Members' Domestic Policy Briefing September 2018 by Conservative Party

MEMBERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DOMESTIC POLICY BRIEFING September 2018

Conservative Research Department

INTRODUCTION Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m delighted to welcome you to the Membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Domestic Policy Briefing. Many members have asked CCHQ for more in-depth briefing materials to help them take the fight to Labour. This briefing does just that - setting out some of our key domestic achievements and policies. It gives the answers to the most common questions about how the Conservatives are delivering a strong economy and public services fit for the future. And should be invaluable when preparing your regular local campaign material. Finally, I would like to thank all of the members of the Conservative Research Department who have contributed to this edition.

IAIN CARTER Political Director, Conservative Campaign Headquarters

RESEARCH BRIEFINGS This briefing summarises key Conservative messages and policies at the time of publication. All statistics and facts are accurate at the time of production.

DEVOLUTION This briefing is primarily designed for members in England. The extent to which the policies apply to other parts of the United Kingdom will depend on the extent of devolution in that specific subject area.

CONTENTS Building a strong economy HELPING PEOPLE WITH THE COST OF LIVING INVESTING IN PUBLIC SERVICES, WHILE GETTING OUR DEBT DOWN HELPING PEOPLE INTO WORK BACKING BUSINESSES TO CREATE GOOD JOBS SUPPORTING CLEAN GROWTH

5 6 7 8

Making our public services fit for the future IMPROVING THE NHS GIVING CHILDREN THE BEST START IN LIFE RAISING SCHOOL STANDARDS HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION TACKLING CRIME AND PROMOTING JUSTICE BUILDING A FAIR AND CONTROLLED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM BETTER TRANSPORT LINKS

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Building a country that works for everyone HELPING PEOPLE ONTO THE HOUSING LADDER EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMAL WELFARE SUPPORTING PENSIONERS IN RETIREMENT SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY EQUAL OPPORTUNITES FOR WOMEN SUPPORTING BAME COMMUNITIES

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

TACKLING PREJUDICES: LGBT+ EQUALITY

BUILDING A STRONG ECONOMY

HELPING PEOPLE WITH THE COST OF LIVING While we recognise there are challenges, we have cleared over three quarters of Labour’s deficit and we are doing everything we can to give families a bit more help with the cost of living. We have cut taxes for over 31 million people by raising the personal allowance to the highest ever amount – that’s a tax cut worth over £1,000 since 2010. And our National Living Wage means that the country saw the biggest year-on-year fall in the number of low-paid workers since 1977. By introducing an energy price cap and cancelling the fuel duty rise, we are helping families across the country. We are on the side of hard working people and we are determined to build a country that works for everyone.

We’re helping people with the cost of living

• We’ve given 31 million working people a tax cut so they can keep more of the money they earn. Since 2010, the personal allowance has increased from £6,475 to £11,850 - saving the typical basic rate taxpayer over £1,000 a year.1 • We’re boosting income for two million people by increasing the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wages. It was this Conservative Party that introduced the new National Living Wage – delivering the fastest pay rise for lower earners in 20 years. A full time worker on the National Living Wage will earn over £600 more a year, meaning over £2,000 since the National Living Wage was introduced in 2016.2 • By introducing a cap on poor value default energy tariffs, we are ending rip-off energy prices for millions of families this winter. We are giving Ofgem the power to set a cap on the Standard Variable Tariffs that 60 per cent of people are on.3 • We have helped to reduce the cost of living for motorists. We cancelled the fuel duty rise scheduled for 2018-19 – keeping it frozen for the eighth consecutive year, saving the average car driver £160 a year that they would be paying under Labour’s plans.4

We’re keeping taxes down for ordinary people while making sure everyone pays their fair share

• Under the Conservatives, we have secured over £175 billion in additional tax revenue. Since 2010, HMRC have introduced over 100 measures to tackle avoidance, evasion, and non-compliance. In November, we announced 18 further measures as well as additional investment in HMRC which is expected to raise an additional £4.8 billion by 2022-23.5 • We have increased transparency by sharing information held on registers of beneficial ownership, stopping people from hiding assets and income on which they owe tax. We spearheaded a ground-breaking initiative to systematically share beneficial ownership information with over 50 jurisdictions, including every Overseas Territory and Crown Dependency with a financial centre. By September 2018, over 100 jurisdictions will be participating.6 • We are making sure that those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden. The top one per cent of income taxpayers now pay 28 per cent of all income tax – higher than under Labour. The top 5 per cent of taxpayers now contribute 48 per cent of all income tax, an increase of five percentage points since Labour left office.7 • We are taking steps so that big businesses pay their fair share of tax. We are bringing in around £8 billion by cracking down on large multinational firms that are avoiding paying the right amount of tax. We legislated in Finance Act 2016 to ensure all profits from UK property development are taxed in the UK, and introduced the Diverted Profits Tax at a rate of 25 per cent which targets multinationals that artificially divert profits out of the UK.8

