues can only be delivered with the help of Westminster.
Strengthen the United Kingdom and protect and enhance our British identity
A fair deal for all four parts of the United Kingdom to strengthen the Union;
Protection in law for the official display of the Union Flag and the symbols of our nation;
National events to celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland in 2021
and to commemorate the Battle of the Somme;
National UK departments to carry out administrative operations in Northern Ireland;
A new relationship between the regional administrations and the National Government;
Arrangements to ensure Northern Ireland’s perspective is taken into account across Government and direct access to decision makers;
Northern Ireland’s priorities promoted in Europe;
A renegotiation of the UK’s role in Europe
and an early referendum on the European Union;
Commit to the NATO target of spending 2% of GDP on defence;
No partisan political deals which would weaken the United Kingdom;
Legislation for a new way forward on parading which respects the fundamental rights of assembly.
Play our full part in the National Parliament at Westminster;
Play a constructive role in UKwide intergovernmental relations;
Make sure Northern Ireland continues to contribute to the life of the nation;
Sell the benefits of the United Kingdom to the widest possible audience in Northern Ireland;
Display the flag and symbols of our nation appropriately and with respect;
Support the roll out of national programmes in Northern Ireland;
Work with other unionists to maximise our power and influence at home and abroad;
Work to reduce Northern Ireland’s economic dependence on Westminster;
Act responsibly and in the interest of the country as a whole when taking decisions which would have an impact nationally;
Work to ensure disputes around parades and protests are resolved;
At every level of government in Northern Ireland defend our British cultural heritage;
Campaign to highlight the benefits of the Union to Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland to the Union.
Believe In Britain
May 7th presents the people of Britain with an incredible opportunity. For the first time in 100 years, there is real change on the horizon. All you Now, there is something to vote for, if you believe in Britain. have to do is vote for it. If you believe that we are big enough to make our own laws, in our own Political party manifestos are usually filled with arbitrary, over-ambitious parliament; if you believe we should have the sovereign right to control our targets and pledges to some special interest group here or there. UKIP is own borders; if you believe that we should be fiscally responsible, and stop different. adding to our national debts and expecting our children and grandchildren to pay the bill, then we are the party for you. In this document, which should inform your choice at this election, you will find serious, fully-costed policies that reflect what our party is all about: If you believe in these things and that in this year, the 800th anniversary  believing in our country. of Magna Carta, you believe we should seize the opportunity for real change in our politics; rebalance power from large corporations and big On the major issues of the day - immigration, the economy, our health government institutions and put it back into the hands of the people of this service and living standards – the establishment parties have repeatedly country, then there really is only one choice. and knowingly raised the expectations of the public, only to let us down, time and time again. If you believe in Britain, vote UKIP on May 7th. In many ways, this is where UKIP came from: a feeling that successive governments were no longer representing the will of the British people.
CONTENTSINTRODUCTION TO OUR MANIFESTO 5 ECONOMY 6 IMMIGRATION  10 THE NHS 14 SOCIAL CARE  18 PENSIONS  20 WELFARE AND DISABILITY  22 CHILDCARE AND THE FAMILY  24 EDUCATION  28 HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT  32 TRANSPORT  36 ENERGY  38 EMPLOYMENT  40 SMALL BUSINESS 42 FARMING AND THE COUNTRYSIDE 46 FISHING  48 HERITAGE AND TOURISM  50 CRIME AND JUSTICE  52 POLITICAL REFORM  56 LOCAL GOVERNMENT  58 BRITISH CULTURE  60 TRADE  62 DEFENCE  64 HONOURING THE MILITARY COVENANT  66 FOREIGN AFFAIRS 67 OVERSEAS AID  68 BREXIT  70 FINANCE  72
Published and Promoted by Paul Oakden, on behalf of the UK Independence Party, 1 King Charles Business Park, Old Newton Road, Heathfield, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 6UT.
INTRODUCTION TO OUR MANIFESTO
If only all politicians could believe in Britain as UKIP does.
If only they could share our positive vision of Britain as a proud, independent sovereign nation,
a country respected on the world stage,
a major player in global trade,
with influence and authority when it comes to tackling the pressing international issues of the day.
This manifesto is our blueprint for a Britain released from the shackles of the interfering EU.
This makes it markedly different to those of the other main parties.
While we see a free, prosperous, healthy, international future for Britain, their cowardice binds our country to a failing super-state that tells us what to do and does not listen to what we want.
Our manifesto also throws down the gauntlet to those who have ridiculed us, jeered at us and lied about our voters, our people and our policies.
It tells the truth about what UKIP stands for.
It takes care of Britain’s finances too.
Taxpayers could get so much better value for their money if we left the EU,
made reasonable cuts to the foreign aid budget,
replaced the unfair Barnett formula,
scrapped HS2,
ended ‘health tourism’
and cut the cost of government.
These are our plans and they give us a budget to invest in Britain the other parties can only dream of.
Without adding a penny to our burgeoning national debt, without cutting vital services and without raising taxes, we can, over the course of the next parliament:
Invest an extra £12 billion into the NHS;
put £5.2 billion more into social care;
build a dedicated military hospital
and abolish hospital parking charges
End income tax on the minimum wage;
cut income taxes for middle earners;
scrap inheritance tax;
abolish the ‘bedroom tax’
and increase the transferable personal tax allowance for married couples and civil partners
Fund 6,000 additional posts spread between the police service, the prison service and the Border Agency
Cut business rates for small businesses
Waive tuition fees for students taking a degree in science; technology; engineering; maths or medicine
Increase defence spending to 2 per cent of GDP to honour our NATO obligations
Invest £1.5 billion into mental health and dementia services
Pay carers an extra £572 a year
Build 500 affordable rent homes every year
and eight halfway house hostels for homeless veterans
Remove stamp duty on the first £250,000 for new homes built on brownfield sites.
Our fiscal plans identifying how we will fund these policies have been rigorously and independently assessed by the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr).
The Cebr has been extremely diligent and has challenged us frequently, so voters can be assured our manifesto commitments are sound and affordable.
Ours is an amazing country, but it could be better still.
As Mark Reckless said when he joined UKIP last year: “we are more than just a star on someone else’s flag.”
Britain is great: if you believe this too, then believe in us and vote UKIP.
“Our willingness to take the axe to politically correct spending programmes makes us the one party that can stick to the Treasury’s deficit elimination plan, while cutting taxes and increasing spending on vital services such as the NHS and defence of our nation.”
Believe    in Britain UKIP believes the key to creating a successful, dynamic economy and a fair society lies in harnessing the ingenuity, resourcefulness and appetite for hard work  of the British people.
Under previous governments, excessive rates of taxation have killed incentives for people to create wealth and make the most of their talents.
Our approach to the economy revolves around restoring incentives for workers by cutting taxes
and ending the current ‘open door’ arrangement for European labour that has driven down wages in recent years.
By the end of the next parliament, UKIP will: Raise the personal allowance to at least £13,000 so people can earn enough money to cover their basic living costs before the state starts to take income tax out of their pay packets.
This will take those on minimum wage out of tax altogether
Abolish inheritance tax.
Assets bought out of taxed income should not be taxed again when their owners die.
We will strike out the hated ‘death tax.’
It hits the middle classes hardest, those who have worked to provide for their dependents, because the wealthiest almost always manage to avoid paying it
Raise the threshold for paying 40 per cent income tax to £55,000
and introduce a new intermediate tax rate of 30 per cent on incomes ranging between £43,500 and £55,000.
A tax originally designed for high earners should not be levied on middle-income earners such as school teachers and senior nurses
Increase the transferable tax allowance for married couples and civil partners to £1,500.
The longer term aspiration of a UKIP government will be to create an income tax structure of a basic rate of 20 per cent, an intermediate rate of 30 per cent, and a top rate of 40 per cent, meaning income taxes will be flatter and lower.
Bringing down taxes on working people at the bottom and in the middle ranges of the income scale is our priority.
In the longer term, we will aim to restore the personal allowance to those earning over £100,000 and make 40 per cent the top rate of tax for all, as it used to be.
VAT
Outside the EU, we will have control over VAT.
Significantly, we will be able to deal with distortion imposed by EU legislation and zero-rate certain goods and services that have previously had VAT charged on them.
This means we can – and will - remove VAT completely from repairs to listed buildings and sanitary products, for example.
CORPORATION TAX DODGING
It is grossly unfair that a few multi-national corporations have been able to access all the benefits of our thriving British consumer market without making a proper contribution to the costs of British society.
The public has every right to be angry about this.
UKIP will not allow large companies to continue getting away with paying zero or negligible corporation tax in Britain. We will bring this unfairness to an end.
By restoring British tax sovereignty, which we lost when we signed up to the EU,
we will end the practice of businesses paying tax in whichever EU or associated country they choose.
Our membership of the EU enables companies to avoid paying some UK taxes with impunity and we will close this loophole.
We will also set up a Treasury Commission to monitor the effectiveness of the new Diverted Profits Tax and bring in any further measures necessary to prevent large multinational corporations using aggressive tax avoidance schemes.
REDUCING THE DEFICIT, PAYING OFF OUR DEBTS
Years of mismanagement by Labour and Conservative governments have left our public finances in a mess.
The public sector deficit in 2014/15 is expected to be around £90 billion and our national debt close to £1.5 trillion, £500 billion more than it was when David Cameron took over in 2010.
This is a terrible legacy to leave our children and grandchildren.
Interest payments on our national debt alone cost £46 billion every year: more than £700 for every man, woman and child in the country.
It is more than we are spending on defence.
The Chancellor has failed to stick to his 2010 promise to wipe out the deficit by the end of the current parliament, despite damaging cuts to public services.
In the March 2015 Budget, a new deficit reduction schedule was unveiled, envisaging the elimination of the deficit by the third year of the next parliament, with a surplus being recorded after that.
While this current Treasury plan is a reasonable target, there is little public faith it will be achieved, coming as is does in the wake of previous failure.
UKIP MPs in the next parliament will make sure the Treasury sticks to this latest plan, with no backsliding.
We will hold the next Chancellor’s feet to the fire when it comes to improving public finances.
UKIP will make a difference by being a powerful, much-needed voice in favour of sound financial management.
FINANCING UKIP SPENDING PLANS
UKIP will finance a fairer tax system and fund our public spending proposals by sharp reductions in spending on specified public sector programmes.
By the end of the next parliament we will: Save £9 billion a year in direct net contributions to the European Union budget by leaving the EU
Reduce the overseas aid budget from 0.7 per cent to  0.2 per cent of GNI, matching the percentage contribution made by the USA.
This change will be phased in so projects in progress can be completed and contractual obligations met.
Annual savings will increase to £11 billion by 2019/20 and money for bilateral aid projects will not be languishing in EU bank accounts
Save £4 billion a year in capital expenditure by scrapping the HS2 vanity project, which will benefit the few at the expense of many
Reduce spending by £5.5 billion by replacing the Barnett Formula
REPLACING THE BARNETT FORMULA
The Barnett Formula is the method by which HM Treasury allocates funds to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Despite being in existence for thirty-seven years, since when we have seen devolution and significant changes in the respective countries’ fortunes, this formula has never been reviewed or updated.
Now discredited, it was disowned by Lord Barnett himself.
UKIP believes the Barnett Formula has passed its sell-by date.
Spending has become increasingly unfair, with Scotland receiving  a considerably higher per capita spend, despite moving towards  further tax-raising and spending powers of its own.
Scotland receives almost £1,400 more per person in public spending than the UK average and nearly £450 more than Wales.
This is why Scotland is able to spend in a manner not possible elsewhere in the UK.
We agree with the House of Lords Select Committee on the Barnett Formula which in 2009 concluded that: The Barnett Formula results in ‘per capita allocations that are arbitrary and unfair’
Scotland has ‘markedly lower overall need than Wales’
‘The Barnett Formula should no longer be used to determine annual increases in the block grant for the devolved administration’
‘A new system which allocates resources to the devolved administrations based on an explicit assessment of their relative needs should be introduced’
‘A formula based on relative need is a practical possibility.’
These conclusions echoed a House of Commons Justice Committee report in the same year, which stated: ‘The Barnett Formula is overdue for reform and lacks any basis in equity or logic.’
The government of the day was urged to devise a new, needs-based formula.
Both reports have been ignored.
UKIP will implement these recommendations within the time frame anticipated by the House of Lords Select Committee: ‘a transitional period of between three and five years, preferably no more than seven.’
The introduction of a new system will result in substantial reductions in funding for Scotland,
but, as the Scottish government is to have significant further powers over taxation, borrowing and spending in due course, it can make its own decision as to whether to raise taxes or cut public spending to balance the books.
Either way, the devolved administration in Scotland will be well placed to balance its fiscal, economic and spending priorities.
CUTTING THE COST OF WESTMINSTER
The cost to the taxpayer of the Houses of Parliament, Ministerial Departments, the Home Civil Service and Whitehall-funded quangos is huge, running into hundreds of millions of pounds every year.
UKIP believes we can make considerable savings
at the same time as improving democratic accountability.
These savings include: Reducing the size of the House of Commons and ensuring parliamentary constituencies across the country are of equal size
Abolishing government departments when their essential powers and functions can be merged into other departments.
Such departments will include the Department for Energy and Climate Change,
the Department for International Development,
and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Reducing the number of secretaries of state, ministers and parliamentary undersecretaries-of-state and, accordingly, the size of government
Cutting departmental running costs where they do not deliver value for money
Reducing the £7.2 million cost of paid advisers and bring more transparency to their appointment
Abolishing unnecessary quangos such as the Cabinet Office’s ‘Big Society’ programme (£49 million),
the National Citizen Service (£62 million),
DfID’s International Citizen Service Volunteers (£110 million)
and Defra’s Waste Resource Action Programme (£15.5 million)
Clamping down on so-called ‘fake charities,’
or state-funded political activism
Ending tax-payer funded overseas junketing and non-essential ‘fact-finding’ missions
Ceasing all subsidies for bars and dining rooms in the Palace of Westminster
Preventing MPs claiming expenses that are not incurred wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the performance of their duties, like every other member of society.
We anticipate investing savings made from cutting the cost of Westminster into a dedicated fund to contribute to the repair and maintenance of the beautiful and historic Palace of Westminster.
The fabric of this building has been neglected and the estimated cost of essential repairs is currently £3 billion.
Government has focused on the wrong spending priorities for far too long.
It is time to stop wasting money on trying to be popular on the world stage, and  start tackling urgent, pressing  needs here in the UK.
By changing our spending priorities British taxpayers can get much better value for money.
UKIP will take Britain out of the red and back  into the black.
IMMIGRATION
“Britain is a compassionate, caring nation. In the course of our island’s history we have welcomed millions of people to these shores and we are proud of that record. UKIP does not have a problem with migration. What we do have a problem with is the uncontrolled, politically-driven immigration that has been promoted and sustained by Labour and the Conservatives.”
The increasing ebb and flow of people across our planet is one of the greatest issues of our time.
In 1950s Britain, some 25,000 immigrants arrived here annually and net migration was negligible.
Now, immigration into the UK is at an all time high:
in the year to September 2014, 624,000 migrants moved to our island and annual net migration, which takes into account those leaving the country, now stands at 298,000, again, a new record
Nearly seven million immigrants came to the UK when the Blair and Brown Labour governments deliberately and recklessly threw open our borders between 1997 and 2010.
Over two million more have arrived since David Cameron came to power and spectacularly broke his promise to reduce net migration to the “tens of thousands…No ifs. No buts.”
This unprecedented influx has had significant consequences on our economy, our public services, our culture and our environment.
Evidence from the EU and the UK Parliament’s Treasury Select Committee reveals how immigration has driven down wages and led to job losses for British workers.
The sheer weight of numbers, combined with rising birth rates (particularly to immigrant mothers) and an ageing population, is pushing public services to breaking point.
To meet demand, we must build one home every seven minutes;
we wait longer to see our GP or be treated in hospitals;
our children are learning in schools with over-sized classes,  or having lessons disrupted by building work as schools are forced to keep expanding.
The British public has every right to be concerned.
Surveys consistently show immigration as one of the top three issues for voters.
Yet, instead of listening, the old parties have responded with insults and contempt: even our prime ministers have labelled good, decent people ‘closet racists’ and ‘bigots.’
Immigration is not about race; it is about space.
Immigrants are not the problem; it is the current immigration system that is broken.
Our current immigration rules ignore the wishes of the British people.
They discriminate in favour of EU citizens and against the rest of the world.
The system is failing so badly that we cannot even properly identify how many people enter and leave our country.
TO REFORM OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM UKIP WILL:
Take back control of our borders
Put  a  five-year  moratorium  on  immigration  for  unskilled  workers,  which will enable the unemployed already living here to find work and those already working to see wage growth
Introduce  an  Australian-style  points  based  system  to  manage  the  number and skills of people coming into the country,
treating all citizens of the world on a fair and equal basis as a welcoming, outward-looking country
Tackle the problem of sham marriages.
These policies are essential if we are to give our country the breathing space it desperately needs from mass uncontrolled immigration,
create harmonious, integrated communities,
and catch up on building the essential infrastructure needed to sustain our growing nation.
CONTROLLING OUR BORDERS
We can never control immigration while we continue to be members of the European Union.
Until we leave, we are forced to abide by the EU’s founding, unshakable principle of the ‘free movement of people,’ meaning we cannot prevent the flow of citizens from all EU member states into Britain.
Other political parties will promise to control immigration, but while they continue to support the UK’s membership of the EU, they are not being honest with the electorate.
Wholly unable to control EU migration, they can only reduce numbers by slamming the door in the face of people from around the rest of the world.
The old parties already support blatant discrimination against Commonwealth countries, with whom Britain has traditionally had long and friendly relationships.
This inequality will at best continue and at worst increase, under their prejudicial immigration policies.
UKIP will: Increase the numbers of Border Agency staff by 2,500
Implement  new  border  control  technology  solutions  to ensure all passport and visa holders are counted in and out and to identify over-stayers, including those on student visas.
MANAGING IMMIGRATION
We will establish a Migration Control Commission to oversee operation of our Australian-style points based system.
This commission will operate under a strict mandate to significantly reduce the numbers of people migrating to the UK.
It will determine Britain’s economic and social needs annually and then recommend how many immigrants, with what skills required, we will accept into Britain.
Because the other parties have failed to control immigration, UKIP will limit highly-skilled work visas to 50,000 per annum,
including those from the EU,
and apply a moratorium to unskilled and low-skilled labour over the course of the next parliament.
UKIP has no intention of ‘pulling up the drawbridge’ to Britain, as has been suggested.
We simply want to control who walks over it, like nearly 200 other countries worldwide.
OUR VISA SYSTEM
A new visa system will be operated on a strict principle of non-discrimination between peoples of all nations applying to work, study and visit the United Kingdom.
We will offer five principal visa categories: Work  Visas  will be issued to skilled and key workers under our Australian-style points  based system.
Workers under this scheme will be required to have medical insurance to cover both themselves and any dependent s for five years’ duration.
During this time they will not be able to claim any benefits or non-urgent NHS treatment, unless they can be treated under any reciprocal international agreements or have been granted a specific exception by the Migration Control Commission.
Those arriving on work visas will not be granted permanent leave to remain, however they can apply for British citizenship after five years if they have worked and paid tax here.
Visitor visas and entry passes-We value and want to encourage tourism, however there are inequalities in the current system, which treats some nationalities more favourably than others.
The Migration Control Commission will be charged with finding a system which enables countries with which the UK already has close ties, such as member states of the European Union and the Commonwealth, to establish reciprocal arrangements for visitor visas and term-dated entry passes.
Student visas- The international student community makes an important contribution to the UK.
Because students are in Britain only on a temporary basis, we will categorise them separately in immigration figures.
All non-UK undergraduate and post-graduate students will be required to maintain private health insurance for the period of their study.
We will also: Review which educational institutions are eligible to enroll international students and prevent abuse of the student visa system.
Students not attending courses will have their visas withdrawn and colleges not reporting absentees will be barred from accepting international students.
Family reunion visas - It is important that British citizens and those with permanent leave to remain here can form legal family relationships with non-British citizens and we will review the family union system to ensure this basic principle is respected and applies equally to all.
However, our key aim is to control immigration, so we will abolish the EEA family permit scheme and reinstate the primary purpose rule, meaning foreign nationals marrying British citizens will have to prove that the primary purpose of their marriage is not to obtain British residency.
Asylum visas -We will comply fully with the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees;
speed up the asylum process;
and seek to do so while tackling logjams in the system for those declined asylum status.
We will continue to honour our obligations to bona fide asylum seekers.
ACCESS TO WELFARE AND THE NHS
We have an over-stretched NHS and a high benefits bill, partly because of the pressure from immigration.
To combat this, all new migrants to Britain will have to make tax and national insurance contributions for five consecutive years before they will become eligible to claim UK benefits, or access to more than non-urgent NHS services, save for any exceptions stipulated by the Migration Control Commission.
BRITISH CITIZENSHIP
Save for current applications, approved asylum cases and family reunions, we will cease grant of ‘Permanent Leave to Remain’ status.
Those on work visas may apply for British citizenship once they have been here for five years.
We will revoke the British citizenship of those who have obtained it by fraud or deception and remove those who have obtained entry into Britain by this means.
We take the view that British citizens who choose to fight alongside terrorist organisations effectively abdicate their rights to citizenship.
We will amend the Foreign Enlistment Act 1870 to make enlistment in violent armed groups or transnational terror organisations a crime
and we will seek a means to revoke their citizenship and prevent their repatriation.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
There will be no amnesty for illegal immigrants.
We will increase the number of immigration compliance and enforcement teams
and review current holding and accommodation arrangements for illegal immigrants.
FOREIGN CRIMINALS
Foreign criminals will not be granted a visa to enter the UK
Resident migrants who commit crimes resulting in custodial sentence will have their visa revoked and they will be subject to a deportation order.
They will be detained until they are removed from the UK.
ENDING THE EU FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE
Our new immigration policies will begin when we confirm our intention to leave the EU with an ‘out’ vote in a national referendum.
Any European Union citizen who is resident in the UK at the time of the referendum will be permitted to remain and work here.
They will be able to enjoy the benefits of the UK as before and have the opportunity to apply for UK citizenship after five years.
The British people accept immigrants and are among the most welcoming and tolerant people in the world.
UKIP’s policies recognise the new openness in our world and the positive benefits controlled immigration has brought and can continue to bring to our nation.
Only UKIP’s policies have, at their heart, sustainability, ethics and fairness.
It is only by pursuing these policies and introducing an Australian-style points based system, that we can all be  confident immigration will benefit Britain.
THE NHS
“UKIP has a clear vision for 21st century healthcare: an efficient, affordable, world-class, national health service, free at the point of delivery and in time of need. The people of Britain are rightly proud of the NHS and we will invest £12 billion over the next five years to keep it working for them.”
Britain’s best-loved institution is in crisis. The founding of the NHS in 1948 was a victory for the people but, sixty years on, it is the NHS itself that needs emergency care and nursing back to health.
Our ageing population;
the dramatic increase in the numbers of people suffering chronic, long-term conditions;
uncontrolled immigration, encouraged by Labour and continued under the Tories:
any one of these pressures might have been enough to bring the NHS close to breaking point.
Combine these with EU directives that have prevented essential training and endless political interference
and it is not difficult to understand why the NHS is in serious trouble.
Both Labour and the Tories have utterly failed our NHS by treating it as a political football instead of a cherished institution.
Patients are suffering because of poor policy, made all too often purely for reasons of political expediency.
A GP appointment can no longer be guaranteed within any reasonable time frame.
Coalition cuts to social care budgets are forcing elderly people to stay in hospital for longer than they should because there is no after-care available for them.
Top-down targets forced on Accident and Emergency departments are not realistic; even some of the best hospitals cannot cope.
Despite a chronic shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives
David Cameron’s government wasted billions on a top-down reorganisation he promised would not happen.
Labour, which squandered money on financing capital projects at credit card rates through private finance initiatives and giving service contracts worth billions of pounds to private companies when they were in power, are now promising to repeal the Health and Social Care Act, meaning yet more billions will be wasted re-organising the NHS all over again.
Both parties administered a disastrous £12 billion NHS IT project which ultimately failed.
UKIP will take better care of taxpayers’ money.
We will put an additional £3 billion a year into the NHS in England by the end of the parliament and make sure the money is spent on frontline patient care.
We will provide the common sense, the money, the staff, the social care funding and the vital improvements to emergency medicine that the NHS needs.
We will fund: 8,000 MORE GPs
We will train and employ GPs to meet this current shortfall
and waive university tuition fees for new medical students who work in Britain for  five years after qualifying.
To encourage those who have left the profession to get back into the surgery, we will fund the cost of re-training for GPs who wish to return to practice.
To cut GP waiting times and allow GPs to spend more time actually seeing patients, UKIP will reduce the burden of data collection, target chasing, revalidation and appraisal work that interferes with the care GPs can give to patients.
20,000 MORE NURSES
AND  3,000 MORE MIDWIVES
Not only will UKIP find the training of nurses and midwives, we will also fund return to practice training for those who have taken career breaks.
Because we believe nursing starts and ends on the ward, we will bring back the State Enrolled Nurse, and put care and compassion back at the heart of nursing.
EMERGENCY MEDICINE
There is a shortage of emergency medicine consultants in our Accident and Emergency departments, just 1200 when the profession needs closer to 2000.
The problem stems not so much from a deficiency in training capacity, but from poor retention once registrars or consultants have qualified.
500 UK-trained emergency medicine consultants are currently working in Australia, New Zealand and Canada alone, which illustrates the attrition rate.
Bodies representing this field of medicine believe the solution lies in improving working conditions, such as the extent of weekend cover, unsocial hours, extended shifts and leave patterns.
Funding the additional consultants is not in itself a problem, as the cost of locums to cover the current shortage far exceeds that of increasing employed staff and this is what we will do.
GPs FOR A&Es
Patients who cannot get a GP appointment frequently turn up in A&E instead, putting additional pressure on already over-stretched resources.
We will initiate pilot programmes in English hospitals to put GPs on duty in A&E departments seven days a week.
If these pilots succeed in easing the burden on A&E staff by freeing them up to treat seriously ill patients more successfully, we will roll the programme out across the country, deploying approximately 1,000 of the 8,000 additional GPs we are committed to funding.
IMPROVED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Patients with mental health problems frequently feel ignored and let down.
UKIP takes a ‘whole  person’ approach to health and that means giving mental health parity with physical health.
We will introduce practical policies to improve delivery of mental health services, including:
Directing patients diagnosed with a debilitating long-term condition or terminal illnesses to mental health professionals when appropriate
Recognising there is often a link between addiction and mental illness and offering appropriate treatment where this is the case
Offering direct access to specialist mental health treatment for pregnant women and mothers of children under 12 months of age
Fighting the stigma around mental illness
and supporting those seeking to get back into work.
Patients experiencing distress or exhibiting mental ill-health issues when admitted to hospital should have both their physical health and mental wellbeing assessed.
This must not just be an optional extra: we will end the postcode lottery for psychiatric liaison services in acute hospitals and A&E departments.
To fund these initiatives, we will increase mental health funding by £170 million annually, phasing this in through the first two years of the next parliament.
DEMENTIA TREATMENT AND RESEARCH
This debilitating and distressing condition is the leading cause of death among women over the age of 55 and the fifth biggest killer of men.
We will be investing a full extra £130 million a year into researching and treating dementia by 2017.
UKIP will put the ‘national’ back into our national health service
We need to get tough on so-called ‘health-tourism.’
Every year the NHS spends up to  £2 billion of UK taxpayers’ money treating those ineligible for free care.
