The release of Labour’s general election manifesto will be a key milestone in the coming weeks of campaigning, setting out in detail Labour’s offer to voters and drawing the major battle lines between the party and the Conservatives.
Much of the final wording of the party’s manifesto is likely to be a closely kept secret until its publication, but the party confirmed some of the policies that will make the cut with the launch of its ‘first steps’ campaigning tool last week, with a document distributed at the event offering more details on each of the six steps.
A party spokesperson told journalists ahead of the event that the six steps set out by the party “will be in the manifesto” but “are not the sum total of the manifesto”, stressing that they are “a campaigning tool”.
“It is in the nature of a political campaign that, in every communication with the voters, we will not always go through the A-Z of the manifesto,” they said.
The final manifesto will likely be shorter than the platform signed off last year as part of Labour’s National Policy Forum (NPF) process. A campaign document distributed to candidates at the beginning of this year gave an early indication of which parts of the programme may be included.
A ‘Clause V’ meeting – named after the fifth clause of the party rulebook – will be convened to sign off the final document.
According to the rulebook, the meeting will “decide which items from the party programme shall be included” and also “define the attitude of the party to the principal issues raised by the election which are not covered by the manifesto”.
The meeting will bring together members of Labour’s national executive committee, the shadow cabinet, the Parliamentary Committee of the Parliamentary Labour Party, the leaders of the Scottish and Welsh Labour Parties, the chair and three vice-chairs of the NPF and 11 trade union representatives.
Below is a summary of the policies set out in Labour’s first steps document, distributed to attendees at the launch event last week:
1. Deliver economic stability
- “Tough spending rules, so we can grow our economy and keep taxes, inflation and mortgages as low as possible.”
- “Growing the economy on secure foundations will be the number one mission of the next Labour government.”
- “Deliver stability with iron discipline, guided by strong fiscal rules, robust economic institutions and a new ‘fiscal lock’.”
- On a foundation of “economic stability”, “deliver our wider plans to drive growth:
- “Building 1.5 million homes with the biggest boost to affordable, social and council housing for a generation;
- “Making work pay with a New Deal for Working People;
- “Introducing a new, modern UK industrial strategy supported by sector strategies;
- “Giving mayors and combined authorities powers and flexibility to turbocharge local growth; and
- “Reforming our skills system to meet the needs of the coming decade.”
- “Deliver economic stability and drive growth everywhere.”
2. Cut NHS waiting times
- “40,000 more evening and weekend appointments each week, paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance and non-dom loopholes.”
- Introduce “a new national programme to carry out more operations, appointments and diagnostic tests during the evening and at weekends”.
- Pay staff “premium overtime rates to do extra shifts out of hours”.
- “Focus on reforming the NHS to make it fit for the future.”
3. Launch a new Border Security Command
- “Create a new Border Security Command, led by a Border Security Commander overseeing hundreds of new specialist investigators, officers and prosecutors using tough new counter-terror powers to smash criminal smuggling gangs.”
- “Tackle the problem at root, smash the gangs and end the huge waste of taxpayers’ money on hotel use.”
- “A workable plan to stop the boats, clear the backlog and end hotel use.”
4. Set up Great British Energy
- “Launch Great British Energy, a new publicly-owned clean power generation company to take back control of our energy supply producing cheaper power for our country.”
- “Headquartered in Scotland, Great British Energy will cut bills for families and ensure that jobs and supply chains are built here in the UK, rebuilding the strength of British industry.”
- “Great British Energy will have an initial capitalisation of £8.3bn over a parliament, paid for by a proper windfall tax on oil and gas giants.”
- “This first step is part of our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030 – helping families save £300 per year off their energy bills, boosting our energy independence and creating 650,000 good jobs.”
5. Crack down on antisocial behaviour
- “Recruit 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and PCSOs [to] give every community a named and contactable officer they can get in touch with”, paid for by “ending wasteful contracts”.
- Introduce “Respect Orders” – “tough court orders similar to ASBOs” – that “will allow us to ban those repeatedly wreaking havoc in town centres and problem areas”.
- Introduce “fast-track Public Space Protection Orders” that “will make it quicker and easier to clamp down on rapid escalations in drug dealing or drinking”.
- “Deliver a network of youth hubs that brings local services together and gives support to teenagers at risk of being drawn into crime.”
6. Recruit 6,500 new teachers
- Recruit “over 6,500 new specialist teachers in key subjects”, paid for by ending tax breaks for private schools, and address the “rising number of staff vacancies”.
- Target recruitment “towards shortage subjects and schools which find it hardest to recruit and retain staff”.
- “Review the curriculum so that it is broader and richer and develops the creativity, digital and communication skills that will set young people up for life, work and the future.”
- “Boost young people’s school outcomes and… ensure every child receives world-class teaching and are ready for the future.”
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