The Conservative Party have released their manifesto for the upcoming July election. This is a light summary of said manifesto, with the most important parts included.
Workers, Transport and The Economy
- Taking 2p off employee National Insurance, halving it from 12% in early 2024 to 6% by April 2027
- Abolishing the main rate of self-employed National Insurance
- No new green levies or charges
- Signing further trade deals, speeding up infrastructure etc
- Won’t raise corporation tax
- Improve access to finance for SMEs
- Roll out gigabit broadband
- £4.7bn for smaller cities, towns and rural areas in the North and the Midlands
- Speed up infrastructure delivery
- Continue to repeal EU laws
- Treble offshore wind capacity
- £3bn for levelling up in Scotland, £2.5bn for Wales and £1bn in Northern Ireland
Despite the tax burden being the highest since World War II, the Tories are determined to show themselves as the party of low taxes and business. There is particular emphasis on the devolved nations, the north and the midlands, as these places are often forgotten in favour of London and the south. They’ve also emphasised repealing EU law and red tape.
Children and Young People
- Mandatory National Service for all school leavers at 18, with the choice of civil or military service
- Fund 100,000 apprenticeships
- Ban mobile phone use in schools
- Introducing the Advanced British Standard for 16-19 year olds
- Mandatory 2 hours of PE a week in school
The National Service model introduced by Sunak has been controversial to say the least. Polling had been cold on the idea, and most feel like it hasn’t been well thought out. Nevertheless, Sunak and co are pushing it.
Immigration and Security
- Boost defence spending to 2.5%
- Introduce a legal cap on migration
- Deport illegal migrants to Rwanda
- Rewrite asylum treaties
- Pass the first ever Veterans’ Bill
- Dedicated Minister for Veteran Affairs in Cabinet
- R&D will be 5% of the defence budget
- Clear the asylum back-log
- Require migrants to undergo a health check before travel
Despite promises to lower immigration, the Tories have overseen a record amount of people coming over since 2010. The country has also seen a lot of migrants coming over on small boats through the English Channel, with the outcome sometimes deadly. In hopes of eliminating this, the Tories introduced a scheme to send these migrants to Rwanda to be processed. The issue is very divisive. Some people think that it won’t go far enough, whilst others think that it is cruel. Many just don’t see it working. It has been challenged by human rights lawyers.
Defence is also important in a new world. With the UK armed forces not up to previous standard, the Tories are promising to help.
NHS and Communities
- Increase NHS spending above inflation, recruit 92,000 new nurses and 28,000 more doctors, new GPs surgeries, Community Diagnostic Centres and Pharmacy First
- Reform disability benefits
- 40 new hospitals by 2030
- 2.5 million more dental appointments
- Reduce the number of NHS managers by 5,500
- Tougher sanctions on long-term unemployed
- Accelerate the rollout of Universal Credit
- Protect female-only spaces and sports
- Recruit 8,000 more police officers
- More to curb anti-social policing
- Introduce a 25 year minimum sentence for domestic murders
- Build four new prisons
- Invest £36bn in local roads, rails and buses
- Stop road pricing, reversing the ULEZ scheme and local referenda on speeds
- Legal target for farmers and additional investment
- Directly invest in communities
The NHS is considered a sacred cow in the UK, and any suggestions regarding reform are often batted away with accusations of privatisation. The Conservative Party is historically seen as less friendly towards the NHS than Labour, but their manifesto assures voters that they are the ones funding health at a better level. Dental services are a particular issue, as many are struggling to get seen. Dentists themselves say that they cannot afford to bring on new NHS patients, which make up the majority of the population.
Crime and transport are also a huge issue. The government controversially cancelled much of HS2, and trains are comparatively expensive compared to other European countries. Because of prison overcrowding, some inmates are being released early. The Tories are promising to be tough on law and order, something they are historically seen as better at.
Civil Service and Government
- Cut the civil service to pre-pandemic levels
- Controls on equality and diversity schemes
- Move 25,000 civil servants outside of London
There is a lot of controversy in the rise of equality and diversity schemes, some of which are costing a lot of money. The government seems to recognise this, and are pledging to cut it, though they have also funded a lot of them.
Families and the Elderly
- Triple Luck Plus for pension, so both the State Pension and the tax free allowance always rise with inflation, earnings or 2.5%, and ensuring it’s not taxed
- 30 free hours a week of childcare from nine months to school age
- Basing child benefit on household as opposed to individuals
The Conservatives seem to be courting the silver vote this year, and are doing so by offering more to pensioners. Whilst nobody wants to see the elderly struggle, many feel that the government is helping older voters at the expense of the young. It’s not a surprise, as over 60s are the only voting demographic of whom the majority vote Conservative.
Housing
- Abolish stamp duty for first time buyers in homes up to £425,000 and a new Help to Buy scheme
- Raising density levels in London
- Fast track route for new homes on brownfield sites
Housing. Sweet housing. House prices in the UK are not cheap to say the least, especially compared to income. Blame often comes down to a lack of house building, whilst others point to immigration causing a decrease in supply, especially in social housing. Rental prices are also rather high, especially in London. The Tories are promising to build more homes.
If you hate yourself like me and want to read the whole Conservative Party manifesto, you can find it here.