Britain’s Labour Party, which is predicted to win Thursday’s election, is promising “a decade of national renewal” and the record majority gives the party full freedom to implement its program.
Its policies on major issues are as follows:
, economy ,
Labour has vowed to follow UK fiscal rules and has ruled out increases in income tax, National Insurance welfare contributions and VAT sales tax – although senior figures have not ruled out other tax rises – thereby limiting its scope to increase public spending.
It is hoped that this gap will be bridged through improved growth, the abolition of tax breaks for non-resident British residents, a reduction in tax evasion and the introduction of VAT on private school fees.
It also intends to impose a windfall tax on energy companies and borrow to finance its “Green Prosperity Plan.”
, Health care ,
Often a top priority for UK voters, the country’s free National Health Service (NHS) is currently under pressure due to tight budgets, a waitlist that has surged to 7.5 million people during Covid, staff shortages and strikes.
The Labour Party says it will save more than two million NHS appointments a year by paying staff extra to work in the evenings and at weekends, and using spare capacity at private healthcare providers to clear the backlog of cases.
It also promises to double the number of MRI and CT scanners in the NHS.
, immigration ,
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has promised to deploy special investigators to “dismantle” the human trafficking gangs behind irregular immigration to Britain, process asylum claims more quickly to clear the current backlog of cases and send unsuccessful applicants back to safe countries.
He has also pledged to abandon the Conservative plan to send refugees to Rwanda.
However, Tory leader Rishi Sunak expressed doubts during a debate with Starmer over whether he would be able to persuade the Afghan Taliban or Iranian leaders to take back failed refugees from their countries.
, energy ,
The Labour Party plans to establish a new publicly owned energy company “Great British Energy” to protect Britain from shocks to international energy markets caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and to meet climate goals.
“A Labor government will invest in domestic clean energy, cut bills, create jobs and liberate us from dictators like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, paid for in part by fair taxes on major oil and gas companies,” the party says.
– Education –
Labour says it would collect VAT on fees from private schools and use the money to “improve standards in strained state schools with more teachers” and “break down barriers to opportunity”.
– Environment –
Starmer aims to decarbonise Britain’s electricity grid by 2030 and has said his party will not approve any new oil or gas projects in the North Sea.
Pollution of rivers and seas has been a major issue recently, and Labor has promised to withhold bonuses to water management companies if their companies damage the environment.
, transportation ,
Britain’s rail system remains a constant source of complaints, and the Labour Party says it will set up a “public body – Great British Railways” – tasked with improving the railway’s infrastructure and services.
– workers rights –
The Labour Ministry will change the way minimum wages are calculated keeping in mind the cost of living.
It has also promised to make flexible working the “default” and ban “zero-hours contracts”, under which employers are not obliged to provide a minimum working hours and employees are not obliged to accept any work offered.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
