Advertisement

5 ways Britain will change under a Boris Johnson government

The Conservatives have won the election and, Boris Johnson’s thumping mandate means the Tories can begin work implementing their manifesto.

During the campaign their promises came under the microscope and a number of their most prominent pledges turned out not be as impressive as the party made out, according to a fact checkers.

Here is what the Tories say the public can expect from a majority government.

Brexit

Brexit was the centrepiece to the Tory campaign and a victory would pave the way for the UK to end its membership of the EU.

The UK is due to leave by January 31 but if a deal is passed before then, Brexit could take place earlier.

Mr Johnson’s campaign slogan has been to “get Brexit done”, but experts and opponents point out that withdrawal is only the first step of a process of separating from the EU.

Boris Johnson hails a political "earthquake" after securing a sweeping election win. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Boris Johnson hails a political "earthquake" after securing a sweeping election win. (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Taxes

The Tories have pledged not to raise the rates of income tax, National Insurance or VAT for the next Parliament.

The Conservative manifesto said this is a “tax guarantee that will protect the incomes of hard-working families across the next Parliament”.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the pledge could be a constraint Chancellor Sajid Javid comes to regret.

Immigration

An overhaul of how immigrants can move to the UK is to take place under a Tory government.

Boris Johnson has pledged to overhaul the immigration system by introducing a points-based system like the one Australia uses.

Points are awarded for certain categories, which could include education level, age and language proficiency.

Potential immigrants must add up enough points to stand a chance of being allowed to move to the country.

Whether there will be immigration targets and how the system will actually work in practice remains to be seen.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks away after driving a Union flag-themed JCB, with the words "Get Brexit Done" inside the digger bucket, through a fake wall emblazoned with the word "Gridlock", during a visit to JCB cab manufacturing centre in Uttoxeter, while on the General Election campaign trail.
Brexit was the central theme of the Tory campaign. (PA Images)

NHS

The health service has always been a key battleground in elections and the Tories made a series of pledges on the NHS.

They have pledged to add £34 billion over five years - trumpeted as the biggest cash boost in the NHS’s history - over five years.

However, this figure is not adjusted for inflation, When it is it is smaller than Labour put in over five years last decade, according to fact-checker FullFact.

The Tories have also drawn attention to their claim to recruit 50,000 nurses though the figure is actually 31,000. 19,000 will be nurses the Tories say will be successfully persuaded to stay.

They have also said that work on 40 new hospitals has begun. In fact FullFact’s research shows that 38 existing hospitals have received cash to plan for building work between 2025 - 2030, but not to actually start work.

Crime

Boris Johnson has promised to recruit 20,000 more police and in his notes in the Tory manifesto, he said he wants “everyone to have the fundamental security that comes from safe streets and safe neighbourhoods”.

But while a rise in police always proves a popular policy, FullFact has shown that the number of police officers fell by 20,600 between March 2010 and March 2019 - the vast majority of which the Conservatives were in power for.

2019 General Election: Exit poll predicts Tory majority