The 2024 Labour Party manifesto was – before last weeks election – slated in various social media posts. Some suggested that it had no substance; the implication was that it was full of hot air.
To see if this was true I bought myself a copy. I got through most of it before deciding how to cast my vote, and then voted strategically as opposed to how I wanted to. This is a failing of our poor excuse for a democracy, but lets park ideas about participative democracy and proportional representation and move on to my points about the manifesto.
Before Keir Starmer became PM we are told he broke the 10 pledges he made in 2020, but the reality this is not so clear cut. Many of them were vague – such vague promises do not stand up to scrutiny and so are not really worth believing in the first place.
With this in mind I decided to write up a list of tangible promises contained in the 2024 manifesto. Any vague nonsense such as “we will work towards”, “we will work with”, “we will consult on” or “we will end” have not made the list unless they have been accompanied by strong statements.
Labour can’t be held to account for these airy fairy statements, but can be held to account for hard and fast promises.
This page is not about whether you believe the promises made are good or bad, it is to:
- Remind people that Labour DID make promises in the 2024 manifesto, and
- Keep track of how many such promises are delivered.
Here are 52 pretty tangible promises – displayed in the order in which they appear on the manifesto – with page numbers provided as a reference.
- (p13) Secure the highest sustained growth in the G7. [Check here]
- (p13) Halve serious violent crime. [See here]
- (p15) Plan to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence.
- (p15) Bring in Martyn’s Law.
- (p17) Create a new Border Security Command.
- (p17) Clear the Conservatives backlog [of asylum seekers]. [Useful Stats]
- (p17) Hire an extra 1,000 staff to fast track removals [for people with no right to stay]
- (p19) Introduce fiscal rules that ensure that day to day costs are met by revenues.
- (p19) Introduce fiscal rules that ensure that debt must be falling as a share of the economy by the fifth year of the forecast. [What forecast is unclear].
- (p19) Strengthen the role of the OBR.
- (p19) Subject significant tax or spending changes to extra scrutiny by the OBR.
- (p20) Free breakfast clubs in every primary school.
- (p21) Abolish non dom status.
- (p31) Cap Corporation Tax @ 25%.
- (p31) Replace the business rates system [with something fairer].
- (p33) Bring railways into public ownership.
- (p34) Lift the ban on municipal ownership of bus services.
- (p35) Double the size of the UK’s co-operative and mutual sector.
- (p36) Restore mandatory housing targets.
- (p39) Introduce a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme for first time buyers.
- (p45) Ban exploitative zero hours contracts.
- (p45) Legislate to ensure the minimum wage reflects the cost of living.
- (p51) Double onshore wind, triple solar power and quadruple offshore wind generation by 2030.
- (p52) Not issue new licences to explore new oil fields.
- (p52) Not issue licences for coal.
- (p52) Ban fracking for good.
- (p53) Create a new energy company Great British Energy owned by the British.
- (p58) Create 9 new river walks.
- (p58) Establish three new national forests.
- (p59) Ban trail hunting and use of snare traps.
- (p66) Ban ninja swords, zombie blades, machetes.
- (p73) Introduce the Hillsborough Law [ See Here ]
- (p73) Appoint a Windrush Commissioner [See Here]
- (p76) Recruit 6500 new expert teachers.
- [ As of 2023 there are 468,693 – See Here]
- (p79) Retain the pension triple lock.
- (p79) Abolish section 21 no fault evictions.
- (p80) Extend Awaaabs Law to the private sector.
- (p81) Open an extra 3000 nurseries. [This is a big ask! See Here]
- (p82) End VAT exemption and rates relief for private schools.
- (p95) Return the NHS target of the maximum 18 week wait for consultant led referrals for non urgent conditions.
- (p95) Deliver an extra 40,000 more operations scans or appointments each week.
- (p96) Guarantee face to face appointments.
- (p99) Provide 700,0000 more urgent dental appointments.
- (p101) Recruit an extra 8,500 new staff [for mental health improvements].
- (p103) Ban vapes from being branded and advertised to children.
- (p102) Ban advertising of junk food to children.
- (p102) Ban sale of high caffeine energy drinks to under 16’s
- (p107) Establish a new independent Ethics and Integrity Commission
- (p107) Restrict ministers lobbying for companies in industries they used to regulate.
- (p107) Ban MP’s from taking up advisory or consultancy roles.
- (p108) Remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the Lords.
- (p108) Giving 16 and 17 year old the right to vote.
Let’s see how they do.