Where do the Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems stand on tax,
the NHS and women's issues to name a few?
On Thursday, the British
public will head to the polls again to decide who they want as their local MP,
and then, Prime Minister.
Theresa May called
for the snap election in April, saying the country needed certainty,
stability and strong leadership after the country's vote to leave the European
Union last year. Since then there's been debates, clashes, U-turns and a fair
share of awkward interviews.
What the
parties have actually pledged is listed on their individual manifestos,
which in Labour's case is 128 pages long. So, to make it for easier
for everyone, Harper's Bazaar has
condensed the three party's pledges on key issues into a need-to-know basis.
BREXIT
Conservatives
- "No
deal is better than a bad deal" – May has said she will walk away from the
divorce from the EU without a deal if she thinks what is on the table is bad
for the UK.
- A Tory
government would leave the Single Market which, in turn, leaves behind the four
principles of free movement of trade, capital, services and people.
- A new
'shared prosperity fund' will be launched and made up of money the UK gets back
from leaving the EU, they say in their manifesto.
- Securing
the rights of EU citizens who live in the UK and UK citizens living across the
EU and maintaining the Common Travel Area with Ireland.
Labour
- On the
other hand, a Labour government would rule out the "no deal" option
and would fight to get a trade deal with the EU.
- Keep the
shared approach to education with the EU so that British university students
can study abroad under the Erasmus scheme and continue to welcome international
students.
- Secure the
rights of EU citizens living in the UK.
Liberal Democrats
- In
their manifesto, the Lib Dems say they would hold a second referendum
where the terms of a Brexit deal are laid out.
- Keep the UK
in the Single Market so they can protect the 'right to work, travel, study and
retire' across Europe for British people.
- Retain
traveller and tourist benefits like the EHIC card and lower roaming charge.
WOMEN'S ISSUES
Conservatives
- Continue to
use part of the foreign aid budget to provide global education for girls, end
the slave trade and tackle sexual violence in conflict.
-
"Taking measure" to close the gender pay gap including requiring
companies with more than 250 employees to publish more data on the pay gap
between the men and women in their staff as wel as pushing "for an
increase in the number of women sitting on boards of companies".
Labour
- Form a
cabinet which is at least 50 per cent women.
- Gender
audit all policies and legislation for their impact on women before
implementation.
- Pledge to
work with the Northern Ireland assembly to make abortion legal in the country.
- Appoint a
commissioner to enforce minimum standards in tackling domestic and sexual
violence including stable funding for refuge and rape crisis centres.
- Scrap
tribunal fees for pregnant women alleging discrimination and unfair treatment
in the workplace.
- Introduce
mandatory workplace risk assessments for pregnant women.
Liberal Democrats
- Fund more
extensive childcare and provide further back-to-work support to reach a goal of
a million more women in work by 2025.
- Push for 40
per cent of board members in the FTSE 350 companies to be women.
-
Decriminalise prostitution and defend sex worker's rights so the police can
focus on those grooming, forcing or trafficking people into sex work.
IMMIGRATION
Conservatives
- Double the
Immigration Skills Charge levied on companies who employ migrant workers and
use the revenue to invest in skills training for UK workers.
- Offer
asylum to people in parts of the world affected by conflict and oppression but
reduce asylum claims made by people who have already made it to Britain.
- Reduce
immigration to the tens of thousands (it is currently 273,000).
- Increase
the earnings threshold for people wanting to sponsor migrants for family visas.
- Reduce
immigration from the EU after the UK leaves.
Labour
- Prioritise
jobs and prosperity over "bogus" immigration targets.
- End
indefinite detentions and have a clear distinction between migrant labour and
family attachment.
- Stop
overseas-only recruitment and prosecute employers evading the minimum wage.
- Review the
"not fit for purpose" houses for refugees who have fled war, famine
or disasters.
- Exclude
international students from immigration numbers but crack down on fake
colleges.
- Produce a
cross-departmental strategy to meet the UK's "international
obligations" to the refugee crisis.
Liberal Democrats
- Hold an
annual debate in parliament on where the labour market is lacking or exceeding
to identify "necessary" migration.
- Remove
international students from official migration statistics.
- Reinstate
post-study work visas for graduates in science, technology, engineering and
maths who find employment within six months.
- Establish a
Migrant Impact fund to help local communities adjust to new migration and meet
any pressures on public service and housing.
- Government
funding for English classes to help migrants integrate with communities.
- Reform
family reunion rules so asylum seekers can join their families easier.
- Offer
sanctuary to 50,000 Syrian refugees over the next parliament and re-open the
scrapped Dubs child refugee scheme to admit 3,000 unaccompanied refugee
children.
DEFENCE AND FOREIGN POLICY
Conservatives
- Continue to
spend at least two per cent of GDP on defence and increase this by at least 0.5
per cent above inflation each year.
- Invest £178
billion in new military equipment over the next decade.
- Retain the
Trident nuclear deterrent programme.
- Maintain
the commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on foreign aid.
Labour
- Put
"conflict resolution and human rights at the heart of foreign policy"
and guide foreign policy values by peace, universal rights and international
law.
- A Labour
government would "not be afraid to disagree" with an American
government led by Donald Trump.
- Publish a
strategy to protect civilians in conflict and enact the role of Minister of
Peace and Disarmament.
- Stop arm
sales to Saudi Arabia while an investigation into the conflict in Yemen is
underway.
- Commit to
the two per cent of GDP spending on defence and support the renewal of Trident.
Liberal
Democrats
- Commit to
spending two per cent of GDP on defence and maintain a minimum nuclear
deterrent.
- Spend 0.7
per cent of gross national income on foreign aid and invest to eliminate
preventable diseases like TB, HIV and malaria within a generation.
- Control arms
exports by implementing a policy of "presumption of denial" for any
country listed as a human rights priority.
NHS
Conservatives
Invest a
minimum of £8billion a year over the next five years into the service in real
terms.
Build and
upgrade more primary care facilities, mental health clinics and hospitals in
England.
Recover the
costs of treating patients who are not UK residents and increase the
immigration health surcharge to £600 for migrant workers.
Labour
Invest £30
billion in the NHS which will be paid for by an increase on income tax for the
country's wealthiest people and on private medical insurance.
Scrap the pay
cap for NHS staff and re-introduce bursaries for health-related degrees.
Introduce
free parking in NHS hospitals in England funded by the tax increase on private
medical insurance.
Set up a £250
million children's health fund specifically focusing on obesity, dental health,
under-fives and mental health.
Liberal Democrats
- Invest more
in the NHS by putting a penny on the pound on income tax.
- Put waiting
times for mental health treatment on par with physical health.
- Develop a
health and care tax.
-
End the pay freeze for NHS staff, reinstate student nurse bursaries and promote
evening and weekend hours for GPs as well as online, phone and Skype
appointments
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