This bill includes foreign nationals who come to Britain to deliberately seek NHS services at no cost to themselves;
those who live here but who do not qualify for free care;
treatment for illegal immigrants and those who overstay their visas.
The NHS is the National Health Service, not the International Health Service.
UKIP will insist migrants and visitors who come to Britain have approved medical insurance.
Only those who have the permanent right to remain in Britain and who have paid UK taxes for at least five years will be granted an NHS number and be eligible for the full services offered by the NHS.
Urgent medical treatment will still be given to those who need it, but non-urgent treatment will be charged for.
UKIP is the only party that is truly willing to face up to the harsh reality of how health tourism and treating those ineligible is sapping the NHS of funds.
The other parties have their heads stuck well and truly in the sand.
HOSPITAL PARKING CHARGES
Hospital car parking charges are a tax on the sick.
We will invest £200 million to make parking at English hospitals free for patients and their visitors.
EFFECTIVE AND POWERFUL HEALTHCARE MONITORING
We think NHS managers should be subject to disciplinary oversight in the same way as doctors and nurses who are regulated by the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
We will introduce a ‘Licence to Manage’ as a statutory requirement to prevent incompetent, negligent or bullying managers being moved sideways or re-employed by the NHS as external consultants.
We will also abolish Monitor and the Care Quality Commission and place their inspectorate functions into the hands of county health boards made up of health and social care professionals elected locally by their peers.
County health boards will have the power to inspect health services, conduct snap inspections and take evidence from whistleblowers.
They will be charged with a statutory duty to investigate concerns flagged up by their local Healthwatch or local authority Health Scrutiny panels, so local democratic control and accountability is brought to healthcare decisions directly affecting our local communities.
ENDING LABOUR’S PFI SCANDAL
When short-sighted politicians are desperate for votes, they make appalling decisions.
Labour’s Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scandal is a case in point.
By the time the £14 billion capital cost of NHS PFI contracts have run their course, the NHS will have been forced to pay out a total of £76 billion.
UKIP will not continue to privatise the NHS by the back door, as both Labour and the Conservatives have done.
We will end the use of PFI contracts within the NHS.
STRIPPING OUT UNNECESSARY EU REGULATION
Numerous EU Directives prevent medical institutions from operating in the best interests of patients.
We will scrap at least two of them: the EU Clinical Trial Directive, which has led to a substantial drop in clinical research and threatened Britain’s position as a world-class leader in this field;
and the EU Working Time Directive which, by limiting working and training time to 48 hours in any one week, prevents medics learning essential new skills, putting patient care at risk.
THE TRANSATLANTIC TRADE AND INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP (TTIP)
TTIP is a proposed EU/USA free trade agreement that is being negotiated in secret by the EU Trade Commission and other EU bureaucrats.
There is growing concern that TTIP may compel us to put many of our public services up for sale to US companies, thereby privatising significant parts of our NHS.
UKIP is committed to securing the exclusion of the NHS, by name, from TTIP.
The level of public concern around TTIP makes it a good example of what can potentially go wrong while we remain in the EU and allow EU Commissioners to negotiate every single trade agreement on behalf of twenty-eight member states, including the UK, en bloc.
Fears of what TTIP might contain precisely illustrate why UKIP believes we should leave the EU and negotiate our own free trade agreements again.
We find it astonishing that other political parties, while launching high-profile campaigns against TTIP, nevertheless remain committed to our EU membership.
Their hypocrisy is shameless.
SOCIAL CARE
The coalition cuts went deep.
UKIP will increase social care funding by £1.2 billion each year, phasing in this increase over a two-year period, to bring investment back to 2010 levels and pay for the additional residential, nursing and home care services that are so desperately needed.
According to Age UK, 900,000 older people between the ages of 65 and 89 have social care needs that are not met.
Residential care, nursing care, home care, day care and equipment budgets have been cut.
Meals on Wheels services have been scrapped in some areas, or frozen ready-meals have replaced freshly cooked hot food.
These cuts impact on the NHS: one million hospital bed days are lost every year when patients cannot be discharged because there is no after-care available for them.
Operations are cancelled for the same reason.
How we look after our older people and others who are vulnerable in society because of ill health is a mark of how civilised we are as a society.
It is scandalous that the current care system is failing those who most need our help.
We believe putting back the investment that was taken away by the current government is more than expedient: it is our duty.
The £1.2 billion UKIP will invest every year by the end of the next parliament will fund social care directly and ease the path through a change we want to make to the way the current system is financed.
INTEGRATING HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
While local authorities manage social care, the NHS manages health.
This makes for a complex, inefficient and fragmented approach.
While attempts to integrate the two, while keeping funding and responsibilities separate, have been commendable, the common sense, long-term solution is simply to fully integrate health and social care.
UKIP will bring health and social care together, under the control of the NHS.
FUNDING OLDER PEOPLE’S CARE
In 2010, the Commission on Funding of Care and Support, chaired by Andrew Dilnot, was tasked by Government with reviewing the funding system for care and support in England.
It concluded that an individual’s contribution to social care costs should be capped at £35,000.
We agree in principle: easing the burden on the growing numbers of families who face ever-increasing elderly care costs is clearly desirable, if currently unaffordable.
We propose a possible future solution: the establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund from any tax revenue received from shale oil and gas exploration, with investment returns ring-fenced to fully implement the Commission’s recommendations.
The viability of this proposal clearly depends on several unknowns, not least getting the go-ahead for shale exploration and unpredictable market forces, but we feel it is important to state this policy as an intention.
Should fracking in the UK prove to be possible and profitable, we want to see the nation’s income from it spent on looking after older people.
Establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund from the tax profits of fracking, and ring-fencing the income it generates for a social care fund, will  potentially release older people from the distress of having to sell their  homes to pay for care and give them and their families peace of mind.
IMPROVING STANDARDS IN CARE
UKIP believes the elderly and vulnerable must be treated with compassion and dignity.
We will: Introduce a legally-binding ‘Dignity Code’ to improve standards of professional care
Pledge to protect services such as day care, home care and Meals on Wheels
Abolish the practice of arranging home care visits in fifteen-minute windows
Abolish the annual assessment process for continuing healthcare funding in respect of those suffering from degenerative, terminal illnesses
Keep free bus passes,
winter fuel allowances,
free TV licenses for the over 75s
and free prescriptions and eye tests for the over-60s, without means testing.
We will also fund a co-ordinating service for older people in every county, combining resources from across the NHS, social services, community agents and the voluntary sector.
No vulnerable person should feel isolated or alone and this service will be proactive in identifying and assisting those suffering from loneliness.
A BETTER DEAL FOR HOME CARE WORKERS
Good home care starts with good home care workers, who provide a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Theirs is a difficult enough job to do at the best of times and long hours and low pay make an already challenging role even more onerous.
We cannot expect workers to give the best care if they themselves are not being cared for.
This is a serious issue UKIP will tackle head-on.
We will not allow the NHS or third parties under contract to employ home care workers on zero hour contracts of  any kind.
Neither will we allow them to end up being paid less than the minimum wage because they are expected to travel between appointments in ‘their own time.’
We will insist they are paid for the entire time they are on duty.
We believe that as Britain’s largest employer, the NHS should set an example.
PENSIONS
Pensions have changed considerably since 2010.
The state pension has been simplified to a single-tier.
The need to apply for pension credit (which often went unclaimed) has been removed.
The ‘triple lock’ now guarantees the state pension will increase each year by  the higher of inflation, earnings or 2.5 per cent.
There is greater flexibility in how  personal pensions can be accessed.
These are all welcome reforms.
Raising the retirement age to 66 by 2020 and to 67 by 2028 is hugely unpopular.
It has been especially tough for women, who until 2010 could retire at 60.
Also, millions of people who can now withdraw unlimited amounts from their personal pension pot may not be well-informed enough to make the best onward investments, or avoid falling victim to scams.
FLEXIBLE STATE PENSION AGE
When you have looked forward to retirement, short-notice changes to the state pension age can wreck long-term plans.
UKIP will give pensioners some choice over the age at which they choose to retire.
We will introduce a flexible state pension window, which will widen over time, so even when the state pension age increases to 69, pensioners will still be able to take a slightly lower weekly state pension from the age of 65.
Pensioners will know how much less they will be paid at the time they make their decision.
At the moment, you can delay taking your state pension in return for a slightly higher amount, so UKIP’s proposal merely extends the option in the other direction.
This proposal will be cost-neutral to the state over time.
A flexible state pension window already works well in other countries, notably Italy, Norway, Sweden and Finland, so there is no reason why it will not work in the UK.
PERSONAL PENSION ADVICE
With greater freedom over personal pensions comes individual responsibility for retirement finance planning.
Historically, people have had limited options of when to draw down funds from their personal plans.
Most were forced to take out an annuity, paid out evenly, over the course of their retirement.
Pensioners will now be making complex decisions about when and how much to take from their pension pots and, before doing so, they need expert advice to make sound, well-informed choices.
All pensioners get from the current government is 45 minutes of advice provided by the Pensions Advisory Service or Citizens Advice Bureau.
This is completely inadequate when potentially life-changing decisions are at stake.
UKIP will fund a higher standard of independent advice available to all pensioners.
We will double the budget for guidance in 2015/16 from £30 million to £60 million,
and treble the 2016/17 budget from £10 million to £30 million.
In consultation with bodies such as the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Personal Finance Society, we will develop a pensions advice and seminar programme that will help protect pensioners’ best interests and savings.
ANTI-SCAMMING RULES
A further concern is that pensioners with limited financial experience may become the victims of mis-selling when they cash in their pension pots and have access to potentially large sums of money.
To prevent mis-selling, UKIP will make it a criminal offence to cold call someone in respect of their pension arrangements.
This will not affect regulated advisors or pension schemes where there is already an existing relationship with a client.
Rogue, unregulated operators must not be allowed to take advantage of pensioners while lining their own pockets.
WAR WIDOWS’ PENSIONS
On 8th November 2014, the Government announced that war widows and widowers would receive a war widows’ pension for life, even after remarriage, with effect from April 2015.
However, this change was not retrospective and is therefore manifestly unfair.
We will give all war widows and widowers a war pension, regardless of when they may have remarried.
WELFARE AND DISABILITY
“Circumstances can conspire against any one of us to leave us unemployed, seriously ill and unable to work, perhaps even facing bankruptcy and homelessness.
UKIP is fully committed to maintaining a strong and supportive safety net for those who fall on hard times, whether through any fault of their own or not.”
We want to see a welfare system that is fairer, simpler and less open to abuse.
Our approach is one that firmly opposes the ‘benefits lifestyle’ but also addresses the current welfare regime, which has produced unjust outcomes.
Our common sense approach to benefits includes: - Supporting a lower cap on benefits
Cracking down on benefit fraud
Ending welfare tourism with a five-year ban on benefits for migrants
Stopping child benefit being paid to children who don’t live in the UK
Limiting child benefit to two children for new claimants.
HOUSING BENEFITS
The ‘bedroom tax’ is clearly unfair and is not working.
Changes to the way housing benefit is paid are leading some tenants to fall into debt.
The Conservative threat to withdraw Housing Benefit from the under-25s may cause even more suffering.
UKIP will: Scrap the ‘bedroom tax’
Continue to pay Housing Benefit to young people under the age of 25
Give tenants the right to request Housing Benefit is paid direct to their landlords, whatever benefit scheme they are on.
DISABILITY BENEFITS
UKIP is fully committed to protecting the rights of disabled people, as set out in Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
We wholly endorse the right of the disabled to access in-home, residential and community support services and we support their inclusion in our communities.
We also recognise that there will always be disabled people who are unable to work and we are committed to supporting them through a fair and fit-for-purpose welfare system.
We will end unfair ATOS-style Work Capability Assessments and return assessments to GPs or appropriate specialist consultants, who have full access to patients’ medical records and are likely to know the patient.
We believe this makes them the best person to undertake assessments and we will ensure they are adequately funded and resourced to take on this task.
We will also: Require GPs/specialists to notify the Department for Work and Pensions when they believe a patient is well enough to return to work, by issuing a ‘fit note’
Remove ‘tick-box’ and quota arrangements from sickness and disability assessments, thereby streamlining and speeding up the assessment processes
and continually respecting claimants throughout the process
SUPPORTING CARERS
Millions give up work, or work reduced hours, to care for elderly or disabled relatives.
In doing so, they make a huge contribution to society, although often at great personal and financial cost.
We will: Increase Carers’ Allowance from £62.10 per week to match the higher level of Job Seekers Allowance, currently £73.10 per week, an extra £572 per year
Improve carers’ access to support by sharing information on benefit and social care entitlements and support groups across all public services.
INVESTING IN FOODBANKS
It is deeply regrettable that there is increasing demand for foodbanks in 21st century Britain.
If those who attend foodbanks are in such dire straits that they need food handouts, there is a high likelihood that they will also need additional support to deal with issues such as debt, family breakdown, addiction and poor physical or mental health.
Many will need employment or legal advice.
We will therefore contribute to the important work done by foodbanks and develop them into community advice centres for those most in need.
UKIP will train and fund the cost of 800 advisers to work in 800 foodbanks, so the poorest in our society have free and easy access to timely help in their hour of need.
We will also exempt foodbanks and charity shops from charges imposed by local authorities to dispose of unwanted food waste and other goods.
They are not ‘businesses’ in the sense most of us understand the term and therefore should not be expected to pay fees for waste disposal.
CHILDCARE AND THE FAMILY
“UKIP believes supporting children and families is a prerequisite for a strong and healthy society.
Families are important, in all their diversity, and we want to help create a society in which they thrive and where childcare provision is affordable and accessible for all parents, whatever their socio-economic status.”
Good childcare benefits parents, helps child development and supports our economy.
UKIP’s vision for childcare is a system where parents, teachers, schools, nurseries, children’s centres, local authorities, childcare providers and businesses all work together to make provision as affordable, flexible, available and as high-quality as possible.
The policies of current and previous governments have been counterproductive in many ways: over-regulation has helped create an acute shortage of places and voucher systems have contributed to pushing up the cost of childcare.
UK childcare costs are now the most expensive in Europe, and among the highest in the world.
Costs can be crippling for ordinary families.
What is  the point of having a childcare system that is so expensive it does not pay  to work?
Children from socially deprived backgrounds are adversely affected because their applications for places are most likely to be turned down, especially if parents are unable to pay for ‘top-ups’ such as meals, nappies and so on.
Childcare provision is also complex and fragmented.
Several government departments oversee different schemes providing help with childcare costs.
Parents may struggle to work out which type of childcare funding system will work best for them.
Those on modest incomes who work hard may find they ‘fall through the gaps.’
Parents who are self-employed, agency workers, those on zero-hours contracts or commission are most likely to be affected, as any rise in income may prove punitive, depending on which childcare support scheme has been chosen.
A simpler system, more responsive to families’ changing needs and with integrated sources of funding, must be initiated at the earliest opportunity,
alongside proposals to reduce the cost of childcare and increase the number of childcare places, while giving parents more choice.
We will initiate a full review of childcare provision.
EARLY YEARS CHILDCARE
UKIP will continue to fund the current childcare offer of fifteen hours a week of free childcare at a nursery, preschool, or for a childminder, for all three to four year olds,
and for all two-year olds whose parent are on certain benefits.
We will also honour the current Government’s commitment to providing a new tax-free childcare scheme, worth up to £2,000 for children under twelve.
However, we will amend the voucher scheme in order to address the shortage of places and cut the cost to both parents and the state, by de-regulating childcare provision.
At the moment, if parents want to claim their free childcare entitlement, they must place their child with an Ofsted-registered childminder.
UKIP will remove this requirement and allow parents to use any third-party, non-related child carer they feel comfortable placing their child with, provided the care provided can be proven to be genuine.
This is intended to encourage experienced parents whose own children have grown up, for instance, or who would like to combine looking after other people’s children alongside their own, to offer childcare.
Our plans will also make it cost-effective for parents to hire a nanny if they have more than one young child, or enable parents to club together to hire a nanny.
While parents should of course make their own enquiries as to the suitability of informal providers, in the same way they would check out a babysitter, we will require informal child carers to satisfy the following criteria to benefit from the voucher scheme: -
They must pass a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
They must hold relevant household and public liability insurance
They must not look after more than six children up to the age of eight (including any of their own children), of which a maximum of three can be under fives
A single childminder may only care for one child under one year old
The building from which they operate (unless it is the child’s own home) must be notified to the local authority and be subject to spot checks.
This combination of de-regulation, practical solutions and incentives will reduce childcare costs,
increase childcare availability
and make it easier for parents to find flexible childcare that works around their working hours and lifestyle.
CREATING MORE NURSERY PLACES
UKIP will make consideration of the necessity to include nursery or creche provision an essential part of the planning process for large developments.
We will also amend planning legislation to ensure planning applications for family housing developments of forty homes or more, without dedicated garden space for each unit, will be required to include a communal play area in each scheme.
We will also allow office space to be converted to nursery facilities under permitted development rights.
We will also ask employers to pool nursery provisions for all families within the local community, where ever possible.
Tackling excessive regulation without compromising child safety is a priority.
Nurseries are often small businesses and we would prefer owners to be focused on childcare, rather than drowning in paperwork.
CHILDCARE FOR SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
For parents of school-age children, extending the school day by offering wrap-around childcare will offer enormous benefits to working parents, for whom it is likely to be by far the most sensible and convenient childcare option.
We will place a statutory duty on all primary schools to offer before and after-school care from 8am to 6pm during term time, with the option to extend this to all-day provision throughout the school holidays.
Sessions will include breakfast and healthy snacks.
Sadly, anecdotal evidence suggests significant numbers of teachers are seeing pupils arrive at school hungry.
Schools can choose how they facilitate before and after-school care.
They can provide it themselves; partner with external childcare providers; or allow parents to club together.
There will be no cost to the school, as parents will pay for the cost of childcare themselves or use the voucher scheme.
EMERGENCY CHILDCARE
Local authorities will be required to keep a register of child care providers willing to offer emergency childcare cover at short notice, during atypical hours, overnight, or at weekends.
This will help families who need to access high quality care during unsocial hours, in an emergency, when they are called to a job interview at short notice, or when they are working away from home, for example.
THE CARE SYSTEM
UKIP will reform the care system so the 68,000 children in care in the UK (including 3,600 under the age of one) can find stability through fostering and adoption in a faster, more efficient way.
We will extend the provisions of the Children and Families Act 2014, which gives children in care the choice to stay with their foster families until they turn 21, to children in homes, so they too have the same opportunity.
FATHERS AND FAMILIES
UKIP wants fathers to be more involved in their children’s lives.
To help prevent thousands of fathers losing contact with their children each year when couples break up, UKIP will legislate for an initial presumption of 50-50 shared parenting in child residency matters.
Grandparents will also be given visiting rights, unless it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Family Court that there is a good reason to withhold such rights.
We will also review the Family Court system, with the intention of implementing independent lay oversight of Family Courts, to ensure that necessary confidentiality does not prevent proper scrutiny in this and all areas of Family Law.
A FAR-REACHING CHILD CARE REVIEW
A misplaced sensitivity to issues of race and religion, combined with fear, has been shown to have stopped many investigations into the abuse of children.
There is also concern among the public at rising levels of ‘forced’ adoptions.
Some of those charged with protecting children in care are letting serious cases of abuse and maltreatment slip through the net.
Our children’s wellbeing lags behind many of our European neighbours and we are seeing alarming rates of self-harm and poor mental health.
UKIP is committed to bringing forward a full, open review of all childcare and child protection services in Britain, with a view to initiating wholesale reform of a system that is clearly failing.
Our children deserve better and UKIP will investigate failings without fear or favour to deliver a safer, brighter, fairer future for our children.
EDUCATION
“UKIP’s vision for British education is of a world-renowned system;
a system designed to allow young people to perform to the best of their ability, regardless of background, gender, race, wealth or class.”
It is morally wrong that five independent fee-paying schools should send more students to Oxbridge than the worst performing two thousand secondary schools combined
and that more students from the state sector attended Oxbridge in the 1960s than do so now.
We believe it is the duty of the state to ensure high quality education is provided for all.
To achieve this, we will build our education policy upon three key principles: -
1.  Education must be responsive to individual needs
Children have widely different aptitudes and capabilities and, crucially, they develop at different rates.
Our school system and our whole approach to education should be more flexible than it is now.
2.  Good teachers are paramount The quality of education is almost entirely dependent on the quality of teaching.
We need the best people to choose to teach and we need to keep them teaching.
To achieve this, we must ensure not only that teachers are well-prepared for a teaching career, but also that they have a high status in society and feel valued.
3.  The importance of primary education
A child’s first experience of education is vitally important, as this is when the pattern for learning is laid down and when literacy and good social skills are established.
CUTTING TEACHERS’ WORKLOAD
Too many teachers are working excessive hours and struggling to find an acceptable work-life balance.
We do not want stressed, overworked teachers in our classrooms.
Their workloads must be eased.
We will decrease the amount of paperwork teachers deal with, such as overly detailed individual lesson plans, data collection, excessive internal assessments and dialogue-based marking schemes.
The plethora of centralised targets will be streamlined and lesson observations limited to a maximum of one each term, except when there are concerns about teaching performance that appraisal processes have been unable to address.
Enforcing the current restriction on class sizes to thirty pupils and aiming to reduce this to twenty-five pupils over time, will further ease teacher workloads – not least when it comes to marking -
as well as ease parental concerns about large class sizes.
We will scrap teachers’ performance-related pay, which the NUT describes as having ‘increased bureaucracy and working hours’ and does not adequately reflect teaching ability.
PRIMARY EDUCATION
UKIP will abolish Key Stage 1 SATs, set at the age of seven, as these tests have destructive, unintended consequences:
they encourage ‘teaching to the test,’
they narrow the curriculum and,
often, they put pressure on teachers to concentrate disproportionate resources and time on borderline pupils.
Worst of all, these tests create anxiety for everyone – children, teachers, parents, school governors – at exactly the time when children should be learning to learn, to enjoy the experience and to think of school as a fun and rewarding place to be.
To increase the uptake of science learning at secondary level, we will follow the recommendations of the Campaign for Science and Engineering and require every primary school to nominate (and train, if necessary) a science leader to inspire and equip the next generation.
This role will also help to address the gender imbalance in the scientific subjects.
SEX EDUCATION
We support age-appropriate sex and relationship education at secondary level, but not for primary school children.
There is a world of difference between teaching young children about online safety or telling them no one else is allowed to touch the private parts of their body, which is a sensible way to help prevent and encourage reporting of abuse and going into too much detail.
The latter risks sexualising childhood, causing confusion and anxiety, and encouraging experimentation.
We will also rule that all parents must be made fully aware of the sex education teaching materials being used, before their children see it,
and we will continue to respect their right to withdraw children from sex-education classes if they wish.
UKIP 2015 MANIFESTO > PAGE 30 SECONDARY EDUCATION
UKIP will push for a range of different types of school, including grammar, vocational, technical and specialist secondary schools within a geographical area.
This will make our secondary school system more responsive to the differing aptitudes, capabilities and speed of development of our children.
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS
In stark contrast to the other main parties, who have persistently campaigned against them, UKIP supports grammar schools.
Demand for places far outstrips supply and UKIP will give existing secondary schools the opportunity to become grammar schools.
Many pupils learn best in a rigorous academic environment and the system can improve social mobility for able children from poorer backgrounds.
We want to foster academic education among bright poorer students still further,
and ultimately, UKIP wants to see a grammar school in every town.
We recognise that the old 11+ selective system was not perfect, so we will ensure attendance is not based on a onetime fixed test and introduce transfer examinations taken later at ages 12, 13 and 16, to pick up pupils who develop in an academic direction, but at a slightly slower pace.
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
As well as allowing existing schools to become grammar schools, we will allow other establishments to become vocational schools or colleges similar to those promoted in Germany and The Netherlands, so pupils develop practical skills.
Further, by linking vocational schools and colleges with industry, we will introduce an option for students to take an apprenticeship qualification instead of four non-core GCSEs.
Students can then continue their apprenticeships past the age of 16, working with certified professionals qualified to grade their progress.
With regard to secondary education, we will also:
Reintroduce the Intermediate tier at GCSE Mathematics, to ensure Foundation and Intermediate tiers are skills-based and that the Higher tier is a rigorous preparation for A Level
Abolish the AS level exam as a stepping stone to a full ‘A’ level, while retaining it as a standalone qualification in its own right for those who choose to approach it as such.
If young students want to take a full ‘A’ level, they may as well start the essential in-depth learning immediately and escape the stressful treadmill of continuous examinations from 16 onwards.
This move has the additional advantage of releasing an extra six weeks of lessons during the summer term between GCSEs and A levels
Make First Aid training a statutory part of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) in the national curriculum.
We will learn from the French system where pupils can obtain a ‘Basic Life-Saving Diploma’ at the end of secondary school.
This will include instruction in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for all secondary school pupils
Fund all secondary schools according to a single formula, taking into account Special Educational Needs, to ensure underfunding such as that for secondary moderns in the 1950s can never be repeated.
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (SEN)
The policy of closing special schools will be reversed.
Every child is unique and the needs of each child should come first.
Those who learn better in a tailored, non-mainstream environment should have the opportunity to do so.
OFSTED
Ofsted inspections will be streamlined to focus on the quality of teaching, learning and the overall wellbeing of children, rather than paperwork, school policies or tick-box targets.
Inspections will be shorter, classroom-orientated, and more transparent.
We will continue to monitor British values, but with a view towards combatting extremism and radicalisation, rather than criticising widely-held Judeo-Christian beliefs.
Teachers with at least fifteen years’ successful classroom experience will be prioritised when Ofsted inspectors are recruited:
teachers are right to question whether they should be judged by those who have less classroom experience than themselves.
Schools will be subject to additional investigations by Ofsted if 25 per cent of parents or governors present a petition to the Department for Education.
An independent body will hear complaints about an Ofsted inspection.
We will remove Ofsted’s right to investigate itself.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Previous government policies of pursuing higher education targets and introducing tuition fees have had a crippling effect on our young people’s finances and job prospects.
The average student now leaves university with a debt of £44,000, yet students are less likely to find a graduate-level job than ever before.
47 per cent of recent graduates were ‘under-employed’ in 2013, as opposed to just 37 per cent in 2001.
This marks a 27 per cent increase in the inability of graduates to get a job utilising or requiring their degree qualification.
The taxpayer fares little better: 45 per cent of all student loans have to be written-off.
To combat this growing problem, UKIP will drop the arbitrary 50 per cent target for school leavers going to university.
We will not increase the current level of undergraduate courses until we can be sure there are sufficient vacancies in the economy to provide at least two-thirds of students with skilled graduate jobs.
We will also encourage students to choose careers that will help fill the current skills’ gap, to both benefit Britain and set them on the path to a solid, prosperous career.
UK students taking approved degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM), mainly at universities funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, will not have to repay their tuition fees.
This is on condition that they work in their discipline and pay tax in the UK for at least five years, after they complete their degrees.
Accordingly, UKIP will adjust the number of STEMM subjects funded to allow for a greater uptake of these subjects.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
We are currently obliged to give tuition fee loans to EEA students as a condition of our EU membership, but as of March 2013, only 11 per cent of EU domiciled students were making any repayments.
As student loans include a huge subsidy from the taxpayer and because repayment rates are so low, we will not give tuition fee loans to EEA students when we leave the EU.
They will of course be welcome to apply for places at UK universities as self-supporting international students.
PARENTAL CHOICE
UKIP supports the right of parents to home-school their children, if they choose to do.
We will support and fund free schools, provided they are open to the whole local community,
uphold British values
and do not discriminate against any section of society.
