The Labour Party Manifesto 2007 “Strength Through Stability” The Labour Party has a undisputed record of a stable economy with positive growth and low inflation – and we plan to expand on that.
“Fairness Through Equality” Social policies must put everyone on equal ground, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or disability. Our record stands firm and second to none.
“Peace and Prosperity” The Labour Party recognizes that the most prosperous times are also the most peaceful – that’s why our mission across the globe will continue to be the pursuit of peace in all corners.
“Strong Leadership for Trying Times” The international stage changes daily – and it’s important to have leaders who not only understand mainstream Britain, but can make the tough decisions to keep Britain safe.
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One People One Country One Labour
Promoting Policies…
…that Promote You!
The Labour Party Manifesto 2007
Table of Contents Introduction by James Maxwell Four Steps to a Better Britain Your Money Your Job Your World Your Security Your Values Your Environment Your Community Your Life Your Government Your Say! Index
Dear Voter , It is not to be forgotten that as politicians battle it out for your vote, there are British troops serving in Afghanistan fighting a very real battle. On behalf of the Labour Party, I would like to thank our armed forces for the great work they have done and will continue to do in shaping a more democratic and secure Afghanistan and in turn a more secure Britain. I pay my respects to the UK servicemen and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice in all wars, but in Afghanistan in particular. Their sacrifice was not in vain as progress continues to be made in Helmand province and elsewhere in combating insurgency. Upon becoming Prime Minister I pledged to call a general election within twelve months to receive a mandate for myself as Prime Minister and for the One Labour Party I have striven to build as a government. Here we are, and this election represents a choice. A choice between a Labour Party with a renewed agenda for change against the indecision of the Liberal Democrats, the divisiveness of the Conservatives and the opportunism of the Independent Labour Party. As ever the decision will be made on policy, and which party you trust with your child's education, your health service, your tax money and your support. I am unashamed to be making Labour's case for the first time. Since 1997 we have made some very positive changes to policy in the UK, keeping taxes low, investing in public services and ensuring that hard graft by hand or brain is rewarded. However, one thing a party that ever hopes to achieve a fourth term in government must acknowledge that we made mistakes. Mistakes with the 90 day detention, ID cards and with tuition fees at ÂŁ3,000 per year. We went to war when we shouldn't have, and for that we make an unreserved apology. So where New Labour brought progress One Labour will build and where New Labour made mistakes we seek to rectify those by taking a fresh approach, often radical yet pragmatic. That's all very well said, but what you'll be seeking to know is what a One Labour government will mean for your job, your community, your children's future. I hope that this manifesto will be provide the answers you are looking for - policies guided by progressive principles and modern values. Each individual Secretary and Minister of State have undertaken to outline the direction in which they intend to take and how that will affect the lives of you, the electorate. One Labour stand committed to a more stable economy. There is no doubt that with house prices continuing to rise steadily government needs to remain resolute in preventing the market from over-heating. For that you need a tried hand but with a wealth of fresh ideas - you have that in Labour. One Labour believes in liberty and security, in equal partnership. With the
spectre of political extremism and international terrorism it is difficult to protect liberties and find new innovative ways of tracking down criminals who abuse liberties to commit their crimes. For that you need a party that knows the value of upholding liberty but is also experienced in tackling crime and terrorism with results - look at the figures and watch the dogmatic fight of many present Cabinet members against ID cards and 90 day detention and you will see that you have that in Labour. Another thing that One Labour stands firmly in defence of is the need for equality of opportunity. In the global era we now live in, we will all face competition at every stage of life like never before, so it is important that for their empowerment, that working people have the skills they need to succeed. Thus access to good quality education and to vital skills for life for all is imperative to Britain's economy. In order to promote social mobility at every turn you need a party that knows poverty, knows the causes and most importantly knows the solutions. Cast your mind back to crumbling school buildings and forward now to the new educational infrastructure put in place by Labour and you'll know that to have that in Labour. But these are just some of the challenges now facing the UK. Labour shall secures the UK's place at the top table in international negotiations by working constructively with prominent organisations to deliver global reform. Additionally, Labour will commit to establishing regional living wages to tailor make the economy around people and their needs, and to make want a thing of the past. Ambitious targets on environmental and energy reform will be set, infrastructure renewed and a new politics created. Labour stand for a commission into further devolution, a more democratic House of Lords and a political system centred on listening again. In this document, ever present are priorities that reflect the modern society that Labour has had a hand in crafting. In this document is a blueprint for pragmatic change of the type we need to construct a truly progressive country. In this document, I am confident you will find hope for the future.
