What Labour stands for

What Labour stands for

As the upcoming election looms, a significant number of voters remain uncertain about who to vote. Labour has been somewhat vague about what their concrete plans are. This article will delve into Labour’s top five policies which have been set out by the party, and explore what their objectives are for the next five years, should the win the general election in July.

Whilst campaigning for the Labour leadership, Keir Starmer promised to cut tuition fees, however has since gone back on that policy. Shadow chancellor Rachael Reeves said in an interview that cutting tuition fees was no longer a plausible plan as “it would cost billions of pounds.” The electorate didn’t seem pleased at Labour going back on previous promises. Since the announcement of the election, we appear to have more concrete plans from Labour, yet some are still unsure of what these are. Below are Labour’s five main policies going into the 2024 General Election:

“Get Britain building again.” This policy is aimed at increasing construction across the country, with an ambitious plan to build 1.5 million new houses, as well as building factories, windfarms and improve the overall infrastructure of the country.

“Great British Energy.” The second of Labour’s five main policies is in regards to energy. Labour wants to introduce a new publicly owned clean energy company to reduce dependence on energy from other countries like Russia. On top of this the company could cut the energy bills of households by up to £1400. Finally, Keir Starmer wants to de-carbonise electricity by 2030, which is a stark contrast to the Conservatives goal of 2050.

“Get the NHS back on its feet.” Labour wants to fix the NHS, which has been struggling massively, with extra pressure being put on it during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Labour wants to cut waiting times, which are extraordinarily high right across the country. They aim to do this by paying doctors and nurses overtime to work evenings and weekends.

“Take back our streets.” The fourth Labour party policy is to tackle drug dealers and street gangs. They are aiming to put 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers on the streets by the next election. “Break down barriers to opportunity.” The fifth and final policy is all about making opportunities as equal as possible. Labour wants to introduce free breakfast clubs for all primary schools. They promise to hire 6,500 more teachers, with many being math or science specialists. On top of this they want to expand the number of apprenticeships so more young people get the opportunity to take part in an apprenticeship.

These policies sound great on paper, but the question many people have is how it will be funded. Starmer went back on an earlier promise to increase tax for the top 5% of earners, claiming we have the highest tax burden since WW2. Instead, these policies will be funded

by clamping down on tax dodgers, cutting government consultancy spending in half, bringing in proper spending controls, and setting up a new Office for Value for Money to ensure our tax money is spent as wisely as possible. Whether this will be enough to fund the policies or not remains to be seen.

Despite these policies which set Labour apart from the Conservatives, Starmer is still seen by many as being too similar to Rishi Sunak. He has said he will support Sunak’s decision to cut national insurance and fuel duty, and will also support His investment decisions in the NHS. Furthermore, if stances on international issues plays a part in how you decide to vote, both Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have similar views. They both are steadfast supporters of NATO. On the Israel-Palestine conflict, both condemn Hamas, and support a 2-state solution. Neither are calling or have called for a full ceasefire.

As the election approaches, Labour’s policies offer a vision of change from bolstering infrastructure to saving the NHS and enhancing the educational opportunities of our children and young people. The feasibility of funding these ambitious plans remains an important question. With similarities to the Conservatives in certain areas, voters will need to weigh up the promises of both parties against the practical implementation. Ultimately this election will come down to which party shares the electorates views for the future.

Written by Daniel Ryrie