NATIONAL POLICY FORUM REPORT 2014 CONTENTS Foreword by Angela Eagle 3 Vice Chairs of the National Policy Forum 4 Equalities statement 5 Final Year Policy Documents: 7 Stability and Prosperity 7 Work and Business 21 Living Standards and Sustainability 41 Stronger, Safer Communities 55 Education and Children 73 Health and Care 91 Better Politics 107 Britain’s Global Role 119 Policy Commission Annual Reports: 133 Stability and Prosperity 133 Work and Business 141 Living Standards and Sustainability 151 Stronger, Safer Communities 159 Education and Children 169 Health and Care 179 Better Politics 187 Britain’s Global Role 195 APPENDICES 205 Submitting organisations 206 National Policy Forum membership 212 National Policy Forum Report 2014 1 2 National Policy Forum Report 2014 FOREWORD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN GENERATIONS PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL DO WORSE THAN THEM, NOT BETTER. THE POLICY PROGRAMME THAT FOLLOWS OFFERS THE RADICAL SOLUTIONS WE NEED TO TURN THAT SITUATION AROUND. Under this Tory-led Government the vast majority of working people have been left worse off, while the richest few have pocketed rich rewards. It beggars belief that in Britain in the twenty first century thousands of people are having to turn to food banks to feed their families, but are labelled shirkers by this Government. Our economic situation means that in As Chair of the NPF and the NEC I’ve also government there won’t be much money wanted to reaffirm the importance of equality around. But that constraint means we have to Labour’s mission. I therefore asked the to redouble our ambition. This document NPF to agree a short overarching statement showcases radical reform that will make our at the beginning of this policy document. country work for everyone again, and not just a This statement reflects the fact that across all few at the top. areas of policy, Labour in government will always seek to use power to break down the This policy programme is the result of three structural, social and institutional inequality years of dialogue and discussion that has and discrimination that holds people back from involved hundreds and thousands of people sharing in prosperity and playing their part in across the country. The fact that the National society. That statement can be found opposite. Policy Forum agreed the programme through consensus demonstrates the unity of purpose in This is a radical policy programme that our movement. speaks to our values and purpose as a Party. I commend it to Annual Conference as a Since being elected Chair of the NPF two platform for an election winning manifesto and years ago, I have prioritised reforming our a radical transformative first term back where policy process to make it more meaningful, we can best serve the interests of the British transparent and engaging. I want to thank all people - in government. those who have been involved in constructing this programme for the commitment and hard work which they have put in. I hope that you’ll agree that together we’ve made a real difference. I want to thank my predecessor Peter Hain for the work he did to get Agenda Angela Eagle MP 2015 underway. Chair of the National Policy Forum National Policy Forum Report 2014 3 VICE CHAIRS OF THE NATIONAL POLICY FORUM Simon Burgess Billy Hayes Bridget Phillipson MP 4 National Policy Forum Report 2014 LABOUR’S COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY Labour is the Party of equality. We believe that no person should suffer discrimination or a lack of opportunity because of their gender, gender identity, age, disability, race, religion or belief, socio-economic status or sexual orientation. In government, every decision we take will be taken with that in mind. We will ensure the policies across these eight documents and in our manifesto will be implemented ensuring that they further rather than hinder this cause. Labour has always led the fight for equality, but our fight is not yet won. We will not rest until everyone can live their lives free from hatred, fear and oppression. In government we will work to remove the structural and social barriers that stand in our way. National Policy Forum Report 2014 5 6 National Policy Forum Report 2014 Prosperity and Work Policy Commission STABILITY AND PROSPERITY FINAL YEAR POLICY DOCUMENT National Policy Forum Report 2014 7 STABILITY AND PROSPERITY Introduction economies are held back. For this reason, tackling the cost of living crisis is fundamental In the past, when the country got better off, so to our future economic success. did ordinary people and families. The cost of living crisis facing Britain has exposed the fact Growth without national prosperity is not that the link between the wealth of the country economic success, which is why the first and last as a whole, and the finances of ordinary people test of One Nation Labour’s economic policy is has been broken. People are now working whether living standards are rising for everyone. harder, for longer, for less, with wages growing Labour will build a new One Nation economy more slowly than prices since 2010. which re-establishes the connection between the success of Britain as a whole, and the success of The cost of living crisis reflects a way of Britain’s people. And as well as addressing the running the country and economy that is short- immediate pressures on family finances, ours is termist, too accepting of broken markets, and a plan for sustainable growth to earn our way reliant on trickle-down economics - cutting out of the cost of living crisis. taxes at the top and making everyone else more insecure. While some of these problems go back As part of this longer-term plan, One Nation decades, the current Government has overseen Labour will stand behind those creating new, the slowest economic recovery on record, and secure and higher paying jobs. That means has consistently looked after a tiny privileged supporting small and medium sized businesses few at the top while squeezing everybody else. to grow, and reforming our banking system so it is better able to provide finance for those The cost of living crisis facing Britain reaches businesses. It also means taking on the vested deeply into people’s lives and the way in which interests that are holding our economy back, for our country is run. And because the problems example through reforming the energy market, are far-reaching, the solutions need to be too. which is unfairly burdening households and Our country is crying out for real and lasting businesses. change. Building a One Nation Economy that works For that reason a One Nation Labour for everyone will be all the more difficult as a government will set out a new course. result of the economic failure of the current Challenging outdated assumptions, we will Government. The next Labour Government reform markets, tackle vested interests, and will face a tough fiscal inheritance, but by not shy away from institutional and long- having different priorities and making better term change, where it is needed, to make choices, we can grow and earn our way to a the economy work for everyone, not just a better future. few at the top. That is how the next Labour government will turn Britain around even in an Economic failure has era when there is less money around. contributed to a cost of living At its core, our agenda is about recognising crisis that sustainable growth will be built by the People are working harder than ever before, but hard-working people of Britain, not trickle for far too many, wages are falling while prices down from a few at the top. We cannot detach are rising. And for those who are unable to our national economic success from the work things are getting more difficult too. Social contribution to wealth creation and success security changes are hitting people, including of Britain’s families and businesses. When disabled people, hard, with child poverty set ordinary people struggle to deal with the rising to rise and unfair policies like the Bedroom cost of living, our national, regional and local 8 National Policy Forum Report 2014 STABILITY AND PROSPERITY Tax making things even worse for many. are rooted in fairness. That has not been the Women have been hit particularly hard by the case in recent years, where George Osborne Government’s economic policies. One Nation has done too little to protect those public Labour will prioritise action to tackle the cost sector workers on the lowest incomes, who are of living crisis on issues such as pay and bills, disproportionately women. For example, low as well as take action to address poverty in our paid local government staff were promised a society. £250 pay rise that they never received for two years in a row. Further details on our approach to social security can be found in the Work and Business The next Labour Government will take a section. different approach, an approach rooted not just in affordability but in ‘fair pay’. This will have Promoting fair pay three key fair pay principles: The introduction of the National Minimum • Fairness for the low paid, so that the focus Wage was one of the proudest achievements of is more pay for low-paid workers and more the last Labour Government, and the ongoing restraint at the top. We will also remain need to tackle the problem of low pay in our committed to expanding the role of the living economy remains a priority for Labour. One wage, building on the progress made by Nation Labour will strengthen the National Labour councils, and ban exploitative zero Minimum Wage, by better enforcement and hour contracts.