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Party Manifesto Published 13 Jun 2024 ↗ View on source

Labour Party Manifesto 2024 — Change

Labour general-election manifesto, published 2024-06-13. Stored verbatim so the workspace builder can quote pledges directly.

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4 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
MY PLAN
FOR CHANGE
This election is about change.
A chance to stop the endless
Conservative chaos that has
directly harmed the finances
of every family in Britain.
A moment where we can turn
the page on a set of ideas that,
over 14 years, have consistently
left us more vulnerable in an
increasingly volatile world.
And an opportunity to begin
the work of national renewal.
A rebuilding of our country,
so that it once again serves
the interests of working people.
Restore hope
Every great nation is held together
by shared beliefs. To outsiders
they may not seem exceptional
or distinctive, but they are essential
for a sense of collective national
purpose. Britain is no different,
but at this moment two of our
most important beliefs are in
grave danger.
First, that politics should be driven
by a sense of service to the
country, not considerations of
party or self-interest.
Second, that if you work
hard then – whoever you are,
wherever you started in life –
Britain is a country that will
respect your contribution and
give you a fair chance to get on.
When I consider these beliefs, it
is hard not to think back to my
childhood. Then, as now, Britain’s
place in the world was uncertain.
Then, as now, our economy was
gripped by stuttering growth and
a cost-of-living crisis that hurt
working people.
Yet back then, there was at least
a degree of security in being able
to take those two fundamental
beliefs for granted. For families
like mine, this was a comfort. The
knowledge that Britain would offer
your children a better future gave
us hope. A hope that may not

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7Change Labour Party Manifesto 20246 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
sound high-minded or particularly
idealistic, but which families like
mine could build a life around.
Stop the chaos
To restore this hope, we must first
end the Conservative chaos. The
visible decline in our communities –
families weighed down by soaring
mortgages; people waiting on
trolleys in A&E; sewage in our rivers
– is not an accident. Rather, it is a
direct result of a governing party
that, time and again, puts its own
interests and obsessions above the
issues that affect families.
The result is a vicious cycle – decline
feeding off chaos, chaos feeding off
decline – that will continue if they
return for five more years. Only a
Labour government can break this
cycle and stop the chaos.
Turn the page
We must turn the page decisively
on the Conservative ideas that
have caused the chaos.
The world has become increasingly
volatile, with a major war in Europe
for the first time in a generation
and ever greater threats to the
living standards of working people.
This ‘age of insecurity’ requires
the government to step up, not
stand aside.

7Change Labour Party Manifesto 20246 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
This means a return to the
foundations of good government:
national security, secure borders,
and economic stability. But it also
requires an enduring partnership
with business to deliver the
economic growth we need.
It needs more focus on long-
term strategy, not the short-term
distractions that can animate
Westminster. And it demands a
final and total rejection of the toxic
idea that economic growth is gifted
from the few to the many.
Because whether it is crashing
the pound to give tax cuts to the
richest 1%; degrading public services
because of a mess made by
the banks; or the failure to invest
in clean British energy that left
us exposed when Putin invaded
Ukraine – so much of what Britain
has been through in the past 14
years is explained by a Conservative
failure to face the future. Only
Labour can turn the page.
Rebuild our country
We must rebuild our country. It
will not be easy. Not only because
there is no quick fix to the mess
the Conservatives have made. But
also, because their failures have
sapped our collective confidence
that Britain can still achieve great
things. I reject this with every fibre
of my being. Despite all the chaos
inflicted on Britain, the country I
see is one where working people
never let each other down. They
came together in the pandemic –
missed weddings, funerals and last
goodbyes – to save the lives
of people they will never meet.
They dug deep in the years
of austerity, to keep delivering
the public services people
needed. And throughout the
cost-of-living crisis, they found
a way to support those less
fortunate than themselves.
We are still a great nation.
We can still achieve great things.
What we lack is a government
that can match the ambition
working people have for their
family and community, with
a credible long-term plan.
This manifesto is that plan.
Fully costed, fully funded – built
on a rock of fiscal responsibility.
At its heart are five national
missions – with clear first steps
to begin the journey of rebuilding
– that provide a clear destination
for everyone invested in Britain’s
future. A new Britain, where wealth is
created in every community. Where
the golden opportunity of clean
British power is harnessed for lower
bills. Where your town centre has
been revitalised and everyone feels
safe to walk the streets. Where you
can go to work and know you will

