Conservative Manifesto 2024
Fast on the heels of the Liberal Democrats came the Conservative Manifesto.. here we take a look at the key policies they have set out..
Economy & Jobs
The manifesto sets out that they will take the bold action needed to build a strong economy. To support SME’s they will provide a ten point plan to include the below points:
- To ease the burden of business rates for high street, leisure and hospitality businesses
- Will keep the VAT threshold under review
- Improve access to finance for SMEs
- Retain key tax incentives that encourage small businesses to grow
- Work with the British Business Bank and private sector fund managers to secure a £250 million
- Invest In Women Fund
Education and training
They pledge to secure young people’s future by:
- Introducing a new model of national service to give young people the skills and opportunities they need to succeed.
- Introducing 100,000 high-quality apprenticeships – by curbing rip-off university degrees.
- Will introduce the Advanced British Standard, a new approach to 16-19 education which will build on the best of A Levels and T Levels.
- To mandate two hours of PE every week in primary and secondary schools, supported by extending the PE and Sport Premium to secondary schools
Health and Social Care
They pledge to continue to increase NHS spending above inflation in each year of the next Parliament.
- They state that by the end of the next Parliament, there will be 92,000 more nurses and 28,000 more doctors in the NHS than in 2023
- They are committed to supporting a high-quality and sustainable social care system, building on our additional investment of up to £8.6 billion over the last two years
- They will invest in more and better facilities, continuing to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030 and investing proportionately more in out-of-hospital services over time
To improve mental health support by:
- Expanding coverage of Mental Health Support Teams from 50% to 100% of schools and colleges in England by 2030
- Open early support hubs for those aged 11-25 in every local community by 2030
- Pass a new law to provide better treatment and support for severe mental health needs in the first session of the next Parliament
Housing
The plan to build more houses in the right places..
Stating “We will deliver a secure future for communities by giving more people a better chance of living where they would like – near their family, friends and job. We have delivered over 2.5 million homes since 2010, including meeting our commitment to deliver one million homes in the last Parliament. Home ownership rates plummeted under the last Labour Government so we cannot afford to go back to square one. We will deliver 1.6 million homes in England in the next Parliament.”
They have pledged to..
- Abolishing the legacy EU ‘nutrient neutrality’ rules to immediately unlock the building of 100,000 new homes with local consent, with developers required in law to pay a one-off mitigation fee so there is no net additional pollution.
- Delivering a record number of homes each year on brownfield land in urban areas by streamlining the planning process for new homes on previously developed land in the 20 largest cities. Robust design codes will facilitate the gradual densification of urban areas, resulting in new family homes and mansion blocks on tree-lined streets that reflect the local character. Additionally, they will consider extending ‘full expensing’ to the development of brownfield housing.
- Raising density levels in inner London to those of European cities like Paris and Barcelona They pledge to ensure the London Plan delivers more family homes each year by requiring the Mayor to prioritize housing development on brownfield sites, such as underutilized industrial land. They will also focus on regenerating major areas like Euston, Old Oak Common, and Thamesmead.
- Unlocking new urban regeneration schemes.. by establishing locally-led urban development corporations in collaboration with the private sector and institutional investors. They will facilitate the creation of new districts in Leeds, Liverpool, and York, while also partnering with local leaders and the community to capitalize on the ambitious Cambridge 2050 plan.
- Supporting local and smaller builders by mandating councils to allocate land for them and removing Section 106 obligations from more smaller sites, while rejecting Labour’s proposed ‘community right to appeal’ which would severely disrupt the planning system
- Making sure local authorities use the new Infrastructure Levy to deliver the GP surgeries, roads and other local infrastructure needed to support homes they pledge to not allow these funds to be spent on community projects that bear no relation to support for new homes.
Housing – First Time buyers
Steps will be made to support new and first time buyers to allow more people to get onto the property ladder…these steps include:
- Removing stamp duty for first time buyers
- A new and improved Help to Buy scheme
Renting
- We will pass a Renters Reform Bill that will deliver fairness in the rental market for landlords and renters alike.
- To further support homeowners, we will introduce a two-year temporary Capital Gains Tax relief for landlords who sell to their existing tenants.
Communities
They state, “Our commitment to levelling up means giving everyone the opportunity to stay local and go far. Conservatives are committed to delivering stronger communities and safer streets, unleashing the power of the private sector to unlock jobs and opportunity for all and boosting local pride. We have already allocated and will ensure we deliver over £15 billion in dedicated levelling up funding across the UK since 2019 and passed our landmark Levelling Up and Regeneration Act. We have saved more than 330 pubs, sports clubs, arts venues and other precious community spaces through our Community Ownership Fund and we have unlocked the promise of thousands of jobs with 12 Freeports.”
To further strengthen communities, the Conservatives have pledged the following:
- Provide 105 towns in the UK with a £20 million endowment fund for local people to change their town’s future – this involves expanding their plan to include 30 additional towns, which will receive funding to address their priorities, such as revitalizing high streets or developing new housing in town centres.
- Extend our Community Ownership Fund – to assist more communities across the UK in taking control of essential community assets such as pubs, music venues, libraries, green spaces, leisure centres, and more.
- Give high streets a new lease of life and restore pride in place – We will amend planning laws to support the return of local market days and the revitalization of defunct shopping centres.
- Empower communities through devolution and new powers – By 2030, every region in England that desires one will have a devolution deal. We will extend our ‘level 4’ devolution powers to areas in England with an existing devolution deal and a directly elected leader, beginning with the Tees Valley.
- Launch a Seaside Heritage Fund – to support the preservation and restoration of our coastal heritage and assets.
To read the Conservative Manifesto in full, click here..
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