General Election 2005 - Manifesto Roundup

This table gives a brief summary of the three main parties’ manifesto pledges[i] on the fourteen key policy areas explored in the ecumenical pre-election briefing document Faith and Politics: preparing the churches for the General Election[ii]. Where the party gives no pledge on this area the table is left blank. Further policy documents and information can be found on the party websites or by contacting the parties by phone on the numbers given below.

Criminal Justice – page 1…. The Economy – page 2…. Education – page 3 …. The Environment – page 4 ….. Europe – page 5 ….. Family Issues – page 5 …. Health – page 6 ….Housing – page 7 …..International Development – page 7 …. International Security – page 7 ….Migration and Asylum – page 8 …..Poverty – page 9 …..Racial Justice – page 9 …. Transport – page 9

CONSERVATIVES / LABOUR / LIBERAL DEMOCRAT
CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Crime and Policing

5,000 new police officers recruited each year
Introduce elected police commissioners for ‘genuine accountability’

Prisons and Community Punishments

Early release scheme to be abolished, and 20,000 extra prison places to be created.
Sentencing to include minimum term to be served

Human Rights

Human Rights Act to be reviewed

Tackling the Causes of Crime

Expand drug treatment facilities from 2,500 to 25,000 residential rehab places.
Reclassify cannabis from class C to Class B

Crime and Policing

ID cards and biometric ‘ePassports’ to be introduced, initially voluntary.
£340 million to increase Community Safety Officer numbers to 24,000. Additional 12,000 police officers freed up for frontline duties.
National phone number staffed by police, councils and other local services to deal with anti-social behaviour and other non-emergency problems.
Introduction of compulsory drug testing on arrest for all property and drugs offenders. Compulsory treatment for those testing positive.

Punishment

Increase use of ‘intensive community programmes’ for young offenders, including tagging and tracking persistent young offenders. Will increase, by at least half, programmes targeted at young people most at risk of offending and expand drug services for young people.
Violent Crime Reduction Bill to be introduced to restrict sales of replica guns and air rifles. Head teachers to have legal right to search pupils for knives or guns. Tougher sentences for carrying replica guns and serious knife crimes.
Extend use of restorative justice schemes and Community Justice Centres
Expand specialist courts dealing with domestic violence. Build nationwide network of witness and victim support units.

Crime and Policing

ID cards to be scrapped and money saved used to increase police numbers by 10,000.
Concentrate resources on drug traffickers and drug users who commit crime to feed their habits
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts to tackle unacceptable noise and offensive behaviour.
Crack down on licensees serving people clearly drunk or underage.
Big late night venues to be made to

contribute to the cost of late-night
policing

Prisons and Community Punishments

Non-violent criminals ‘such as fine defaulters, shop lifters and petty vandals’ to do ‘tough community work rather than jail’.
Community Justice Panels to be established to give local people a say in the punishment offenders carry out in their community.
Increased resources for education and training in prisons to give job skills. Effort made on this will be a factor in considering release date.

ECONOMY

Public Spending

Labour’s public spending commitments on NHS, schools, transport, and international development to be honoured. Spending on police, defence and pensions to increase.
£12 billion of public money to be saved through cuts - civil service recruitment to be frozen, 235,000 bureaucratic posts cut, and 168 public bodies to be scaled down or abolished.
Limit the amount of regulation that can be introduced by central government
£8 billion of the savings to be spent to reduce borrowing.
2011-12 government spending to increase by 4% as opposed to Labour’s planned 5%

Taxes

Taxes will be lowered using remaining £4billion savings.

Pensions

Lifetime Savings Account to be created for ‘pensioners of tomorrow’ with government contributions topping up money people save themselves
Unclaimed assets of banks and finance institutions to replenish failed pension schemes
Will also allow firms to promote pension schemes to their staff

/ Public Spending

Continue year on year increases in grants to local councils.

For other commitments see individual subject areas.
e.g. for Pensions see Poverty

Tax and Benefits

Committed to reforming council tax in the long term
Will introduce measures to make it easier for pensioners and those on low incomes to claim Council Tax Benefit
Will use capping powers to protect council taxpayers from excessive increases.
Will build on Pathways to Work programme and reform Incapacity Benefit, ‘the majority of claimants with more manageable conditions will be required to engage’ in ‘work focused interviews’ participate in activities to help a return to work.
Unclaimed bank accounts to be reunited with owners, where not possible money to be channelled back into the community.

Business

Business Links network to offer intensive support and coaching to start-ups, social enterprises and small businesses.

Tax and Benefits

Council tax to be scrapped and replaced with Local Income Tax
50% rate of income tax to be introduced for people with incomes over £100,000.

Introduce small business rate relief for small businesses with an income of less than £25,000 a year.
Simplify benefits and tax credit system and extend fraud prevention and detection activities to all benefits.

Pensions

Propose a citizens pension based on residency instead of national insurance contributions, giving women who have cared ‘for children and elderly parents a pension in their own right.’

Reorganisation

Abolish the DTI transferring roles to Department for Education, Skills and Science and the Treasury.