INVESTING IN PUBLIC SERVICES, WHILE GETTING OUR DEBT DOWN The UK has come a long way over the last eight years. Labour left office with the largest deficit since the Second World War but thanks to the hard work of the British people, we’re at a turning point. Our economy has grown for eight years, unemployment is at a 40 year low, and our debt is beginning its first sustained fall for the first time in 17 years. Because of our balanced approach, we’re able to get our debt falling while also investing in our vital public services – investing more in our schools than ever before and increasing NHS funding every year we’ve been in power. Our mission is to build a country that works for everyone. That means getting our debt down so that we don’t saddle our children with our debts and we don’t waste money on debt repayments instead of investing them in our public services and backing businesses to create good jobs.

Our plan means getting our debt down while investing in our public services

• Labour left Britain with a record deficit and unsustainable spending. At 9.9 per cent of GDP, our deficit was at its highest since records began in 1948. In Labour’s last year in power, £1 in every £4 spent by the Government was borrowed.9 • We will continue to reduce the deficit while supporting our economy. Over the last eight years, we’ve reduced our deficit by over £110 billion. Our fiscal rules balanced the short-term with long-term, supporting our economy while putting our finances on a sustainable footing.10 • Debt is now starting its first sustained fall in 17 years. As a share of GDP, in 2018-19, our debt will fall to 85.5 per cent and then fall for every year in the Parliament. Lowering our debt means that we can keep the economy strong, and invest more in our public services.11 • Investing to support our world-class public services, while encouraging businesses to invest in our growing economy. Since 2010, we have increased spending on the NHS every year and we are giving more money to schools than ever before. We’ve given public sector workers the biggest pay rise in almost a decade. Under the Conservatives, we’ve provided over half a trillion pounds in capital investment to boost our infrastructure. While under Labour, 1997-2010, business investment increased by just 1.8 per cent, since 2010 business investment increased by 28.3 per cent.12

HELPING PEOPLE INTO WORK We believe that work should always pay, and that we need to help more people move into work, because more people in work means that more people are able to provide for their families – building a better future for themselves and their children. Under this government, unemployment is at a forty year low and hundreds of thousands more people have the security of a job and a pay packet than this time last year. Labour’s reckless plans for the economy would put all of this at risk. The Conservatives are continuing to work to make sure that our economy remains strong so we can create better, higher-paying jobs for everyone.

We’re controlling welfare spending while rewarding work to help us build a growing economy

• Since 2010 on average over 1,000 jobs a day have been created while unemployment is at a 40 year low. The number of people in work is up, with the number of young people out of work is down by over 400,000 since 2010 and figures show a new record rate of women in work.13 • Over three-quarters of the rise in employment since Labour were in power has been in full-time jobs. In the final three months of the last Labour government, there were 21,221,000 people working full-time. In the three months to May 2018, there were 23,856,000 full-time workers. A rise of 2.635 million since Labour were in power – 79 per cent of the 3.35 million jobs created since 2010.14 • By capping welfare, we are making sure work is always rewarded. We reduced the benefit cap from £26,000 to £23,000 in London, and £20,000 in the rest of the country.15 • We are introducing Universal Credit to make sure work always pays. It merges six benefits into one payment and makes sure that people are always better off in work than on benefits.16

BACKING BUSINESSES TO CREATE GOOD JOBS As Conservatives we believe that an open, innovative, free market economy has delivered unparalleled benefits at home and around the world. That is why we’re backing businesses – we have a modern Industrial Strategy to deliver jobs and growth across the whole country. We need to build on Britain’s strengths and tackle its underlying weaknesses, like low productivity. Today, there are a record number of businesses in the UK – up by over a million since 2010. We need to go further to support businesses. That means a more active role for government – not just stepping back, but stepping up – to ensure people in all corners of the country share in the benefits of its success. We will join up different areas, like business, infrastructure and skills, to identify all of the opportunities across our economy. Only the Conservatives will continue to take the balanced approach our economy needs to support businesses to create better, higher paying jobs, ensuring our future security and prosperity.