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be treated with dignity and respect.
Where our children are equipped
with the skills to thrive in the future.
Where our NHS is once again at the
cutting edge of healthcare. And
where we show that politics can be
about serving the country.
It’s time for change
I know some people will roll their
eyes at this last sentence. Yet
serving our country is the only
reason I came into politics. The
defining purpose of my Labour
leadership has been to drag my
party away from the dead end of
gesture politics and return it once
more to the service of working
people. I have changed my party.
Now I want the chance to bring that
change to the country.
But to succeed we need everyone,
every community, to play their part.
I know, after everything you have
been through in the past 14 years,
that this is a hard request to make.
But I also expect, deep down, that
you know this is what our country
needs now – an end to the chaos,
a turning of the page, and a
patient but determined rebuilding
of our country.
So, I invite you to join us in this
common endeavour of national
renewal. It is time to change Britain.
Keir Starmer
Leader of the Labour Party
Five national missions – with
clear first steps to begin the
journey of rebuilding

with more neighbourhood police paid for by ending wasteful
contracts, tough new penalties for offenders, and a new
network of youth hubs.
with 40,000 more appointments each week, during evenings
and weekends, paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance
and non-dom loopholes.
with tough spending rules, so we can grow our economy
and keep taxes, inflation and mortgages as low as possible.
w
ith hundreds of new specialist investigators and use
counter-terror powers to smash the criminal boat gangs.
a publicly-owned clean power company, to cut bills for good
and boost energy security, paid for by a windfall tax on oil
and gas giants.
in key subjects to prepare children for life, work and the future,
paid for by ending tax breaks for private schools.
10 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

11Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Mission-driven government .......................................................................12
Strong foundations
.......................................................................................14
Kickstart economic growth
........................................................................23
Make Britain a clean energy superpower
.................................................47
Take back our streets

...................................................................................61
Break down the barriers to opportunity
...................................................75
Build an NHS fit for the future

.......................................................................91
Serving the country
....................................................................................105
Britain reconnected
....................................................................................115
Labour’s fiscal plan .....................................................................................1
26
Change
..........................................................................................................131
CONTENTS

13Change Labour Party Manifesto 202412 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
MISSION-DRIVEN
GOVERNMENT
Ending the Conservative chaos
is vital, but turning the page with
a new government is not in itself
enough to tackle the deep-rooted
challenges our country now faces.
To rebuild Britain, we need to
change how Britain is governed.
For too long, Britain has been held
back by governments that, because
they lack a relentless focus on
long-term ends, are buffeted about
by events. Politics has enormous
potential to change lives for the
better, but too often different parts
of the government have pursued
their own narrow goals rather than
working together. Government is at
its best when working in partnership
with business, trade unions, civil
society, faith groups, and
communities. But without a shared
project those partnerships barely
get off the ground.
So, as well as a new administration
with new priorities, Britain needs
a new approach: mission-driven
government.
Mission-driven government means
raising our sights as a nation and
focusing on ambitious, measurable,
long-term objectives that provide
a driving sense of purpose for the
country. It means a new way of
doing government that is more
joined up, pushes power out to
communities and harnesses new
technology, all with one aim in mind
– to put the country back in the
service of working people.

