General election live 2024: Labour manifesto prioritises wealth creation, Keir Starmer says - BBC News
Labour Manifesto Prioritizes Wealth Creation: Keir Starmer
Join our mailing list for the Election Essential newsletter by clicking on the provided link.
Do You Have A TV Licence?
In order to view live television on any channel or device, or watch BBC programs on iPlayer, it is mandatory to possess a license. This is a legal requirement that must be adhered to.
Revamped by Emily Atkinson and Owen Amos
The specified timings are based on the United Kingdom time zone.
Tory MP Confesses 'grave Mistake' Over Bet
We have further information from Craig Williams, who formerly served as an assistant to the prime minister during the previous Parliament. This comes after he made a bet on the scheduled date for the upcoming national elections.
It is being claimed that Williams, a participant in the upcoming election, may have gambled £100 on a July election just three days prior to Rishi Sunak declaring a poll for 4 July.
Joe Pike from the BBC asked Williams if he had any insider knowledge before he made the bet.
Williams stated that he will not provide additional information regarding his previous statement. Nevertheless, he admits that he made a significant mistake in his judgment and offers his apologies.
He further comments that he will not elaborate on the aforementioned statement since it is currently undergoing an autonomous investigation by the Gambling Commission. He admits that it was a significant lapse in judgement, and he has nothing else to include in his previous declaration.
Labour And Conservatives Differ On Transport
The transportation sector is a domain where the plans of the Labour and Conservative parties exhibit noticeable disparities.
The Labour party has pledged to establish Great British Railways, a centralising entity that was initially proposed by the Conservative government three years ago; however, it has not been completely implemented yet - even though the Tories have affirmed that they would still enact it.
Labour's plan involves taking over the privately-owned passenger services in England once the current contracts expire. However, they have no intention of nationalising rolling stock or freight companies. In addition, they will permit independent "open access" passenger service providers to continue operating commercially.
The Labour party believes that its proposed schemes would result in positive changes, while private companies claim that taking control of industries would result in an increased burden on the taxpayers.
The celebration is intending to revert back to the initial goal of banning brand new cars that use petrol and diesel by the year 2030. The previous date was prolonged to 2035 by Rishi Sunak.
The Labour party has intentions to grant additional authority to local leaders and communities so that they can govern bus services.
Labours' manifesto does not contain the term 'HS2'.
"Symbolic Acts: Saying No To Fossil Fuels"
The Labour Party's previous pledge to refrain from granting any fresh licenses for oil and gas in the North Sea has now been revised in their manifesto. It has been altered into an assurance that they will oversee a gradual and well-considered shift in the North Sea.
While Labour officials privately admit that preventing new licences won't have a significant impact on UK emissions due to the limited availability of oil and gas after years of exploitation, the policy remains the same.
Additionally, the party is not intending to cancel the license granted in September for the biggest unexplored oil reserve, known as Rosebank, located near the Shetland islands.
However, Labour is firm in their belief that the policy serves as a vital symbolic gesture in conjunction with their promise to put a halt on the proposed Cumbria coal mine, thus strengthening the UK's position as a leader in the fight against climate change.
Even though the written statement suggests that the extraction of oil and gas in the North Sea will continue for many years ahead.
Can VAT On Private Schools Hire 6,500 Teachers?
One important promise from the Labour party is to hire an additional 6,500 teachers for state schools in England. The main focus will be on recruiting teachers for subjects and regions where it is difficult to find qualified candidates.
Out of the 18 secondary school subjects, only 3 have managed to recruit enough teachers this year. The subject of physics was only able to enroll 17% of the required number of trainees, while mathematics was able to recruit 63%.
Can Labour's proposals assist in resolving this issue?
The political group has announced that they plan to collect funds by imposing a value-added tax on the fees charged by private schools, which has caused outrage among middle-class families who are already struggling to cope with the rising expenses of everyday life. To some, it appears as though the party is punishing those who strive for success and put in long hours of labour.
About 7% of kids go to private schools that require payment. There's a chance that a tiny amount would need to switch over to public schools.
Although the cost of attending the most expensive schools for those who board can reach as high as £50,000 per year, the typical range in the United Kingdom is more around £15-20,000.
Economists who are not affiliated with any particular group claim that the VAT would generate between £1.3 and £1.6 billion. However, they also note that having more money will not necessarily solve the problem of a shortage of teachers, especially since workload is a significant factor in the profession.