We are supporting businesses to strengthen our growing economy

• Our modern Industrial Strategy will back Britain for the long term by driving technological advances and creating more well-paying jobs around the country. We are investing £7 billion in new public funding for science, research and innovation – the largest increase for 40 years, developing education and skills, and backing businesses by building the infrastructure the country needs to make the country one of the most competitive places in the world.17 • By building the infrastructure the country needs, we are giving businesses the conditions they need to grow and create jobs. We backed plans for a third runway at Heathrow, a boost to the economy worth up to £74 billion. While our plans mean a £23 billion upgrade to England’s road network, and we’re working on the biggest rail modernisation programme since the Victorians.18 • We are keeping the UK at the cutting edge of innovation and technology by providing R&D tax credits. The total amount of R&D support claimed rose to almost £2.9 billion in 2015-16, up 20 per cent from the previous year, supporting £22.9 billion of R&D expenditure.19 • By cutting corporation tax, we’re sending the clearest possible signal that Britain is open for business. We have cut corporation tax from 28 per cent to 19 per cent.20 • We are ensuring businesses play by the rules – taking action on executive pay, strengthening workers’ voices in the boardroom, and closing tax loopholes. We are strengthening workers’ rights and giving millions of people new rights, after our review of modern ways of working.21 • Our balanced approach to the economy mean that there are 1.2 million more businesses this year than there were in 2010 – spreading jobs and prosperity right across the country. There were a record 5.69 million businesses at the start of 2017 – up nearly 196,500 on the previous year.22

We are building a world-class digital infrastructure for the UK

• Our aim is build a Digital Economy. We want to see Britain’s potential fulfilled – ensuring that the UK is the best place to start and grow a digital business, trial a new technology, or undertake advanced research - and that our digital sectors remain world-leading.23 • We are updating our data protection laws for the digital age. The new Data Protection Act updates our laws, giving citizens more control over their data and giving the Information Commissioner more powers to investigate data breaches, including the power to levy fines of 4 per cent of global turnover or £17 million – whichever is higher – in the most serious cases of a breach. • We understand that businesses and communities need be connected to the internet in the modern workplace. That’s why we are delivering on our Manifesto commitment to provide superfast broadband at 24 Mbps or faster to 95 per cent of premises – more than double the speed Ofcom advise is required by a typical family home – and are committed to spending a further £500 million to prepare Britain for the technological revolution. This includes £385 million to develop next generation 5G mobile and full-fibre broadband networks.24 • By creating a new £2.5 billion fund, we are boosting the UK’s tech businesses of the future. This British Business Bank fund will be dedicated to ensuring that more fast growth businesses have access to the capital they need to become the UK’s next best tech business.25

SUPPORTING CLEAN GROWTH We have put clean growth at the heart of our modern Industrial Strategy to increase productivity, boost people’s earning power and ensure Britain continues to lead the world in efforts to tackle climate change. For the first time in a generation, the British government is leading the way on energy, taking decisions on new nuclear, rolling out smart meters and leading the way on clean growth. By building on our strengths and working with businesses, we will continue to promote clean growth so that we can cut emissions while keeping the costs down for consumers, creating good jobs and growing our economy.

Securing an energy supply fit for the future and tackling climate change

• We helped secure the first global deal on a legally-binding global problem: the Paris Agreement. We secured a global deal to play a part in halting climate change. The deal limits global temperature rises, will help to avoid the worst impact of climate change and sets out a long-term goal of net zero emissions, showing that we are committed to decarbonising.26 • The UK was one of the first countries to commit to ending unabated coal power generation by 2025. In July 2012, our generation profile still included 40 per cent coal. In 2017, this fell to two per cent and the UK had its first full day when no coal was used for 135 years.27 • We’ve reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by over a fifth ensuring that we protect our environment. Since 2010, UK greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 22 per cent – in part due to our commitment to phase out our use of coal.28 • We’ve increased domestic energy production so we are less reliant on imported energy. UK based energy production rose by 9.6 per cent in 2016, its first increase since 1999. Low carbon sources including nuclear, wind, solar photovoltaics and bioenergy all grew strongly.29

MAKING OUR PUBLIC SERVICES FIT FOR THE FUTURE

IMPROVING THE NHS Under the Conservatives, NHS funding has risen year on year since 2010 and is now at record levels, with our NHS recently rated the best healthcare system in the world. We are committed to securing high quality free healthcare for everyone – wherever you are and whenever you need it. In a five-year budget settlement, we are providing an extra £394 million extra a week by 2023-24 for the NHS – and asking the NHS to develop a long-term plan to ensure every penny is well spent. We are committed to investing in our public services and the NHS is our top spending priority, and we will ensure that patient outcomes are improved as a result of the extra investment. There are increasing pressures on the NHS but we are training staff, cutting waste and joining up care in order to ensure that our health service can continue to provide world leading care.