13Change Labour Party Manifesto 202412 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
LABOUR’S FIVE MISSIONS
TO REBUILD BRITAIN ARE:
1)
K
ickstart economic growth
to secure the highest sustained
growth in the G7 – with good
jobs and productivity growth in
every part of the country making
everyone, not just a few, better off.
2)
M
ake Britain a clean energy
superpower to cut bills, create
jobs and deliver security with
cheaper, zero-carbon electricity
by 2030, accelerating to net zero.
3)
T
ake back our streets by halving
serious violent crime and raising
confidence in the police and
criminal justice system to its
highest levels.
4)
B
reak down barriers to
opportunity by reforming
our childcare and education
systems, to make sure there is no
class ceiling on the ambitions of
young people in Britain.
5)
B
uild an NHS fit for the future
that is there when people need it;
with fewer lives lost to the biggest
killers; in a fairer Britain, where
everyone lives well for longer.
Delivering the change Britain
needs will require perseverance.
The starting point for delivering
these missions is to ensure the
foundations of good government
are right. Labour will make sure
we have strong national security,
secure borders, and economic
stability. Building on these secure
foundations, we have already set
out the first steps for change.
Today we present further policies in
this manifesto, as part of the journey
of rebuilding our country.
Every policy that follows in this
manifesto is fully costed and
fully funded.

14 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
NATIONAL SECURITY
STRONG FOUNDATIONS
No policy commitment in pursuit of Labour’s missions matters unless
we uphold the first duty of any government: to keep the country safe.
Peace and security are hard earned. They require constant vigilance.
Over the last 14 years geopolitical tensions have risen, while the
Conservatives have hollowed out our armed forces. Now Putin is
attempting to break European security with his full-scale invasion of
Ukraine. Labour will meet this challenge by strengthening our armed
forces and protecting our national security.

15Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
STRONG FOUNDATIONS
Our commitment to the UK’s
nuclear deterrent is absolute.
It is a vital safeguard for the UK
and our NATO allies. As the party
that founded NATO, we maintain
our unshakeable commitment
to the alliance, and we will apply
a NATO test to major defence
programmes to ensure we meet
our obligations in full.
In recent years, threats to our
safety and security have multiplied
and diversified. Alongside greater
conventional threats, we are faced
with the growing emergence
of hybrid warfare, including
cyber-attacks and misinformation
campaigns which seek to subvert
our democracy. To ensure the UK
is fully prepared to deal with these
interconnected threats, Labour
will conduct a Strategic Defence
Review within our first year in
government, and we will set
out the path to spending
2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
From the Skripal poisonings to
assassination plots by the Iranian
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,
threats from hostile states or state-
sponsored groups are on the rise,
but Britain lacks a comprehensive
framework to protect us. Labour will
take the approach used for dealing
with non-state terrorism and adapt
it to deal with state-based domestic
security threats.
Terrorism remains a significant
threat. Labour will bring in ‘Martyn’s
Law’ to strengthen the security of
public events and venues. We will
update the rules around counter-
extremism, including online, to
stop people being radicalised and
drawn towards hateful ideologies.
Labour will also ensure the police
and intelligence services have the
powers and resources they need
to protect the British people from
terrorism and hostile espionage.
The first duty of any government
is to keep the country safe

16 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
SECURE BORDERS
STRONG FOUNDATIONS
Britain is a tolerant and compassionate country. We have a proud
tradition of welcoming people fleeing persecution and abuse. Schemes
like Homes for Ukraine, Hong Kong humanitarian visas, and the Syrian
resettlement programme have provided important routes for refugees
seeking sanctuary. But the system needs to be controlled and managed
and we need strong borders. The small boats crisis, fuelled by dangerous
criminal smuggler gangs, is undermining our security and costing lives.

17Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
STRONG FOUNDATIONS
Rather than a serious plan to
confront this crisis, the Conservatives
have offered nothing but desperate
gimmicks. Their flagship policy – to
fly a tiny number of asylum seekers
to Rwanda – has already cost
hundreds of millions of pounds.
Even if it got off the ground, this
scheme can only address fewer
than one per cent of the asylum
seekers arriving. It cannot work.
Chaos in the Channel has been
matched by chaos at home. The
Conservatives’ unworkable laws
have created a ‘perma-backlog’ of
tens of thousands of asylum seekers,
who are indefinitely staying in hotels
costing the taxpayer millions of
pounds every week.
Labour will stop the chaos and
go after the criminal gangs who
trade in driving this crisis. We will
create a new Border Security
Command, with hundreds of new
investigators, intelligence officers,
and cross-border police officers.
This will be funded by ending the
wasteful Migration and Economic
Development partnership with
Rwanda. This new Command
will work internationally and be
supported by new counter-terrorism
style powers, to pursue, disrupt, and
arrest those responsible for the vile
trade. We will seek a new security
agreement with the EU to ensure
access to real-time intelligence
and enable our policing teams to
lead joint investigations with their
European counterparts.
Labour will turn the page and
restore order to the asylum
system so that it operates swiftly,
firmly, and fairly; and the rules are
properly enforced. We will hire
additional caseworkers to clear the
Conservatives’ backlog and end
asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer
billions of pounds.
Labour will set up a new returns and
enforcement unit, with an additional
1,000 staff, to fast-track removals
to safe countries for people who
do not have the right to stay here.
We will negotiate additional returns
arrangements to speed up returns
and increase the number of safe
countries that failed asylum seekers
can swiftly be sent back to. And we
will also act upstream, working with
international partners to address
the humanitarian crises which lead
people to flee their homes, and to
strengthen support for refugees in
their home region.
Labour will stop
the chaos and
go after the
criminal gangs

