Labour leader Keir Starmer and shadow cabinet members will unveil six pledge card-style “first steps” for the party’s missions on Thursday morning, with speeches planned at an Essex launch event as new ad campaign as general election campaign steps up a gear.
We will be bringing live updates from the event itself below in the morning and share a livestream once one is available, with the timings and further details to be made public soon.
A spokesperson described the plans as “a distillation of Labour’s core retail offer” at the general election. Starmer is said to have told shadow cabinet members prior to the event that the “next phase” of Labour’s campaign will be to “give people back a belief in change” and show the party can make a “real difference” to their lives.
Traditional pledge cards will be replaced by “first steps” towards Labour’s missions, a “down payment on change” that taps into voters’ aspirations, shows Labour’s priorities and signals a “direction of travel”, he said.
The party said in a press release that its six “first steps to change Britain” centre on economic stability, NHS waiting lists, tackling “criminal boat gangs”, green cheaper energy, an antisocial behaviour “crackdown”, and 6,500 new teachers.
What are the Labour’s six new ‘first steps’ election policies?
- “Deliver economic stability with tough spending rules, so we can grow our economy and keep taxes, inflation and mortgages as low as possible.”
- “Cut NHS waiting times with 40,000 more appointments each week, during evenings and weekends, paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance and non-dom loopholes.”
- “Launch a new Border Security Command with hundreds of new specialist investigators and use counter-terror powers to smash the criminal boat gangs.”
- “Set up Great British Energy a publicly-owned clean power company, to cut bills for good and boost energy security, paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants.”
- “Crack down on antisocial behaviour with more neighbourhood police paid for by ending wasteful contracts, tough new penalties for offenders, and a new network of youth hubs.”
- “Recruit 6,500 new teachers in key subjects to prepare children for life, work and the future, paid for by ending tax breaks for private schools.”
The party’s ‘First Steps’ artwork will also be “available across the country” on ad vans, billboards and regional papers on Thursday, according to party officials.
A party spokesperson told journalists in Westminster Labour did not want to “take our foot off the gas” after the local elections.
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