We have protected our NHS by building a strong economy

• We are giving the NHS an average annual funding increase of 3.4 per cent for the next five years, while providing the biggest capital investment in over a decade. In 2023-24, the NHS will be receiving, in real terms, £20.5 billion more than it’s receiving today – meaning £394 million more a week – while receiving £760 million to modernise buildings and services. This is part of our ten-year plan setting out a sustainable vision for the health service.30 • We have 14,750 more doctors and 12,800 more nurses on our wards than in May 2010, while earlier this year we awarded over 1 million NHS staff a pay rise of at least 6.5 per cent. We are increasing doctor and nurses training places by a quarter, one of the biggest expansions in NHS history, and we are training 5,000 GPs between 2015 and 2020.31 • Through the hard work of NHS staff, survival rates and outcomes are improving. Cancer survival rates are at a record high, stroke mortality is improving faster than almost anywhere else in the OECD and heart disease mortality rates continue to fall.32 • We are giving people greater access to mental health services. Alongside the record funding we are giving mental health services, every patient arriving at A&E experiencing a mental health crisis will have access to psychiatric liaison by 2020, to make sure they receive the right treatment.33 • We are providing £2 billion in additional funding for social care by 2020. We are publishing a Green Paper on social care in the autumn to ensure it is sustainable for the future.34

GIVING CHILDREN THE BEST START IN LIFE We know how important an issue childcare is to families with young children, in achieving the best start in life for every child. That’s why we are backing parents with record levels of childcare support and funding – around £6 billion a year by 2020. But just as importantly we’re focusing on the quality – and 94 per cent of early years’ providers are now rated Good or Outstanding – up from 68 per cent in 2010. For too long lots of families struggled to manage the cost of childcare, that’s why we have delivered on our promise to provide 30 hours free – saving working families around £5,000 a year. Alongside the support we are giving through TaxFree Childcare and Universal Credit, it will make a real difference to families’ lives.

We are giving more children the best possible start in life

• We have doubled free childcare to 30 hours a week for working families of 3 and 4 year olds. This saves families around £5,000 per year, and nearly 400,000 working families are eligible.35 • We are putting more money into early education than ever before. We are spending a record £6 billion a year on childcare and early education support by 2019-20.36 • By investing £50 million in school nursery provision in some of the most challenging areas, we are giving real help to working families. We know that when children fall behind early on, it can be incredibly difficult to catch up. Investing in nursery provision will mean more children arrive at primary school with the skills they need to get the most out of their education.37 • Through extending free childcare to 260,000 2-year-olds from lowincome families, we are better supporting those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We’ve extended the offer of 15 hours a week early education to 2-year-olds from low-income families, with take-up levels of 68 per cent compared to 58 per cent in 2015.38

RAISING SCHOOL STANDARDS We are building a world class education system for everyone, ensuring our children have the skills they need to get on in life. Since 2010, the number of children in good or outstanding schools there are has gone up by 1.9 million, while the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their better off peers has gone down, and schools’ funding is at a record high. But we know that there is more to do; by driving up standards and improving technical education, the education system will give everyone the skills that they need, regardless of their background.

We are raising school standards, so that more young people develop the skills they need to succeed

• According to independent experts, our reforms have led to a dramatic improvement in children’s literacy skills. England has risen to 8th place in the 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, up from joint 10th in 2011 and the historic low of 19th under Labour. Compared to 2012, 154,000 more six year olds are on track to become fluent readers.39 • We’re driving up school standards and there are now 1.9 million more children being taught in good or outstanding schools. With 86 per cent of children now taught in good or outstanding schools, compared to 66 per cent in 2010, we are helping more children to fulfil their potential.40 • We believe in giving teachers the freedoms they need to raise standards. Thanks to the expansion of academies and free schools, teachers and head teachers now enjoy greater control over budgets and the delivery of the curriculum. Labour would reverse this progress.41 • We’re closing the attainment gap because background and circumstance shouldn’t have an impact on outcomes. Our reforms have seen the attainment between disadvantaged secondary school pupils and their more affluent peers close by 10 per cent since 2011.42

HIGHER AND FURTHER EDUCATION We want a future where every young person can get the skills they need to fulfil their potential, whether through technical education, an apprenticeship, or a place at university. We’ve abolished the cap on student numbers and disadvantaged 18 year olds are now more likely to go to university than ever before. We’ve scrapped the planned increase in tuition fees and raised the repayment threshold for student loans – but there is more to do which is why we’ve launched a major review of post-18 education. We are building a country where everyone’s hard work is recognised and rewarded, and where our children have the skills they need to get the rewarding, well-paid jobs of the future.