Best Wishes,
It’s about the economy, equal rights, and our communities.
but mostly… It’s about you
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…that Promote You!
Our First Priorities:
4 steps to a better Britain
Building a Dynamic Economy with a Sustainable Green Sector!
Investigating New Means of Tackling Crime and Terrorism!
Ensure that Britain becomes even more socially mobile, through positive action on life chances in the early years and increasing access to further education!
Push educational attainment in schools and quality of care on the NHS even higher!
Your Money: An Introduction by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Christian Marcum “We have a real opportunity as a Party to make a stark contrast between ourselves and the Conservatives. We’ve seen their policies in the past – policies of unabashed favoritism towards the wealthy and unashamed attacks on the middle and working classes. Over the past decade, Labour has struck a balance between punishing success and rewarding stark greed at the expense of society. It is time to continue to speak for Britain – not one class or the other. As the Conservatives gear up for a flat tax plan with their Shadow Chancellor, I can stand here and firmly say we have not, are not, and never will be for anything other than fair and progressive taxation! It’s not time to look into the past, as the regressive Tories would have you, but to look into the future and how we can improve towards our ultimate goal: strength and stability in the economy.”
-Christian Our Policies: - A solid commitment not a raise the lower or higher rates of Income Tax. - An ironclad commitment to a new tuition fees scheme (to be elaborated on under Your Life) in which students who complete University are waved their tuition fees and are debt free upon completition! - The introduction of a tax placed upon excessively high bonuses and “golden parachutes,” by which terminated executives are paid excessively high severance fees. - A responsible monetary policy to curb the possibility of inflation and a ballooning housing market without hurting the ability to buy. - The introduction of a regionally varied living wage, to ensure prosperity for all according to their need.
Our Policies Continued: - The freedom of choice in pensioning, in which no person can be forced to retire. - The introduction of an investment bank to make strategic investments in critical industries based on the highly successful Canadian model. - The introduction of a community improvement fund to allow local governments the access to funds they need to purchase community improvement projects. - An act to provide workers at least one seat on the executive board of corporations to ensure they have a seat at the table and a day-to-day voice other than collective bargaining. - Lowering the male pension age to 63, while increasing the female age to 63, in order to allow more enjoyment and time as pensioners. - Reducing rent on Government owned housing. - And, vitally, continuing to maintain reasonable levels of debt and recognizing that the key to a healthy economy is a reasonable deficit to GDP ratio. Reducing the deficit blindly is not the answer, but rather maintaining our ability to repay our debt. We are committed to running a reasonable deficit, while investing in our economy and public services to ensure their continued growth and development.
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Your Job: An Introduction by Business and Industry Secretary, Alexi Giannoulias
One of the foremost concerns of Labour always has been the employment of the citizens of Great Britain and their ability to negotiate with their employers fairly, honestly, and with success. On the same token, we have been successful at empowering both the workers and their employers to make the decisions necessary to foster a healthy economy. Our minimum wage has been a great success and our inflationary policies have been second to none. We turned around Major’s bedeviled economy and showed the world that Britain is more than what the Conservatives want – it is a powerhouse that can provide mobility and success to all classes, and can be the great equalizer. We have a chance to continue with the success and tweak it even further – after a decade of booming, we have even more work than ever, ensuring that all walks of life benefit from our economy and that we redouble our efforts to eradicate poverty and establish full employment. Our commitment to you remains as strong as ever, and I hope your commitment to us is just as equal. We are One People, One Nation, and One Labour!
How Labour is Strong on Business and Strong on Jobs: - The commitment to a minimum wage, introduced in our first term in Government.
- The commitment to a new “Green� sector, to create thousands of high paying jobs for British citizens across the country.
