Change (manifesto) explained

Author:Labour Party
Pub Date:13 June 2024
Country:United Kingdom
Language:English
Preceded By:It's Time for Real Change (2019)
Media Type:Political manifesto
Series:Labour general election manifestos

Change was a political manifesto published in 2024 by the British Labour Party under the leadership of Sir Keir Starmer. The manifesto sets out the party's new approach to policy, ahead of their successful campaign in the 2024 general election, in which they won a landslide victory.[1] [2]

Overview

The manifesto's title referred to the chance for voters to stop the "endless Conservative chaos" that, according to Keir Starmer, "directly harmed the finances of every family in Britain", and to instead vote for the Labour Party; Starmer called this "an opportunity to begin the work of national renewal, and to rebuild of our country so that it once again serves the interests of working people." The Labour general election campaign adopted "Change" as their slogan.[3] When launching the manifesto, Starmer referred to it as "a fairer, healthier, a more secure Britain, at the service of working people, with growth from every community. A Britain ready to restore that promise. The bond that reaches through the generations and says – this country will be better for your children."[4] [5] [6]

The manifesto itself focuses on economic growth, planning system reforms, infrastructure, what Starmer describes as clean energy, healthcare, education, childcare, crime, and strengthening workers' rights.[7] [8] It pledges a new publicly owned energy company (Great British Energy), a "Green Prosperity Plan", a Border Security Command, reducing patient waiting times in the National Health Service (NHS), and renationalisation of the railway network (Great British Railways).[9] It includes wealth creation and "pro-business and pro-worker" policies.[10] [11] The manifesto also pledged to give votes to 16 year olds, reform the House of Lords, and to tax private schools, with money generated going into improving state education.[12] [13]

Major points

First steps

During the 2024 general election campaign, six first steps were issued and detailed in the manifesto. The six steps are:[14]

  1. Deliver economic stability with tough spending rules, so the economy can grow and keep taxes, inflation and mortgages as low as possible.
  2. 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.
  3. Launch a new Border Security Command with hundreds of new specialist investigators and use counter-terror powers to smash criminal boat gangs.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Recruit 6,500 new teachers in key subjects to set children up for life, work and the future, paid for by ending tax breaks for private schools.

Five missions

  1. Kickstart economic growth.[15]
  2. Make Britain a clean energy superpower.[16]
  3. Take back our streets.[17]
  4. Break down barriers to opportunity.[18]
  5. Build an NHS fit for the future.[19]

Analysis

Channel 4 News's fact-checking of the manifesto found that a Labour government would "almost certainly preside over a lower net migration rate in the next few years – even if it's done little to bring this about" on the manifesto's immigration policies, while finding that it "may be difficult to evaluate in the future" whether a Labour government had met its pledge on GP outpatient appointments, and that the pledge on new teachers would "deliver half the increase in teacher numbers that the Conservatives managed in this parliament."[20] Full Fact's fact-checking evaluated as accurate the manifesto's claims that the 2010–2024 Conservative government had raised the tax burden to a 70-year high, had overseen a significant decrease in British Armed Forces staff, and a significant increase in child poverty.[21] The Institute for Fiscal Studies described the manifesto as "not a manifesto for those looking for big numbers", saying there was "almost nothing in the way of definite promises on spending."[22]

Reactions

The Child Poverty Action Group criticised the manifesto for not committing to ending the two child benefit cap, saying that until it was ended, "real change won’t come for the four million children in poverty."[23] The charity Humanists UK welcomed pledges on Lords reform, updating the curriculum, for a ban on conversion therapy, and for assurances that the UK would remain a member of the European Convention on Human Rights. It expressed disappointment that pre-manifesto Labour pledges on incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law, tackling unregistered illegal schools, and parliamentary time for assisted dying did not feature.[24]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Gibbons . Amy . Sigsworth . Tim . 16 May 2024 . Labour Party manifesto 2024: Keir Starmer's election promises . 3 July 2024 . The Telegraph . en-GB . 0307-1235.
  2. Web site: 5 March 2024 . Mission-driven government: What has Labour committed to? . 3 July 2024 . Institute for Government . en.
  3. News: 17 January 2024 . Labour Party 'campaign bible' gives hints of general election strategy . 3 July 2024 . BBC News . en-GB.
  4. Web site: 13 June 2024 . Keir Starmer launches 'Change' - Labour's general election manifesto . 21 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  5. Web site: Labour launches manifesto as Sir Keir Starmer pledges to end political 'pantomime' and 'rebuild Britain' . 3 July 2024 . Sky News . en.
  6. News: Stacey . Kiran . Mason . Rowena . 12 June 2024 . Starmer promises 'long-term strategy' in business-friendly Labour manifesto . 3 July 2024 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  7. Web site: Change . 15 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  8. Web site: 23 May 2024 . Labour manifesto 2024: Find out how Labour will get Britain's future back . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613141625/https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/labour-manifesto-2024-sign-up/ . 13 June 2024 . 12 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  9. Web site: Reid . Jenni . 13 June 2024 . Britain's Labour Party pledges 'wealth creation' as it targets landslide election victory . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613173116/https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/13/uk-general-election-2024-labour-publishes-manifesto-.html . 13 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . CNBC . en.
  10. Web site: 13 June 2024 . Starmer launches Labour's pro-business, pro-worker manifesto with £7.35bn of new taxes . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613173115/https://nz.news.yahoo.com/starmer-hopes-labour-pro-business-103304717.html . 13 June 2024 . 13 June 2024 . Yahoo News . en-NZ.
  11. News: Crerar . Pippa . Mason . Rowena . 13 June 2024 . Keir Starmer puts wealth creation at heart of Labour manifesto . 3 July 2024 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  12. News: 13 June 2024 . Change and growth: five key takeaways from the Labour manifesto launch . 13 June 2024 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  13. Web site: 13 June 2024 . Labour manifesto 2024: 12 key policies analysed . 3 July 2024 . BBC News . en-GB.
  14. Web site: Labour's first steps for change . 15 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  15. Web site: Kickstart economic growth . 15 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  16. Web site: Make Britain a clean energy superpower . 15 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  17. Web site: Take back our streets . 15 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  18. Web site: Break down barriers to opportunity . 15 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  19. Web site: Build an NHS fit for the future . 15 June 2024 . The Labour Party . en-GB.
  20. Web site: 14 June 2024. FactCheck: The Labour manifesto 2024. Johnson. Helen. 23 June 2024. Channel 4 News.
  21. Web site: 12 June 2024. Labour 2024 manifesto: fact checked. 23 June 2024. Full Fact.
  22. Web site: 13 June 2024. Labour Party manifesto: an initial response. Boileau. Bee. 23 June 2024. Institute for Fiscal Studies.
  23. Web site: 13 June 2024. Key takeaways from Labour's manifesto pledges for work, benefits and disability rights. Elton. Lottie. 23 June 2024. The Big Issue.
  24. Web site: Labour Manifesto promises. Humanists UK. 13 June 2024. 1 July 2024.

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