BELIEVE in BRITAIN
HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT
“UKIP is the only party to recognise that a house needs to be built every seven minutes to meet demand.
The housing shortage is leading to higher rents, less stable tenancies, and rising homelessness.
This is completely unsustainable.”
There is a dire shortage of affordable housing in Britain.
Many of those who would like to own their own home are simply unable to even contemplate it.
They are ‘locked out’ of home ownership.
Social housing waiting lists get longer and longer.
The Thatcher era saw a dramatic extension in home ownership, but with a corresponding decline in social housing, as proceeds from the ‘Right to Buy’ initiative were not reinvested back into community housing.
Only 23 per cent of properties are deemed ‘affordable’ nationally, but the situation is even worse in the countryside, where only 5 per cent of rural properties are affordable and social housing is more difficult to find.
Yet no-one wants to see our green fields concreted over, or the beauty of our rural landscape destroyed.
UKIP will introduce policies to incentivise the creation of more affordable housing,
while protecting rural communities and preserving our precious countryside.
BRINGING EMPTY HOMES BACK INTO USE
Housing charity Shelter reports there are 279,000 privately-owned long-term empty homes in England alone, while other bodies, such as the Empty Homes Agency, put the figure much higher still.
The most obvious way to create new homes is by bringing these empty homes back into use.
We will place a statutory duty on local authorities to:
Include a commitment to bringing empty properties back into use within their broader housing and planning strategies
Charge those whose homes are empty for more than two years 50 per cent more than the applicable rate of council tax,
with exceptions for owners who are in HM Armed Forces.
INCENTIVISING BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT
It would be possible to build up to 2.5 million houses on brownfield sites, if developers were less reluctant to take advantage of this rich source of potential housing land.
Problems with remediation of derelict land that has had a previous use and may have contamination issues to address can be off-putting to potential developers.
This is  despite the fact technology to  clean up sites and make them fit for new development is now readily available.
We will take steps to remove the barriers to brownfield builds with the aim of building one million homes on brownfield sites by 2025 to address the current housing shortage.
UKIP will require the Environment Agency to compile a National Brownfield Sites Register and provide a remediation assessment where appropriate.
The following financial incentives will be offered to encourage developers to build on brownfield sites:
Grants of up to £10,000 per unit will be available to developers to carry out essential remediation work.
Properties built on registered brownfield sites will be exempt from stamp duty on first sale, up to the £250,000 threshold.
A grant to cover the cost of indemnity insurance will also be available to developers of decontaminated land.
To further incentivise brownfield development, local authorities will be allowed to keep the New Homes Bonus beyond six years on brownfield sites.
BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOMES
We will increase the supply of affordable housing by:
Identifying long-term dormant land held by central and local government so it can be released for affordable developments
Relax planning regulations for the conversion of off-high road commercial and office space and other existing buildings to affordable residential use.
While these measures will help address the housing shortage, we cannot just build our way out of the housing crisis.
Our housing policy needs to be seen within a wider context of addressing the issue of supply and demand.
Controlling the numbers of new migrants coming to Britain is one important part of the housing jigsaw.
TACKLING HOMELESSNESS
There are no clear national statistics to tell us how many people are homeless in the UK.
To give an indication of the scale of the problem, the Autumn 2014 total of rough sleeping counts and estimates in England was 2,744, according to the government.
This was an increase of 14 per cent on 2013 figures.
Meanwhile, 112,070 people declared themselves homeless in England in 2013/4.
The scale of homelessness in 2015 is morally reprehensible and UKIP will seek to eliminate this national scandal.
Tackling homelessness starts with knowing who and where homeless people are, so they can be offered housing and other life opportunities.
We will establish a National Homeless Register to make it easier for those of no fixed abode to claim welfare entitlements;
get access to medical and dental services;
and enable support services to identify those at risk of physical, psychological and sexual abuse.
LOCAL HOMES FOR LOCAL PEOPLE
UKIP will encourage moves by local authorities to prioritise people with strong local connections when making housing allocations.
We will relieve pressure on social housing waiting lists by preventing foreign nationals from obtaining access to social housing until they have lived here and paid UK Tax and National Insurance for a minimum of five years.
This restriction will not apply to foreign nationals with current social housing tenancies.
RIGHT TO BUY AND HELP TO BUY
UKIP supports the principle of extending home ownership and giving people the right to own the homes they may have lived in for generations as social housing tenants.
We will plough 100 per cent of all revenue from Right to Buy sales, after essential costs have been paid back, into new community housing.
We will not allow non-British nationals access to the Right to Buy or Help to Buy schemes, unless they have served in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces.
Given that Britain’s social housing stock is so massively oversubscribed, we do not believe it is either sensible or fair to give foreign nationals the opportunity to obtain social housing stock, buy their home at a discount and then sell it for an untaxed profit before moving back abroad.
All local authorities, social landlords and housing associations will be required to register the nationality of their tenants in order to ensure this policy works in practice.
In the same way, only British citizens will be permitted to access Help to Buy schemes.
PROTECTING OUR COUNTRYSIDE
UKIP will not allow new housing to strip our nation of prime agricultural land.
This must be kept for its primary purpose, creating a secure food supply for Britain and for export.
Neither will we allow the countryside to be swamped by over-development:
we believe strongly that our countryside must be preserved so it can be enjoyed by future generations.
We will replace the current National Planning Policy Framework  (NPPF) and introduce fresh national planning guidelines that will prioritise brownfield sites for new housing and genuinely protect the green belt
The NPPF as it stands is disastrous for the environment.
It has given developers the green light to build just about anywhere and seriously restricts the ability of local authorities to refuse planning permission for inappropriate developments.
The Tories promised ‘localism,’ in their 2010 Manifesto, saying they would give more power to local people but, in reality, their planning policies have stripped powers away from communities.
UKIP genuinely supports local communities having a greater say over what happens in their locality and we will:
Free local authorities from government-imposed minimum housing numbers
Reverse current policies of facilitating large-scale rural residential developments,
Promote smaller 6-12 unit developments in rural areas to extend existing villages
Encourage local authorities to require a proportion of self-build plots to be provided in all large developments
Allow large-scale developments to be overturned by a binding local referendum triggered by the signatures of 5 per cent of electors within a planning authority area, collected within three months
Reduce the cost and bureaucracy of planning applications by merging Planning and Building Control departments in local authorities.
SUPPORTING HOMEOWNERS
UKIP will change the law to allow mortgages to become inheritable, as they are in other countries.
This will allow lenders to resume lending to older borrowers.
UKIP will not introduce any form of ‘Mansion Tax.’
TRANSPORT
“Ours is a nation always on the move.
Whether our daily journey takes us on the school run or on a long, cross-country haul, everyone needs a reliable, cost-efficient transport network.
We do not need extortionate vanity projects or excessive regulations and motorists should not feel as if they are being used as cash cows to boost national or local government funds.”
IT IS TIME TO SCRAP HS2
In October 2013, Lord Mandelson, speaking in the House of Lords about the Labour government’s decision to instigate the HS2 high-speed rail-link confessed that: “It was a political trophy project justified on flimsy evidence.”
HS2 is running out of control.
UKIP will stop this flawed vanity scheme in its tracks.
The estimated cost is already £50 billion and HS2 Ltd is planning to spend over £800m in 2015/2016, before the project even gets the final go-ahead.
The Government’s own estimates show the cost will never be recouped.
HS2 will blight thousands of homes and wreak irreparable environmental damage across large tracts of central England.
The argument that HS2 is needed to provide extra capacity has just weeks ago been questioned by the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, which concluded that: ‘the Government has not made a convincing case for why this particular project should go ahead.’
There is barely any evidence that HS2 will reduce the North-South divide:
the north would get much quicker and higher benefit from investment in the infrastructure between northern towns and cities.
HS2 is an unaffordable white elephant and, given other, far more pressing calls on public expenditure, such as the NHS, social care and defence, not to mention the need to reduce the deficit, it must face the axe.
LONDON AIRPORTS AND THE SOUTH EAST
The final report of the Davies Commission into airport capacity and connectivity in the UK will be published later this year.
UKIP will consider its recommendations and then take a position on the basis of what we genuinely believe to be in the long-term best interests of the country.
However, we firmly believe that part of the solution to address the lack of airport capacity in the South East is to re-open Manston Airport.
Manston is ideally placed to take low-cost airlines and freight-only aircraft;
it is close to the railway network;
enjoys good connections to Ashford International;
will release additional capacity in the region;
and take pressure off other airports.
SPEED CAMERAS AND ROAD SAFETY
UKIP will only allow installation of speed cameras when they can be used as a deterrent at accident black spots, near schools and in residential areas where there are specific potential dangers.
We will not permit speed cameras to be used as revenue-raisers for local authorities.
ENDING ROAD TOLLS
We will remove road tolls where possible and let existing contracts on running road tolls expire.
Motorists are already taxed highly enough through fuel and vehicle taxes.
BIG BROTHER ‘PAY-AS-YOU-GO’ PLANS
UKIP opposes ‘pay-as-you-go’ road charging schemes and attempts to introduce them by stealth.
From October 2015, the EU will require all new cars to be fitted with the ‘eCall’ system.
Ostensibly a road safety measure, this system tracks vehicles using GPS and reports back to a central database.
This capability would enable introduction of a Europe-wide road pricing system, on a miles travelled basis, which the EU Transport Commissioner is keen to introduce.
We will scrap mandatory fitments of eCall and allow owners who already have eCall installed to disable it on their vehicles.
SUPPORTING OUR HAULAGE INDUSTRY
The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) is an expensive second-tier requirement, which is causing job losses, because of the added administration and expense to hauliers.
We will scrap the DCPC for professionally licensed drivers.
THE HGV ROAD USER LEVY
This levy currently applies to HGV vehicles registered both in the UK and other EU countries, to comply with various EU directives.
After leaving the EU the levy would cease to apply to UK vehicles, but the Vehicle Excise Duty on UK vehicles would be adjusted by the equivalent amount to make this aspect of the change revenue neutral for both UK hauliers and the government.
The current levy tariff will then be doubled to a maximum of £2000 per annum and only apply to foreign registered HGVs.
This change will help UK hauliers to compete with European hauliers entering the UK, loaded with cheaper fuel bought on the Continent.
It will achieve exactly the same effect as UKIP’s original ‘Britdisc’ proposal.
CARING FOR CLASSIC CARS
To help protect the enduring legacy of the motor industry and our classic and historic vehicles, UKIP will exempt vehicles over 25 years old from Vehicle Excise Duty.
ENERGY
“The three old parties collude to reinforce failing energy policies that will do nothing to reduce global emissions, but which will bring hardship to British families.
Their ‘green’ agenda does not make them friends of the earth;  it makes them enemies of the people.”
While our major global competitors - the USA, China, India - are switching to low-cost fossil fuels, we are forced to close perfectly good coal-fired power stations to meet unattainable targets for renewable capacity.
If we carry on like this, the lights are likely to go out.
Why? Because the 2008 Climate Change Act, an Act rooted in EU folly, drives up costs, undermines competitiveness and hits jobs and growth.
Dubbed ‘the most expensive piece of legislation in British history,’ the government’s own figures put the cost of the Act at £18 billion a year over 40 years, or £720 billion between 2010 and 2050.
The Climate Change Act is doing untold damage.
UKIP will repeal it.
We will also scrap the Large Combustion Plant Directive and stop the EU’s planned Medium Combustion Plant Directive.
Both attempt to close down secure, reliable and economical electricity generation and replace it with expensive, intermittent, unreliable renewables.
We will encourage the re-development of British power stations and industrial units providing on-site power generation.
To deliver secure, affordable energy supplies, we support a diverse energy market based on coal, nuclear, shale gas, conventional gas, oil, solar and hydro, as well as other renewables where these can be delivered at competitive prices.
SHALE GAS: TIME TO GET ‘FRACKING’
UKIP supports the development of shale gas, provided safeguards are in place to protect local communities and the environment.
Community Infrastructure Levy income from shale gas operations will be earmarked for lower Council Taxes or local community projects.
No energy extraction technology is perfectly safe, but shale gas operations in the USA for instance, where tens of thousands of shale wells have been drilled and fracked over five decades, have proved remarkably unproblematic, especially so by comparison to other methods of energy extraction.
What is clearly unsafe is the UK’s over-dependence on imports from politically unstable countries.
In the interests of energy security alone, the prospect of home-grown shale gas is an enormous opportunity it would be irresponsible to ignore.
We will levy Petroleum Revenue Tax (currently 50 per cent) on any shale profits and invest the income into a Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Norway takes this approach, with great success.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
UKIP supports and will invest in renewables, where they can deliver electricity at competitive prices.
At the moment, the only major renewable technology that meets this test for affordability is hydro,
so we will withdraw taxpayer and consumer subsidies for new wind turbines and solar photovoltaic arrays, while respecting existing contractual arrangements.
Wind power is hopelessly inefficient and wind farms rely heavily on reserve back-up from conventional power sources.
They have blighted landscapes and put money into the pockets of wealthy landowners and investors, while pushing up bills for the rest of us.
INVESTING IN COAL
The British coal industry once employed one million miners.
Now, all three remaining deep coal mines in Britain are set to close by 2016, at a cost of 2,000 jobs, despite having many years of productive life left and regardless of our continuing need for coal.
30 per cent of our electricity is still produced from coal and we will be dependent on fossil fuels for many more years to come.
If we are to have energy security and cheap, plentiful, reliable sources of energy, coal must be part of the solution.
Bearing this in mind, UKIP will: Set up a commission to investigate ways to assist and rejuvenate the coal industry
Seek to secure the survival and expansion of our indigenous coal industry in the form of deep, opencast and drift mining
Drop all subsidies for wind and solar power, to ensure a level playing field for coal
Discontinue the carbon floor tax on the basis that production for coal fired power stations is combined with carbon capture and storage
Halt the decline of coal power stations and seek private funding to develop new, efficient plants.
CUTTING FUEL BILLS
In 2014, the government forced energy companies to add nearly £3.2 billion onto energy bills to finance their energy and climate change policies:
that will have doubled to a staggering £9.8 billion by 2020, amounting to an extra £197 going onto our average domestic fuel bills.
UKIP will abolish green taxes and levies
and withdraw from the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme,
reducing fuel bills and enhancing industrial competitiveness at a stroke.
We will also make the way you pay your bill fairer, by stopping energy companies charging extra for customers who use prepayment meters, who do not pay by direct debit, or who require paper billing.
EMPLOYMENT
“Being in the European Union is damaging the prospects for British workers.
Uncontrolled mass immigration has driven down wages and for many jobs, the minimum wage is now the maximum wage.
Meanwhile, fewer new jobs are being created because of excess EU regulations.
British workers will fare much better when we are out of the EU.”
In 2007, the Peugeot factory in Ryton, Coventry, closed and moved production to Slovakia.
This cost 2,300 jobs.
The EU pumped £78 million in subsidies into the new factory, while Brussels sat on a request for a UK subsidy of just £14 million, for two years.
Prime Minister Tony Blair claimed the closure was the ‘inevitable casualty of globalisation,’ but in fact the EU had made a conscious choice to boost the economy of Slovakia, at the expense of the UK.
In 2012, Ford moved transit van production to non-EU Turkey with the help of an £80 million loan from the European Investment Bank.
500 jobs were lost in Southampton and 750 in Dagenham.
The sale of Royal Mail in 2013 and subsequent post office closures where both driven by the EU Postal Services Directive.
1,300 Jobs have reportedly been lost.
These are just three examples of how interference from the EU leads to British job losses.
British workers are suffering: Eurostat, the EU’s own data service, revealed last year that EU migrants are more likely to be in work in Britain than Britons themselves.
If we add to this the downward pressure on wages that has resulted from mass immigration, it is clear remaining in the EU is not favourable to British workers.
By leaving the EU and restricting immigration through the use of an Australian-style points based system, we will give back some hope to British workers for a brighter future.
UKIP will: Restrict  access  to  EURES,  the  EU-wide  jobs  portal  that  has become the ‘go-to’ source for employers looking for cheap labour from overseas
End  the  availability  of  EU  relocation  grants  of  up  to  €1,000 for migrants to come and work in Britain
Allow  British  businesses  to  choose  to  employ  British  citizens first.
Enforce  the  minimum  wage
and  reverse  the  Government cuts in the number of minimum wage inspectors in both England and Wales
WORKERS’ RIGHTS
Leaving the EU will not mean workers’ employment rights will be removed, simply that they will be adopted into UK law.
Some EU directives, such as the Working Time Directive, need amending because they actively restrict the British work ethos and therefore our economy,
but UKIP will protect workers’ rights.
ZERO-HOURS CONTRACTS
The use of zero-hours contracts proliferated following the imposition of the EU’s Temporary Agency Workers Directive, which demanded agency workers were given the same workplace rights as employees.
Zero-hours contracts enabled businesses to escape this edict.
EU legislation, intended to benefit temporary workers, in fact ended up penalising them.
Because UKIP recognises that zero-hours contracts suit many people, we will not ban them.
We do, however, take a very dim view of their abuse and will introduce a legally binding Code of Conduct stipulating the following:
Businesses  hiring  50  people  or  more  must  give  workers  on zero-hours contracts either a full or part-time secure contract after one year, if the workers involved request it
There  must  be  no  exclusivity  clauses  in  any  zero-hours  contract.
To prevent people from working elsewhere when they have no guarantee of regular work, will be banned
Workers  on  zero-hours  contracts  must  be  given  at  least  twelve hours advance notice of work.
Once notice has been given, they must be paid for the work, regardless of whether or not they are actually needed.
Employers will not be permitted to expect a worker to turn up for work, only to be turned away again, when no work is available.
THE ‘THREE MILLION JOBS’ MYTH
Finally, a word on the pernicious myth that leaving the EU will cost three million British jobs.
This myth grew out of a report by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) in 2000, which concluded that 2.7 million jobs were directly related to our trade with the EU and another 500,000 were indirectly linked.
The report went on to say that: “there is no a priori reason to suppose that many of these [jobs], if any, would be lost permanently if Britain were to leave the EU.”
The report was nevertheless spun by the pro-EU lobby, which tried to suggest jobs ‘linked’ to EU trade, meant jobs were ‘dependent’ on EU membership.
The Director of NIESR repudiated their claims, describing their efforts as ‘a wilful distortion of the facts.’
Sadly, unscrupulous politicians, fully aware of the truth of the matter, still attempt to deceive.
The jobs of British people - and the jobs of the five million Europeans who work here – are not dependent on EU membership and will be safe when we leave the EU.
To say otherwise is, quite simply, dishonest.
SMALL BUSINESS
“If you run a small business, then UKIP is the party for you.
We will do everything we can to help you be competitive in Britain and the global market.”
At the start of last year, there were an estimated 5.2 million small businesses in the UK, together employing over 12 million people and having a combined turnover of £1.2 trillion.
We find our greatest innovators and entrepreneurs within our small businesses.
The businesses they start and grow will take us out of the economic turmoil we’ve suffered in recent years and back into the black.
Yet, too often, our small businesses are not supported.
They struggle to get finance to set up or expand their businesses.
Larger companies who don’t pay invoices on time, damage their cash flow.
Business rates can be prohibitively high.
Excessive regulations stream out of Brussels, adding huge administrative and financial burdens to the challenges already faced by small businesses.
All this must stop.
REDUCING BUSINESS RATES
Business rates as a tax are a great burden on business and especially so on small businesses, where they represent a disproportionately high fixed cost.
The Small Business Rate Relief currently only applies up to a rateable value of £12,000, meaning many small and medium-sized businesses receive no relief at all.
UKIP recognises this often rapidly-growing sector needs much greater support and we will change the
Small Business Rate Relief as follows:
If  a  business  has  only  one  property  and  the  rateable  value is less than £50,000, the business will get 20 per cent rate relief
If   the  business  has  more  than  one  property,  the  20  per cent rate relief will still apply, provided the total rateable value of all properties is less than £50,000
Other  existing  business  rate  reliefs  will  not  be  affected and will apply where the relief provided under those schemes is greater than 20 per cent
Almost  90  per  cent  of  business  properties,  over   1.5 million in total, have a rateable value of less than £50,000, so are potentially eligible for this 20 per cent discount.
LATE PAYMENTS
According to the Department of Business Innovation and Skills, more than £20 billion is locked up at any one time in delayed late payments from large companies (defined as a company with over 250 employees) to small suppliers of goods and services.
Small businesses find cash-flow tough enough in the current economic climate.
The last thing they need is to be bullied into providing interest-free loans to their customers.
It is not acceptable for big businesses to exploit smaller firms by deliberately delaying payments and UKIP will take firm action to stop this practice.
Existing regulations are of little practical use: small businesses are reluctant to charge interest to customers and legal proceedings are expensive, time consuming and hardly an effective way to develop business relationships.
UKIP will introduce a scheme whereby small businesses will provide evidence of repeated late payments, beyond agreed terms, together with evidence that timely requests for payments have been made, to HM Revenue and Customs.
Based on the evidence - particularly if there are multiple complaints about the same company -HMRC can then carry out an inspection of that company’s records.
The identity of the complainant company will remain confidential.
If the large company is found to be systematically exceeding its contractual terms of payment with small businesses, a sanction of significant fines, proportionate to the extent of the abuse of terms, will be levied.
Fines would escalate for repeat offenders and be noted in the offending company’s statutory accounts.
UKIP will also end a growing practice whereby large companies extend their payment terms to small companies, by arranging for their supplier to take out a bank loan to facilitate their demands.
ACCESS TO FINANCE
Despite schemes such as Funding for Lending and the Finance Guarantee, small businesses still find it difficult to secure funding in the current economic climate.
While banks do of course have to consider risk, the lack of funding for small businesses will remain a drag on growth.
Small businesses themselves have to consider what credit terms they offer to their own customers.
They are understandably fearful of bad debts.
To address both this issues, UKIP will pilot a scheme to improve access to trade credit insurance to small businesses.
This insurance already exists in the market, but can prove restrictive for smaller companies, especially in certain business sectors.
Under our scheme, existing credit insurance providers will assess risk as they do now, independent of government involvement, but government would back a portion of the risk to enable cover to be provided more widely.
The security this policy provides will give small businesses the confidence to expand trade, while enhancing the attractiveness of their loan book as a more secure asset against which banks can lend them money.
If successful, this pilot will be rolled out nationally.
ENCOURAGING LOCAL TRADE
Businesses in our town centres – and shops in particular - have suffered as a result of the dramatic increase in out-of-town trading estates and supermarkets.
UKIP believes our town centres should be vibrant and profitable and that means encouraging locals, visitors and tourists into town, by removing barriers that act as a disincentive, such as expensive or restricted parking.
We will push every local authority in the country to offer at least  30 minutes free parking in town centres, high streets and shopping parades, to encourage shoppers into our town centres and boost local business.
CUTTING RED TAPE
Massive over-regulation by the European Union impacts disproportionately on smaller businesses.
Fewer than one in ten British businesses trade with the EU, yet 100 per cent of them must comply with thousands of EU laws on employment, waste management, environmental regulations, product registration, health and safety and so on.
This burden can be overwhelming for small firms.
A report by Business for Britain concluded that 3,580 new laws passed between 11 May 2010 and 1 October 2013 affected British business, with legislation running to over 13 million words.
The EU’s most costly regulations cost Britain an estimated £27.4 billion a year, according to 2013 research by think-tank Open Europe.
The Federation of Small Business says 61 per cent of small companies cite the ‘regulatory burden’ as a significant factor when closing or downsizing.
UKIP will repeal EU Regulations and Directives that stifle business growth
We will also allow traders to sell in whatever quantities or measures they like.
Only UKIP will get us out of the EU and release enterprise from the strangulation excessive regulation.
PUBLIC SECTOR CONTRACTS
UKIP will make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses with 250 employees or less to tender for public sector contracts, by removing the necessity to demonstrate compliance in areas irrelevant to the job being tendered for.
This will benefit smaller companies and cut costs to the taxpayer.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
UKIP’s support for small businesses can be seen in many other policy areas too.
For instance, small businesses will also get a boost from our policies to: Allow  young  people  to  start  an  apprenticeship  in  place  of  four  non-core subjects at GSCE level
Abolish  tuition  fees  for  those  studying  science,  technology,  engineering, maths and medicine
Allow  employers  to  prioritise  British  citizens  for  jobs
Maintain  suitable  levels  of  immigration  to  fill  the  skills’  gap
Cut  fuel  bills  through  the  abolition  of  ‘green  levies’  to  cut   business costs.
UKIP believes in Britain’s small businesses, in its entrepreneurs, in its teams of sole traders, freelancers  and self-starters and will back them whenever  and however we can.
FARMING AND THE COUNTRYSIDE
“Farmers like myself have everything to gain by leaving the EU.
UKIP has sound policies that will put British farmers first, promote high standards in animal husbandry and help secure a vibrant, thriving agriculture sector for Britain”
Outside the EU, free of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and excessive regulations,
we will be able to introduce fairer, simpler ways to support farmers.
For every £1 British agriculture receives from the CAP, the British taxpayer has already contributed £2, so we can easily continue to subsidise farmers after leaving the EU.
We can also redistribute payments away from wealthy landowners and large, often intensively farmed holdings, in favour of smaller food producers and family farms.
A NEW UK SINGLE FARM PAYMENT
UKIP will introduce a modified UK Single Farm Payment (SFP) scheme of £80 per acre for lowland farms, with comparable arrangements for lower grades of land, capped at £120,000.
Golf courses, airfields, racetracks and other non-productive areas will be excluded, as will land used for solar panels or land within 25 metres of a wind turbine.
Land must conform to 2013 Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) requirements, where points are accrued according to criteria such as hedgerow maintenance, wild bird cover, wild flower mixes, etc., to qualify for subsidies.
Organic farms will be paid a 25 per cent premium on the SFP
UKIP will add rare breed maintenance to the ELS points system
There will be no set-aside, cropping or rotation restrictions
SFP will be paid to who ever takes financial responsibility for the farming enterprise on a field-by-field basis (i.e. the farmer, not the landowner)
Hill farmers will receive additional headage payments on livestock numbers within World Trade Organisation rules.
DAIRY AND SHEEP FARMERS
UKIP will support dairy farmers by requiring the Competition Commission to promote fair practice in the food chain, in addition to considering price and competition issues.
This will allow producers to create larger cooperatives and alliances to counter the power of purchasing cartels.
We will also refine the brief of the Grocery Adjudicator, who arbitrates on trade relationships between the large retailers and their suppliers, if necessary.
We will scrap the Electronic Individual Identification Document for sheep,
and introduce a pragmatic solution to distinguish between lamb and mutton at the abattoir, reducing costs for farmers by changing the definition of an ‘aged’ sheep.
CARING FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT
UKIP will match-fund grants made by local authorities towards rural capital projects, such as creating a lake, wetland, repairing traditional stone walls, etc. which enhance the local environment, encourage rural education, or help recovery from environmental disasters.
While we will abolish excessive and unnecessary regulations and directives, keeping those necessary to protect our environment, or replacing them with more appropriate controls, administered at national or local government level, will be a priority for us.
We will take as our guide in these and all other farming matters relevant scientific and/or professional veterinary advice.
GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS
UKIP supports research into GM foods, including research on the benefits and risks involved to the public.
We will allow a free vote in Parliament on commercial cultivation.
FOOD LABELLING
Food labelling will come back under the control of the Westminster Parliament when we leave the EU.
Then we can insist animal products are labelled to show the country of origin, method of production and transport and whether the animal was stunned before slaughter, together with any information concerning hormones and GM products.
We believe strongly that customers have the right to see this information.
ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE
We can only regain control of animal health and welfare by leaving the EU.