- The development of our energy at home, to ensure that jobs stay here, along with an improved self-sustainability.
- A voice for the workers on the executive board, with someone to approach that makes day-to-day decisions as opposed to going solely through union negotiations.
- The ability to have a regional living wage, that ensures fairness and social mobility across all regions and taking living expenses into account.
Your World: An Introduction by Foreign Secretary, Zubair Smith. “Labour has always been the party for foreign affairs. Labour has always been the party wanting to reform the way this world functions to create more equality and fairness. And this election and a possible new term in Government will be no different. We have seen many things the last three terms: fight for democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan; war on terror; call for UN reform; arm quotas and much more. It has been a successful road Labour has walked down the last three terms, and Labour will continue to stroll on this path, ensuring fairness and equality in the world, democracy, reform and unity. We all live in a world society, so let us get the best out of it, and let us fight inequality together; let us fight for democracy together; let us fight for reforms together; let us fight for fairness, peace and prosperity . Let us vote for peace; let us vote for democracy; let us vote for unity; let us vote for solidarity; let us vote for prosperity; let us vote for respect; let us vote for responsibility; let us vote for maturity. Let us vote for Labour to govern foreign affairs.�
Our Priorities: -
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Iraq and Afghanistan Terrorism The Middle East and Africa Poverty and Aids UN Reform Europe
Iraq and Afghanistan Both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been occupying people’s minds since they were commenced. Many people have blamed Labour of commencing illegal wars, fighting against democracy, destroying the Middle East. We respect that people think like this, but we strongly disagree. Labour is fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to create a democratic system; we are fighting to battle down the terror which they meet every day. Every minute, hour and day, British soldiers victimize themselves in order to help civilians. They do so because they - like Labour - believe in what we are fighting for, they believe in helping nations in need of it. However, Labour is not fond of wars, which is why we will issue a review of Iraq and Afghanistan to find out when the missions can be finished and a pull-back can be called.
Terrorism Terrorism is a serious problem in and out of Britain. And Labour is committed to battle it, getting peace and prosperity to the world stage. Therefore we are going to participate in joint attempts to battle terror, and we are going to be exclusive of it anytime. We are going to continue operations like Iraq and Afghanistan when it is most needed, because we need to battle terrorism, and that will not be done by sitting back and ignoring it, hoping that it will get solved itself. We will strongly condemn any terror act, and we are going to offer our help to any state suffering under serious terrorism.
The Middle East and Africa Labour is going to continue the Kashmir peace process between our Commonwealth partners of India and Pakistan. In times like these, it is most important to ensure that peace is secured in the Middle East and between our partners. We are also going to improve our Middle Eastern and African relations. What we see here today might very well be tomorrow’s world leaders, and therefore it is compulsory of Britain to have sound relations with these nations. We need to speak and trade with everyone who abides by international law, not just across the Atlantic, but in the Middle East and Africa too. And by having good relations, we can ensure that democracy is brought to these nations in a more peaceful manner, and that our economy grows together with Middle Eastern and African ones. Britain needs to not only look towards the Atlantic, but towards Africa and the Middle East. Britain needs to be innovative, and that is what Labour will bring.
Poverty and AIDS Under Labour, there will be offered help to nations experiencing poverty and AIDS. We need to help people in developing nations exploit their individual abilities to the fullest, and this can only be done by eliminating world-wide poverty. Therefore, Britain will continue to increase the aid sent to developing nations. The problem of AIDS however is different: it is a disease of which we know very little, and we are as of yet not able to battle it properly, only prevent it. Therefore, Labour is going to help states experiencing high amounts of AIDS with fighting it and gaining medicine to prevent, but also to research into AIDS and find new and innovative ways of battling it, ensuring that we will one day be able to cure it.
UN Reform The UN Security Council is in a perilous state. Today, many nations are almost without influence, and that is strictly against everything Labour has ever believed in. Therefore, we are going to push for a reform to the UN Security Council, ensuring that it will be democratised and more nations will have influence. Labour has always been the party for democracy, and that includes international and domestic affairs alike.