Labour's Economic Expansion Plan: What's The Impact?
Labour's aim is to specifically create wealth and promote improved growth.
What is its overall impact? There are certain implementations, such as reformation of planning and investing in green initiatives, that are likely to improve future possibilities.
. However, the amount of public investment that has been made is much lower compared to what the United States has invested during the presidency of Joe Biden.
The main difficulty lies in revitalizing personal investments - in proficiencies, education, tech advancements, enhanced apparatus and facilities like establishments and conveyance.
That type of investment has remained inactive, especially since the referendum of 2016. Several experts believe that reviving such investment could greatly enhance our possibilities by increasing our efficiency. We struggle to keep up with some of our global counterparts in terms of productivity.
Labour has been trying to attract the attention of businesses and assure them that the economic situation will be consistent, but there is not much novel information that will make a significant impact.
The promises of growth are never set in stone, and unexpected circumstances can cause them to falter. However, existing authoritative predictions indicate that the economy will experience growth in the coming years.
How much of an improvement would these plans make?
Labour's NHS Staffing Proposal Falls Short With 2% Rise
Labour's strategy to decrease waiting lists centers on their commitment to generate 40,000 additional appointments and surgeries every week, totaling to 2 million procedures per annum.
The increase in percentage is quite insignificant, not reaching 2%, considering the fact that more than 140 million diagnostic procedures, such as tests, scans, appointments, and surgeries are conducted annually.
If the party gains control and succeeds, it will deviate from the pattern of the past few years. Although the NHS has received an increase in funds and hired more employees, it has been challenging to increase the number of patients receiving scheduled medical attention.
The number of people, which is over 140 million, pertains to the year 2022-23. This year has the most recent information available and it is nearly identical to the numbers recorded in 2019-2020 and 2018-19.
There are various explanations for this matter. Two major ones are the increasing need for quick medical attention, resulting in less funds being allocated for regular healthcare, and postponed discharges of patients who are healthy enough to leave the hospital but cannot do so because of insufficient aid from the outside world.
Labour's Manifesto: Top 10 Policies
As previously stated, Labour's manifesto doesn't contain any surprise policies - all the major ones were already made known.
However, let me summarise a few of the key promises mentioned in the text to provide an idea of what Labour is proposing to the nation (the manifesto is available for your perusal by clicking here):
"Labour's Promises Under Scrutiny By Our Correspondents"
Keir Starmer has finished presenting his manifesto and our group of reporters has analyzed its contents during his speech.
In just a moment, we will share with you the important promises made, followed by a thorough examination from our correspondents.
'New Ethics Commission: Are You Onboard?'
The Guardian's Pippa Crerar posed the last inquiry, highlighting the decline of confidence in the British political system. She inquired whether the candidate plans to establish a fresh advisory body in ethics and integrity within the first 100 days of assuming office.
Starmer claims that he can improve more than the Tories regarding this matter. He mentioned that his party will commence making modifications to the ethical codes immediately and guarantees to be assessed based on their deeds and not just mere pledges.
"Starmer Questioned Over Jeremy Corbyn's Past"
The Daily Mail is questioning Keir Starmer's belief in Jeremy Corbyn's capabilities as a prime minister during his time as leader of the Labour Party.
Starmer repeats what he stated at a Sky News function last night, expressing that he did not believe that the party would emerge victorious in the 2019 election under Corbyn (refer to attached video).
It's worth mentioning that Starmer supported Corbyn during his tenure as the Labour leader in the 2019 election and also served as a member of his shadow cabinet.
"Labour's Tax Hike Plan: Is It Coming?"
Afterwards, a reporter from the Telegraph inquires whether there are any plans for additional increases in taxes.
In simpler terms, Starmer expressed that there will be no additional increases in taxes apart from what has been already revealed. He emphasized his aim to crack down on non-domiciled individuals' status and ensure that wealthy citizens contribute their proportionate amount of taxes.
He states that the Labour party also intends to ensure that oil and gas businesses contribute their fair amount of tax and that private equity loopholes are altered.
Starmer Vows To Crush Gangs, Faced With Migration Inquiry
The Sun has queried Starmer regarding his plans to handle individuals who enter the UK "illegally".
He describes the present state as "dire" since those who are already present and placed in the system are not being dealt with.
According to him, it is imperative to address the problem of "border control loss", and to achieve that, he intends to establish a new Border Security Command that will be empowered and equipped to "crush the gangs".