UKIP takes both issues seriously and we will: Triple the maximum jail sentences for animal cruelty and torture
Impose lifetime bans on owning and/or looking after animals on any individual or company convicted of animal cruelty or torture
Keep the ban on animal testing for cosmetics
Challenge companies using animals for testing drugs or other medical treatments on the necessity for this form of testing, as opposed to the use of alternative technology
Tightly regulate animal testing
Ban the export of live animals for slaughter
Insist on formal non-stun training and certification for all religious slaughtermen to ensure the highest standards are adhered to
Install CCTV in every abattoir, monitored by the Meat Hygiene Service, and deal severely with any contraventions.
Remove unnecessary EU restrictions that make small, local abattoirs unviable
We will also prepare for the possibility of disease outbreaks (including those) caused by imports.
We cannot expect our farmers to bear the full brunt of any such outbreaks, but we will encourage them to introduce testing programmes and invest in insurance schemes to deal with potential outbreaks, as the poultry sector has done with the salmonella testing programme and associated insurance scheme.
FISHING
“By the time Trevor sells the two boxes of whelks he’s caught today, he will make the grand sum of about £45, before costs such as fuel for his boat.
EU quotas mean he’s not allowed to catch anything else.
This is how utterly ridiculous the Common Fisheries Policy is: it is destroying our fishing industry and we must take back control from Brussels.”
The EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) was designed from the beginning to steal our fish.
It has ravaged our fishing industry and caused catastrophic environmental damage.
Fishing grounds have been so over-fished that some are at the point of collapse.
Our fishing fleet is half its former size.
Britain’s seas should be the jewel in her crown, but we surrendered these priceless family treasures when we joined the then EEC 1973 and our territorial waters were merged into one giant European fishery.
The UK has almost 70 per cent of Europe’s fishing grounds but only 13 per cent percent of its fishing quota.
So, we must import fish species such as cod, haddock and huss that our own fishermen are forced to throw overboard
– usually dead - because of EU rules.
The EU itself estimates 40 per cent of all fish caught are discarded, so as much as two million tons of perfectly edible fish are wasted every year.
The EU’s proposed discard ban will not fix this problem, just move it onshore.
Worse, while preaching ‘conservation,’ the EU allows industrial fishing techniques such as electric pulse trawling, which destroys marine life and disturbs the ecological balance of our seascapes.
We can only replenish Britain’s bounty of fish and restore our fishing industry if we leave the EU and withdraw from the CFP.
Then we can: Establish a 12-mile zone around our coastline for UK fishermen
and a 200-mile exclusive economic zone under UK control, as is our right under international law
Reverse the rapid decline in our fishing industry and return £2.5 billion a year in fish sales to the UK economy
Enforce ‘no-take’ zones to aid spawning and replenish fish stocks
Protect our coastal eco system by ending destructive industrial fishing practices
End the slaughter of dolphins by banning pair trawler fishing for bass
Work with our fishermen to solve discard and landing issues
Reverse any EU-wide drift-net ban in British waters
Issue permits for foreign trawlers once fish stocks have returned to sustainable levels.
FISHING BOATS UNDER 10 METRES
Smaller fishing boats make up the majority of the UK fleet but only receive only 4 per cent of the English quota, while the five largest foreign-controlled vessels take 32 per cent.
It is grossly unfair and damages fish stock sustainability.
Small-scale inshore fishing is the backbone of the UK fishing industry and we will end this injustice.
SEA ANGLING
Over 750,000 people enjoy sea angling in the UK.
It is a profitable hobby for Britain: VAT income from sea angling is worth more than the value of all commercial landings and some 23,000 jobs depend on sea angling, yet the EU is planning to restrict anglers to catching just three sea bass a day.
We suspect this will eventually lead to EU controls on all angling and we will vociferously oppose this threat.
We will ensure sea anglers and our under 10-metre boat fleet are represented on the Marine Management Organisation, which licenses, regulates and plans marine activities in the seas around England and Wales.
At present, none of the fifteen board members are fishermen.
The EU is just not interested in sustainable fishing.
If we want to eat fish in  the future, we must preserve our fishing industry and our marine ecology.
We can only do this if we escape the CFP and introduce our own sustainable fishing practice.
HERITAGE AND TOURISM
“UKIP is the only party that actively works to protect our green and pleasant land from the threat of over-development and secure our historic buildings for future generations.
We will also fight to save the great British pub.”
Our historic market towns, cathedral cities and unspoilt countryside are the envy of the world.
From our Norman castles to Battersea Power Station, our heritage is an important part of our vibrant tourist industry, which supports three million jobs and contributes £127 billion annually to our economy.
PUTTING HERITAGE AND TOURISM BACK ON THE MAP
‘Heritage’ was a dirty word in Labour’s ‘Cool Britannia.’
Tony Blair moved the Department of National Heritage into the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and marginalised tourism by lumping it in with the responsibilities of the Minister for Sports and Equalities.
The Conservatives’ bulldozer instincts kicked in when the Chancellor removed the zero rate of VAT on listed building repairs.
Maintenance bills for over 400,000 of our most beautiful buildings, owned by a surprisingly diverse socioeconomic group of people, were hiked by 20 per cent.
Developers putting identikit houses on greenbelt land, meanwhile, paid no VAT.
UKIP will end this discrimination against our historic legacy by: -
Creating a dedicated Minister of State for Heritage and Tourism, attached to the Cabinet Office
Ensuring tax and planning policies support historic buildings and the countryside
Removing VAT completely from repairs to listed building
Introducing a ‘presumption in favour of conservation’ as opposed to the current ‘presumption in favour of development’ in planning legislation.
THE GREAT BRITISH SEASIDE
Too many seaside destinations face pressing economic, social and housing issues.
Old former large hotels that once sat grandly on our seafront have become houses of multiple occupation, or low-cost hostels.
The result, ‘bedsit land,’ deters families, young professionals and retired people from moving to the area and deters business investment.
UKIP will fuel regeneration in coastal areas, transforming them into vibrant, growing communities by bestowing ‘Seaside Town Status’ to areas in need of regeneration.
This will give Local Authorities the power to:
Access low-interest government loans to buy up and renovate poor housing stock and convert empty commercial properties into residential accommodation
Issue Compulsory Purchase Order powers for poor-quality multi-occupancy accommodation
Allow local authorities to introduce minimum standards for properties in receipt of housing benefit
Restructure local housing markets so they are not excessively driven by profits from housing benefit income
Refuse housing benefit payments to landlords in breach of planning legislation.
We will boost the Coastal Communities Fund and expand its remit to:
End the ‘scattergun’ approach, which sees funding allocated according to income from a particular area, rather than supporting nationwide regeneration
Prioritise larger-scale heritage, residential, retail and tourist regeneration over smaller scale projects
Encourage regenerative arts projects into our coastal towns.
UKIP’S SAVE THE PUB CAMPAIGN
We are very proud of our ‘Save the Pub’ Campaign!
The UK has lost 21,000 pubs since 1980, mostly as a result of taxation, regulation, the recent decline in disposable incomes and long-term cultural changes.
The smoking ban and the alcohol duty escalator are estimated to be responsible for some 6,000 pub closures.
To reverse this trend we will: Offer tax breaks to smaller breweries to encourage micro-breweries
Keep the current excise duty scheme that exempts from duty cider and perry made by small domestic producers
Amend the smoking ban to give pubs and clubs the choice to open smoking rooms provided they are properly ventilated and physically separated from nonsmoking areas.
Workers must not be required to enter smoking areas except for cleaning and other essential purposes when they are not in use
Oppose minimum pricing of alcohol and reverse plain paper packaging legislation for tobacco products.
Our history is the envy of the world.                   UKIP will keep it that way.
CRIME AND JUSTICE
“Cuts to the police force,
a plethora of insidious EU directives,
poor judgements from the European Court of Justice that trample on the rights of victims:
all these have eroded trust and confidence in policing and our judicial and prison systems.
Our internal national security has never felt so undermined.”
Since 2010 our internal national security has been weakened again and again.
It is UKIP’s intention to draw a line under the cuts suffered by our police, prison and criminal justice services and provide them with adequate resources.
We must get our law enforcement agencies back into a fit state, so they can deliver the protection British citizens have set great store by in the past and which we have a right to expect in the future.
In addition to boosting the Border Agency by 2,500
we will also put 3,500 more front line personnel into the police and prison services.
REMOVING THE EU’S HANDCUFFS
Our membership of the European Union and associated acceptance of the ‘free movement of people’ principle means we are unable to prevent criminals arriving on our shores.
Truly horrific, tragic crimes have been committed in Britain by foreign criminals with long records in their home countries and petty criminality has risen as gangs of thieves, pickpockets and scammers have arrived from overseas to target the UK.
We must leave the EU to prevent those with criminal convictions coming here.
By opening the borders to convicted criminals, previous governments have put us at unacceptable risk.
We have been badly let down.
UKIP will do its utmost to deport foreign criminals and prevent those with criminal records from entering Britain, when we leave the EU.
This will help protect our nation, free up prison places and relieve some of the stress on the prison service.
HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION
Putting responsibility for law and order back into the hands of Parliament is key to UKIP’s approach to law and order, justice and internal security across the British Isles.
We will remove ourselves from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights: the Strasbourg Court whose interpretation of the European Convention of Human Rights has been known to put the rights of criminals above those of victims.
Our own Supreme Court will act as the final authority on matters of Human Rights.
We will also repeal Labour’s Human Rights legislation.
It has given European judges far too much power over British law making and law enforcement
and prevented us deporting terrorists and career criminals
and from implementing whole-life sentences.
Our human rights will be enshrined in law via the introduction of a new, consolidated UK Bill of Rights.
This will complement the UN Declaration of Human Rights and encapsulate all the human and civil rights that UK citizens have acquired under UK law since Magna Carta.
This new UK Bill of Rights will apply across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
‘INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY’
UKIP will fully uphold the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty.’
This tenet of law is fundamental to British justice
and UKIP will reverse the opt-in to EU law and justice measures, which disregard this fundamental principle, including the European Arrest Warrant and European Investigation Orders, which were enacted by the Coalition partners and supported by Labour.
THE UK POLICE
Austerity cuts have forced cuts to policing numbers that have gone too far, placing citizen safety and trust in policing at severe risk.
UKIP is committed to returning to a meaningful capita population-based policing resource.
Serving officers should not be subjected to undue stress as a result of being over-stretched.
Crime is not a ‘lifestyle option’ UKIP will tolerate.
The more visible police we have on our streets, the more criminals are reminded of this fact and the more the public are reassured.
Reducing the numbers of territorial constabularies nationwide will release finance onto the front line:
we  question whether 43 constabularies, each with a multiplicity and duplication of roles, is either a viable situation  or one suited to delivering operational efficiency.
This will not be a ‘top-down’ process however, but an expert,  police-led approach, leading to collaboration and co-operation between constabularies and policing bodies  with the aim of producing structures more relevant to policing in 21st century Britain.
We will also reduce the number of Police and Crime Commissioners in line with our objective of a reduction in the number of territorial constabularies to save money and tackle serious crime.
The PCC role and remit will be reviewed before the next set of PCC elections to identify ´Best Practice´ that has been achieved across the country.
The findings of this exercise will be used to establish a new Terms of Reference and role specification for the remaining PCCs to ensure that they are ´fit for purpose´ regarding the identified challenges for policing and the criminal justice system as a whole.
We will also: Commit to keeping sworn and warranted officers under the service of the Crown.
UKIP will not outsource or privatise UK policing
Refuse to allow the introduction or deployment of the Euro Gendarmerie force within the UK
Invest in new technology such as communications equipment and personal CCTV to combat crime
Ensure Britain’s police forces comply with the law and do not retain booking photographs, fingerprints, DNA, or biometric data of individuals who have not been convicted of a crime
Seek to match the make-up of the police force to the UK’s population profile
Introduce an accredited system for police recruitment in line with UKIP policy on apprenticeships and vocational training.
CRIME AND SENTENCING
The nature of crime has changed dramatically.
The Internet, impossible to police completely, is growing as a medium to commission and commit crime.
Up to one third of women report being the victim of domestic violence, yet in itself it is not an offence.
There is confusion concerning laws on carrying potentially lethal weapons.
While we once believed we had abolished slavery, people trafficking is increasing and modern-day slavery is a harsh reality.
UKIP believes it is time for a review of what is and what is not a criminal offence and we will commit to such a review,
together with a review of commensurate sentencing policy to address the changing nature of crime today.
The emphasis of such a review is likely to be on up to date sentencing procedures and processes for internet/cyber crime, sexual crime relating to minors, fraud, aggression, intimidation, people trafficking and gang masters and drug & substance abuse.
Our overall approach to crime is one of firmness, coupled with deterrent and rehabilitative strategies and a focus on combatting crime that delivers clear social value outcomes.
We are also clear that the interests of law-abiding citizens and victims must always take precedence over those of criminals.
We also pledge the following: We will prosecute all cases of adult sexual behaviour with under-age minors.
The age of consent will not be reviewed or changed
We will adopt a zero tolerance approach to cultural practices that are either illegal
or which conflict with British values and customs, including forced marriages, female genital mutilation and ‘so-called’ honour killings.
We will enforce the law and prosecute where necessary
UKIP will seek to introduce new personal weapons legislation to reflect progress made on knife crime and combat the many different kinds of items now used to injure, disfigure or kill
We will not decriminalise illegal drugs, however we will focus on ensuring drug suppliers, not their victims, face the full force of the law
We will update licensing laws in response to calls from local authorities to limit the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals from £100 down to £2, to tackle problem gambling and anti-social behaviour.
We will decriminalise one crime: non-payment of the TV licence fee.
This will become a civil rather than a criminal offence.
We will also review the cost of the licence fee with a view to its reduction.
UK PRISONS
An early priority for UKIP will be to re-establish prison capacity.
We will not risk allowing sentencing or parole hearings to be influenced by a lack of prison places.
In the first instance, we will free up prison space by removing foreign criminals, of which there were over 10,000 in prisons in England and Wales, according to the last reported figures from the House of Commons Library.
We support purpose-built prison facilities and the upgrade of older prisons, but will not reduce prison place numbers, or force an artificial reduction in prisoner capacity via any means.
If criminals do the crime, they can expect to serve the time.
Rehabilitation and reintegration into society for all prisoners is a UKIP priority, so it is essential that prisoners have sufficient numeracy and literacy skills to re-enter the workplace.
We will introduce a system whereby suitably qualified prisoners will be paid to teach prisoners with a low standard of literacy and numeracy.
Prisoners must sign an education covenant requiring them to complete their studies on release.
Any money earned in prison must first be used to pay any compensation due to victims and thereafter towards further studies.
Prisoners will not be given the vote.
Those who have lost their right to liberty by committing a serious crime should also lose their ability to vote.
Voting is a civic right, not a human right.
DEALING WITH FOREIGN CRIMINALS
There is significant public concern about the ability of convicted foreign criminals first to gain entry to the UK and subsequently to obtain British citizenship.
UKIP will not allow this to continue.
If they have been convicted of any crime, foreign nationals will potentially forfeit any entitlement to a UK Passport and to unrestricted entry to the country.
We will introduce a fast-track deportation programme to  safeguard our national security and ease overcrowding and  pressure on our prison service.
Foreign prisoners in receipt of  custodial sentences will be returned to their country of origin.
If they choose to launch an appeal, they must do so from their  home country, or the country to which they are deported.
They must also pay their own costs, or their home nation must fund their case.
This policy will benefit the UK tax payer;
is fair to all criminals regardless of origin;
and reinstates UK judicial control.
DNA testing and retention of DNA data results will be reinstated for all convicted foreign criminals.
This, in our view, is a major preventative step towards protecting UK citizens and our front-line security forces.
We will amend the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 to enable the police to continue to keep samples from foreign suspects who are arrested but not charged in Britain.
British justice is still the best in the world,
but is being corrupted by the EU.
Unelected bureaucrats in Brussels and judges in Strasbourg and Luxembourg, can ignore British fears about crime.
It is time to bring our British legal system back under British control.
POLITICAL REFORM
“Politics in Britain has become a cartel.
Many MPs only became MPs by working in the office of MPs.
Instead of answering outward to their constituents, too many MPs only answer to other MPs in Westminster.
We need fundamental change to reconnect politics with the public.”
With party whips wielding so much power, Parliament has grown supine and often spineless.
Instead of challenging ministers, too many MPs simply do what their whips tell them.
Parliamentary Questions are planted.
Debates are rigged.
Prime Minister’s Question Time generates a lot of heat, but sheds little light.
UKIP wants far reaching political reform to ensure that government answers properly to Parliament and that Parliament is accountable to the people.
We will introduce: The Citizens’ Initiative:
Every two years we will allow a national referendum on the issues of greatest importance to the British public, gathered via an approved petition, provided the petition has more than two million signatures.
The outcome of these referendums will be included in the Queen’s Speech, therefore allowing the public to directly influence legislation.
We will also pledge to put matters gathering over 100,000 signatures on the Commons’ Order Paper, to make sure they are genuinely debated and voted upon, not simply brushed over, as currently happens
The Right of Recall: UKIP will give voters real power to sack their MP and scrap the bogus Recall measures introduced by the Tory-led Coalition.
Under our proposals, if twenty per cent of an MP’s constituents demand it, within a period of eight weeks, a Recall ballot will be triggered.
We will extend this Right of Recall to all elected politicians, e.g. councillors
An Open Primaries Bill: UKIP will introduce an Open Primaries Bill to enable any political parties that wished to do so to widen their selection process to include every local voter.
Open Primary ballots would help ensure candidates in winnable seats need not be Westminster insiders.
As well as making MPs more accountable to the public, UKIP will make Government answer more directly to Parliament.
We will introduce:  Confirmation hearings:
These will require Commons Select Committees to vote to approve the appointment of any new minister, senior civil servant or senior diplomat before they get the job.
They will also have the power to veto such appointments.
The same rules will apply to senior appointments to quangos and inspection bodies, such as Ofsted
Expenditure hearings:  Until the 1930s, MPs were able to amend public spending plans.
Since then they can only can only cheer or boo government spending plans, which are presented to them as a fait accompli.
In order to control public spending and reduce taxes over time, UKIP will give the relevant Commons Select Committee the power to veto items of spending, but not increase them.
VOTING REFORM
In an age of multi-party politics, our current first past the post  Parliamentary election system is unfair and no longer fit for  purpose.
Most MPs are elected by a minority of their voters  and perhaps with as little as 26 per cent of the vote share.
UKIP believes voters should know that every vote counts.
We  want an electoral system where each voter can vote for the  party they really believe in, rather than against one they do  not, for tactical reasons.
UKIP will campaign for a new, proportional voting system that delivers a Parliament truly reflective of the number of votes cast, while retaining a constituency link, so every vote really does count.
We will also: Restrict the entitlement to vote in British general elections to British citizens and, potentially, countries which have reciprocal voting rights for British citizens, such as Ireland
Scrap the failing Electoral Commission and Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) and merge their functions into a new Political Standards Authority under new independent leadership and a cross-party board of governance with voting lay members
Remove postal voting on demand.
We will scrap the existing postal vote register completely and start again from scratch.
Those wishing to have a postal vote must have a valid reason for applying.
We will not allow postal voting on demand.
It is open to fraud on such a scale that election rigging is now a real possibility and perhaps even a probability in some areas.
We cannot allow ‘banana republic’ voting fraud in Britain.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
“UKIP will bring back power to the people with common sense, local policies which will make people’s lives easier.
UKIP councillors know who is boss: we only answer to you and we are known for rolling up our sleeves and getting the job done!”
Local authorities have significant power in matters concerning planning and housing, education, local refuse and recycling facilities, parks and leisure facilities, transport, libraries and keeping local people safe.
Too often, elected councillors put party politics ahead of taxpayers when making decisions on these important matters.
UKIP believes councils should exist to serve their communities first and we will put power back where it belongs: in the hands of local people.
We will: -Continue to give UKIP councillors the freedom to vote how they choose.
We believe the community is their ‘boss’ and they will not be ‘whipped’ to bloc vote like councillors in other political parties
Keep Council Tax as low as possible
Oppose excessive development and actively seek to protect our countryside and green spaces
Give local people control over planning, by giving them the final say on major planning decisions, such as out-of-town large-scale supermarket developments, wind turbines, incinerators, solar farms and major housing developments, through the use of binding local referenda
Adopt a zero tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour and crack down on nuisance and noisy neighbours
Make the setting up of a traveller pitch without permission illegal
Reinstate weekly bin collections where local communities have lost them and want them reinstated
Oppose the ‘cabinet’ system of governance, which puts too much power in the hands of too few people and advocate a committee system which brings more openness, transparency and cross-party collaborative working
Seek at all times to give council tax payers best value for money by: Cutting excessive allowances for councillors
Slashing excessive pay deals and golden handshakes for council executives
Limiting the number of highly-paid council employees
Cutting advertising and self-promotion budgets
Building partnerships to reduce costs
Abolishing non-essential jobs and red tape.
UKIP will also undertake a full review of all the many statutory duties national government places on local government, with a view to reducing the burden on councils.
BRITISH CULTURE
“When did patriotism become something to be discouraged?
It can be a unifying force for good.
There is nothing ‘extreme’ about wanting to celebrate ‘Britishness’ and it is about time we started doing so again.”
UKIP believes in Britain.
We believe Britain can be a strong, proud, independent,  sovereign nation.
We are the envy of the world for our rich history,
our art and our architecture,
our monarchy.
We led the way in the abolition of the slave trade.
Our Industrial Revolution transformed the world.
A plethora of great Britons stream through international history.
Our language is the most widely spoken on the planet.
Britain is a remarkable country and we are a remarkable people.
We have helped shape the modern world.
Britain is more than just a star on someone else’s flag.
The liberal metropolitan elite often tells us patriotism is wrong, that it is something to be discouraged.
We are told we should be ashamed of our past; that we must apologise for it.
Hints are dropped that wanting to celebrate ‘Britishness’ is an act that touches on extremism.
We in UKIP, along with the vast majority of the British people, beg to differ.
We are not afraid to talk about the kind of country we are, have been, and indeed, want to be in the future.
Neither are we afraid to tackle head-on cultural issues of crucial importance.
This clearly distinguishes us from the other parties, who have sought to denigrate our historic values of sovereignty, democracy, independence, patriotism and freedom by handing responsibility for Governance over to the EU.
REINVIGORATING BRITISH CULTURE AND VALUES
UKIP will promote a unifying British culture, open to anyone who wishes to identify with Britain and British values, regardless of their ethnic or religious background.
This is genuine inclusiveness.
We reject multiculturalism, the doctrine whereby different ethnic and religious groups are encouraged to maintain all aspects of their cultures, instead of integrating into our majority culture, even if some of their values and customs conflict with British ones.
We believe multiculturalism has led to an alarming fragmentation of British society.
UKIP does want people to integrate and,
because we believe in Britain,
we are also committed to promoting the English language as a common ingredient that will bind our society together.
With these aims in mind, UKIP will: End the use of multi-lingual formatting on official documents.
These will be published only in English and, where appropriate, Welsh and Gaelic
Uphold freedom of speech within the law
as a fundamental British value.
We believe all ideas and beliefs should be open to discussion and scrutiny and we will challenge the ‘culture of offence’ as it risks shutting down free speech
Recognise that British values include tolerance of religion.
UKIP is committed to protecting religious freedoms for all believers in the UK, in accordance with Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We believe, however, that those faiths and beliefs must exist firmly within a British framework.
We will not condone any faith position which is itself intolerant and refuses to recognise the human rights of others
Uphold the integrity of British law, ensuring it applies to all, equally.
We will not condone parallel or conflicting systems that deny equality under the law
Insist that those attending faith-based tribunals must be informed that they cannot be forced to attend and that the rulings from such hearings may not be legally binding under British law
Review funding for public bodies which promote divisiveness through multiculturalism
Introduce a mandatory reporting requirement for suspected cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) for front-line professionals such as teachers, social services, GPs, nurses and police.
This will be supported by the inclusion of FGM awareness into safeguarding training for teachers, school staff and governors.
TAKING PRIDE IN BRITAIN
We need to take pride in our country again and claim back our heritage from the ‘chattering classes’ who have denigrated our culture, highlighted our failings as a country, rather than celebrating our successes, and tried to make us ashamed to be British.
UKIP will encourage pride in Britain among our young people, who have become detached from our national cultural heritage.
UKIP supports a chronological understanding of British history and achievements in the National Curriculum, which should place due emphasis on the unique influence Britain has had in shaping the modern world.
UKIP will declare St George’s Day, 23rd April a Bank Holiday in England
and St David’s Day, 1st March, in Wales.
TRADE
“We do not need to be in political union with the EU in order to trade with the EU.
Britain will continue to trade with the EU after Brexit and to say otherwise is a deliberate deceit on the electors of our country.
Leaving means we can increase our trade reach in the world’s growing markets, on our own, for ourselves, without being shackled to an over-bureaucratic, failing EU market that dilutes our influence and produces little except low economic growth and high unemployment.”
The longer we stay in the European Union, the more we become like ‘little Englanders,’ an isolated, insignificant, offshore province in a country called Europe.
We become less and less like the ‘Great’ Britain we really are.
We are a global trading nation,
a G7 country,
the world’s fifth largest economy.
The UK is the fourth largest exporter of goods worldwide;
the seventh largest manufacturing nation;
a permanent member of the UN Security Council;
a founder-member of the World Bank
and the Commonwealth of Nations;
one of the major players in NATO.
English is the most widely-spoken business language and London the world’s leading international financial centre.
Is it astonishing how many politicians claim we are ‘too small’ to go it alone.
These blinkered doomsayers are not just unpatriotic, they are very, very wrong.
OUT OF THE EU AND INTO THE WORLD
Prior to joining the EU, Britain struck her own trade deals and traded freely across the globe.
We surrendered our trade negotiating rights when we signed up to what was then the EEC and vacated our seat on the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Britain has not negotiated a single trade deal since 1975 and, while we remain in the EU, we will never negotiate one again.
UKIP believes we can trade again, very successfully, by re-activating our seat at the WTO, where we can negotiate as a full and independent member.
EU TRADE MYTHS EXPLODED
We do not have to be members of the EU in order to trade with the EU, or any other country.
More than sixty non-EU countries have trade deals with the EU.
In 2013, the top twenty of these, countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Hong Kong, Canada, Nigeria, Mexico and Australia, together exported goods and services worth €2.593 trillion to EU countries, according to the EU’s own figures, more than our entire economy in the same year.
Moreover, six of the top ten countries that export to the EU do not have a trade agreement with the EU at all: China, Russia, the USA, Japan, India and Brazil.
Being in the EU is no guarantee of greater financial rewards than being out in terms of trade:
non-EU Switzerland, with an economy one-quarter the size of ours, exports four and a half times more to the EU, per capita, than the UK does.
The inconvenient truth for our Europhile political class is that political union offers no advantages to trade, although it may inhibit it.
We export more to the USA – some £40 billion annually – than we do to either France or Germany, our largest EU markets, without having to become the fifty-first American state and without the free movement of people between our nations.
TRADE ON ‘BREXIT,’ BRITISH EXIT FROM THE EU
Once the UK leaves the EU, we, as a country, regain our ability to take back our vacant seat at the WTO and represent ourselves, negotiating our own trade agreements and advancing our own national trade interests.
A first step would be to broker a bespoke UK-EU trade agreement, which we believe is desirable.
This is what we will seek and without doubt achieve, possibly within a very short period of time.
The UK has been a leader in international trade for centuries, long before the European Union.
We will continue to trade internationally after Brexit, enjoying the rights inherent in the WTO’s ‘Most Favoured Nation’ principle.
