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Labour manifesto for General Election 2017: Key points, policies and summary

Jeremy Corbyn will go into the General Election pledging to nationalise key industries and take Britain back to the Seventies, a draft of the Labour manifesto leaked to The Telegraph reveals.

The 43-page document sets out plans to take the energy industry, railways, buses and the Royal Mail back under public control.

Jeremy Corbyn embarrassed after Labour's draft manifesto was leaked - Credit:  PA
Jeremy Corbyn embarrassed after Labour's draft manifesto was leaked Credit: PA

It commits Labour to scrapping tuition fees, boosting workers' rights and reversing a series of benefits cuts - including the so-called bedroom tax.

Here are the key points from the leaked manifesto:

Rail

  • Railways brought back into public ownership as franchises expire.

  • Under public ownership fares will be frozen, driver-only operation ended and free WiFi introduced across the network.

  • HS2 will be completed and will link with a "Crossrail of the North".

Energy

  • Energy market partially brought back into public ownership.

  • Creation of at least one publicly owned energy company in every region of the UK.

  • Central government control of the grid and distribution.

  • Cap average household dual fuel bills at £1,000 a year.

  • Ban fracking.

Higher education

  • Tuition fees abolished and maintenance grants reintroduced for university students.

Brexit

  • Labour "accepts the referendum result" and intends to build a close new relationship with Europe "not as members but as partners".

  • Retain benefits of single market and customs union.

  • Immediately guarantee existing rights of EU nationals living in Britain and secure reciprocal rights for UK citizens living in another EU country.

  • No "no deal" option at the end of Article 50 negotiations, with "transitional arrangements" negotiated instead to avoid cliff-edge.

  • Scrap Great Repeal Bill and replace with EU Rights and Protections Bill.

Immigration

  • Labour "believes in fair rules and reasonable management of migration" and will not make "false promises" on numbers.

  • Income thresholds for family members replaced with an obligation to "survive without recourse to public funds".

  • Creation of a Migrant Impact Fund to support public services in host communities. It will be funded by visa levies and a contributory element from residence visas for high net worth individuals.

Health

  • More than £6 billion extra annual funding for the NHS through increased income tax for top 5% earners, increased tax on private medical insurance and halving management consultants' fees.

  • Mental health budgets ring-fenced.

  • Pay cap scrapped.

  • EU NHS workers' rights immediately protected.

  • NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plans halted.

  • Creation of a new "quality, safety and excellence regulator" called NHS Excellence.

Care

  • Move towards creation of a National Care Service.

  • Investment of £8 billion in services over the next parliament, including £1 billion in the first year.

  • Improve conditions for care workers.

  • 15-minute care visits scrapped.

  • Carer's Allowance increased to be in line with Jobseeker's Allowance.

Workers' rights

  • Creation of a Ministry of Labour to deliver investment in enforcing workers' rights.

  • Repeal Trade Union Act and introduce "sectoral collective bargaining" through unions.

  • Zero hours contracts outlawed.

  • Unpaid internships banned.

  • Employers stopped from only recruiting from overseas.

  • Bring minimum wage in line with living wage - at least £10 by 2020.

  • Rights for all workers to have access to trade union.

  • Paternity leave doubled to four weeks and paternity pay increased.

  • Protections for women on maternity leave strengthened.

  • Four new public holidays to mark patron saints' days.

  • Public inquiry into blacklisting.

Executive pay

  • A 20:1 limit on gap between the lowest and highest paid workers in companies given Government contracts.

  • Reduce pay inequality through legislation by introducing an "excessive pay levy" on companies with high numbers of staff on high pay.

Taxation

  • No income tax rises for those earning below £80,000 a year.

  • Large corporations will pay "a little more" tax while remaining competitive with cash paying for education and skills budgets.

  • Extra powers for HMRC to chase individuals and companies who avoid tax.

Pensioners

  • "Triple lock" guaranteed throughout next parliament or kept to at least 2.5 per cent.

  • Winter fuel allowance and free bus passes kept as universal benefits.

  • Compensation for women born in 50s who had state pension age changed without fair notification.

Housing

  • Invest to build one million new homes, including 100,000 council and housing association homes by the end of next parliament.

  • Rent rises capped to inflation and legal minimum standards in properties for rent.

  • 4,000 homes for people with history of rough sleeping.

Welfare

  • Scrap bedroom tax and reinstate housing benefit for under-21s.

  • Review cuts to Universal Credit and limits on payments to first two children of families.

Infrastructure

  • Borrow to invest £250 billion over 10 years on energy, transport and digital infrastructure.

  • Improve 4G mobile coverage and invest to bring uninterrupted 5G to all urban areas, major roads and railways.

Democracy

  • Lower voting age to 16.

Defence

  • Support the renewal of Trident.

  • Keep defence spending as 2% of GDP.

Crime

  • 10,000 more police officers for community beats.

  • Conduct major review of counter-terror Prevent programme.

Labour | Manifestos compared

 

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