"Labour's Sober Pitch To Voters: Steady As It Goes"
There is no unexpected or surprising element.
The proposed manifesto by the Labour party focuses on making minor adjustments to the country's tax and expenditure policies. The party has already revealed revenue generating measures amounting to £8 billion.
Most of the modifications made are related to non-dom tax systems and preventing tax evasion. Furthermore, private schools are now required to pay VAT, and large energy companies are subject to a sudden tax increase.
The Labour party has made changes to the cost estimations due to the increase in inflation. The funds will be allocated towards environmentally-friendly investments, additional medical procedures at the NHS, support for mental health professionals, experienced educators and other smaller initiatives such as breakfast clubs at primary schools. The entire budget for these initiatives equals to almost £5 billion.
The green prosperity plan has access to an additional £4 billion, which will be allocated towards GB Energy, the National Wealth Fund, and insulation plans. This funding will be obtained through a combination of borrowing and Labour's fiscal regulations.
Things are progressing smoothly without any major changes or disruptions.
The Labour party has made a proposal that they claim is sensible and modest, and does not aim to rival the tax reductions from the Conservative party.
The assumption being made is that the general population won't trust that reducing taxes is believable. Instead, they'll favor the guarantee of consistency in both politics and finances.
Starmer: Tories Lost Immigration Control
Following that, Starmer provides a reply to an inquiry posed by Christopher Hope, a correspondent from GB News, concerning migration.
Starmer has expressed his opinion that there is a need for reduced immigration since it is almost at the highest it has ever been. He also blames the Tories for not being able to manage the situation properly and claims that they have "lost control" over the issue.
According to him, the reason for this situation is the country's lack of necessary skills. He further stated that his political party won't rely on immigration to boost growth and will prioritize the development of skills and creation of wealth instead.
Starmer Faces Challenge On Growth Plans
After that, Robert Peston from ITV questioned Starmer, calling the idea that economic growth can increase dramatically by next year without implementing spending cuts a fake assertion.
Starmer has declared that we won't be reverting back to the practice of austerity.
He highlights several promises made in the manifesto that were mentioned earlier, which he believes will provide a swift boost to our nation’s progress.
Just a quick reminder, in order to watch the live stream, you can simply press the Play button located at the top of the webpage.
"Captain Caution's Manifesto: Are You Following It?"
Following that, Beth Rigby from Sky News states that the Labour manifesto lacks any innovative proposals, whereas Sunak has included an extensive range of policies in his own manifesto.
"Does this sound like a manifesto by Captain Caution made to secure your advantage in the polls?" she inquires.
Starmer has clearly stated that he will not follow Sunak's example and provide promises that cannot be financially backed.
"I am standing for the position of prime minister, not as a circus ringmaster," he declares to the approving crowd.
Starmer: Our Manifesto For Hope, Growth, And Wealth Creation
The initial person to pose a question is Chris Mason, who works as the political editor for the BBC.
Starmer was requested to address the voters who may harbor concerns that he will only reveal his plans after winning the election instead of before.
"I want to speak directly to them," he answers, explaining that this written statement is focused on transformation and a complete refusal to accept negative attitudes that suggest we cannot make things better.
Starmer declares that our agenda for the next 14 years is centered around hope, expansion, and the generation of riches.
You have the opportunity to view a brief video of the Labour leader's reaction to the inquiry posed by Chris Mason by clicking on this link:
Now, Journalists Ask Questions After Starmer's Speech
Starmer has completed his address and is now commencing the Q&A session with reporters.
We will keep updating you with the most recent statements from the event where the manifesto was launched.
Starmer Shifts Attention To The Youth
At the end of his speech, Starmer presented a list of promises the party aims to provide for the younger generation. These include funding for mental, physical, and dental health, the ability to cast a vote, and implementing a fresh law to ensure race equality.
According to him, the proposed modification on July 4 is a nation that benefits "the future generation".
He was given a round of applause while he awaited further inquiries, so keep an eye out.
Starmer Vows To Fund Green Energy
As the topic of expansion progresses, Starmer goes over his promises to put funds into sustainable energy throughout the United Kingdom. Additionally, he vows to invest in the steel sector and the general establishment of occupations.
The man proclaims that the electorate holds the ability to opt for an alternate direction for governance. He then hastily presents additional commitments, such as the allocation of funds towards the National Health Service, as well as proposals to challenge the non-domicile tax classification and those who evade taxes.