We will regain full autonomy at the World Customs Organisation, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and several of the UN’s constituent bodies - all of which have seen a steady erosion of our voting powers, as the EU has assumed primacy.
With over 100 other international organisations counting the UK as a full member, we will be in a very strong negotiating position when we leave the EU.
Suggestions that the EU would refuse to negotiate a trade deal with Britain if we left the Union are nothing more than scaremongering.
Britain is the Eurozone’s biggest export market worldwide, the Eurozone’s biggest supplier worldwide, and the country with which the Eurozone has the biggest trade surplus worldwide.
The truth is, the EU cannot afford to snub us: the EU actually needs us far more than we need the EU.
It is time to free Britain from the shackles of the EU.
We have a choice between a dying Europe and a vibrant, growing world;
a choice between staying buried in the bureaucratic nightmare of Brussels, and resuming our proper place in the rest of the world.
The common sense answer is to leave.
DEFENCE
“The world is aflame with conflict, yet our Armed Forces have been cut to the bone.
We need a well-resourced, properly manned and fit-for-purpose defence capacity,
but our ability to defend British interests around the world is now seriously inhibited.
Our security at home is threatened and cuts have put additional strain on already  over-stretched and under-resourced troops.”
The Government continues to signal its intention to widen engagement in international conflicts while, at the same time, implementing a crippling round of further military spending cuts,  under the auspices of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR).
The Army is tasked with reducing personnel numbers to 82,000 by 2018, down from 102,500 in 2010.
Battle tank strength has been cut by 40 per cent and there has been a 35 per cent cut in self-propelled artillery.
The Conservatives’ ambition to recruit 30,000 personnel to the Territorial Army is failing.
Together, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy have suffered more than 10,000 job losses.
The Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft programme has been cancelled.
The aircraft carrier fleet has been decommissioned, despite having no operational replacements available until 2020.
These cuts have demoralised our Armed Forces and left the nation unprepared to face emerging threats.
REBUILDING OUR ARMED FORCES
Our current level of military spending and staffing is not fulfilling the terms of our NATO membership - which requires that we spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence -
and the government has failed to lay out details of spending plans beyond 2015/16.
On the basis that the current base level of defence spending is maintained after 2015/16 at 1.9 per cent, UKIP will increase the defence budget to meet our obligations to NATO and spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence in 2015/16.
We will exceed it substantially for the remaining years of the parliament.
We will phase in increased defence spending over the next five years up to an additional £4 billion by 2020.
This will return funding to the pre-SDSR level, and allow for £1 billion yearly expenditure on capital projects deemed to be of the highest strategic priority by the MoD.
We will rebuild our Armed Forces and restore them to their rightful place among the most professional, flexible and effective fighting forces in the world, able to meet the security demands of the modern era and react appropriately to any threat that the UK faces both now and in the future.
RETAIN OUR NUCLEAR DETERRENT
Faced with rogue states such as North Korea and Iran, which have developed advanced nuclear capabilities, UKIP does not believe now is the time to be talking about or proposing nuclear disarmament and we support Trident renewal.
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
The two new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers are superb operational platforms.
UKIP supports their deployment, while having reservations about the Royal Navy’s ability to man, operate and protect them:
it could take nearly every ship in the current fleet to form an effective carrier group.
We also have reservations about the development of the American F-35B Lightning II aircraft that are due to fly from the carriers by 2020, given the massive technical problems involved.
This platform may never be mission-capable.
We will investigate further whether it would be better to commission an ‘off-the-shelf’ aircraft option and adapt the two Queen Elizabeth class carriers for non-vertical take-off and landings.
INCREASING INTELLIGENCE CAPABILITY
Currently, British intelligence is fragmented between a number of agencies, including MI5, MI6, GCHQ and BBC Monitoring.
All have different funding streams and report to different government departments.
This generates a significant overlap in work and resources and risks exposing gaps in the system.
UKIP will create a new over-arching role of Director of National Intelligence (subject to confirmation hearing by the relevant Commons Select Committee), who will be charged with reviewing UK intelligence and security, in order to ensure threats are identified, monitored and dealt with by the swiftest, most appropriate and legal means available.
He or she will be responsible for bringing all intelligence services together; developing cyber security measures; cutting down on waste and encouraging information and resource sharing.
TAX ON ACTIVE SERVICE
UKIP will revise the Armed Forces terms of service to ensure personnel on operational duty overseas do not pay income tax.
EU ARMY
UKIP wholly opposes the creation of a EU Army.
We will not tolerate British troops operating under European command, on British soil or elsewhere.
HONOURING THE MILITARY COVENANT
Wherever we send our brave heroes, whatever the danger, they never let us down.
We will not let them down.
We will honour the Military Covenant.
UKIP will create a dedicated Minister for Veterans, attached to the Cabinet Office to head up a Veterans Administration (VA).
The VA will work with current MoD veteran services and established charities to provide a single point of contact for veterans in a range of fields:
health care, housing, counselling, education and training, rehabilitation, hospital care, access to veteran financial services, benefits and memorialisation.
Issues such as veteran homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse and mental health problems will also come under this remit, as will rolling out the following initiatives by 2020:
A DEDICATED MILITARY HOSPITAL
We believe members of our Armed Forces should have access to expert care services, configured to meet the specific needs of serving forces personnel and veterans.
Britain is the only major country in Europe that does not have a dedicated military hospital, so we will build one.
It will provide specialist physical and mental health services and provide accommodation for 150 relatives or friends on site.
HOSTELS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
9,000 homeless people are ex-forces, as are one in ten people sleeping rough on the streets, according to charities Combat Stress and Crisis.
That those who have been willing to defend our homeland have ended up without a home themselves is appalling.
By 2020, UKIP will build eight halfway house veterans’ hostels, each with 200 rooms and modelled on similar hostels already in operation.
We will also built 500 affordable rent homes every year for ex-forces personnel.
JOBS FOR EX-SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN
We will guarantee the offer of a job in the police service, prison service or border force for anyone who has served in the Armed Forces for a minimum of 12 years.
This policy will also help meet our pledge to fund an additional 6,000 full time positions across these three organisations.
We will secure our borders, get more police on the streets, have safer prisons and honour the Military Covenant.
BOOTS TO BUSINESS
Skills gained in the forces can be useful when running a small business.
We will create a ‘Boots to Business’ scheme to channel loans, grants and access to free professional advice and mentors to veterans who wish to set up and run their own businesses after leaving the forces.
SUPPORTING OUR HEROES AND THEIR FAMILIES
Key roles for the VA will include bereavement support;
the issue of a veteran service card to ensure fast-track access to NHS mental health care;
and the award of a National Defence Medal to all veterans, irrespective of rank or length of service.
The current anomaly in the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme will be rectified, so no veteran has to use their war pension to pay for social care, whenever they were injured.
These entitlements will be extended to service personnel from overseas.
If they have shared the responsibility, stress and danger associated with military service, they should be entitled to exactly the same benefits as the man or woman who stood at their side.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
“Britain’s role in the world has changed significantly over the past few decades.
Instead of concerning ourselves with securing peace, British forces have been deployed around the world in a series of conflicts that seem to have worsened, instead of improved, our security situation.”
Since 1997, Labour and the Conservative/Lib Dem Coalition have deployed our Armed Forced to conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Libya and Iraq, while maintaining the ‘War on Terror’.
They proposed military action in Syria.
More recently, Parliament approved air strikes over Iraq on Islamic State.
Latest deployments include deterrent exercises in Poland and the Baltic States and a little publicised, but substantial, deployment to Nigeria.
These interventions have stretched the UK’s Armed Forces to the limit and damaged our reputation in the international community.
They have caused social problems here at home
and jaded the British public’s attitude towards involvement in future conflicts.
Iraq is a much more dangerous place today.
So is Libya
Britain’s increasing involvement with European Union expansionism is putting us increasingly, unnecessarily, at loggerheads with Russia.
The MoD recently told Ukraine it can count on ‘any possible assistance’ in maintaining its territorial integrity.
It is yet another sign that our political leaders are willing to put our troops in harm’s way at the behest of other country’s political agendas.
We have to be clear: we should stand firmly alongside our allies around the world,
but cannot continue committing troops into conflict at the drop of a hat – often under-resourced -
and with a veterans policy that lets down those returning from the horrors of war.
Our commitment to NATO must be upheld and we will not shirk our responsibilities towards our allies,
but UKIP believes our parliamentary democracy should be consulted at every opportunity, before committing any taxpayer resources, or our forces, to combat situations.
UKIP acknowledges there are real, existential threats around the world.
The rise of Islamic extremism is at the forefront of this and, indeed, is possibly the most important battle of our generation.
But the fight with and against this ideology is not best fought on a battlefield 3,000 miles away,
but at home, where we have significant problems of radicalisation and incitement to terrorism
.
In Europe, UKIP would push for commitments from our European neighbours, as well as multi-national organisations, to guarantee the British sovereignty and territorial integrity of Gibraltar and its waters.
In the South Atlantic, we must not ‘negotiate’ or kowtow to Argentine aggression over the Falkland Islands, but uphold and respect the islanders’ decision – through the self-determination of a recent referendum – their overwhelming desire and right to remain British.
In the Middle East, UKIP wants to see nations at peace,
but acknowledges that sectarianism, fuelled by historical Western involvement, has rendered this all but impossible within a generation.
We want to see a peaceful, two-state solution in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Britain is not merely a European country, but part of a global community, the Anglosphere.
Beyond the EU and even the Commonwealth are a network of nations that share not merely our language but our common law, democratic traditions and global trading interests.
From India to the United States, New Zealand to the Caribbean, UKIP would want to foster closer ties with the Anglosphere.
Around the rest of the globe, UKIP’s policies, including opening up from a small, Euro-centric view of the world – wherein we are bound by EU membership not to negotiate our own trade deals- to becoming a sovereign nation that can trade with other countries, would once again inform our foreign policy.
Once unbound from the EU, Britain would once again take her place in the family of nations as an independent, sovereign state, free to negotiate her own trade deals and determine her own foreign policy objectives.
We believe nations which trade with one another are less likely to go to war with each other and, it is on this basis, that we would seek to create a more global Britain, fully able to pursue her own interests.
“Ultimately, UKIP wants to help lift people out of poverty through trade, not aid.
In the meantime, we’ll continue to support the poorest people on earth through programmes that prioritise clean water and sanitation, vaccinations and disaster relief.”
The politics of austerity has taken its toll.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Britain are relying on foodbanks for survival.
`Pensioners are freezing to death in winter as a result of rising fuel bills.
The NHS is under severe financial strain.
Social care budgets have been slashed, leaving some of the most needy in our society without adequate support.
Our young people have been forced into debt by a 200 per cent increase in tuition fees.
Despite this severe economic hardship, MPs and peers in all parties except UKIP voted to massively increase foreign aid expenditure, borrowing money that will increase the national debt we leave to our children.
It is now enshrined in law that we must pay 0.7 per cent of our Gross National Income (GNI) on aid every year.
The old parties pushed ahead with this expenditure regardless, ignoring considerable evidence that the money spent on overseas aid is not well directed or controlled and that much is wasted, lost to corruption or handed to countries already wealthy enough to have their own space programmes, nuclear weapons and even overseas aid programmes of their own.
UKIP will repeal recent legislation committing aid spending to 0.7 per cent of GNI.
We object to taxpayers’ money being sent to already economically thriving countries;
countries with poor human rights’ records;
and to money being spent on politically correct vanity projects that do nothing to lift developing nations out of poverty.
We also believe charity should begin at home.
UKIP will bring overseas aid spending into line with that of the United States, which has a very similar level of deficit and overall debt as a percentage of GNI to the UK.
USA aid currently stands at 0.2 per cent of GNI and this is what we will match.
This change will be phased in over three years and the UK level of overseas aid will remain substantial, not falling below £4 billion per annum, more than given by Spain and Italy combined.
Projects in progress will be completed and any contractual obligations met.
We will require all project expenditure to have clear, definable outcomes and future spending priorities will focus on emergency relief, healthcare, inoculation against preventable diseases and clean water and sanitation programmes.
The contracts for delivery of these programmes will be offered to British providers first, following removal of the EU Procurement Directive.
TRADE NOT AID
Removing barriers to trade is a far more effective way to tackle poverty than giving aid hand-outs, which can provide incentives for corrupt leaders to stifle economic progress.
This is where UKIP will focus: having escaped from the EU’s protectionism, which has a negative impact on international development,
we will be better placed to help provide sustainable livelihoods for the world’s poorest people, by giving them free access to the British market.
THE DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (DFID)
DFID has already shown itself to be wasteful and lacking in focus on aid outcomes, yet its budget has been protected from recent government cuts.
UKIP takes a very different view: when DFID’s budget is reduced, we see no reason to keep DIFD running as an independent Government department.
We will close DFID and merge its essential functions into the Foreign Office, retaining a single Minister for Overseas Development.
BREXIT
WHY WE SHOULD  LEAVE THE EU
UKIP’s position has been quite unfairly and misleadingly labelled ‘anti-Europe.’
We are not ‘anti-Europe,’ but we are firmly opposed to political integration within Europe.
Back in 1972, we were told we were joining a ‘common market.’
What we actually joined was a supranational political union.
We have lost our rights of self-government in the stealth creation of a United States of Europe, which has its own flag, national anthem, parliament, central bank, court of justice, a vast civil service, and fledgling military and police forces.
The tentacles of the EU stretch into almost every area of our national life.
The EU has complete control over British financial services, fishing, farming, energy and trade.
It dictates UK business and employment legislation and immigration rules.
It seeks greater control over our law enforcement services, our foreign affairs and tax policy.
There is significant momentum behind plans for a EU-wide army and police force.
The EU ‘shares’ responsibility with us for many other policy areas, including animal welfare, consumer protection, public health, space programmes, social policy, humanitarian aid and vocational training, to mention but a few.
On these and many other issues, our elected Westminster politicians are impotent.
They pretend to have the power to influence these matters, but actually they have none.
It is an out-of-sight, unaccountable, pan-European bureaucratic elite which has the final say and they do not consider Britain’s best interests.
The European Parliament is no safeguard.
It is a sham democracy: our MEPs are not allowed to generate or re-visit existing legislation.
They can only vote on decisions made by unelected Commissioners and, even then, their vote can be ignored.
We have nothing to lose and everything to gain by leaving the EU.
Despite the fact we are the world’s fifth largest economy and the seventh largest manufacturing nation, we will never again make a direct trade deal with any other nation until we leave the EU.
We will never control our borders or manage immigration.
We will never be able to prevent foreign trawlers plundering our seas of precious fish.
If the EU’s plans for ‘tax harmonisation’ come to fruition, soon we may find we cannot even set our own taxes.
What else is coming down the tracks?
A British exit from the EU, ‘Brexit,’ is the only choice open to us, if we are to make our own laws and control our own destiny.
Unless we leave, our democracy, our law-making powers and our sovereignty will continue to be salami-sliced away by the EU.
Genuine reform is impossible: successive EU Presidents, senior officials and European Prime Ministers have confirmed there is no hope of Britain negotiating any opt-outs, or special treatment.
As far as our ‘influence’ goes, we have very little anyway.
As the European Union has expanded, our vote share in the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, and the European Commission, has declined to the point where it is now almost insignificant.
We can vote ‘no’ to proposals as often as we like, but unless other countries agree, measures will go on become British law anyway.
For all these reasons and more, Britain is better off out.
This is our roadmap to freedom: the process that will lead Great Britain out of the EU and into the world.
A REFERENDUM ON MEMBERSHIP
UKIP believes British citizens should have an in/out referendum on our membership of the EU as soon as possible.
Our question of choice will be:
DO YOU WISH BRITAIN TO BE A FREE, INDEPENDENT, SOVEREIGN DEMOCRACY?
Only British citizens will be allowed to vote and there will be strict spending limits for both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ camps, together with fair, balanced and equal media coverage of both arguments.
Following a vote to leave, we have two legal options:
We repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and leave immediately
We activate Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and notify the European Council that the UK has decided to leave the EU in two years’ time.
The second option provides for a sensible, orderly exit and this is the option we prefer.
PREPARATION FOR WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EU
Having activated Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, we will set a fixed date, two years ahead, on which we intend to leave, while recognising we could leave earlier.
Then we will begin amicable negotiations.
British exit will be a huge relief for many other EU members, who have known all along that the vast majority of the British people find the idea of political union with the rest of Europe abhorrent.
They are fully aware that we would never have joined the EU, had the political nature of the enterprise not been deliberately concealed from the electorate in 1975.
Our leaving will set them free to have full political union, if that is what they really want
and set us free to make the most of all our links with the Commonwealth,
with North America,
Australasia, much of Africa, the Indian subcontinent and all the other countries where English is the first or second language, as well as, of course, with Europe and the EU itself.
The UK is the EU’s largest export market
and, militarily, the strongest European member of NATO.
With Russia once more flexing its muscles and controlling much of the energy supplies to Western Europe, the other EU member states will have more than a casual interest in making sure their relationship with us remains amicable.
AGREEING BREXIT: THE OBJECTIVES
What do we wish to achieve from our negotiations with the EU?
Our objectives are clear: Firstly, we will secure trade agreements with the EU, the 40 nations with trade agreements with the EU and other nations of interest to us.
As a G7 member, a leading world economy, the fifth largest by GDP, this will be a rapid process in most cases.
Countries already trading with the EU will want to continue seamless trade relationships;
other world nations will want to forge new trade alliances with the UK;
and all nations will find it easier to deal with the UK directly.
As a minimum, we will seek continued access on free-trade terms to the EU’s single market.
Our custom is valuable to the EU now and will continue to be so following Brexit.
Secondly, there will be a wide range of issues on which we will want to continue to co-operate.
These include extradition treaties,
cross-border intelligence,
disaster relief,
accommodation of refugees,
pan-EU healthcare arrangements
and various other cultural projects.
We will also maintain our membership of pan-European institutions, such as the European Space Agency and the European Medicines Agency.
AGREEING BREXIT: THE PROCESS
The Foreign Secretary will oversee the Brexit process and establish a Post-EU Secretariat, with responsibility for:
Co-ordinating the disengagement
Reviewing of EU legislation and directives as they affect each area of government
Determining the post-EU status of all EU treaties
Re-establishing the UK’s membership of the World Trade Organisation
Commencing free-trade agreement negotiations with non-EU countries
Agreeing a UK/EU trade agreement
Agreeing a UK/EU Brexit Treaty
For 40 years the UK and the EU have been pulling in different directions:
Brexit will leave us free to fulfil our different destinies, while enjoying mutually beneficial and prosperous relationships with each other.
UKIP FIVE YEAR
FISCAL PLAN
Table 1 (continued) All figures in £bn TAX AND EXPENDITURE 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 Income Tax mid-rate of 30% increased to £55,000 by 2019-20 1.18 1.98 2.93 3.88 Income Tax personal allowance increased to £13,000 by 2019-20 2.03 4.07 6.17 8.14 NHS provision 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.00 Social Care provision 0.60 1.00 1.20 1.20 1.20 Carers Allowance increased to level of Job Seekers Allowance 0.40 0.40 0.40 0.40 0.40 Bedroom Tax abolished 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 Inheritance Tax abolished by 2020 0.92 2.04 3.42 5.12 Restore defence budget to level prior to Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 1.40 2.00 2.60 2.90 3.00 Ministry of Defence capital projects 0.50 0.70 1.00 1.00 1.00 Veterans Administration 0.12 0.32 0.35 0.35 0.44 Jobs for ex-servicemen and women 0.12 0.20 0.22 0.23 0.24 Higher education tuition fees abated after 5 years for STEMM students 1.79 1.81 1.16 1.89 1.98 Hospital car parking fees abolished 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 0.20 National referenda 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 0.04 Transferable Income Tax personal allowance increased to £1,500 by 2019-20 0.03 0.10 0.20 0.30 Stamp duty relief and incentive grants to build houses on  brownfield sites 0.25 0.50 0.50 0.50 Business rates cut - 20% relief on premises with a rateable value up to £50,000 1.15 1.16 1.18 1.20 Provision for other policy items 0.30 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.70 Total spending 7.47 15.03 20.42 26.61 31.84 Net budgetary impact 0.78 0.51 5.13 2.84 0.19
The Green Party for a confident and caring Britain
An Economy that works for everyone
Protecting our Environment
Membership of the EU
Our NHS and Public Services
Education for all
Our promise to young people
A place to call Home
A safer World
A citizens' democracy
A people's transport system
Our guarantee to you
The Green Party has big, bold ideas to create a confident and caring Britain that we can all be proud of.
We aren’t afraid to hope for a better future or to be honest about how we get there.
We believe in being brave, in speaking our minds, and in standing up for what matters.
We are proud to do politics differently.
Imagine a government that trusts in our common humanity and our capacity to govern ourselves.
Imagine a government that believes that the best way forward is by working with each other, rather than against each other.
Imagine a government that prioritises the rights of citizens and the environment over those of corporations.
Imagine a government that gives everyone a chance and leaves nobody behind in a confident and caring Britain.
That’s the kind of government we would work for.
This is what Green MPs promise to do for you and the people and places that you love.
We will campaign for your right to vote on the final terms of the Brexit deal, including an option to stay in the EU.
We will push for genuinely affordable, warm homes for everyone
and a public health system free for all.
We will fight for equality, and for a society where nobody is left behind.
We will always act strongly on climate change and to protect the natural world we love.
We will stand up for what matters.
This is our Green Guarantee to you.
contents
4 / A green ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE
6 / PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
8 / MEMBERSHIP OF THE EU
10 / OUR NHS AND PUBLIC SERVICES
12 / EDUCATION FOR ALL
14 / OUR PROMISE TO YOUNG PEOPLE
16 / A PLACE TO CALL HOME
18 / A SAFER WORLD
20 / A CITIZENS’ DEMOCRACY
22 / A PEOPLE’S TRANSPORT SYSTEM
A GREEN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE
The Green Party believes that our economy should be innovative, collaborative, forward facing and for the benefit of communities and the environment.
The economy is all of us: our work, our creativity, what we buy, how we spend our time.
It should allow us to lead happy and fulfilled lives.
A Green economy would replace the exploitation of people and resources with decent, meaningful work.
It would create over 1 million jobs through our programme of green investment and restoring the public sector.
Our policies:
Take steps towards the introduction of a universal basic income,
including a government sponsored pilot scheme, as a means to increase security and avoid the poverty trap.
Phase in a 4 day working week (a maximum of 35 hours)
and abolish exploitative zero hours contracts.
Reduce the gap between the highest and lowest paid,
and increase the minimum wage to reach a genuine living wage of £10 an hour by 2020.
End the gender pay gap,
and require a minimum 40% of all members of public company and public sector boards to be women.
Use the government-owned Royal Bank of Scotland to create a network of local people’s banks for every city and region, obliged to lend locally and provide cheap basic banking services.
Ensure that everyone pays their fair share of tax
and there is a crackdown on tax dodging.
Reform taxation to include a wealth tax on the top 1 % of earners, investing in more staff at HMRC so they can work more effectively,
and reinstate the higher level of corporation tax for large businesses.
A Robin Hood tax on high value transactions in the finance sector,
and inheritance taxed according to the wealth of the recipient.
A phased in abolition of the cap on employees’ national insurance so that the wealthiest pay more.
Support and promote small businesses, co-operatives and mutuals,
and the roll out of high speed broadband.
Support start-ups and creative enterprises through community credit and green investment, to provide opportunities for young people to be creative and innovative.
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
You can trust the Green Party to put the environment at the heart of everything we do.
Our economic prosperity depends on the health of our environment.
It is the ultimate source of everything we make and use - from food and materials, to the air we breathe.
The Green Party would set an inspiring vision for the natural world, both on land and at sea, with thriving species, healthy habitats, and ensuring the environment is top of the political agenda.
A thriving environment means a healthy future for you, your children and generations to come.
Our policies:
An Environmental Protection Act to safeguard and restore our environment,
protect and enhance biodiversity,
promote sustainable food and farming,
and ensure animal protection.
A public works programme of insulation to make every home warm
and investing in flood defences and natural flood management to make every community safer
.
Equality of access to nature and green spaces, to enhance leisure, health and wellbeing
.
Active ongoing cooperation with businesses and other countries to limit global temperature increases to well below 2 degrees and aiming for 1.5 degrees.
Replacing fracking, coal power stations, subsidies to fossil fuels and nuclear with the clean green efficient renewable energy of the future,
and investing in community owned energy.
Introduce a one-off fine on car manufacturers who cheated the emissions testing regime
and create a new Clean Air Act, expanding and funding a mandatory clean air zone network.
Strong protection for the Green Belt, National Parks, SSSIs and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A wider, more effective network of marine protected areas around our coasts, including fully protected no take zones.
Tough action to reduce plastic and other waste, including the introduction of Deposit Return Schemes, with a zero waste target.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE EU
The Green Party supported the Remain campaign and continue to believe that membership of the EU makes our future more hopeful and secure.
We will demand that the terms of the final deal are closely scrutinised.
We do not accept that either a “hard” Brexit or an exit from the EU without a deal is in the interests of the British people.
We will be actively campaigning to safeguard jobs,
uphold basic rights
and put environmental protection at the heart of any future trade deals.
Our policies:
A referendum on the detail of whatever deal is negotiated for Britain’s departure from the EU, with the option to reject the deal and remain in the EU.
Protect freedom of movement,
press for remaining within the single market,
and safeguard vital rights for people
and the environment.
Immediately guarantee the rights of EU citizens to remain in the UK and urgently seek reciprocal arrangements for UK citizens in the EU.
OUR NHS AND PUBLIC SERVICES
We pay for public services, we use them, we own them.
It’s time they belonged to all of us.
From our hospitals to our railways and schools, the Green Party will campaign for public services that are run by the people for the people.
These services will be properly resourced and future-facing to meet your needs now and in the future, not struggling to keep pace with demand.
We will stand up for the NHS - we want it to be protected not privatised.
Our policies:
Roll back privatisation of the NHS to ensure that all health and dental services are always publicly provided and funded, and free at the point of access, via the introduction of an NHS Reinstatement Act.
Scrap NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans.
Bring mental health care in line with physical health care and ensure people experiencing mental health crises are supported close to their home and support networks.
Introduce mental health awareness training within the public sector and encourage a more open dialogue on the issue in wider society.
Close the NHS spending gap and provide an immediate cash injection, to ensure everyone can access a GP, hospitals can run properly, and staff are fairly paid.
Major investment in social care for the elderly and all those who need it.
Bring energy, water, railways, buses, the Royal Mail and care work back into public ownership to give communities real control of the public services that has been lost over the past 30 years.
Increase funding for local authorities so they can provide good quality public services
and invest in our communities, creating thousands of jobs.
A single budget covering health and social services, to make life easier for people who need to access several types of service.
We will review the effectiveness of how public services are structured, sensitive to the needs of all people, including assessment of how care is provided at the transition age of 18.
Redress pension injustice, with a pensions system for everyone
and action to enable older people to continue to be active members of society.
Redress benefits injustice with a social security system that gives everyone confidence they will get support when they need it, including disabled people.
EDUCATION FOR ALL
Education transforms lives.
The Green Party believes that education is a right, and should therefore be available to people of all ages.
We stand firmly alongside teachers, parents, and young people in calling for the end of privatisation in education.
We should trust our teachers to teach, instead of burdening them and our children with endless and stressful exams and inspections.
Our policies:
Properly fund our schools so real term spending per pupil increases and is protected.
Bring Academies and Free Schools into the local authority system,
abolish SATS
and reduce class sizes.
Scrap university tuition fees,
fund full student grants and greater public investment in further and higher education.
Restore Education Maintenance Allowance and enable apprenticeships to all qualified young people aged 16-25.