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Europe: Foreward by the Minister of State for Europe, Josh Lyman As Minister for Europe, I intend to support the European Union and other European Institutions for as long as their policies are conducive to and supportive of our own. The Free Trade provisions remain invaluable to the domestic economy, and I will defend them for as long as they continue to be so. I will continue to work with the Union on security measures designed to keep our population safe from terrorist and criminal threats. I will also seek measures designed to increase the democratic legitimacy of the union, and end the Franco-Germanic domination of its institutions.
Where We Stand: Continued support of the European Union, including measures ensuring free trade throughout the Union Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy Reform of Common Foreign and Security Policy Increased democratic legitimacy through greater involvement of the European Parliament. Reform of voting procedures granting large Member states disproportionate influence.
Whether Britain should be part of Europe has always been an interesting question, and we have even seen parties split because of that question. But a matter of fact is that Britain is part of Europe, and that we should be part of the EU. This has always been the policy of Labour, and it will also be the policy of a Labour Government. What we see in the EU is environmental legislation, civil rights legislation, economic legislation – they all have great potential to affect good upon Great Britain. On these first three points, the EU has strong support from Labour. However, on the potential encroachment upon state sovereignty, the EU has no support from this Party. Any future treaty that has even the potential to cede an individual Government power of Britain to an international authority must be achieved by a nation-wide referendum. That is why we need Labour: we are going to maintain a strong but constructive voice in the EU, we are going to push for laws improving the lives of all our citizens, we are going to support a better environment, and we are going to work in the world’s strongest economic community. But we are not going to give away our sovereignty, something which we must protect firmly, without becoming a destructive and useless voice, like the Conservatives or UKIP.
Your Security: Foreward by Home Secretary, Simon Riley
Our Proven Trifecta: Immigration Crime
AntiDiscrimination
The protection of the British public is the number one priority of any government. For this Labour government, it's no different. From when we came to office in 1997, there is now 13,000 more policemen on the beat - furthermore, we want to increase this number still, and make sure that our policemen are on the frontline protecting you. Since the Conservatives were last in power, overall crime has dropped by 30%. Is that enough? No, we are not naive enough to think that. The job is a long way from being complete, but with Labour you can trust us to continue to fight crime head on. The Labour Party is also listening to what you have to say. We want to revamp the test taken by immigrants looking for work in this country, to give it more relevance to everyday life in Britain, and an emphasis on knowing the English language. We are continuing to fight illegal immigration, and that is why we promise to fund the UK Border Agency more, not cut it. When I took the job of Home Secretary I did it because I knew we can make a difference. If you vote Labour, you are voting for tackling crime head on.
Thankyou, Simon Riley
Immigration: - Revamp the test taken by people looking to seek entry into the United Kingdom for work, with a focus on making it more relevant. We will also look to include an English Language test on people wishing to enter the United Kingdom. - Look into a 'points system' for immigration, where people seeking work would have to gain a certain amount of points based on their potential ability to find suitable work, for people to remain in the UK and seek employment. - To fund more, not cut the funding towards the UK Border Agency.
Crime: - To create 10,000 more prison spaces by the end of the first term of government. - Increase the number of frontline police officers, to make sure that the police are more heavily presented on the streets than in offices. We will also look into creating bi-annual fitness checks for police officers on the frontline. - Regular checks to ensure that police departments are working effectively and to make it clear that if things are not up to scratch Chief Constables could be more often replaced. - To amend laws to make sure people acting in reasonable self-defense to robberies or assaults will not be prosecuted. -To increase sentences for those convicted of knife crime, and
possession of knives. - We will look at scrapping the ID Card proposal, and replacing it with a more cost-effective and less intrusive system.
Anti-Discrimination: - Introduce an Anti-Discrimination programme into Citizenship lessons for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 students, whilst also introducing a similar programme for primary school students. The programme would cover racism, sexism, discrimination of sexual orientation and disability discrimination. Its main aim would be to show children the effects of discrimination, and why it is wrong.