We are ensuring that success is based on merit, not privilege

• We’re undertaking a major review of post-18 education. As well as exploring ways of driving up quality, increasing choice and ensuring value for money, the review will look at ways to help students make a more informed choice between university and technical education.43 • We’re increasing the amount graduates can earn before they start repaying their student loan. Now only graduates earning over £25,000 will start to repay their student loans, saving graduates up to £360 a year.44 • We’re seeing more disadvantaged students applying to university. The latest UCAS data shows that the proportion of disadvantaged students applying for university is at a record high.45 • We established degree-level apprenticeships, enabling more young people to develop the skills businesses tell us they need. These give apprentices an alternative route to earn a full degree whilst training on the job. 46 • For those people who don’t want to go to University, we’re working with industry to deliver a technical education system that provides a credible alternative. T-Levels will be equivalent to A-Levels, and are being developed in partnership with industry professionals to ensure they have real value in the jobs market.47

TACKLING CRIME AND PROMOTING JUSTICE Crime is down by over a third since 2010, the reporting of crime is improving and we are dealing better with crimes that have historically been handled poorly. But, recently there has been an increase in serious violence. To keep our families, communities and country safe we are making sure the police and intelligence agencies have the powers and the money they need – backed by our growing economy. Our Serious Violence Strategy set out a multi-million pound commitment to steering young people away from crime and tackling drug-dealing gangs. Labour have repeatedly opposed giving the police and intelligence agencies important powers that help keep us safe, meaning that communities would be less safe under a Labour Government.

We are keeping our families, communities and country safe

• We are providing the police with the resources they need to keep us safe. In total, police budgets will increase by around £460 million in 2018-19 if PCCs use the new precept flexibility.48 • By putting communities in charge, police can do what is right for their area. Locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners are responsible for writing local police plans, setting the police budget, and hiring and firing chief constables.49 • We are tackling violent crime with our £40 million Serious Violence Strategy. It identifies the changing drugs market as a key driver of the violence and includes a range of powerful actions to tackle the issue of ‘county lines’ and its implications for drugs, violence and exploitation of vulnerable people. That includes £3.6 million to establish a new National County Lines Co-ordination Centre.50 • Our reforms are helping ex-offenders stay away from crime after they have left prison to make our communities safer. Our measures will give prisoners who are prepared to change training designed to meet local need, the opportunity to get out of their cells and into workplaces temporarily and offer guaranteed jobs on release.51

BUILDING A FAIR AND CONTROLLED IMMIGRATION SYSTEM When immigration is too high, it puts pressure on people’s jobs, wages, and communities. That’s why we’ve worked hard to manage immigration. As we leave the European Union, we will get control of our borders, while still continuing to attract the brightest and the best. To do this we are excluding doctors and nurses from the cap on skilled worker visas, meaning more staff on hospital wards and safer patient care, and Introducing a new start-up visa route to make the visa process faster and smoother for entrepreneurs coming to the UK. Labour have no interest in controlling our borders and instead turn their nose up at people who want to see immigration levels controlled.

We are managing immigration, while still attracting the brightest and the best

• We are getting control of our borders as we leave the European Union to deliver on the will of the British people. We will end freedom of movement. • Our measures make the immigration system fairer by cracking down on those who are here illegally. We have made it harder for illegal immigrants to get rented accommodation, bank accounts, and driving licences, and made it easier to deport foreign criminals.52 • Recent reforms excluding doctors and nurses from the cap on skilled worker visas, meaning more staff on hospital wards, higher standards and safer patient care. As well as boosting the NHS, it will also free up additional places a month within the cap for other highly skilled workers.53 • Introducing a new start-up visa route to make the visa process faster and smoother for entrepreneurs coming here. It will replace a visa route which was exclusively for graduates, opening it up to a wider pool of talented people, ensuring we continue to attract the best.54

BETTER TRANSPORT LINKS As we leave the European Union we need to focus – now more than ever – on building a better future for our country and all the people who live in it. We are delivering the transport infrastructure to make the United Kingdom fit for the future, by investing half a trillion pounds since 2010. We have embarked on the biggest rail modernisation programme since Victorian times, and the largest road-building programme since the 1970s. We are supporting Heathrow expansion and delivering the largest infrastructure projects in Europe: Crossrail, HS2 and the Great North Rail Project, alongside a £3 billion Transpennine rail upgrade. We are taking the long-term decisions needed to boost our productivity and deliver better infrastructure. So that we can help businesses grow and deliver better, higher paying jobs right across the country.