Free universal early education and childcare for all children, with formal education starting at age 7.
Address the crisis of teacher workload, with measures such as abolishing Ofsted,
and reforming the curriculum so that it is pupil-centred, freeing up teachers to teach.
Ensuring that every child with Special Educational Needs or Disability has access to a mainstream education, in accordance with the UN Convention for Persons with Disabilities.
OUR PROMISE TO YOUNG PEOPLE
We want to build a better, more positive future for everyone and in particular for young people.
We want that future to be safer,
happier,
more equal
and more secure.
Our promise to young people, written by young people, is that we will invest in education and opportunities,
alongside lowering the voting age,
protecting the environment,
tackling the housing crisis
and building a strong economy.
Our policies:
Protect young people’s housing needs by reinstating housing benefit for under-21s,
stop Local Authorities declaring young people “intentionally homeless”,
and invest in community house-building projects to provide affordable, secure housing options for young people.
Create a fairer working world for young people by scrapping age-related wage bands
and raising the national minimum wage to living wage levels for all.
Protect opportunities for young people in work and education by relieving students of the burden of debt,
scrapping tuition fees
and restoring living grants.
Guarantee the rights of young people to study, work, live and travel in the EU, including through schemes like Erasmus.
Reject the xenophobic Prevent strategy
and pursue community-led collaborative approaches to tackling all forms of extremism instead.
Improve young people’s access to basic but vital health needs, by providing more funding for sexual health awareness campaigns, providing greater access to free condoms and sexual health clinics; removing VAT from sanitary products and ensuring that they are provided free of charge to those in extreme financial need.
Enable every young person to take an active role in democracy,
introducing non-biased political education and promoting active citizenship,
as well as lowering the voting age to 16.
A PLACE TO CALL HOME
We should all have a safe, affordable, secure and warm place to call home.
The Green Party will tackle the causes of the housing crisis: giving renters a fair deal,
making social housing widely available
and bringing the housing market under control.
Our policies:
A living rent for all through rent controls and more secure tenancies for private renters,
an end to letting fees
and the introduction of mandatory licensing for all landlords.
Giving tenants a voice by supporting the development of renters’ unions.
A major programme to build affordable, zero carbon homes, including 100,000 social rented homes each year by 2022.
End mass council house sales and scrap Right to Buy at discounted prices.
Abolish the cruel and unfair bedroom tax.
Action on empty homes to bring them back into use
and a trial of a Land Value Tax to encourage the use of vacant land and reduce speculation.
Protect young people’s housing needs by reinstating housing benefit for under 21 s and reverse housing benefits cuts.
Stop declaring people as ‘intentionally homeless’
and give Local Authorities the same duties towards single people and childless couples as to families.
Help first-time buyers by aiming for house price stability
- axing buy-to-let tax breaks,
and backing community-led approaches to building affordable homes.
Significantly improve housing choice for D/deaf, disabled and older people by requiring all councils to appropriately plan for their housing needs
and significantly increase the numbers of homes built to lifetime home and mobility standards over the next 5 years.
A SAFER WORLD
The Green Party will work for a caring and confident Britain that uses its influence wisely, to build peace
and protect the environment,
and to offer sanctuary to those at risk.
We would co-operate with our neighbours on the shared challenges that face us all – from tackling terrorism and preventing climate change, to reducing inequality.
We would work towards an outward-facing Britain that has the confidence and resilience to welcome others.
Our policies:
Cancel Trident replacement, saving at least £110 billion over the next 30 years.
A humane immigration and asylum system that recognises and takes responsibility for Britain’s ongoing role in causing the flow of migrants worldwide.
Implement a UK-wide strategy to tackle gender based violence, including domestic violence, rape and sexual abuse, FGM and trafficking.
An ethical foreign policy that builds capacity for conflict resolution,
and ends support for aggressive wars of intervention.
No more arms sales to oppressive regimes.
Trade rules that respect human rights,
labour standards,
environmental standards and climate commitments
with mechanisms for individuals, groups and communities to bring grievances.
Strengthen the global deal on climate change, including by delivering climate justice and promoting ecologically sustainable development so that poorer countries can cope with the impacts of climate change.
Increase the overseas aid budget from 0.7% of GDP to 1.0% of GDP.
A CITIZENS’ DEMOCRACY
The Green Party believes that politics should be done by people – not to them.
We want everyone to have a voice, not just those who have the loudest voices, the deepest pockets or the most powerful friends.
We will work for a fair voting system in which every vote counts
and to make sure that decisions made nationally and locally are based upon genuine consultation, negotiation and accountability.
We believe fairness matters online and in the media too.
We think the internet should be free of state and corporate surveillance,
with our rights and freedoms protected.
Our policies:
Introduce proportional representation (PR) for parliamentary and local elections,
and votes at 16.
Increase diversity in representative politics, with job-shares, a 50/50 Parliament,
and replacing the House of Lords with an elected second chamber.
Defend the Human Rights Act and UK membership of the European Convention on Human Rights,
and reinstate funding for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Action to tackle racism and discrimination on the basis of faith or disability,
real equality for LGBTIQA+ people,
equal rights for mixed gender couples to have a Civil Partnership.
Give power to local communities by allowing for 40% of the local electorate to secure a referendum on local government decisions or to recall their MP.
End the sale of personal data, such as health or tax records, for commercial or other ends.
Protect the BBC
and tighten the rules on media ownership so no individual or company owns more than 20% of a media market, protecting against anyone having too much influence
or undermining democracy.
Give Parliament a vote on any new trade deals.
Revive the role of democratic trade unions.
Enable every young person to take an active role in democracy,
introducing non-biased political education
and promoting active citizenship.
A PEOPLE’S TRANSPORT SYSTEM
The Green Party will work to increase public investment in the railways, trams, ferries and buses,
as well as to make our streets and roads safer for everyone.
Clean, safe, accessible public transport and more walking and cycling could make us all healthier and happier.
We need a public transport system that takes us where we need to go, affordably and reliably.
It should be easy to choose to leave the car at home - or not have one at all.
Our policies:
Return the railways to public ownership and re-regulate buses,
investing in increased bus services especially in rural and other poorly served areas.
All public transport should be fully accessible and step-free with a phase-in of free local public transport for young people, students, people with disabilities, and older people.
Invest in regional rail links and electrification of existing rail lines, especially in the South West and North of England, rather than wasting money on HS2 and the national major roads programme.
Cancel all airport expansion
and end subsidies on airline fuel.
Invest in low traffic neighbourhoods and safe, convenient networks of routes for walking and cycling, including safe places for learning to cycle, so people of all ages and those with disabilities can choose to make local trips on foot, by bike or mobility scooter.
Help end the public health crisis caused by air pollution by increasing incentives to take diesel vehicles off the roads.
Final note: A number of policy areas discussed in this document are devolved to the Welsh Assembly. Where this applies, the policy set out here will only apply to England.
Published by Judy Maciejowska on behalf of the Green Party of England and Wales, both at The Biscuit Factory, Unit 201 A Block, 100 Clements Road, London, SE16 4DG.
DESIGNATED SPECIAL STATUS WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION
The European Union needs to change.
Sinn Féin wants a social Europe,
which promotes peace,
demilitarisation,
economic and social justice,
international solidarity
and greater democratic accountability.
Today’s European Union has created widespread hardship as austerity, deregulation and privatisation have undermined the social function of states
and the rights of citizens,
including the rights of workers.
This has assisted the growth of far-right parties, which exploit people’s fears.
Brexit is a consequence of that.
Brexit is not the answer.
Brexit will have a detrimental impact on the Good Friday Agreement and the principles of the peace process
as well as devastating consequences for the economy across Ireland.
The alternative to Brexit is designated special status for the North within the European Union.
This can be done within the current constitutional arrangement.
The only other way to prevent Brexit is through a United Ireland
The EU has shown itself to be flexible in dealing with different forms of integration and different forms of relationships for member states and non-member states.
Designated Special Status would preserve access to the Single Market and Customs Union;
ensure that we retain the Common Travel Area
and maintain access to all EU funding streams.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
Delivering designated special status for the North within the EU.
Continued political representation for the north of Ireland within the EU Parliament and ministers from the Six County Executive should continue to attend EU Council of Ministers’ meetings, when necessary.
■Given that the Good Friday Agreement is a bilateral treaty no agreement between the EU and the British government may apply to the north of Ireland without agreement of both governments.
Special provisions to allow the North to seamlessly resume full status within the EU in the aftermath of a successful Irish Unity referendum.
A TIME FOR UNITY
Sinn Féin believes there should be a referendum vote on Irish unity within the next five years.
A strong vote for Sinn Féin in this election will strengthen that demand and advance the imperative of ending partition and for reunification.
The imposition of Brexit and cuts from the Tories demonstrates the unjust and undemocratic nature of partition and the union.
Partition divided our people,
our economy,
our public services,
and the democratic system.
It was wrong and it has failed.
Ending partition has now taken on a new dynamic following the Brexit referendum.
Brexit and the imposition of an EU frontier across Ireland has the potential to further entrench partition.
For all of Ireland to prosper, partition needs to be eradicated, not reinforced.
The Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements provided for greater all-Ireland cooperation and a peaceful democratic pathway to Irish Unity.
The European Council has acknowledged that in the event of a vote in support of Irish Unity all of Ireland would be part of the European Union.
Now is the time to plan, to build and to win a new, agreed and united Ireland.
A progressive prosperous,
equal
and inclusive Ireland.
One in which all identities and traditions have a place and the opportunity to contribute to our shared nation.
Now is the time for unity.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
■ Securing and winning a referendum on Irish Unity
■ Building a new agreed and united Ireland
■ Realising the economic potential of Irish Unity
ENDING TORY CUTS
Over recent years, Tory governments at Westminster have cut hundreds of millions from public services in the North and sought to impose swingeing cuts on those most in need in society.
Sinn Féin believes public services should be properly financed and that financial supports are given to ensure people can have a decent standard of living.
Tory austerity has not impacted on everyone in the same way.
They have pursued a policy of tax cuts for the rich while the poorest have had their benefits cut.
Despite the Tory cuts, Sinn Féin has sought to protect front-line services and to defend the most vulnerable in our society.
However, the Tory’s tax and cuts agenda continues to increase poverty
and inequality.
The imposition of Brexit on top of their cuts will be a double whammy for our economy
and public services.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
■ Securing the fiscal powers to build a prosperous
and fair economy
■ Supporting and investing in public services
■ Protecting those most in need
■ Realising the potential benefits of greater all-Ireland co-operation.
WORKING TO ESTABLISH THE EXECUTIVE
In the Assembly elections, the people ofthe North overwhelmingly backed the need for change.
They endorsed Martin McGuinness’s position that there had to be an end to political corruption,
to disrespect
and inequality.
Since then, Sinn Féin has engaged in talks to secure the full implementation of the existing agreements and to establish an Executive working with integrity
and delivering for all with equality and respect.
The Executive could be re-established tomorrow if the Tory party and the DUP lived up to their responsibilities.
Instead the talks have been suspended by the Tory party for a self-serving election.
We have again heard repeated refusals from the DUP to support an Irish Language Act and opposing funding to promote the Irish Language by Belfast City Council.
We have witnessed both the Tory party and the DUP setting aside the agreements on legacy and seeking impunity for members of the British army and their agents.
We still have a way to go to resolve these issues,
to find agreement
and get to the bottom of the RHI scandal.
After the election on the 8th June we will immediately return to talks.
With your support, we can secure the implementation of agreements and ensure we get an Executive up and working
for all in society.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
■ The full implementation of the Good Friday and subsequent agreements
■ An Irish Language Act
and Marriage Equality
■ For respect,
equality
and integrity in the Executive
PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH SERVICE
The Tory Party has sought to starve the health service of funds
and promote privatisation.
Sinn Féin believes in a truly national public health service based on need and free at the point of delivery.
Michelle O’Neill as health minister received the Bengoa Report, a plan to transform the health service in the north.
We want to see it resourced and implemented.
The biggest threat to this plan and to your health services is Tory party cuts and the DUP Brexit.
BREXIT AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS
In the north, 8.8% of registered doctors come from other EU countries and many others received their medical training in the south.
There are no arrangements in place to ensure that these crucial staff can remain or have their qualifications recognised.
BREXIT AND CROSS-BORDER HEALTH CO-OPERATION
Services such as paediatric cardiology in Dublin, the new Radiotherapy Unit in Derry, out-of-hour GP services in Castleblaney, and Inishowen, and ENT services at Monaghan, Daisy Hill and Craigavon hospitals have all reduced patient travelling times and waiting lists.
These services and agreements are now at risk due to Brexit.
BREXIT AND HEALTH COVER
EU membership provides access to healthcare in other European countries.
Post-Brexit, your European Health Insurance Card will no longer guarantee you free treatment if you fall sick while travelling or working in the South or in an EU country.
You will face additional health insurance costs.
Brexit threatens not just the free movement of health workers but also induces a chill factor where people may no longer come here to deliver the services we need.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
■ The North to be designated special status within the EU to safeguard your health and services
■ Retaining crucial health care workers
■ Continued free access to health care across the EU
■ Resisting Tory Cuts to health care and mental health
■ The resourcing of health care and the implementation of the Bengoa Report
■ Greater all-Ireland co-operation in health care
■ The development of truly national health care services
INVESTING IN EDUCATION AND SCHOOLS
The Tory party at Westminster have proposed cutting the education budget.
Sinn Féin is for investing in education and offering opportunities to our young people to study and travel abroad.
Tory cuts and the DUP Brexit will end access to EU funds and supports to research and students.
BREXIT AND SCHOOL FUNDING
Brexit will cut €30 million PEACE IV funding from 350 schools
as well as funding for 7,000 marginalised young people who are not in education, employment or training.
BREXIT AND RESEARCH FUNDING
Higher Education Institutions and other researchers here have accessed €15.5 million funding from the Horizon 2020 programme.
This funding stream for new projects will end with Brexit.
BREXIT AND STUDENTS
The EU’s Erasmus+ programme supports inter-European opportunities for students to travel and study aboard.
This is under threat by Brexit.
There is also no guarantee that qualifications will be recognised in any European country.
BREXIT AND STUDENT FEES
Students from the North who wish to study in the South face the prospect of tuition fees levied at the International Student rate which is between €6,750 and €49,000, more expensive than the current €3,000 charge.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
■ The North to be designated special status within the EU to safeguard our schools and universities, and our education system.
■ Opposing Tory cuts and investing in education
■ Continued access to Peace and other funding
■ Continued access to EU-wide research opportunities
■ An all-Ireland approach to education planning and student studies
■ The movement of students across Europe and recognition of qualifications.
SAFEGUARDING YOUR RIGHTS
The Tory party and the DUP have sought to minimise your rights and entitlements to human,
civil
and workers’ rights.
They have refused to sign up to a Bill of Rights that is central to the Good Friday and other agreements.
Refused to recognise the rights of Irish speakers,
and the right to marriage equality.
We have seen all too clearly the attempts of the British government to obstruct legacy inquests and to offer immunity to their armed forces for crimes carried out here.
Sinn Féin believes in a rights-based society,
with equality and mutual respect at its core.
Under Brexit your rights and agreements will be further eroded.
BREXIT AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACT
The Tory party plan to scrap the 1998 Human Rights Act (HRA) and to remove the British Government from any international human rights accountability.
The HRA gives effect to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and grants access to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Access to the convention and court are fundamental commitments of the Good Friday Agreement.
The ECHR affords protections for fundamental rights including; freedom from torture, the right to a private life, the right of cultural identity, freedom of conscience and religion, freedom from discrimination and the right to life.
The scrapping of the HRA would restrict access to this essential Human Rights court.
BREXIT AND WORKERS’ RIGHTS
Brexit will mean the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights would not apply, and the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) would not be the final arbiter in providing rights’ protections.
Access to the ECJ has been vital to ensuring that women are entitled to equal pay for equal work despite British courts having denied them this for seven years.
It took a decision of the European Commission to ensure that women not only received equal pay for being in the same job as a man but also that they received equal pay for doing work of equal value.
EU law ensured that women could not be dismissed because they were pregnant, overturning a ruling in a British Court that such a dismissal did not constitute sex discrimination.
The ECJ ensured that part-time workers received paid holiday leave and has guaranteed levels of health and safety at work.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
■ The North to be designated special status within the EU to safeguard your rights and access to the European Court of Human Rights.
■ Safeguarding all the rights and entitlements of the Good Friday and subsequent agreements.
■ A Bill of Rights for the North.
■ An All-Ireland charter of fundamental rights
■ Ending Zero Hours Contracts
■ Protecting workers’ rights
SUPPORTING FARMING AND PROMOTING AGRI-FOODS
In the pursuit of Brexit, the DUP and Tory party are prepared to lay waste to our rural communities and farming economy.
The farming sector is both a major food provider and a major employer.
BREXIT AND FARMING
The north is a net beneficiary of EU funds.
Our agriculture sector is heavily dependent on EU funding via direct payments/single farm payments from the Common Agriculture Policy.
It is estimated that 87% of farm incomes come from these payments.
Brexit would represent a loss of £236 million per annum to farmers, an average of £10,184 per farm,
as well as also removing £186 million from our Rural Development Programme.
The DUP has supported a Tory Party that refuses to commit to replacing funds lost by Brexit.
Brexit will impose costly barriers including tariffs, origin checks, more paperwork, physical border checks and two different regulatory regimes.
A large number of animals and products travel north and south for processing, slaughter and breeding every day.
Brexit will have massive implications on the sale, marketing and price of these products should no solution for country-oforigin labelling be found.
EU Regulations ensure a high standard of produce, Brexit exposes us to the vulnerability of cheap imports as the Tories pursue trade deals which reflect their needs and not those of producers in the north.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
■ The North to be designated special status within the EU to ensure continued supports to farming communities and access to markets.
A Free and Fair Trade Agreement rooted in equivalence of standards and mutual recognition that protects long established trade and processing routes.
A transitional arrangement to bridge the gap between the Brexit and final agreement on a new British-EU trading relationship with phased implementation of new relationships.
■ Maintaining access to CAP farm payments
■ Country-of-origin labelling for the island as a whole.
■ Ensuring access to labour and workers’ rights.
BUILDING BUSINESS GROWING TRADE
The Tory party and DUP Brexit poses a huge threat to the economic future of the people of this island in terms of a land border on the island,
the north being forced out of the single market
and barriers to trade.
What is required is a pro-active detailed strategy to deal with the special and unique circumstances faced by the island of Ireland including protecting all-Ireland trade and dealing with the huge challenges in relation to future trading arrangements between the EU and Britain.
Sinn Féin wants to realise the potential of our economy free, from a border.
In order to realise our economic potential in particular we need to build a prosperous economy
with strong local small and medium size businesses
and export-led growth,
attractive to foreign direct investment,
and with a strong skills base
and respect for workers,
we must retain membership of the EU.
Put simply, Brexit is bad for business
and bad for workers.
BREXIT AND TRADE
The EU is an important market, buying over £5bn of our goods and services last year, the majority of which was all-Ireland trade.
Brexit will place additional costs and restrictions to this trade.
Despite the rhetoric of “frictionless” and “seamless” borders, the reality is the Irish government is already preparing the customs sites that will be required to enforce the new control and regulatory regimes that Brexit will entail.
BREXIT AND FDI
Offering access to the single market is key to our attraction as a location for inward investment, particularly in higher-skilled and higher-paid sectors.
The loss of access to the EU market will undermine our attractiveness to FDI
and cost thousands of jobs.
BREXIT AND STRUCTURAL FUNDS
The EU is an important source of Structural Funds, designed to reduce regional disparities in wealth, income, and opportunity.
Brexit will lock the North out of these funds with a knock-on impact across Ireland with a potential loss of €982 million.
SINN FÉIN PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
■ The North to be designated special status within the EU to ensure continued access to EU markets, funding and supports.
■ A trade deal with Britain.
■ Ensuring EU energy and Infrastructure programmes look at the needs of the island of Ireland as a whole.
■ A range of fiscal measures to mitigate the disastrous impact of Brexit including changes to EU fiscal rules, exception to EU State Aid rules, a new Brexit Solidarity Fund and broadening the scope of the Globalisation Adjustment Fund and other funding opportunities.
■ Safeguarding workers rights.
CREATING AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL
Labour’s economic strategy is about delivering a fairer, more prosperous society for the many, not just the few.
We will measure our economic success not by the number of billionaires, but by the ability of our people to live richer lives.
Labour understands that the creation of wealth is a collective endeavour between workers, entrepreneurs, investors and government.
Each contributes and each must share fairly in the rewards.
This manifesto sets out Labour’s plan to upgrade our economy and rewrite the rules of a rigged system, so that our economy really works for the many, and not only the few.
Britain is the only major developed economy where earnings have fallen even as growth has returned after the financial crisis.
Most working people in Britain today are earning less, after inflation, than they did ten years ago.
Too many of us are in low-paid and insecure work.
Too many of us fear our children will not enjoy the same opportunities that we have.
Labour will turn this around.
We will upgrade our economy, breaking down the barriers that hold too many of us back,
and tackling the gender pay gap.
Our National Transformation Fund will deliver the investment that every part of Britain needs to meet its potential, overcoming years of neglect.
Our industrial strategy will support businesses to create new, highskilled, high-paid and secure work across the country, in the sectors of the future such as renewables.
We will stop our financial system being rigged for the few, turning the power of finance to work for the public good.
And we will put small businesses at the centre of our economic strategy.
The growth created by our national investment plan, underpinned by the responsible economic management embodied in our Fiscal Credibility Rule, will create good jobs,
drive up living standards
and improve the public finances.
It is a plan that will deliver Labour’s vision of an economy that works for the many, not just the few
– a Britain in which no one is held back.
A FAIR TAXATION SYSTEM
Taxation is what underpins our shared prosperity.
All of us, including business, benefit from a healthy, educated and skilled population, with access to basic services and secure housing.
We believe in the social obligation to contribute to a fair taxation scheme for the common good.
We will take on the social scourge of tax avoidance through our Tax Transparency and Enforcement Programme,
and close down tax loopholes.
But we will not ask ordinary households to pay more.
A Labour government will guarantee no rises in income tax for those earning below £80,000 a year,
and no increases in personal National Insurance Contributions or the rate of VAT.
Under Labour’s plans, 95 per cent of taxpayers will be guaranteed no increase in their income tax contributions, and everyone will be protected from any increase in personal National Insurance contributions and VAT.
Only the top 5 per cent of earners will be asked to contribute more in tax to help fund our public services.
We renew our pledge not to extend VAT to food, children’s clothes, books and newspapers, and public transport fares.
Corporation tax in the UK is the lowest of any major developed economy.
Our new settlement with business will ask large corporations to pay a little more while still keeping UK corporation tax among the lowest of the major developed economies.
In turn, we will meet the business need for a more skilled workforce with extra corporate tax revenues while contributing to education and skills budgets.
We will protect small businesses by reintroducing the lower small profits rate of corporation tax.
We will also exclude small businesses from costly plans to introduce quarterly reporting
and take action on late payments.
Labour will give HM Revenue & Customs the resources and skills necessary to clamp down hard on those unscrupulous few individuals and companies who seek to avoid the responsibilities that the rest of us meet.
BALANCING THE BOOKS
Our manifesto is fully costed, with all current spending paid for out of taxation or redirected revenue streams.
Our public services must rest on the foundation of sound finances.
Labour will therefore set the target of eliminating the government’s deficit on day-to-day spending within five years.
But government must have a laserlike focus on how we earn, as well as how we spend.
At the same time as eliminating the current deficit, Labour will invest in our future, to ensure faster growth and help us to earn our way as a country again.
To maintain good fiscal health, we will have a firm rule in place to guide all our taxation and spending decisions.
Our Fiscal Credibility Rule is based on the simple principle that government should not be borrowing for day-today spending,
but that future growth depends on investment.
It was designed in conjunction with worldleading economists.
It also means we are committed to ensuring that the national debt is lower at the end of the next Parliament than it is today.
Compliance with the rule will be overseen by a strengthened and truly independent Office for Budget Responsibility, which we will make accountable to Parliament.
We will also consult on implementing the recommendations of the Kerslake Review of the Treasury.
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
Our country and its people have been held back by a lack of investment in the backbone of a modern economy – the infrastructure of transport, communications and energy systems.
And when investment has happened, it has been too concentrated in too few places.
Labour will make different choices.
We will take advantage of near- record low interest rates to create a National Transformation Fund that will invest £250 billion over ten years in upgrading our economy.
We will ensure that the huge potential of every part of our country is met.
The next Labour government will rebuild communities ripped apart by globalisation and neglected for years by government.
We will rebuild and transform our economy so that it works for the many, not the few.
So we will put in place tight rules to ensure that investment is fairly shared around every region and nation of the UK.
We will tear down the barriers that have held too many people back.
A Labour government will complete the HS2 high-speed rail line from London through Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester, and then into Scotland, consulting with (and, where necessary, compensating) communities.
We will link HS2 with other rail investments, such as Crossrail of the North (tying together our great northern cities) and on to the Durham Freight Centre.
We will build a new Brighton Main Line for the South East.
In London, to ensure our capital continues to prosper, we will build Crossrail 2.
To harness the economic potential of new technologies and science, we will complete the Science Vale transport arc, from Oxford to Cambridge through Milton Keynes.
And we will deliver rail electrification and expansion across the whole country, including Wales and the South West.
We will transform our energy systems, investing in new, stateof-the-art low-carbon gas and renewable electricity production.
We will deliver universal superfast broadband availability by 2022.
Labour will improve mobile internet coverage and expand provision of free public wi-fi in city centres and on public transport.
We will improve 4G coverage and invest to ensure all urban areas, as well as major roads and railways, have uninterrupted 5G coverage.
On day one we will instruct the National Infrastructure Commission to report on how to roll out'ultrafast’ (300Mbps) across the UK within the next decade.
UPGRADING OUR ECONOMY: LABOUR’S INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Our economy is suffering from years of neglect by governments that have refused to support our industries, businesses and workers.
This wasted potential is holding us all back.
Inequality has ballooned as the economy has shifted towards low-paid, insecure jobs.
Britain’s manufacturing base has declined
and we have relied too heavily on the financial sector, centred on London and the South East.
And while the South East struggles with a rising cost of living crisis, many northern and coastal towns have watched as their economies and communities are left behind.
Britain’s failure to get all its regional and local economies working can be seen in the deterioration of the country’s current account,
weak productivity growth
and underinvestment in infrastructure.
Britain can only be stronger if every nation and region is given the resources and support to succeed.
Only a Labour government with a credible industrial strategy can reach this untapped potential and deliver prosperity to every corner of our country, working with devolved administrations.
Our industrial strategy will be built on objective, measurable missions designed to address the great challenges of our times.
In meeting these challenges, we will move beyond the narrow approaches of the past, and mobilise the talents and resources of our whole country to deliver an economy fit for the future.
The first missions set by a Labour government will be to: ensure that 60 per cent of the UK’s energy comes from zero-carbon or renewable sources by 2030
create an innovation nation with the highest proportion of highskilled jobs in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development by 2030.
We will meet the OECD target of 3 per cent of GDP spent on research and development by 2030.
In order to create a fertile ground for businesses to achieve these missions Labour will take action across the areas we know are necessary for business and industry to grow:
Skills - by creating a National Education Service for England.
Infrastructure – by investing £250 billion over the next ten years.
UK supply chains - by targeting government support where there are gaps.
Trade – by negotiating a new deal with Europe that puts jobs and the economy first.
Procurement – by requiring the best standards on government contracts.
Research and development – by committing extra research investment.
Energy costs and security – by capping costs
and investing in new publicly owned energy provision.
