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Labour vs Conservative Manifestos

Briefing

Why compare? that everyone has the right to a good life. The key policies include the Green Industrial Revolution, an end to ,

This briefing provides a snapshot of the Labour and and a new National Education Service. offers for this election across selected topics with some short analysis by CLASS. The Conservative Party manifesto, by comparison, has a focus on and a handful of public services (police, NHS) where We find that the Labour Party manifesto provides an array of promises are made about boosting the numbers of policy tools to transform our economy towards investment officers and nurses. Meanwhile, many other services lose out. and innovation in a green and socially just direction, ensuring

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NHS Labour Conservative Verdict

£15 billion extra to rebuild hospitals. NHS 50,000 “more” nurses, 19,000 of which are Labour are promising £6 billion a year spending 4.3%. current nurses they hope to retain. more for the NHS by 2023-24.

End privatisation & ensure it’s not part of any 40 “new” hospitals in the next decade, which Plans for a new National Care Service are trade deal. translates to 6 new upgrades by 2025. the most radical offer on social care.

Free dental check-ups & scrap prescription £6.8 billion extra for the NHS per year. Labour’s plan for generic drugs will annoy charges. the pharmaceutical industry but could reduce costs.

Climate Labour Conservative Verdict

A to reduce the vast majority of carbon emissions by 2030. Net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Combination of Labour’s £250 bn green investment plus £250 bn Transformation 1 million new green jobs and a National Fund will make a big difference on Investment Bank with £250 billion. A £500 million ‘ Planet’ fund and ban on climate. exporting plastic to developing countries. A clean air law to tackle pollution. Difficult to see how Conservatives will More home insulation. meet their net zero pledge with no commitment on car emissions.

Economy Labour Conservative Verdict

Free full-fibre broadband for everyone. This Public debt to be lower than the last Labour are convinced that nationalisation will boost small businesses in the regions. parliament. is affordable and will pay for itself, but has a job to do in selling that. Railways, postal services, energy utilities and Fund day-to-day spending through water into public ownership. taxation, while increasing borrowing to The public are unlikely to believe “invest thoughtfully and responsibly in Conservative pledges to make public infrastructure”. debt lower while increasing spending.

Work Labour Conservative Verdict

Full workers’ rights from day one on the job. Increase the employment allowance for Labour promises a fundamental shift in A real living of £10 per hour. small firms. employment rights and fair wages.

Strengthened law and collective Invest at least £90 million to improve The move to a 32-hour working week, bargaining to boost wages. employment outcomes for young people. four more bank holidays will improve peoples’ quality of life. End bogus self-employment and ban zero- Encourage more flexible working. hour contracts.

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Education Labour Conservative Verdict

A National Education Service for free lifelong Bring back more discipline and support for The IFS say the Conservatives plan is not learning. pupil exclusions. enough to reverse austerity since 2010.

Reverse schools cuts, scrap tuition fees and Expand “alternative provision” for those The NEU union say only one authority in bring back the EMA for 16-18 year olds. excluded. the whole country, the City of , will be better off under the Conservative plan. meals to all primary school ‘Level up’ funding per pupil to £5,000 per children. year.

Housing Labour Conservative Verdict

100,000 new council homes built every year plus 1 million genuinely affordable homes They promise to “end rough sleeping”. Labour promise a major revival in council over 5 years. housing, not just for those in the most need but as homes that everyone can Cap private rents and limit landlord evictions. Allowing councils to raise money from devel- feel proud of. opers to give low-paid people a discount. A new national levy on second homes used Social housing will shrink further under as holiday homes to solve . Protect the green belt. Conservative plans with more right-to- buy.

Crime Labour Conservative Verdict

2,000 more police officers than the , 20,000 more police officers, plus more stop The Tory promise of 20,000 police is less and reverse cuts of prison officers. and searches. than they cut under austerity.

Public health approach to drugs and rebuild Tougher sentencing for violent and sex Labour take a more ‘holistic’ approach to youth services. offenders. tackling crime and the causes of crime, as well as promising more money for Establish a National Youth Service, Prevent foreign offenders entering Britain. enforcement. guarantee every young person has access to local, high-quality youth work.

Tax Labour Conservative Verdict

No tax rises for anyone earning less than Raise the threshold to £9,500 per The Tories “triple-lock” on taxes ties the £80,000 (top 5%). year. hands of their Chancellor meaning any increase in day-to-day spending will have Crackdown on tax dodgers and reverse No new income tax, national insurance or to come from stealth taxes. inheritance tax cuts. VAT rises. Labour’s spending plans are normal by Raise Corporation Tax to 2010 levels. Shelve planned Corporation Tax cuts. European standards: lower than France, around the same as Germany.

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Brexit Labour Conservative Verdict

Rip up ’s bad deal, negotiate a Get Johnson’s deal through parliament by The Conservative ambition to complete deal that protects workers rights’, consumers Christmas and leave the EU in January. a complex EU trade deal in months, and the environment, and put it to the people when normally it would take years, looks alongside a Remain option. Negotiate a new trade deal with the EU next impossible to achieve. year and refuse to extend the Brexit transi- tion period beyond the end of 2020. While Labour’s policy is clear, the party continue to face questions about where it will stand in a people’s vote.

Childcare Labour Conservative Verdict

30 hours universal free childcare every week. A new £1 billion childcare fund for after The Conservative offer is much less than school and holiday periods. Labour’s. A Sure Start centre in every community. The axing of Sure Start centres proved unpopular, so bringing them back looks Extending paid paternity leave from 2 weeks set to win Labour support. to 4 and maternity pay from 9 months to 12 months.

Social security Labour Conservative Verdict

Scrap and scrap the End the benefit freeze. Labour look set to move social security . from a punative system to one that gives claimants dignity and helps them out of Increase Employment and Support Reduce the number of reassessments faced destitution. Allowance by £30 a week. by disabled people, when their condition is unlikely to change. There is no evidence to back up Scrap the two child limit and , Conservative instincts that making life which will lift up to 300,000 children out of more miserable helps people back into poverty. work.

Pensions Labour Conservative Verdict

Protect the triple lock state pension TV licences for the over 75s should be Labour plans to restore pension credit guarantee, and a winter fuel allowance. funded by the BBC, not government. and housing benefit eligibility for mixed- age couples, which will help many. Reject further rises to the pension age, and Keep the triple lock state pension guarantee. reinstate free TV licenses for over 75s.

Support WASPI women with £58 billion More protection to prevent pension pots compensation. being raided.

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