We are building the infrastructure needed for an economy fit for the future

• We have the biggest rail modernisation programme since Victorian times. We have recently announced that £48 billion will be spent between 2019 and 2024, and are delivering HS2 and Crossrail which will carry 200 million passengers in 2019. We are upgrading the Transpennine route and the Great North Rail Project will provide a range of upgrades to passengers. We’ve also announced a £1.7 billion Transforming Cities Fund to build a transport system fit for the future.55 • We are investing £23 billion by the end of the decade to improve roads across the country. Our 2014 Road Investment Strategy outlined that £15.2 billion will be invested in our strategic roads between 2015 and 2021, part of our £23 billion upgrade to the road network in England. 56 • MPs decisively backed our final proposal for a new runway at Heathrow – the first full length runway in the South East since the Second World War. Expansion is expected to generate up to 114,000 additional jobs in the local area by 2030 and Heathrow Airport has pledged 10,000 additional apprenticeships. It will secure the UK’s status as a global aviation hub, delivering 113,000 additional flights every year across the UK in 2040. 57

BUILDING A COUNTRY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE

HELPING PEOPLE ONTO THE HOUSING LADDER We believe that everyone who works hard should have a home of their own. So our mission is to build the homes this country needs, restoring the dream of home ownership for people up and down the UK. We’ve already made significant progress. Over a million homes have been built since 2010, with housebuilding at its highest level since the crash, but housing remains unaffordable for many. That’s why we announced ambitious plans to fix the housing market ensuring that homes are built in the right place. We are building a Britain that is fit for the future and our message to the next generation is this – the housing ladder is not just a dream of your parents’ past, but a reality for your future.

We are building the homes people need, helping people to get on the housing ladder

• Since 2010, over a million additional homes have been delivered and last year we saw the highest level of housebuilding in all but one of the last 30 years. There were 217,350 net additional dwellings registered in 2016-17.58 • We have set out bold reforms to deliver on average 300,000 new homes a year by the middle of the 2020s. We aim to raise housing supply by the end of this Parliament to its highest level since 1970s, backed by at least £44 billion.59 • We have cut stamp duty and brought in Help to Buy – helping people get onto the housing ladder. We have cut stamp duty for 95 per cent of first-time buyers while 80 per cent will pay nothing – helping 121,500 homeowners already, whilst our schemes have helped 460,000 people.60 • We want everyone to afford a safe, and decent place to live. We are making the rental market fairer by banning tenant fees, cracking down on rogue land lords and looking at introducing longer tenancies to give more people security in their home. • We’ve brought forward our revised planning rules to deliver more quality, well designed homes in the right places. The new National Planning Policy Framework will make sure we build the homes we need whilst promoting high quality designs, stronger environmental protections, and giving communities a greater voice about what development looks.61

EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT Local government is at the front line of this country’s democracy, with councillors and officers working at the heart of the communities that they serve. We have kept council tax down, while helping councils make sensible savings so they can provide good local services. We have also devolved more power to local areas, so they have the tools they need to strengthen the economy and deliver better public services in their areas. All Labour want to do is hit local people and communities with higher taxes, delivering worse public services and it is working people who would pay the price.

Conservative councils deliver better services and lower taxes • Conservative councils continue to provide lower levels of council tax than Labour or Liberal Democrat councils – a typical band D property in England pays over £100 a year less under a Conservative council. Averaged across tiers, Conservative-controlled councils in 2018-19 in England charge £116 a year less than Labour-controlled councils on a Band D home, and £132 a year less than Liberal Democrat-controlled councils.62 • Conservative councillors are delivering high quality local services. In Conservative-run Swindon, the council have signed a deal to provide nearly 3,000 new homes. In Wandsworth, air pollution has been significantly reduced. • We have protected people against excessive rises in Council Tax, while delivering good local services. We have allowed residents to veto excessive council tax rises, whilst the majority of people are satisfied with their local area and the way their council runs things.63 • Local councils now have more financial certainty so they can plan services better for local residents. We have given councils more responsibility for local finances and offered the certainty of multi-year budgets, which 97 per cent have taken up.64 • We have devolved power to local areas. We are giving local leaders new powers and millions of pounds to boost local growth, while increasing choice and accountability through new Mayors.65

THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMAL WELFARE Our mission is to build a Britain where the next generation can enjoy a better life than the one that went before it. This means protecting and enhancing our natural environment for the next generation, so they have a healthy and beautiful country in which to build their lives. That is why we are pledging to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste, encouraging supermarkets to introduce plastic-free aisles, extending the 5p charge for plastic carrier bags to all retailers and issuing a call for evidence on taxing the most environmentally damaging plastics. It is our duty to leave our planet in a better state for the next generation, with cleaner air, greener spaces, stronger protections for animal welfare and tougher action on plastic waste.

