Wednesday 19 June 2024

Confused About Those Manifesto Pledges?

All the Manifestos have now been published and after a while all the pledges can roll together so let's put them all side by side and see exactly what the parties are promising if they get into power.

Tax 
Conservatives will knock another 2p off National Insurance with an ambition to get rid of it altogether.
Labour has pledged not to raise taxes with no increase in income tax, national insurance, or VAT.
Liberal Democrats will increase the tax-free allowance and bring Capital Gains in line with other tax rates.
Greens will introduce a wealth tax of 1% on assets above £10m and 2% above £1bn.
Reform will raise the income tax threshold to £20,000 and abolish Inheritance Tax on all estates under £2m.

NHS and social care
Conservatives will increase NHS funding and recruiting 92,000 nurses and 28,000 doctors.
Labour will cut waiting times by adding 40,000 more appointments every wee and add 8,500 mental health staff.
Lib Dems will spend £1.1bn on hospitals and employ 8,000 more GPs.
Greens will increase the NHS budget by £8bn and legalise assisted dying.
Reform would cut tax for frontline NHS staff for three years and provide some NHS patients with vouchers for private treatment.

Defence
Conservatives will boost defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.
Labour will also spend 2.5% of GDP.
Lib Dems would raise defence with an ambition to spend 2.5%.
Greens will cancel Britain's nuclear deterrent.
Reform would increase defence spending to 3% and recruit 30,000 army staff.

Immigration
Conservatives will put a cap on the number of people who can move to the UK and move forwrds their Rwanda plan.
Labour will scrap the Rwanda plan, reform the points-based immigration system and bring in more restrictions on visas.
Lib Dems will lift the ban on asylum seekers working and scrap the government's Rwanda scheme.
Greens will introduce safe routes for those fleeing persecution.
Reform would freeze non-essential immigration and pick up migrants in small boats and take them back to France.

Housing
Conservatives will scrap stamp duty on homes up to £425k.
Labour will build 1.5 million new homes and create new towns.
Lib Dems will build 380,000 new homes, including 150,000 social houses.
Greens will build 150,000 new social houses and end Right to Buy.
Reform will abolish stamp duty for houses under £750k

Education
Conservatives will ban mobile phones during the school day and introduce 30 hours' free childcare from nine months old.
Labour will recruit 6,500 new teachers, establish 3,000 new nurseries, introduce free breakfast clubs and charge private schools VAT.
Lib Dems will put a mental health professional in every school and increase funding.
Greens will give a £2bn pay uplift for teachers and scrap University undergraduate fees.
Reform will ban transgender ideology in schools and provide a 20% tax relief on private schools.

Economy
Conservatives pledge to reduce borrowing and debt.
Labour will focuses on wealth creation.
Lib Dems wants a better relationship with the EU and focused on the renewable industry.
Greens will raise taxes for the wealthy and nationalise the railways, energy companies and water providers.
Reform will cut red tape on house building and make it easier to hire and fire workers.

European Union
Conservatives will build on its post-Brexit strategy.
Labour want to reset, deepen and improve its relationship with Europe.
Lib Dems will seek to join the single market.
Greens will take Britain back into the EU immediately.
Reform would renegotiate the EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Climate
Conservatives will cut the cost of tackling climate change, treble offshore wind and scale up nuclear.
Labour will double onshore wind, triple solar power and quadruple offshore wind and establish a new national Energy company.
Lib Dems will cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045.
Greens will stop all new fossil fuel extraction in UK, phase out nuclear power, and increase wind and solar power.
Reform will ditch the net zero plans and subsidies and fast-track licences of North Sea gas and oil.

There's the choices then but be aware that a Manifesto pledge is not a guarantee it will happen and does come with the massive caveat that these are things that they would like to do, not absolutely will do.

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