EDUCATION

Schools

An extra £15 billion a year for schools by 2009-10.
Give head teachers and governors control over admissions and expulsions. Special ‘Turnaround Schools’ to be established for problem pupils.
Schools to set their own priorities and budgets. School funds to be allocated according to pupil numbers. School expansion fund to proved an additional 600,000 places. 100,000 more parents will get their first choice of school.
Independent school places available free of charge if the cost is no more than that of state-funded school.
Moratorium on the closure of special schools.

Universities

Fees to be abolished together with admissions regulator.
Universities to be encouraged to seek individual endowments to enable ‘greater financial independence’

Vocational Education

Learning and Skills Councils to be abolished. Colleges to be able to apply for ‘Super College status’ with greater budgetary freedom.
Encourage vocational education for those leaving school at 16, making it possible to combine GCSE and vocational study, and 300,000 vocational grants of £1000 for 14-16 year olds.

Schools

Education spending will continue to rise as share of national income. Funding will be on a multi-year time scale. Dedicated national schools budget set by central government with guaranteed per pupil increase for all schools.

Ofsted to have new powers to respond to parent complaints and where necessary close failing schools or replace management.
Intensify literacy and numeracy programme to help an extra 50,000 pupils achieve high standards at age 11.
Funds for all primary school children to have access to high-quality tuition in arts, music, sport and languages. By 2010 all children to receive 2 hours PE a week through sports investment
Upgrade primary schools with 15 year Building Schools for the Future programme.

All secondary schools to become independent specialist schools Good schools to be able to expand and take over less successful ones.
Support establishment of 200 Academies (privately funded colleges within the state system) building on the existing seventeen
Headteachers given powers to maintain discipline and budget control for out of school units. Zero tolerance of lower level disruption.

Universities

Funding reforms to create £1 billion extra funding. Up front fees now abolished and grants created. Maximum annual fee for students not to rise beyond £3000 (plus inflation) during next parliament
Encourage universities to raise more from charity and private funding for bursaries and endowments

Vocational Education and Training

Free access for adults to basic skill in literacy, language and numeracy
Work with employers to give time off for employees who did not reach GCSE standard (level 2) and joint fund work place training at level 3 (technician training)
Sector Skills Council determining training strategy for every sector and ‘a leading edge Skills Academy’. Partnership with trade unions to boost workplace training including TUC Academy

Schools

Cut primary class sizes from the present maximum of 30 to average of 20 (junior classes to 25) by recruiting 21,000 more infant teachers.
School discipline to be improved by: reduction in class sizes, externally monitored ‘positive behaviour plans’ to be put in place with parents and pupils for persistent disruption, Local education authority Behavioural Support Units to ‘tackle exceptional problems in particular schools’.
Core subjects of English, Maths, Science, Modern Languages and ICT guaranteed to be taught by suitably qualified teachers.
External testing to be reduced. Tests at 7 and 11 replaced with system of sampling against national standards.
Children with special educational needs usually to be supported in local schools or specialist schools for those who need them.
GCSEs, A-levels and vocational programmes to be combined in a new diploma system.

Universities

Scrap tuition and top-up fees
Maintenance grants for poorer students

Vocational Training

Over 14s to have option of combining vocational and academic learning.
Investment in modern high-quality college facilities to ‘close the funding gap between schools and colleges by providing equal funding for equivalent courses wherever they are taught’.

THE ENVIRONMENT

Emissions

Will phase out hydrofluorocarbons (which contribute to global warning)

Environmental Quality

Will promote development on brown field sites and establish more Green Belts.
Will cut Vehicles Excise Duty and increase grants to encourage low carbon emissions.

Waste

Believe that more households and businesses should recycle more of their waste.

Energy

Will support development of renewable energy resources

Emissions

Support technological innovation, such as hydrogen fuel-cell buses, to reduce carbon emissions
Continue to support emissions trading in Europe and beyond
Climate change placed ‘at the heart of our energy policy’. Committed to Kyoto goal of 20% reduction on 1990 levels in CO2 emissions by 2010. A 60% reduction by 2050 is ‘necessary and achievable’

Energy

Continue to promote and develop renewable energy sources.
Will extend kerbside collection of at least two types of recyclable materials to all households by 2010

Environmental Quality

Will use purchasing power of government to support environmental improvement.
Polluters to invest in new local environmental projects rather than just pay fines.
From April 2006 all new homes receiving Government funding must meet new Code for Sustainable Buildings. Local authorities encouraged to apply similar standards to private homes.

Will promote bio-mass, bio-fuels and non food crops

Wildlife

Work to balance water pollution through addressing impacts across water catchment areas.

Emissions

Climate Change Levy to be changed to a Carbon Tax to discourage polluting fuels and energy sources.

Environmental Quality

Will establish Specialist Environmental Tribunal to be established to deal with enforcing environmental rules in the courts. Penalties to be ‘appropriate to the offence’ so that environmental crime is not profitable.

Energy

Will ensure 20% of UK electricity comes from renewable resources by 2020. Tax incentives to make energy efficient homes.
Will not replace existing nuclear power stations when they cease operating.