A Little of What We’ve Accomplished: Overall crime has dropped by 30% 13000 more policeman on the beat Increase Funding to the UK Border Agency
Defense: Foreward by Defense Secretary, Regan Catherwood The men and women who serve in uniform are Britain’s greatest treasures, and the service they do is nothing short of commendable. Unfortunately, the system in which they serve is hampered by inefficiencies and red tape. Labour’s goal for defence is to give the military a strong and lean budget that meets the military’s needs while trimming waste in the administration. At the same time, we seek a strengthened presence for the United Kingdom on the international stage, with our cornerstone in achieving success in Afghanistan.
Our Mission for Success: *Ensure that all decisions made by the Ministry of Defense are responsive to the needs of soldiers *Institute a forum for deployed soldiers where they may offer their feedback to Westminster policy in Defense *Continue to properly fund military personnel, equipment, and operations *Constant improvement of military equipment, and updated often according to changing technologies *Under this Labour Government, homelessness among veterans has sharply declined; Labour is dedicated to maintaining this proud achievement *We will continue to be proactive at increasing nuclear disarmament across the world and preventing others from developing these weapons.
Your Values: Foreward by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, Jack Dutronic FREEDOM: Part one of fostering cultural growth is freedom. Under a Labour government total freedom of speech and artistic expression will be enforced, thus creating an atmosphere accepting and friendly towards artists and the arts. AFFLUENCE: Where there is not economic security, many times there is not art. Those living paycheck to paycheck, those who are forced to live their lives in survival mode, just trying to make it, they are extremely unlikely to produce Britain's next great concerto. Therefore, as a byproduct of the economic security and affluence the Labour Party will bring this country, so too will art emerge. EDUCATION: You cannot have the arts without an understanding of the arts. The Labour Party continues to urge greater artistic education the United Kingdom's schooling system. Through education we can help create a new generation of artists greater than ever before.
I've come to the conclusion you simply cannot be bored in Britain. For the last 50 years we have stood as the epicenter of English-language culture and London remains arguably the world's pop culture capital. The number of bands, writers, and artists of every sort have come out
of this little island of ours never fails to inspire the deepest sense of awe within me. I saw the Kinks, the Beatles, the Stones, I grew up with the bands that built rock n' roll. But I've also seen the Smiths, Oasis, the Libertines, and the Arctic Monkeys, music is alive and well in the United Kingdom. The other arts thrive as well here. We're the land of Dickens. The land of countless authors and artists. But culture doesn't stop at the individual. Our sports, our cities, our communities, they too hold a distinct title in the world. Particularly, on the issue of sport, we are just 5 short years from the glare of the cameras, the bright lights, the Olympics, and this Labour government will prepare you for that, believe me. Then there's the world cup. This Labour government will pursue, to the utmost extent, England's newly announced bid to host the 2018 World Cup and I am truly confident we can be successful in that bid. Finally this brings us to Media. This Labour government will continue to cooperate and back one of the world's fairest and freest media systems through continued funding and a refusal to make any attempt to manipulate, control, or otherwise interfere with the media. If you're voting based on culture there is simply only one way to vote. The Labour Party has always and will always be the party of freedom, of progress, of artistic expression, whereas the Conservatives shall always turn up their noses towards this nations thriving modern culture. Vote Labour.
Your Environment: Foreward by Environmental Secretary, Regan Catherwood
Our Commitment: *Cut fossil fuel consumption by 40% by 2020 and create 400,000 new green jobs by 2015 *Institute and strengthen incentives for greener living measures, including “pay as you save” insulation, water conservation, and solar heating for houses, among other programs *Direct more budget monies away from petroleum and other fossil fuels and towards greener energy alternatives *Encourage the development of renewable energy in solar, wind, and geothermal sources, among other sources *Implement the steps for a “zero waste” Britain–––eliminating recyclable and biodegradable materials from landfills by 2020 *Maintain the Green Belt *Efficiently manage Britain’s wildlife and woodland areas
The world is in transition on energy; in the right hands, Britain can be the global leader in embracing green energy and enhancing our energy market for generations to come. Our citizens and leaders concur that more must be done to curb national dependence on fossil fuel. Labour has a plan in place to turn that talk into action. In doing so, we’ll recognize an even greater dream of environmental security.
Labour… A future fair For all!