We are leaving our planet in a better state for the next generation

• We have banned microbeads and required large retailers to charge 5p for all single-use plastic carrier bags so our marine life is better protected. A ban on the manufacture of products containing microbeads came into force on the 9 January and a ban on their sale came into effect in June. While our plastic bag charge has seen 9 billion fewer carrier bags being distributed.66 • Tougher sentences will be introduced to protect animals. We will increase the maximum prison sentence for animal cruelty tenfold, from six months to five years in England and Wales. 67 • We are introducing mandatory CCTV into slaughterhouses, to ensure high standards. Following an overwhelmingly positive consultation we are making it mandatory for all slaughterhouses in England have CCTV. 68 • The UK will impose a ban on ivory sales to help bring an end to the poaching of elephants. These plans will put the UK front and centre of global efforts to end the insidious trade in ivory. 69 • We are providing £3.5 billion to support measures to improve air quality. We are investing in electric vehicle infrastructure, supporting the roll-out of low carbon buses, and expanding cycling and walking infrastructure. In November, we announced a Clean Air Fund and we will end the sale of conventional diesel and petrol cars by 2040. 70 • We are supporting further restrictions on neonicotinoids. The weight of evidence now shows the risks neonicotinoids pose to our environment, particularly to the bees and other pollinators which play such a key part in our £100 billion food industry.71

SUPPORTING PENSIONERS IN RETIREMENT Labour’s economic mismanagement hit older people hard – in Labour’s last term of office, the value of their private pensions fell and thousands were plunged into fuel poverty. We’ve delivered greater dignity and security for older people in retirement. Pensioners receive over £1,450 more a year this year than they did in 2010. By 2030, more than three million women stand to gain an average of £550 extra per year as a result of the new state pension. Our careful management of the economy – as well as important changes to protect pensioner benefits and the state pension – are helping people have dignity and security in retirement.

We are ensuring people have dignity and security in old age

• We are providing security for millions of pensioners across the country. Our triple lock means that pensioners with a full basic State Pension now receive over £1,450 more today than in 2010.72 • We are helping people save more for retirement by introducing automatic enrolment. Since its launch in 2012, 9.3 million people have been enrolled into a workplace pension, including a large number of new savers under the age of 30.73 • Our reforms provide a new, simpler State Pension which recognises the years spent at home raising a family. In a significant boost for over 3 million women and families, years spent raising a family will be recognised and counted in full towards the new State Pension. 74 • We have given people more freedom over their pensions. We have given people the freedom to take their pension savings in a way that best suits their individual needs, for example, as a cash lump sum, or as a regular income. The first full year figures revealed that over 230,000 savers have already taken advantage of the new landmark freedoms.75

SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY Disabled people should have the same choices and chances as everyone else – it is just not acceptable for people to be prevented from doing a job or taking part in everyday life because of a disability. We have long supported disabled people’s right to be treated equally: a Conservative government passed the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and introduced the Disability Living Allowance. Since 2010, we have continued that tradition, reforming the out-of-date disability benefits system, encouraging employers to recruit more disabled people, helping to ease the transition from education into work and ensuring disabled people have the support they need. We are committed to helping disabled people fulfil their potential and play a full role in society.

We are helping people with a disability fulfil their potential

• We are committed to tackling the injustices facing disabled people so that everyone can go as far as their talents will take them. We are now spending about £54 billion on benefits alone to support people with disabilities and health conditions. Since 2010, spending has risen by over £9 billion in real terms. 76 • We recognise the positive impact that working can have, which is why we are breaking down the barriers to employment facing disabled people. Over the last four years, the number of disabled people in work has risen by over 830,000, and we have committed to getting a million more people with a disability into work over the next ten years.77 • Transport is at the heart of how we live our lives, helping us get to work, visit friends and family, and access vital services – but can be far from straightforward for people with disabilities. We believe that where you live, shop, go out, travel or park your car should not be determined by your disability. That’s why we are investing up to £300 million for improvements to the network to make transport fully accessible for all passengers by 2030. So we will review disabled people’s access and amend regulations if necessary to improve disabled access to licensed premises, parking and housing.78 • Through introducing Personal Independence Payments, we are supporting those with the greatest need the most. Personal Independence Payments were introduced to be a more modern and dynamic benefit to help to cover the extra costs faced by disabled people, something its predecessor benefit, the Disability Living Allowance, did not do. PIP is designed to focus support on those with the greatest need and we have seen that working – 22 per cent of claimants are receiving the highest level of support compared to 16 per cent under the DLA. • Disability benefits spending will be higher every year to 2022 than in 2010. Disability benefits spending is at a record high this financial year. As a share of GDP, the UK’s public spending on disability and incapacity is higher than all other G7 countries bar Germany.79

EQUAL OPPORTUNITES FOR WOMEN We want to tackle burning injustices, wherever they exist in our society, so people can achieve their true potential, whatever their background and circumstances. That is why we are working hard to give women greater financial security, ensuring equal opportunities in the workplace so that there is no glass ceiling. We are giving the police the resources and powers they need to keep people safe – in particular to tackle crimes against women and girls which were not dealt with properly in the past. By doing this we can build a country that works for everyone, one which is ready to meet the challenges of the future head on, with hope and optimism that our best days lie ahead of us.