While our industrial strategy is one for growth across all sectors, Labour recognises that certain sectors are of strategic significance to the UK economy.
For each strategic industry, the next Labour government will establish a council (modelled on the highly successful Automotive Council) to oversee its future security and growth.
We will also encourage private investment by removing new plant and machinery from business rate calculations.
National and local government spends £200 billion a year in the privatesector procurement.
Labour will put that spending power to good use to upgrade our economy,
create good local jobs
and reduce inequality.
We will require firms supplying national or local government to meet the high standards we should expect of all businesses: paying their taxes,
recognising trade unions,
respecting workers’ rights and equal opportunities,
protecting the environment,
providing training,
and paying suppliers on time.
We will expect suppliers to reduce boardroom pay excesses by moving towards a 20:1 gap between the highest and lowest paid.
We will appoint a Digital Ambassador to liaise with technology companies to promote Britain as an attractive place for investment and provide support for start-ups to scale up to become world-class digital businesses.
Our Digital Ambassador will help to ensure businesses are ready to grow and prosper in the digital age.
TRANSFORMING OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM
A decade after the devastating international financial crisis, our financial system is still holding back too many of our small businesses and local economies.
Labour will transform how our financial system operates.
Following the successful example of Germany and the Nordic countries, we will establish a National Investment Bank that will bring in private capital finance to deliver £250 billion of lending power.
This new public institution will support a network of regional development banks that, unlike giant City of London firms, will be dedicated to supporting inclusive growth in their communities.
The banks will deliver the finance that our small businesses, co-operatives and innovative projects need across the whole country.
The National Investment Bank will fill existing gaps in lending by private banks, particularly to small businesses,
and by providing patient, long-term finance to R&D-intensive investments.
It will also be given the task of helping to deliver our industrial strategy, by prioritising spending in line with its objectives.
Labour will overhaul the regulation of our financial system,
putting in place a firm ring-fence between investment and retail banking that will protect consumers.
We will take a new approach to the publicly-owned RBS, and launch a consultation on breaking up the bank to create new local public banks that are better matched to their customers’ needs.
And we will extend existing Stamp Duty Reserve Tax to cover a wider range of assets, ensuring that the public gets a fairer share of financial system profits.
Labour will change the law so that banks can’t close a branch where there is a clear local need, putting their customers first.
Britain has a successful international finance industry, but we also need a strong, safe and socially useful banking system to meet the needs of our own regional economies and communities.
We will commit to creating a more diverse banking system, backed up by legislation.
A NEW DEAL FOR BUSINESS
The majority of businesses play by the rules: they pay their taxes and their workers reasonably and on time, and they operate with respect for the environment and local communities.
That is why it is vital that government ensures that businesses doing the right thing are rewarded rather than undercut or outbid by those unscrupulous few that cut corners, whether on taxes, workers’ conditions, environmental standards, or consumer safety and protection.
But our business culture doesn’t always work like this.
Scandals such as the failure of BHS show how the longterm growth of a company can be sacrificed for the sake of a quick buck.
When shareholders are looking for quick short-term returns, they encourage companies to cut corners.
That means they look to cut wages, instead of investing for the long term, or they spend longer inventing new tax avoidance schemes than they do inventing new products.
By reforming the rules our companies operate under, we can make sure they stay focused on delivering shared wealth.
Labour will amend company law so that directors owe a duty directly not only shareholders, but to employees, customers, the environment and the wider public, and we will consult on bringing forward appropriate legislation within this Parliament.
Labour will amend the takeover regime to ensure that businesses identified as being'systemically important’ have a clear plan in place to protect workers and pensioners when a company is taken over.
Labour will also legislate to reduce pay inequality by introducing an Excessive Pay Levy on companies with staff on very high pay.
Our small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of our economy, providing 60 per cent of private-sector jobs.
Technological changes, like the spread of digital manufacturing and rapid communication, mean smaller, faster businesses will be the future of our economy.
Yet this Conservative Government has taken small businesses for granted.
Labour is the party of small businesses.
We understand the challenges our smaller businesses face.
In order to provide the support many small businesses need, a Labour government will: Mandate the new National Investment Bank, and regional development banks in every region, to identify where other lenders fail to meet the needs of SMEs and prioritise lending to improve the funding gap.
Reinstate the lower small-business corporation tax rate.
Introduce a package of reforms to business rates – including switching from RPI to CPI indexation,
exempting new investment in plant and machinery from valuations,
and ensuring that businesses have access to a proper appeals process
– while reviewing the entire business rates system in the longer run.
Scrap quarterly reporting for businesses with a turnover of under £85,000.
Declare war on late payments by: Using government procurement to ensure that anyone bidding for a government contract pays its own suppliers within 30 days.
Developing a version of the Australian system of binding arbitration and fines for persistent late-payers for the private and public sectors.
We will also bring forward legislation to create a proper legal definition for co-operative ownership.
The National Investment Bank and regional development banks will be charged with helping support our co-operative sector.
Labour will aim to double the size of the co-operative sector in the UK, putting it on a par with those in leading economies like Germany or the US.
WIDENING OWNERSHIP OF OUR ECONOMY
Britain is a long-established democracy.
But the distribution of ownership of the country’s economy means that decisions about our economy are often made by a narrow elite.
More democratic ownership structures would help our economy deliver for the many and lead to a fairer distribution of wealth.
In government, Labour would give more people a stake – and a say -  in our economy by doubling the size of the co-operative sector and introducing a “right to own,” making employees the buyer of first refusal when the company they work for is up for sale.
We will act to ‘insource’ our public and local council services as preferred providers.
Many basic goods and services have been taken out of democratic control through privatisation.
This has often led to higher prices and poorer quality, as prices are raised to pay out dividends.
For example, water bills have increased 40 per cent since privatisation, and our private energy providers overcharged customers by £2 billion in 2015.
In private hands, Royal Mail has increased stamp and parcel charges, and failed to meet its customer service obligations, while its owners trade shares at significant profit.
The Conservative Government’s privatisation of Royal Mail was a historic mistake, selling off another national asset on the cheap.
Across the world, countries are taking public utilities back into public ownership.
Labour will learn from these experiences and bring key utilities back into public ownership to deliver lower prices, more accountability and a more sustainable economy.
We will: Bring private rail companies back into public ownership as their franchises expire.
Regain control of energy supply networks through the alteration of operator license conditions, and transition to a publicly owned, decentralised energy system.
Replace our dysfunctional water system with a network of regional publicly-owned water companies.
Reverse the privatisation of Royal Mail at the earliest opportunity.
Public ownership will benefit consumers, ensuring that their interests are put first and that there is democratic accountability for the service.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Labour’s energy policy is built on three simple principles: ·To ensure security of energy supply and ‘keep the lights on’.
To ensure energy costs are affordable for consumers and businesses.
To ensure we meet our climate change targets and transition to a low-carbon economy.
The UK energy system is outdated, expensive and polluting.
Privatisation has failed to deliver an energy system that delivers for people, businesses or our environment.
One in ten households are in fuel poverty, yet the Competition Markets Authority found customers are overcharged an enormous £2 billion every year.
Labour understands that many people don’t have time to shop around, they just want reliable and affordable energy.
So the next Labour Government will: ·Introduce an immediate emergency price cap to ensure that the average dual-fuel household energy bill remains below £1,000 per year, while we transition to a fairer system for bill payers.
Take energy back into public ownership to deliver renewable energy, affordability for consumers, and democratic control.
We will do this in the following stages: · Regaining control of energy supply networks through the alteration of the National and Regional Network Operator license conditions.
Supporting the creation of publicly owned, locally accountable energy companies and co-operatives to rival existing private energy suppliers, with at least one if every region.
Legislating to permit publicly owned local companies to purchase the regional grid infrastructure,
and to ensure that national and regional grid infrastructure is brought into public ownership over time.
Labour will insulate four million homes as an infrastructure priority to help those who suffer in cold homes each winter.
This will cut emissions,
improve health,
save on bills,
and reduce fuel poverty and winter deaths.
Homeowners will be offered interestfree loans to improve their property.
For renters, Labour will improve on existing Landlord Energy Efficiency regulations and re-establish the Landlord Energy Saving Allowance to encourage the uptake of efficiency measures.
Labour will ban fracking because it would lock us into an energy infrastructure based on fossil fuels, long after the point in 2030 when the Committee on Climate Change says gas in the UK must sharply decline.
Emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage will help to smooth the transition to cleaner fuels
and to protect existing Jobs as part of the future energy mix.
To safeguard the offshore oil and gas industry, we will provide a strategy focused on protecting vital North Sea assets, and thejobs and skills that depend on them.
We are committed to renewable energy projects, including tidal lagoons, which can help create manufacturing and energy jobs
as well as contributing to climatechange commitments.
The UK has the world’s oldest nuclear industry, and nuclear will continue to be part of the UK energy supply.
We will support further nuclear projects and protect nuclear workers’ Jobs and pensions.
There are considerable opportunities for nuclear power and decommissioning both internationally and domestically.
Building a clean economy of the future is the most important thing we must do for our children, our grandchildren and future generations.
Yet recent years have seen a failure to progress towards our targets.
A Labour government will put us back on track to meet the targets in the Climate Change Act and the Paris Agreement.
The low-carbon economy is one of the UK’s fastest-growing sectors, creating jobs and providing investment across each region.
It employed an estimated 447,000 employees in the UK in 2015 and saw over £77 billion in turnover.
With backing from a Labour government, these sectors can secure crucial shares of global export markets.
Currently, the UK buys and sells energy tariff free from Europe, an arrangement which saves families and businesses money, and helps balance the power grid.
As part of the Brexit negotiations, Labour will prioritise maintaining access to the internal energy market.
Labour will also retain access to Euratom, to allow continued trade of fissile material, with access and collaboration over research vital to our nuclear industry.
NEGOTIATING BREXIT
Labour accepts the referendum result
and a Labour government will put the national interest first.
We will prioritise jobs and living standards,
build a close new relationship with the EU,
protect workers’ rights
and environmental standards,
provide certainty to EU nationals
and give a meaningful role to Parliament throughout negotiations.
We will end Theresa May’s reckless approach to Brexit,
and seek to unite the country around a Brexit deal that works for every community in Britain.
We will scrap the Conservatives’ Brexit White Paper and replace it with fresh negotiating priorities that have a strong emphasis on retaining the benefits of the Single Market and the Customs Union – which are essential for maintaining industries, jobs and businesses in Britain.
Labour will always put jobs and the economy first.
A Labour government will immediately guarantee existing rights for all EU nationals living in Britain and secure reciprocal rights for UK citizens who have chosen to make their lives in EU countries.
EU nationals do not just contribute to our society: they are part of our society.
And they should not be used as bargaining chips.
It is shameful that the Prime Minister rejected repeated attempts by Labour to resolve this issue before Article 50 was triggered.
As a result three million EU nationals have suffered unnecessary uncertainty, as have the 1.2 million UK citizens living in the EU.
A Conservative Brexit will weaken workers’ rights,
deregulate the economy,
slash corporate taxes,
sideline Parliament and democratic accountability,
and cut Britain off from our closest allies and most important trading partners.
Labour recognises that leaving the EU with ‘no deal’ is the worst possible deal for Britain and that it would do damage to our economy and trade.
We will reject ‘no deal’ as a viable option and if needs be negotiate transitional arrangements to avoid a 'cliff-edge’ for the UK economy.
The issues that affect our continent now will continue to do so in the future – and Labour will continue to work constructively with the EU and other European nations on issues such as climate change, refugee crises and counter-terrorism.
We will build a close co-operative future relationship with the EU, not as members but as partners.
A Labour government will ensure that the UK maintains our leading research role by seeking to stay part of Horizon 2020 and its successor programmes and by welcoming research staff to the UK.
We will seek to maintain membership of (or equivalent relationships with) European organisations which offer benefits to the UK such as Euratom and the European Medicines Agency.
We will seek to ensure that Britain remains part of the Erasmus scheme so that British students have the same educational opportunities after we leave the EU.
The EU is the UK’s single largest trading partner in agricultural produce, with the vast majority of British exports being sold to European markets.
A Labour government will end the uncertainty for our farmers and food producers by securing continued EU market access allowing British farmers and food producers to continue to sell their products on the Continent.
Labour will also protect our farmers and rural economy by ensuring Britain continues to set the highest standards in food quality and welfare.
We will not allow Brexit to be used as an excuse to undercut our farmers and flood Britain’s food chain with cheap and inferior produce.
We will drop the Conservatives’ Great Repeal Bill, replacing it with an EU Rights and Protections Bill that will ensure there is no detrimental change to workers’ rights,
equality law,
consumer rights
or environmental protections as a result of Brexit.
Throughout the Brexit process, we will make sure that all EU-derived laws that are of benefit - including workplace laws, consumer rights and environmental protections – are fully protected without qualifications, limitations or sunset clauses.
We will work with trade unions, businesses and stakeholders to ensure there is a consensus on this vital issue.
A Labour approach to Brexit will ensure there can be no rolling back of key rights and protections
and that the UK does not lag behind Europe in workplace protections
and environmental standards in future.
The EU has had a huge impact in securing workplace protections and environmental safeguards.
But we all know that for many Brexiteers in the Tory Party, this was why they wanted to Leave – to tear up regulations
and weaken hard-fought rights and protections.
A Labour government will never consider these rights a burden
or accept the weakening of workers’ rights,
consumer rights
or environmental protections.
We will introduce legislation to ensure there are no gaps in national security and criminal justice arrangements as a result of Brexit.
Labour recognises the vital role that cross-border agencies such as Eurojust and Europol have played in making Britain safer and that European Arrest Warrants have been invaluable.
A Labour government will seek to retain membership of these agencies and continue European Arrest Warrant arrangements.
Labour will seek a Brexit deal that delivers for all regions and nations of the UK.
We will introduce a ‘presumption of devolution’ where devolved powers transferred from the EU will go straight to the relevant region or nation.
For many people and for much of our country, power can feel just as remote and unaccountable in Westminster as it does in Brussels.
So a Labour government will seek to put powers as close to communities as possible.
We will ensure there is no drop in EU Structural Funding as a result of Brexit until the end of the current EU funding round in 2019/20.
As part of Labour’s plans to rebalance and rebuild the economy, we will ensure that no region or nation of the UK is affected by the withdrawal of EU funding for the remainder of this Parliament.
This will also apply to the funding of peace and reconciliation projects in Northern Ireland.
We will also improve engagement and dialogue with the devolved administrations and seek to ensure the final Brexit deal addresses specific concerns.
In particular Labour will ensure there is no return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
and that there is no change in the status or sovereignty of Gibraltar.
We will also protect Gibraltar’s economy and ensure that its government can continue to create jobs and prosperity in the years to come.
Where Theresa May wants to shut down scrutiny and challenge, Labour will welcome it.
We will work with Parliament, not against it.
On an issue of this importance the Government can’t hide from the public or Parliament.
A Labour approach to Brexit also means legislating to guarantee that Parliament has a truly meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal.
IMMIGRATION
Labour offers fair rules and reasonable management of migration.
In trade negotiations our priorities favour growth, jobs and prosperity.
We make no apologies for putting these aims before bogus immigration targets.
Freedom of movement will end when we leave the European Union.
Britain’s immigration system will change, but Labour will not scapegoat migrants nor blame them for economic failures.
Labour will develop and implement fair immigration rules.
We will not discriminate between people of different races or creeds.
We will end indefinite detentions
and distinguish between migrant labour and family attachment
and will continue to support the work of the Forced Marriage Unit.
We will replace income thresholds with a prohibition on recourse to public funds.
New rules will be equally informed by negotiations with the EU and other partners, including the Commonwealth.
Whatever our trade arrangements, we will need new migration management systems, transparent and fair to everybody.
Working with businesses, trade unions, devolved governments and others to identify specific labour and skill shortages.
Working together we will institute a new system which is based on our economic needs, balancing controls and existing entitlements.
This may include employer sponsorship, work permits, visa regulations or a tailored mix of all these which works for the many, not the few.
Labour will protect those already working here, whatever their ethnicity.
Our National Education Service will raise the level of skills and training.
We will take decisive actions to end the exploitation of migrant labour undercutting workers’ pay and conditions.
Labour will crack down on unscrupulous employers.
We will stop overseas-only recruitment practices,
strengthen safety-atwork inspections
and increase prosecutions of employers evading the minimum wage.
Working with trade unions, we will end workplace exploitation.
Labour values the economic
and social contributions of immigrants.
Both public and private sector employers depend on immigrants.
We will not denigrate those workers.
We value their contributions, including their tax contributions.
For areas where immigration has placed a strain on public services we will reinstate the Migrant Impact Fund and boost it with a contributory element from the investments required for High Net Worth Individual Visas.
Labour will restore the rights of migrant domestic workers, and end this form of modern slavery.
Labour will ease the underlying pressures in any areas struggling to cope with seven years of austerity by our programme of investments.
We will not cut public services and pretend the cuts are a consequence of immigration.
Refugees are not migrants.
They have been forced from their homes, by war, famine or other disasters.
Unlike the Tories, we will uphold the proud British tradition of honouring the spirit of international law and our moral obligations by taking our fair share of refugees.
The current arrangements for housing and dispersing refugees are not fit for purpose.
They are not fair to refugees or to our communities.
We will review these arrangements.
Labour welcomes international students who benefit and strengthen our education sector, generating more than £25 billion for the British economy and significantly boosting regional jobs and local businesses.
They are not permanent residents and we will not include them in immigration numbers,
but we will crack down on fake colleges.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Labour is pro-trade and pro-investment.
The UK’s future prosperity depends on minimising tariff and non-tariff barriers that prevent us from exporting and creating the jobs and economic growth we need.
A Labour government will work with devolved administrations to bring forward an integrated trade and industrial strategy that boosts exports,
investment
and decent jobs in Britain.
Labour will set out our priorities in an International Trade White Paper to lead a national debate on the future of Britain’s trade policy.
We will ensure proper transparency and parliamentary scrutiny of all future trade and investment deals.
The EU accounts for 44 per cent of our current exports and will continue to be a priority trading partner.
As our trading relationship with the EU changes it is vital that we retain unrestricted access for our goods and services.
Through our Just Trading initiative launched in 2016, Labour will work with global trading partners to develop 'best-in-class’ free trade and investment agreements that remove trade barriers and promote skilled jobs and high standards.
We will ensure all future trade deals safeguard the right to regulate in the public interest and to protect public services.
Labour is committed to the rules-based international trading system of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
We will rejoin the Government Procurement Agreement,
whilst safeguarding the capacity for public bodies to make procurement decisions in keeping with public policy objectives.
Labour will build human rights and social justice into trade policy.
We will ensure that trade agreements cannot undermine human rights and labour standards,
and that UK Export Finance support is not available to companies engaged in bribery or corrupt practices.
We will work with other WTO members to end the dumping of state-subsidised goods on our markets.
The Conservatives consistently blocked EU efforts to respond to such dumping with the duties needed to defend the British steel industry.
Labour will develop the full range of trade remedies necessary to support key sectors affected by these unfair practices.
Labour will champion the export interests of SMEs, ensuring all new trade agreements include a commitment to support their market access needs.
We will develop an export incentive scheme for SMEs based on international best practice,
and we will ring-fence Tradeshow Access Programme grants to help SMEs reach new customers around the world.
Labour will use the full range of export credit, finance, insurance and trade promotion tools to boost British exports and support priority industrial sectors.
We will create a network of regional trade and investment champions to promote the export and investment interests of businesses across the country,
and we will include regional representation on overseas trade missions.
Labour is committed to growing the digital economy and ensuring that trade agreements do not impede cross-border data flows,
whilst maintaining strong data protection rules to protect personal privacy.
As part of our commitment to a low-carbon future, we will actively support international negotiations towards an Environmental Goods Agreement at the WTO.
Labour will use trade negotiations to boost market access for British environmental goods and services,
alongside support for investment into new green technologies and innovative low-carbon products.
Labour will develop capital investment schemes and other incentives to encourage investment into the UK, especially into target areas identified by the industrial strategy.
We will champion the UK as a safe investment environment.
Labour will review our historic investment treaties with other countries, ensuring they are fit for purpose for the 21st century.
Labour opposes parallel investor-state dispute systems for multinational corporations and we will open a dialogue with trading partners on alternative options that provide investor protection whilst guaranteeing equality before the law.
TOWARDS A NATIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE
Education is what empowers us all to realise our full potential.
When it fails, it isn’t just the individual that is held back, but all of us.
When we invest in people to develop their skills and capabilities, we all benefit from a stronger economy and society.
At a time when working lives and the skills our economy needs are changing rapidly, governments have the responsibility to make lifelong learning a reality by giving everyone the opportunity to access education throughout their lives.
To meet this responsibility, Labour will create a unified National Education Service (NES) for England to move towards cradle-to-grave learning that is free at the point of use.
The NES will be built on the principle that ‘Every Child – and Adult – Matters’ and will incorporate all forms of education, from early years through to adult education.
When the 1945 Labour government established the NHS, it created one of the central institutions of fairness of the 20th century.
The NES will do the same for the 21 st, giving people confidence and hope by making education a right, not a privilege,
and building bridges where the Conservatives build barriers.
EARLY YEARS
Currently, there is a gap between the end of maternity leave and the beginning of full-time schooling.
This gap can make it difficult for parents, particularly women, to return to work, unless they have access to informal childcare support.
There is also extensive evidence that early years education has a major impact on child development, and that time in a formal education setting for young children can improve performance at GCSE and beyond.
Labour would seek to roll out educational provision for early years children as part of a National Education Service that is truly cradle-to-grave.
Labour introduced free childcare hours for parents, which were fully funded and resourced.
Under the Conservatives, the free hours entitlement is chronically under-funded, with provision patchy and hard to navigate.
Many providers now simply refuse to participate in the scheme.
The result is that many parents aren’t even getting the hours they’re entitled to.
Labour would: · Overhaul the existing childcare system in which subsidies are given directly to parents who often struggle to use them, and transition to a system of high-quality childcare places in mixed environments with direct government subsidy.
Maintain current commitments on free hours and make significant capital investment during our first two years of government, to ensure that the places exist to meet demand.
Phase in subsidised provision on top of free-hour entitlements, to ensure that everyone has access to affordable childcare, no matter their working pattern.
Transition to a qualified, graduate-led workforce, by increasing staff wages and enhancing training opportunities.
This will benefit staff, who are among our worst-paid workers,
and improve child development.
Extend the 30 free hours to all twoyear-olds, and move towards making some childcare available for oneyear-olds
and extending maternity pay to 12 months.
Sure Start, and the support it gives to vulnerable and hard-to-reach parents, was one of the great achievements of the previous Labour government, but under the Conservatives 1,200 Sure Start centres have been lost.
Labour will halt the closures and increase the amount of money available for Sure Start.
SCHOOLS
Conservative cuts are starving schools of the funding they need to deliver a first class education.
Crippling underfunding is driving up class sizes and forcing schools to cut corners.
A narrow curriculum and a culture of assessment is driving away teachers, creating a recruitment and retention crisis.
Labour will not waste money on inefficient free schools and the Conservatives’ grammar schools vanity project.
Labour does not want a return to secondary moderns.
We will also oppose any attempt to force schools to become academies.
Labour’s schools policy will be built on the following four foundations: ·Investment – we will make sure schools are properly resourced by reversing the Conservatives’ cuts and ensuring that all schools have the resources they need.
We will introduce a fairer funding formula that leaves no school worse off, while redressing the historical underfunding of certain schools.
Labour will also invest in new school buildings, including the phased removal of asbestos from existing schools.
Quality – we will drive up standards across the board, learning from examples of best practice, such as Labour’s London Challenge, to encourage co-operation and strong leadership across schools.
We and trust in teachers and support staff professionalism to refocus their workload on what happens in the classroom.
Accountability – Labour will ensure that all schools are democratically accountable,
including appropriate controls to see that they serve the public interest and their local communities.
We will require joined-up admissions policies across local schools to enable councils to fulfil their responsibilities on child places,
to simplify the admissions process for parents
and to ensure that no child slips through the net.
Inclusion – Every child is unique, and a Labour-led education system will enable each to find their learning path through a wide choice of courses and qualifications.
We will invest in measures to close the attainment gap between children from different backgrounds.
To give all children the best start in life, we will reduce class sizes to less than 30 for all five-, six-, and seven-year-olds, and seek to extend that as resources allow.
To aid attainment, we will introduce free school meals for all primary school children, paid for by removing the VAT exemption on private school fees.
We will abandon plans to reintroduce baseline assessments and launch a commission to look into curriculum and assessment, starting by reviewing Key Stage 1 and 2 SATs.
The world’s most successful education systems use more continuous assessment, which avoids ‘teaching for the test’.
We will tackle the teacher recruitment and retention crisis by ending the public-sector pay cap,
giving teachers more direct involvement in the curriculum,
and tackling rising workloads by reducing monitoring and bureaucracy.
We will also consult on introducing teacher sabbaticals and placements with industry to encourage interaction between education and industry and introduce broad experiences into the classroom.
We will reintroduce the Schools Support Staff Negotiating Body and national pay settlements for teachers.
We will put £150 million back into supporting our children in schools by scrapping the Conservatives’ nonsensical plans for schools to pay the apprenticeship levy.
We will extend schools-based counselling to all schools to improve children’s mental health, at a cost of £90 million per year.
And we will deliver a strategy for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) based on inclusivity,
and embed SEND more substantially into training for teachers and non-teaching staff, so that staff, children and their parents are properly supported.
SKILLS
At a time when technology is changing demand for different kinds of skills, and evolving patterns of work mean that people are more likely to pursue several careers during their working lives, it is crucial that our education system enables people to upskill and retrain over their lifetimes.
As part of our dynamic industrial strategy, lifelong training will deliver productivity and growth to the whole economy while transforming the lives of individuals and communities.
To ensure that we deliver for every part of the UK, we will devolve responsibility for skills, wherever there is an appetite, to city regions or devolved administrations.
Further and Adult Education
Despite claiming to be committed to delivering high-quality training, the Conservatives have ruthlessly cut funding for FE colleges – our main provider of adult and vocational education – and reduced entitlements for adult learners.
This has led to diminishing numbers of courses and students, and plunged the sector into crisis.
Labour would introduce free, lifelong education in Further Education (FE) colleges, enabling everyone to upskill or retrain at any point in life.
Our skills and training sector has been held back by repeated reorganisation, which deprives providers, learners and employers of the consistency they need to assess quality.
Labour would abandon Conservative plans to once again reinvent the wheel by building new technical colleges, redirecting the money to increase teacher numbers in the FE sector.
We share the broad aims of the Sainsbury Review but would ensure vocational routes incorporate the service sector as well as traditional manufacturing, working in tandem with our broad industrial strategy to deliver for the whole economy.
We will improve careers advice and open up a range of routes through, and back into, education, striking a balance between classroom and on-the job training, to ensure students gain both technical and soft skills.
To implement the Sainsbury recommendations, we would correct historic neglect of the FE sector by giving the sector the investment – in teachers and facilities – it deserves to become a world-leading provider of adult and vocational education.
More specifically, we would: ·Bring funding for 16 to18-year-olds in line with Key Stage 4 baselines, while ensuring that the budget is distributed fairly between colleges and school sixth forms
Restore the Education Maintenance Allowance for 16 to 18-year-olds from lower and middle income backgrounds
Replace Advanced Learner Loans and upfront course fees with direct funding, making FE courses free at the point of use, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses.
Drive up quality and consistency in the FE sector by:
Encouraging co-operation and leadership across colleges and sixth forms, improving curriculum breadth and quality
Setting a target, backed up by funding, for all FE teaching staff to have a teaching qualification within five years.