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Your Community: Foreward by Regions Secretary, Jack Dutronic
Subsidiarity is a simple concept, control at the most local level that is practical. It is a concept which I believe most people agree with. Yet it is a concept long ignored and hard fought for. It is a concept, an ideology which guides the Labour Party's dealings with local government, and, in particular, with regions, specifically in this new government moving forward. The last decade has been one of tremendous gains for the regions of the UK outside of England proper. Paramount among these is the Good Friday Agreement. The Troubles are coming to a close; North Ireland has seen peace at last. And despite early critiques and the claims of pessimistic pundits, it appears by all measures that this peace will, indeed, be a lasting one. With power sharing and ceasefire, the future of the Northern Ireland is bright.
Devolution was the key word of the Blair years. One needn't look very far to see the effects. Three regions now have a devolved assembly, assemblies with the power to govern on a smaller level, more akin to the wishes of the people. All three of the non-English regions were given a choice and they chose subsidiarity, they chose devolution, and as the party of the people, Labour stands with them. However, now it's time to expand that vote, to expand that choice. As Secretary of State for Regions, I can promise you that the Labour Party will bring a bill before parliament empowering the English people to make that same choice, to vote for an English assembly. Friends, this is an exciting time for Britain, we're empowering the people, allowing them not just to choose who governs them, but the boundaries under which their governed and the region they belong too. Labour will continue that trend. Labour will continue to empower the people. Labour will continue democratic devolution.
The Way Forward 1) Further devolution to the Welsh, Scottish, and North Irish assemblies in referendums. 2) A referendum for England on their own devolved parliament. 3) A community fund for local improvements.
Your Life: Education:
Our Pledge to Students: By introducing a new tuition fees scheme that promotes students to finish what they start, we will be able to annul the debt of all University students who finish their degrees on time and with reasonable grades. The scheme involves a system of annulling a certain amount of debt per year completed until the student graduates debt free.
Tony Blair once said that the three main priorities for Laour were "education, education, education." The importance of education to Labour cannot be overstated. It is the building block to a brighter future for everyone in Britain, and not just for children. Education is truly a lifelong process, and this will be reflected in our policy. Education is the gateway to success not only for individuals, but for us as a society. When I was a teacher, I enjoyed opening children's minds to new knowledge and ideas that equipped them for future. Not just in terms of jobs, but developing them as decent citizens co-operating in a society based on respect. It is one of the most important areas of government in that respect, and I strongly believe that our policies will pave the way to an education system that Britain can be proud of.
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What We Will Do Aim to keep classroom sizes at 25 pupils and below, so that teachers can give each child the attention and support that they need. Introduce Politics as a GCSE so that students have the opportunity to learn more about how vital decisions are made in our country and the world around them. Introduce Philosophy classes from the beginning of secondary school, allowing children to debate and consider their own opinions on important issues - increasing in substance as they get older and closer to own age when they could make an impact on our society Reform SATs tests so that teachers can teach a wider and more educationally beneficial range of topics without having to constantly "teach to the test"
Provide more one-on-one attention for students who are struggling Create Student Advisory Councils to ensure that senior leadership in schools are aware of what the school experience is look from the student end, so that any necessary or beneficial changes can be made as a result More protection for teachers from false allegations by students teachers do not deserve to have their lives and careers ruined when they are only guilty of doing their job Guarantee training for students who want it if they leave school at 16 Ensure that teachers have an acceptable work-life balance to relieve stress, which will improve their performance in the classroom and ensure that students get a higher standard of education
Health: Foreward by Health Secretary, David Harris Labour is committed to providing the best medical system in the world. This means giving everyone, wealthy or poor, the right to free health care. We stand up for those who need free healthcare and we stand to provide the best of the best.
Our Recipe for Success: - More
beds in our Emergency Departments to ensure speedy processing of those who present themselves to emergency departments. - Implement a My Hospital website, which gives the patient the ability to see which hospital has the highest efficiency rating and even how many people are sitting in the emergency department waiting room. - Ensure that everyone has the right to visit a GP within 48 hours of making an appointment. - Increase funding for mental health. - Focus the health system back on the patient, instead of profit. - Implement extra early intervention programs for children with disabilities. - We will give grants to local health boards to give hospitals the right to apply for extra equipment. - We will reduce unnecessary spending the health system to reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency. - We will place the patient at the centre of our decision making.