Building a country that works for everyone

• More women are in work than ever before, meaning more women with the security of a regular salary. The female employment rate is at a record high.80 • We have doubled free childcare to 30 hours a week for eligible working parents of 3 and 4 year olds – making childcare more affordable. Over 200,000 children were in 30 hour places in the scheme’s first term.81 • The gender pay gap is at its lowest level on record – and companies now have to report their pay gap to help drive it down further. In April 2017 the gender pay gap for full-time employees decreased to 9.1 per cent. This is the lowest since the survey began in 1997.82 • We have seen more women rise to the top of their professions. The number of females on FTSE 100 boards is up from 12.5 per cent to 27.7 per cent. But we want to go further and get 33 per cent of FTSE 300 board positions filled by women by 2020.83 • We are working to end violence against women and girls in the UK. We introduced Clare’s Law, allowing women to check if their partner has a violent history, and created two new stalking offences as well as improving the understanding of stalking amongst those who come into contact with victims. We introduced a new mandatory reporting duty for FGM, and allocated £80 million for specialist local domestic and sexual violence support services, rape crisis centres, and national helplines. To build on the Prime Minister’s work that she started as Home Secretary, we are bringing forward a new Domestic Abuse Bill – with an ambition for legislation that is truly ground-breaking. 84

SUPPORTING BAME COMMUNITIES We believe that no-one’s opportunities in life should be determined by their ethnicity or the religion they follow. So we are determined to tackle the specific injustices that can hold people back. That is why we are working hard to give greater financial security to all communities, improving access to a great education and the best jobs and ensuring that everyone has confidence in our criminal justice system. We are building a stronger, fairer economy and a more caring society – a country where everyone’s hard work is recognised and rewarded, and people can lead fulfilling, happy lives.

We are tackling burning justices, wherever they exist in our society

• Black, Asian and minority ethnic employment is close to a record high – meaning more people with the security of work. With the BAME employment rate over 65 per cent, there are over a million more people from BAME backgrounds in work since 2010. We are also helping people start their own business, with 22 per cent of start-up loans going to people from BAME backgrounds.85 • More young people from BAME backgrounds are starting apprenticeships and going to university, giving them the chance to get on in life. Since 2010, over 300,000 people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds have started apprenticeships. University acceptances for people from BAME backgrounds have increased to over 40 per cent since to 2010 to more than 100,000 in 2016.86 • Theresa May reformed ‘stop and search’ so it is used fairly and effectively. We introduced the ‘Best Use of Stop and Search’ scheme in 2014, which requires forces to demonstrate that they are using the powers of stop and search fairly, effectively and in a way that builds community confidence.87 • We have conducted an audit of public services to shine a light on and help end the injustices that many people experience. This audit looked into the differences in outcomes for people of different backgrounds, in every area from health to education, childcare to welfare, employment, skills and criminal justice.88

TACKLING PREJUDICES: LGBT+ EQUALITY We are committed to building an inclusive society that works for everyone, no matter what their gender or sexuality. That is why we have given same sex couples the right to get married in England and Wales, we are reforming the Gender Recognition Act to ensure transgender people are given the support they need and are working to stamp out bullying and intolerance. We’ll build on the significant progress we’ve made over the past 50 years, tackling the historic prejudices that persist in our laws and giving LGBT people a real say on the issues affecting them.

We are building a country that works for everyone through tackling injustices

• We have ensured that same sex couples have the right to get married in England and Wales. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 gave same sex couples the right to marry in civil and religious ceremonies, and since then over 15,000 couples have married or converted their civil partnership into marriage.89 • We are removing historic convictions for consensual acts and issuing posthumous pardons for thousands of gay men. Men convicted of offences that once criminalised homosexuality have been posthumously pardoned under ‘Turing’s law’.90 • We’re tackling homophobic bullying in schools and universities. We have invested £3 million in programmes to address this form of bullying in England.91 • We’ve extended sentences for hate crimes against transgender people to protect those at particular risk of unprovoked violence. Murderers motivated by hatred or hostility towards disabled or transgender victims will now face life sentences with a starting point of 30 years.92 • We are reforming the Gender Recognition Act to ensure transgender people are given the support they need. We are looking into removing unnecessary requests for gender information on official documents, improving support provided by gender identity services, and tackling bullying in education.93

Endnotes 1

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ONS, Labour Market Statistics, 17 July 2018, link

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Promoted by Alan Mabbutt on behalf of the Conservative Party, both at 4 Matthew Parker Street, London, SW1H 9HQ.