International Measures

Will push for reform of World Trade Organisation, World Bank and International Monetary system to ensure trade and development policies support environmental sustainability
Support meeting Kyoto commitments early. Have long term goal of ‘contraction and convergence’

Waste

Long term goal of zero municipal waste. 60% of household waste to be recycled within 7 years, offering every household kerbside recycling.
No new incinerators unless they can be shown to be the best environmental option.

Wildllife

No commercial GM crops ‘unless we know they’re safe for the environment’

EUROPE

Will opt out of the European Social Charter and ‘job destroying employment legislation’.
Will not join the Euro.
Oppose the EU constitution and would hold a referendum within 6 months of the General Election.
Negotiate to restore national and local control over British fishing grounds.
Would want to expand the EU bringing in Turkey and other nations.

Will continue to push for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, starting with the sugar regime.
Will campaign for the European Constitution in a referendum
Support EU membership for Turkey, the Balkans and Eastern Europe
Build stronger EU defence capabilities in harmony with NATO
Hold referendum on the Euro, subject to the five economic tests.

Believe Britain should work for the right economic conditions to join the Euro (subject to referendum)
Support new constitution (subject to referendum)
Speed up reform of Common Agricultural Policy improving environmental protection and supporting traditional farming methods.
Seek further reform of Common Fisheries Policy.

FAMILY ISSUES

Childcare

More flexible maternity pay, choice between 9 months at lower rate or higher amount over 6 months
All working families qualifying for working tax credit to receive up to £50 a week for childcare, whether this care is formal or informal.
Support for workplace nurseries and clubs for older children.

Childcare

Child Tax Credit to increase at least in line with earnings up to and including 2007-8
By 2010 3,500 Sure Start Children’s centres to be created. All parents of 3 and 4 year olds to have increased rights to flexible, free, part time nursery provision.
Families with annual incomes of up to £59,000 helped with ‘more generous’ Working Tax Credit including for nannies and au pairs.
Increase paid maternity leave from 6 to 9 months aiming for a year by end of the parliament.
In children’s services ensure one professional with lead responsibility for each vulnerable child.

Carers

Consulting on giving carers of elderly or sick relatives the right to request flexible working arrangements from employers similar to that of parents at present

Childcare

Child Support Agency to be scrapped. Responsibilities to be handed to the Inland Revenue. Special tribunal established for individual circumstances.
Scrap Child Trust Fund
Working families having a first child to have increased maternity pay for 6 months at the rate of the minimum wage.

Legislation

Introduction of Single Equality Act to outlaw discrimination on grounds of race, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or gender identity. This would also give same-sex couples in civil partnerships the same rights as married couples in pension arrangements.

HEALTH

NHS Funding and Reform

Budget to increase by £34 billion a year in line with Labour spending promises in first term.
Hospitals to be paid according to treatments they deliver rather than central government budgeting.
Half of the cost of private operations to be paid for those without health insurance who choose to go private.
Patients and GPs to have ‘the right to choose the hospital or care provider that is right for them.’
Number of Primary Care Trusts to be reduced. Strategic Health Authorities to be abolished. Number of quangos, inspectorates and commissions to be cut.
Centrally set hospital targets to be abolished.
Boost to respite support for carers.
Patients to be offered ‘a low monthly payment system’ for dental charges

Hospital Cleaning

Hospital cleanliness to be tackled by ‘flexibility to invest in infection control teams’. Matrons to have the power to close wards for cleaning.

Immigration Health Checks

Health checks for immigrants ‘to curb the spread of diseases such as TB and to protect access to our NHS’. Full medical tests for those coming to Britain for over 12 months, and people from outside EU settling permanently will have to prove ‘an acceptable standard of health’.

Public Health

Campaign on sexually transmitted infections to inform young people.

NHS Funding and Reform

Expand NHS capacity including use of independent and voluntary sector. Develop Foundation Trust model.
Develop practice-based commissioning to give GPs more power over their budgets. Where GP lists are full encourage ‘entrepreneurial GPs and other providers’ to expand in that area.

Undertake fundamental review of NHS dentistry

Patient Care

By the end of 2008, no patient to wait longer than 18 weeks from referral to operation.
Faster test results for cervical smears and improved cancer waiting times
New walk in centres for commuters, high-street drop ins for physiotherapy, chiropody and check ups.
Double investment in palliative care to give choice of home care for patients with cancer.
Continue to provide free health care for those with long term care needs and develop community matrons.
Continue to invest and improve mental health care services. Provide safeguards for those with long-term mental health problems needing compulsory treatment.

Public Health

Will invest more in renovating and building kitchens. School Food Trust will train dinner ladies. Ofsted to inspect healthy eating.
Will further restrict advertising of foods and drink high in fat, salt and sugar.
Make all workplaces and public places except licensed premises smoke free. Expand NHS smoking cessation services.

NHS Funding and Reform

Recruit 8,000 more doctors, 12,000 more nurses and 18,000 more therapists and scientists by 2008.
Range of long-term conditions qualifying for prescription charge exemption to be extended.
Scrap unnecessary centralised targets.
Health care planning role of Primary Care Trusts to be given to elected local social services authorities.
Free eye and dental checks. Reform NHS Dentist contracts to encourage them to take on more NHS patients.

Patient Care