Labour believes that patients should see how long they will be waiting in emergency departments, how many people are already in the Emergency department and the hospital’s statistics. Patients deserve transparency and that is what they will get under Labour. We will increase the amount of GP services available to patients. We will implement GP clinics where you only have to show up, no appointments. These will be run by local health boards. Labour believes that mental health is very important to reduce the rate of suicide in the community. That is why Labour will increase funding to mental health. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe that the health system should revolve around the patient instead of profit. This will ensure greater quality of service for the patient.
Our Recipe for Success, Continued. -We will continue to end mixed sex wards. - We will continue to fund all NHS projects and protect funding for school cooperatives. - We will continue to increase funding for the NHS and increase the doctoral staff in real terms. - We will protect all programs administered by the NHS, including eye care programs. -We will work to improve hospice and long-term care.
Labour believes that it is very important for children to get the best start in life; that is why Labour will invest money to assist in getting early diagnosis and help for children born with disabilities. We will also provide incentives to those who need them to provide these early intervention programs. We will give grants to local hospital boards where individual hospitals can get much needed equipment. This is Labour’s guarantee if elected to govern.
Transportation: Integral to any nation’s success is its infrastructure. Labour has a proven record of lowering congestion on highways, and undertaking large projects necessary to the growth and health of our economy. Consider the recent improvements in airport and transportation security – Labour is strong on terror threats in our public services, but also efficient enough to stop it from affecting your everyday lives. However, as a nation expands and, under strong leadership, its economy expands, so does the need for even more investment and development in infrastructure. That is why Labour makes an ironclad commitment to protecting your subsidies, your highways, your railways, and your air security. We also recognize the importance of high speed rail in increasing nationwide transportation and increasing efficiency. That’s why a network of high speed rail lines will be build across the nation!
Moving Forward: We will continue to invest in local road improvement and highway development. We will invest in a network of high speed rail lines o to connect our great nation. Labour will continue to reduce congestion! Our future Government will continue to protect all transportation subsidies. We will continue to revamp our airport security systems and redouble our efforts to protect against possible terrorist threats.
Tough on crime Strong on the economy We’re the real deal
Your Government: An expose’ on the Labour Party’s chance to reform Government. One thing we can all agree on is this: no system of government is ever perfect. We must all adapt and strive to make democracies better, more equal, and a better servant to the people. In striving to do that, the Labour Party has set up several commissions, looking into how to better our great democracy, and it is now time to push forward with these ideas. Just as we reformed the House of Lords during our first term in Government, we again wish to strive towards a greater future for our nation through having a better system of voting and a more democratic Parliamentary institution, through which MP’s must truly be held accountable to a moral code and their constituents’ voices. We also recognize that times are changing and the age of maturity and accountability is ever decreasing. As a progressive party, looking towards the future, we say it is time to continue to reform Government – and give everyone a greater say in their future!
Constitutional Reform: - The Labour Party promises a referendum on whether to keep First Past The Post, or change the voting system to the Alternative Vote. - We plan to pass legislation that will continue to erode hundreds of years of unmerited seats in the House of Lords - Allow voters to 'recall' MP's if they are break a newly written 'ministerial code', and force a by-election in their constituency. - To lower the voting age to 16 and engage young people in their society through early education.
Your Say! It’s time to make your voice heard! Our ministers have expressed their heartfelt desire for you to support them into the next Parliamentary term. Labour has accomplished a lot, but we still have much more work to do. For the last three elections, Labour has been able to count on your support, and you have been able to count on Labour. For the past decade, Labour has striven to provide our hearts, souls, and brains to the betterment of Great Britain. We have achieved peace where our opposition achieved dissent. We have achieved strength where our opposition found weakness. We have achieved success where our opposition found despair. We have found funding where our opposition found nothing. And, most importantly, we have found purpose and inspiration, where our opposition has only found bitterness and jealousy for our successes. No, we are not perfect – but we strive to be. And that is what we commit to you each time we seek reelection:
A More Perfect Future