In recognition of the role played by private-sector providers, we would extend support for training to teachers in the private sector
Increase capital investment to equip colleges to deliver T-levels and an official pre-apprenticeship trainee programme.
Apprenticeships
Employer-led training is the most effective way of meeting our growing skills gap.
Labour supports the apprenticeship levy, but will take steps to ensure that every apprenticeship is of a high quality.
Labour will: · Maintain the apprenticeship levy while taking measures to ensure high quality by requiring the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to report on an annual basis to the Secretary of State on quality outcomes of completed apprenticeships to ensure they deliver skilled workers for employers and real jobs for apprentices at the end of their training.
And we will work with the devolved administrations to improve the operation of the levy
Set a target to double the number of completed apprenticeships at NVQ level 3 by 2022
Give employers more flexibility in how the levy is deployed, including allowing the levy to be used for pre-apprenticeship programmes
Guarantee trade union representation in the governance structures of the Institute of Apprenticeships
Protect the £440 million funding for apprenticeships for small-and medium-sized employers who don’t pay the levy
Set targets to increase apprenticeships for people with disabilities, care leavers and veterans,
and ensure broad representation of women, BAME, LGBT and people with disabilities in all kinds of apprenticeships
Consult on introducing incentives for large employers to over-train numbers of apprentices to fill skills gaps in the supply chain and the wider sector
Reverse cuts to Unionlearn
Set up a commission on Lifelong Learning tasked with integrating further and higher education.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Labour believes education should be free, and we will restore this principle.
No one should be put off educating themselves for lack of money or through fear of debt.
There is a real fear that students are being priced out of university education.
Last year saw the steepest fall in university applications for 30 years.
Since the Conservatives came to power, university tuition fees have been trebled to over £9,000 a year,
and maintenance grants have been abolished and replaced with loans.
The average student now graduates from university, and starts their working life, with debts of £44,000.
Labour will reintroduce maintenance grants for university students,
and we will abolish university tuition fees.
University tuition is free in many northern European countries, and under a Labour government it will be free here too.
A FAIR DEAL AT WORK
Work should provide people with security and fulfilment.
But for too many people work is insecure and does not make ends meet.
The Conservatives boast about the recovery of employment, but our labour market is failing.
Real-terms pay is still lower than before the crash,
and jobs are increasingly low skilled and insecure.
A Labour government will invest in enforcement through a new Ministry of Labour,
and empower workers and their trade unions – because we are stronger when we stand together.
So we will review the rules on union recognition so that more workers have the security of a union.
At the same time as strengthening workers’ rights, we will make work more fulfilling by using public investment to upgrade our economy and create high-quality jobs.
While the Conservatives stand back and allow insecure work to spread, Labour will act to guarantee good jobs and businesses.
RIGHTS AT WORK
The next Labour government will bring in a 20-point plan for security and equality at work:
Give all workers equal rights from day one, whether part-time or full-time, temporary or permanent – so that working conditions are not driven down.
Ban zero hours contracts – so that every worker gets a guaranteed number of hours each week.
Legislate to ensure that any employer wishing to recruit labour from abroad does not undercut workers at home – because it causes divisions when one workforce is used against another.
Repeal the Trade Union Act and roll out sectoral collective bargaining – because the most effective way to maintain good rights at work is collectively through a union.
Guarantee trade unions a right to access workplaces – so that unions can speak to members and potential members.
Propose four new public holidays – bringing our country together to mark our four national patron saints’ days.
These will be additional to statutory holiday entitlement so that workers in Britain get the same proper breaks as in other countries.
Raise the Minimum Wage to the level of the Living Wage (expected to be at least £10 per hour by 2020) – for all workers aged 18 or over, so that work pays.
End the Public Sector Pay Cap – because public sector workers deserve a pay rise after years of falling wages.
Amend the takeover code to ensure every takeover proposal has a clear plan in place to protect workers and pensioners – because workers shouldn’t suffer when a company is sold.
Roll out maximum pay ratios of 20:1 in the public sector and in companies bidding for public contracts – because it cannot be right that wages at the top keep rising while everyone else’s stagnates.
Ban unpaid internships – because it’s not fair for some to get a leg up when others can’t afford to.
Enforce all workers’ rights to trade union representation at work – so that all workers can be supported when negotiating with their employer.
Abolish employment tribunal fees – so that people have access to justice.
Double paid paternity leave to four weeks and increase paternity pay – because fathers are parents too and deserve to spend more time with their new babies.
Strengthen protections for women against unfair redundancy – because no one should be penalised for having children.
Hold a public inquiry into blacklisting – to ensure that blacklisting truly becomes and remains a thing of the past.
Give equalities reps statutory rights – so they have time to protect workers from discrimination.
Reinstate protection against third party harassment – because everyone deserves to be safe at work.
Use public spending power to drive up standards, including only awarding public contracts to companies which recognise trade unions.
Introduce a civil enforcement system to ensure compliance with gender pay auditing – so that all workers have fair access to employment and promotion opportunities and are treated fairly at work.
A Labour government will ensure Britain abides by the global Labour standards of the ILO conventions.
All workers should be able to work in a safe environment and return to their families at the end of the day.
Labour will enforce regulations that save lives.
As well as legislating against zero hours contracts, there are many more workers on short hours contracts (some only guaranteed a few hours per week), but who regularly work far more.
We will strengthen the law so that those who work regular hours for more than 12 weeks will have a right to a regular contract, reflecting those hours.
We will also scrap the changes brought in by the Conservatives in 2014 to TUPE, which weakened the protections for workers transferring between contractors,
and we will abolish the loophole to the agency workers regulations known as the Swedish derogation.
We will consult with employers and trade unions on legislating for statutory bereavement leave, for time off work after the loss of close family members.
We will also consult on toughening the law against assaulting workers who have to enforce laws such as age-related sales or ticketing arrangements, and who face regular abuse.
Labour will maintain the ACAS Early Conciliation System to try to solve workplace issues efficiently,
and we will protect the current compromise on Sunday trading hours.
Labour will also legislate to permit secure online and workplace balloting for industrial action votes and^internal union elections.
Workers in Britain are among the easiest and cheapest to make redundant, meaning when multinational companies are taking decisions to downsize that British workers are at a disadvantage.
We will consult with trade unions and industry on reviewing redundancy arrangements to bring workers in Britain more into line with their European counterparts.
Stagnating incomes have forced many to take on more debt.
Labour will introduce a version of Scotland’s Debt Arrangement Scheme to give breathing space to households struggling with high debts.
SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS
Self-employment can bring many benefits, freedoms and flexibilities to people – and is a vital and often entrepreneurial sector of our economy.
But there is also mounting evidence that workers are being forced into self-employment by unscrupulous employers to avoid costs and their duties to workers.
Labour will clamp down on bogus self-employment by: · Shifting the burden of proof, so that the law assumes a worker is an employee unless the employer can prove otherwise.
Imposing punitive fines on employers not meeting their responsibilities, helping to deter others from doing the same.
Involving trade unions in enforcement, e.g. by giving them a seat on the executive board of the new Ministry of Labour.
Giving the Ministry of Labour the resources to enforce all workers’ rights.
Banning payroll companies, sometimes known as umbrella companies, which create a false structure to limit employers’ tax liabilities and limit workers’ rights.
Giving employment agencies and end-users joint responsibility for ensuring that the rights of agency workers are enforced.
Rolling out sectoral collective bargaining and strengthening trade union rights, because empowering people to claim their own rights in the workplace is the most effective means of enforcement.
We would also extend the rights of employees to all workers, including shared parental pay, making a substantial and immediate difference to the quality of life of people in insecure work.
But there are real concerns that rapid changes to the world of work are rendering existing employment categories outdated.
Labour recognises that the law often struggles to keep up with the ever-changing new forms of employment and work, so we will set up a dedicated commission to modernise the law around employment status.
New statutory definitions of employment status would reduce the need for litigation and improve compliance.
The commission will be led by legal and academic experts with representation from industry and trade unions.
SOCIAL SECURITY
After seven years of rising poverty and inequality, Labour will rebuild and transform our social security system.
Like the NHS, our social security system is there for all of us in our time of need, providing security and dignity in retirement and the basics in life should we become sick or disabled, or fall on hard times.
DIGNITY FOR PENSIONERS
Labour will always be on the side of pensioners and help ensure security and dignity for older people in retirement.
As the Conservatives abandon their commitments to older people, Labour will guarantee the state pension ‘triple lock’ throughout the next Parliament.
It will rise by at least 2.5 per cent a year or be increased to keep pace with inflation or earnings, whichever is higher.
The Winter Fuel Allowance and free bus passes will also be guaranteed as universal benefits.
We will protect the pensions of UK citizens living overseas in the EU or further afield.
Over 2.5 million women born in the 1950s have had their state pension age changed without fair notification.
These women deserve both recognition for the injustice they have suffered and some kind of compensation for their losses.
Alongside our commitment to extend Pension Credit to hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable women, Labour is exploring options for further transitional protections, to ensure that all these women have security and dignity in older age.
This must never happen again.
Labour will legislate so that accrued rights to the basic state pension cannot be changed, but future benefits can.
The pension age is due to rise to 66 by the end of 2020.
Labour rejects the Conservatives’ proposal to increase the state pension age even further.
We will commission a new review of the pension age, specifically tasked with developing a flexible retirement policy to reflect both the contributions made by people, the wide variations in life expectancy, and the arduous conditions of some work.
We’ll restore confidence in the workplace pension system and put people rather than profit at its centre.
Labour will end rip-off hidden fees and charges,
and enable the development of large efficient pensions funds, which will mean more cash for scheme members
and lower costs for employers.
A Labour government will commit to an immediate review of the mineworkers’ pension scheme and British Coal superannuation scheme surplus, sharing arrangements between government and scheme beneficiaries.
DIGNITY FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT WORK
Poverty in Britain is rising due to the Conservatives’ attempts to balance the books on the backs of the poorest.
They have slashed social security over the last seven years, leaving more people in poverty, subject to a punitive sanctions regime, and reliant on food banks.
Labour will act immediately to end the worst excesses of the Conservative government’s changes.
We will: · Scrap the punitive sanctions regime
Scrap the Bedroom Tax
Reinstate Housing Benefit for under-21s
Scrap cuts to Bereavement Support Payment.
The cuts to work allowances in Universal Credit (UC), and the decision to limit tax credit and UC payments to the first two children in a family, are an attack on low-income families and will increase child poverty.
Labour will reform and redesign UC, ending six-week delays in payment and the ‘rape clause’.
With nearly four million children currently living in poverty, the majority in working families, we will commit to tackle child poverty with a new Child Poverty Strategy.
The Tories have completely failed on their promise of making work pay
and on tackling the barriers to work faced by people with disabilities.
Labour supports a social model of disability.
People may have a condition or an impairment but they are disabled by society.
We need to remove the barriers in society that restrict opportunities and choices for people with disabilities.
We will build on the previous Labour government’s commitment to people with disabilities in 2009 as signatories to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and incorporate it into UK law.
Labour will repeal the following cuts in social security support to people with disabilities through a new Social Security Bill published in ourfirstyear in office.
We will: · Increase Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) by £30 per week for those in the work-related activity group,
and repeal cuts in the UC limited capacity for work element.
Increase Carer’s Allowance by £11 to the level of Jobseekers’ Allowance.
Implement the court decision on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) so that there is real parity of esteem between those with physical and mental-health conditions.
Scrap the Work Capability and Personal Independence Payment assessments and replace them with a personalised, holistic assessment process that provides each individual with a tailored plan, building on their strengths and addressing barriers.
Labour will end the privatisation of assessments.
End the pointless stress of reassessments for people with severe long-term conditions.
Commission a report into expanding the Access to Work programme.
We will change the culture of the social security system, from one that demonises people not in work to one that is supportive and enabling.
As well as scrapping the Conservatives’ punitive sanctions regime, we will change how job centre Plus staff are performance-managed.
Labour will strengthen access to justice for people with disabilities by enhancing the 2010 Equality Act, enabling discrimination at work to be challenged.
We will ensure that under the Istanbul Convention, disability hate crime and violence against women with disabilities is reported annually, with national actions plans to address these issues.
SECURE HOMES FOR ALL
Home is at the heart of all of our lives.
It’s the foundation on which we raise our families, the bedrock for our dreams and aspirations.
But for too many people, the housing pressures they face are getting worse not better.
Britain has a housing crisis – a crisis of supply and a crisis of affordability.
After seven years of failure, the Conservatives have no plan to fix the housing crisis.
Since 2010, housebuilding has fallen to its lowest level since the 1920s,
rough sleeping has risen every year,
rents have risen faster than incomes,
there are almost 200,000 fewer home-owners,
and new affordable housebuilding is at a 24-year low.
It doesn’t have to be like this.
Labour will invest to build over a million new homes.
By the end of the next Parliament we will be building at least 100,000 council and housing association homes a year for genuinely affordable rent or sale.
Labour will establish a new Department for Housing to focus on tackling the crisis and to ensure housing is about homes for the many, not investment opportunities for the few.
Labour’s new housing ministry will be tasked with improving the number, standards and affordability of homes.
We will overhaul the Homes and Communities Agency to be Labour’s housing delivery body,
and give councils new powers to build the homes local communities need.
We will prioritise brownfield sites and protect the green belt.
We will start work on a new generation of New Towns to build the homes we need and avoid urban sprawl.
We will make the building of new homes, including council homes, a priority through our National Transformation Fund,
as part of a joined-up industrial and skills strategy that ensures a vibrant construction sector with a skilled workforce and rights at work.
Labour will not only build more, we will build better.
We will insulate more homes to help people manage the cost of energy bills,
to reduce preventable winter deaths,
and to meet our climate change targets.
We will consult on new rules on minimum space standards to prevent 'rabbit hutch’ properties
and on new modern standards for building'zero carbon homes’.
We will ensure that local plans address the need for older people’s housing, ensuring that choice and downsizing options are readily available.
We will keep the Land Registry in public hands, where it belongs,
and make ownership of land more transparent.
HOME OWNERSHIP
The number of home-owning households has fallen by 900,000 for the under-45s since 2010.
Labour will back first-time buyers to buy that special first home.
The number of affordable homes to buy has plummeted by two-thirds under the Conservatives, so we will build thousands more low-cost homes reserved for first-time buyers.
We will guarantee Help to Buy funding until 2027 to give long-term certainty to both first-time buyers
and the housebuilding industry.
We will also give local people buying their first home'first dibs’ on new homes built in their area to give them confidence that new homes will be available to them and their families.
After seven years of failure under the Conservatives, Labour will build the new homes first-time buyers need -
just as Labour councils have been doing right across the country, building an average of nearly 1,000 more new homes than Conservative councils.
We will back those who own their homes, including home-owners who own their home as leaseholders and who are currently unprotected from rises in'ground rent’ from developers or management companies.
A Labour government will give leaseholders securityfrom rip-offground rents and end the routine use of leasehold houses in new developments.
We will reverse the cruel decision to abolish housing benefit for 18 to 21- year-olds, which risks putting even more vulnerable young people on our streets.
PRIVATE RENTERS
We will end insecurity for private renters by introducing controls on rent rises, more secure tenancies, landlord licensing and new consumer rights for renters.
Soaring rents are a real problem - leading to more families living in temporary accommodation, more people sleeping rough, and many not having enough money to save up for a deposit or for a rainy day.
Labour will make new three-year tenancies the norm, with an inflation cap on rent rises.
Given the particular pressures in London we will look at giving the Mayor the power to give renters in London additional security.
We will legislate to ban letting agency fees for tenants.
We will also empower tenants to call time on bad landlords by giving renters new consumer rights.
Renters are spending £9.6 billion a year on homes that the government classes as'non-decent’.
Around a quarter of this is paid by housing benefit.
A Labour government would introduce new legal minimum standards to ensure properties are'fit for human habitation’ and empower tenants to take action if their rented homes are sub-standard.
COUNCIL AND SOCIAL TENANTS
Under the Conservatives, affordable housebuilding has fallen to a 24-year low.
Labour will build the genuinely affordable honres to rent and buy that the country needs.
We will remove government restrictions that stop councils building homes and begin the biggest council building programme for at least 30 years.
We will ditch the Conservatives’ ban on long-term council tenancies to give council tenants security in their homes.
We want more people to have a secure tenancy in a home built to high standards.
Labour will scrap the punitive bedroom tax, which has caused many people to be evicted from their home and their community.
More council homes have been sold off under the Conservatives and only one in five have been replaced, despite long housing waiting lists.
Labour will suspend the right-to-buy policy to protect affordable homes for local people, with councils only able to resume sales if they can prove they have a plan to replace homes sold like-for-like.
HOMELESSNESS
Homelessness is not inevitable in a country as decent and well off as ours.
However, since 2010 the number of people sleeping rough in shop doorways and on park benches has more than doubled.
This shames us all.
There can be no excuses – it must end.
Full stop.
More families are living in temporary accommodation, meaning 120,000 children spent last Christmas without a home to call their own.
This growing homelessness shames the Conservatives.
The spiralling rise in street homelessness results directly from decisions made by the Conservatives on pay, housing, mental health and social security.
Labour will set out a new national plan to end rough sleeping within the next Parliament, starting by making available 4,000 additional homes reserved for people with a history of rough sleeping.
We will also take action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including safeguarding homeless hostels and other supported housing from crude Conservative cuts to housing benefit.
HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
NHS
In the aftermath of war and national bankruptcy, it was a Labour government that found the resources to create a National Health Service – our proudest achievement, providing universal healthcare for all on the basis of need, free at the point of use.
Labour will invest in our NHS, to give patients the modern, well-resourced services they need for the 21st century.
Labour will ensure that NHS patients get the world-class quality of care they need and that staff are able to deliver the standards that patients expect.
We will guarantee and uphold the standards of service to which patients are legally entitled under the NHS constitution.
By guaranteeing access to treatment within 18 weeks, we will take one million people off NHS waiting lists by the end of the next Parliament.
We will guarantee that patients can be seen in A&E within four hours.
By properly resourcing the NHS, Labour will stop the routine breach of safe levels of bed occupancy,
and we will end mixed-sex wards.
We will deliver the Cancer Strategy for England in full by 2020, helping 2.5 million people living with cancer.
And, by properly resourcing ambulance services, we will end the scandal of slowing ambulance-response times.
Labour will focus resources on services to provide care closer to home and deliver a truly 21 st century health system.
We will work towards a new model of community care that takes into account not only primary care but also social care and mental health.
We will increase funding to GP services to ensure patients can access the care they need.
And we will halt pharmacy cuts and review provision to ensure all patients have Access to pharmacy services, particularly in deprived or remote communities.
Labour will tackle the growing problem of rationing of services and medicines across England, taking action to address ‘postcode lotteries’ and making sure that the quality of care you receive does not depend on which part of the country you live in.
We will ensure all NHS patients get fast access to the most effective new drugs and treatments,
and insist on value-for-money agreements with pharmaceutical companies.
To make sure that autistic people are able to access the whole of their community and to put an end to social isolation, Labour will set the ambition to make our country autism-friendly.
We will ensure that everyone with a long-term condition, such as those with diabetes, will have the right to a specialised care plan, and access to condition-management education.
We will ensure high-quality, personalised care for people approaching the end of their life, wherever and whenever they need it.
Labour will ensure that NHS England completes the trial programme to provide PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) as quickly as possible, and fully roll out the treatment to high-risk groups to help reduce HIV infection.
Labour will fund free parking in NHS England - for patients, staff and visitors – by increasing the tax on private medical insurance premiums.
Public health
For our health and care services to be sustainable in the long term, we need a renewed commitment to keeping people fit and well.
Labour will focus our efforts on children’s health, protecting the wellbeing of the^nation for the decades to come.
We will take action to significantly reduce infant deaths and to ensure all families who lose a baby receive appropriate bereavement support.
Labour will invest in children’s health, bringing in a new government ambition for our children to be the healthiest in the world.
We will fight health inequalitiesto break the scandalous link between child ill-health and poverty.
We will introduce a new Index of Child Health to measure progress against international standards, and report annually against four key indicators: obesity, dental health, under-fives and mental health.
We will set up a new £250 million Children’s Health Fund to support our ambitions.
As part of a preventative healthcare drive, Labour will increase the number of health visitors and school nurses.
We will publish a new childhood obesity strategy within the first 100 days, with proposals on advertising and food labelling.
We will make a concerted effort to address poor childhood oral health in England.
Labour will implement the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, commonly known as the ‘sugar tax’.
We will implement a strategy for the children of alcoholics based on recommendations drawn up by independent experts.
Labour will implement a Tobacco Control Plan, focusing on issues of mental health and young smokers.
Loneliness is an increasing problem for our society, and as Jo Cox put it, “young or old, loneliness doesn’t discriminate”.
A Labour government will create a more equal society for the many by working with communities, civil society and business to reduce loneliness.
Labour will address historic publichealth injustices.
We will hold a public enquiry into contaminated blood.
We will also hold a public inquiry into medicines, including Valproate, medical devices and medical products licensing and regulation.
A Labour government would maintain our commitment to improve sexual-health services, especially HIV services which will include reducing the rates of undiagnosed and latediagnosed HIV,
ending the stigma of HIV in society,
and promoting the increased availability of testing and treatment.
NHS staff
To guarantee the best possible services for patients, Labour will invest in our health and care workforce.
A Labour government will step in with a long-term workforce plan for our health service that gives staff the support they need to do the best for their patients.
Labour will scrap the NHS pay cap,
put pay decisions back into the hands of the independent pay review body
and give our NHS workers the pay they deserve.
Labour will protect patients and legislate to ensure safe staffing levels in the NHS.
Labour’s long-term ambition is for our health system to have the best trained staff in the world, ready to deal with whatever they have to face in the years to come.
Labour will re-introduce bursaries and funding for health-related degrees.
Labour will support doctors to deliver the best care possible by investing in the training, education and development of doctors throughout their careers.
Labour will immediately guarantee the rights of EU staff working in our health and care services.
Labour will support NHS whistleblowers to make sure health service staff are able to speak up in support of the best possible standards for patients.
Labour will make it an aggravated criminal offence to attack NHS staff.
NHS funding
Labour will commit to over £30 billion in extra funding over the next Parliament through increasing income tax for the highest 5 per cent of earners and by increasing tax on private medical insurance,
and we will free up resources by halving the fees paid to management consultants.
Labour will boost capital funding for the NHS, to ensure that patients are cared for in buildings and using equipment that are fit for the 21 st century.
And we will introduce a new Office for Budget Responsibility for Health to oversee health spending and scrutinise how it is spent.
Labour will halt and review the NHS ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plans’, which are looking at closing health services across England,
and ask local people to participate in the redrawing of plans with a focus on patient need rather than available finances.
We will create a new quality, safety and excellence regulator – to be called ‘NHS Excellence’.
The next Labour government will reversplie privatisation of our NHS and return our health service into expert public control.
Labour will repeal the Health and Social Care Act that puts profits before patients, and make the NHS the preferred provider.
We will reinstate the powers of the Secretary of State for Health to have overall responsibility for the NHS.
We will introduce a new legal duty on the Secretary of State and on NHS England to ensure that excess private profits are not made out of the NHS at the expense of patient care.
TOWARDS A NATIONAL CARE SERVICE
Our social care sector is in crisis, with severe consequences for the quality of care, public finances, personal assets, pressures on unpaid carers of family and friends, and delays to discharging patients from hospitals.
Care services have been slowly but relentlessly privatised.
In recent years, one in ten people reaching the age of 65 have faced lifetime care costs of over £100,000, with some homeowners paying the entire value of their homes.
The Conservatives’ cuts have led to £4.6 billion lost from social care budgets, despite rising demand.
Around 1.2 million older people have care needs that are going unmet.
Care in the community has become a cover for unseen neglect.
In our first term, Labour will lay the foundations of a National Care Service for England.
Our first urgent task will be to address the immediate funding crisis.
We will increase the social care budgets by a further £8 billion over the lifetime of the next Parliament, including an additional £1 billion for the first year.
This will be enough for providers to pay a real living wage without cutting the quality of care they provide.
It will allow implementation of the principles of the Ethical Care Charter, already adopted in 28 council areas, ending 15-minute care visits
and providing care workers with paid travel time, access to training and an option to choose regular hours.
Labour will also increase the Carer’s Allowance for unpaid full-time carers to align the benefit with rates of the Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Short-term funding solutions will not address the fundamental long-term challenges of our ageing demographics, nor meet the growing demands arising from late-life illnesses.
The National Care Service will be built alongside the NHS, with a shared requirement for single commissioning, partnership arrangements, pooled budgets and joint working arrangements.
We will build capacity to move quickly towards a joined-up service that will signpost users to all the appropriate services at the gateway through which they arrive.
In its first years, our service will require an additional £3 billion of public funds every year,
enough to place a maximum limit on lifetime personal contributions to care costs,
raise the asset threshold below which people are entitled to state support,
and provide free end of life care.
There are different ways the necessary monies can be raised.
We will seek consensus on a cross-party basis about how it should be funded, with options including wealth taxes, an employer care contribution or a new social care levy.
Improving the quality of social care is a vital part of providing dignity in older age
and independence and support for people who are vulnerable or have a disability or a mental health condition.
Labour will build a new National Care Service.
We will also set out the funding alternatives clearly and honestly, seeking to implement change through consensus.
Providing dignity and care in old age should transcend party politics and campaign slogans.
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental ill-health is the biggest unaddressed health challenge of our age.
Around one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.
Yet, since 2010 mental health funding has been cut, the number of mental health nurses has fallen by 6,600 and remaining mental health budgets have been raided to plug holes elsewhere in the NHS.
Labour will work to reverse the damage done to mental health services under this Tory government, which is particularly hitting services for LGBT and BAME communities.
In order to protect services, we will ring-fence mental health budgets and ensure funding reaches the frontline.
We will end the scandal of children being treated on adult mental health wards
and stop people being sent across the country, away from their support networks, to secure the treatment they need by bringing forward the ending of out-of-area placements to 2019.
Labour will also bring an end to the neglect of children’s mental health.
Half of people with mental health problems as adults present with symptoms by the age of 14.
Yet, across England only 8 per cent of mental health funding goes to services for children and young people.
In recent years, referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services have increased by two-thirds, and the number of young people presenting to A&E units with psychiatric conditions has doubled.
Suicide is now the most common cause of death for boys aged between five and 19.
Labour will invest in early intervention by increasing the proportion of mental health budgets spent on support for children and young people.
We will ensure that access to a counselling service is available for all children in secondary schools.
Giving mental health the same priority as physical health means not only ensuring access to services, but also making improvements, to those services.
Choice is important in a modern NHS, and patients who receive their therapy of choice have better outcomes.
Labour will therefore ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to evaluate the potential for increasing the range of evidencebased psychological therapies on offer.
SAFER COMMUNITIES
POLICE AND CRIME
Last year, there were an estimated 6.1 million incidents of crime experienced by adults in England and Wales.
Almost every police force in the country recorded an increase in crime, with worrying rises in some of the most violent offences, including gun and knife crime and homicide.
On Theresa May’s watch, police numbers have been cut by 20,000.
Cuts to the police force endanger communities and endanger police officers too.
Labour’s approach to policing crime will be different.
We will support the police in the performance of their duties.
We will provide officers, police community support officers and civilian staff with the equipment and people they need to provide effective policing services, including from the growing threat of cybercrime.
We will work with them to ensure that our communities are safer, for all of us.
We will champion community policing policies and incentivise good policing practice, working with Police and Crime Commissioners throughout the country on strategies to prevent crime.
We will also work to eliminate institutional biases against BAME communities, that mean you are still far more likely to be stopped and searched as a black or Asian man.