ECONOMIC
STABILITY
STRONG FOUNDATIONS
Every commitment a Labour government makes will be based on sound
money and economic stability. This is a non-negotiable principle for our
changed Labour Party. Siren voices may claim that there are no limits
on what government can spend, or that tax cuts pay for themselves.
We reject this flawed ideology that was tested to destruction by the
18 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

STRONG FOUNDATIONS
disastrous Conservative ‘mini
budget’. The British people are still
paying the price of those unfunded
commitments through higher
mortgage costs, and taxpayers
continue to foot the bill through
higher interest payments, meaning
less money for investment and
public services. The impact was
not confined to these shores. The
Conservatives’ recklessness sent
a signal of instability across the
world that damaged our standing,
making Britain a less attractive
place for business to invest.
The chaos is not over.
The desperate Conservatives
have now made yet more
unfunded tax cuts and spending
promises at a scale beyond
the ‘mini budget’. This would
be devastating for families
across the country.
Labour will turn the page on this
economic chaos. Our approach is
based on strong fiscal rules which
will govern every single decision
we make in government.
Our fiscal rules are that:

T
he current budget moves into
balance, so that day-to-day
costs are met by revenues

D
ebt must be falling as a
share of the economy by the
fifth year of the forecast.
These rules allow for prudent
investment in our economy.
This represents a clear break
from the Conservatives who
have created an incentive to cut
investment; a short-term approach
that ignores the importance of
growing the economy. Labour will
strike a balance between prioritising
investment and the urgent need
to rebuild our public finances.
There will be no return to austerity.
Unlike the Conservatives, Labour
will never sideline the Office for
Budget Responsibility (OBR) for
political convenience. Instead, we
will strengthen the role of the OBR.
Every fiscal event making significant
changes to taxation or spending
will be subject to an independent
OBR forecast.
Labour will safeguard taxpayers’
money. We will end the link between
access to ministers and an inside
track for public contracts. We
will appoint a fixed-term Covid
Corruption Commissioner and use
every means possible to recoup
public money lost in pandemic-
related fraud and from contracts
which have not delivered. And we
will not tolerate fraud or waste
anywhere, whether in social security
or the excessive use of consultants.
Alongside strong national finances,
Britain needs resilient family
19Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

finances too. The Conservatives
have left families struggling with the
cost of living. Labour will take action
to support families, by tackling the
underlying causes of the crisis.
We will bring down the cost of
energy. We will reduce food prices
by removing barriers to businesses
trading. We will make housing
more affordable, expand access to
childcare, and make work pay. We
will support families with children
by introducing free breakfast clubs
in every primary school. Labour will
also keep mortgage rates as low
as possible, with a strong,
20 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Our approach is
based on strong
fiscal rules which
govern every
single decision
we make in
government

independent Bank of England –
which will continue to target stable
inflation of 2 per cent.
The Conservatives have raised the
tax burden to a 70-year high. We
will ensure taxes on working people
are kept as low as possible. Labour
will not increase taxes on working
people, which is why we will not
increase National Insurance, the
basic, higher, or additional rates
of Income Tax, or VAT.
Labour will address unfairness in the
tax system. We will abolish non-dom
status once and for all, replacing it
with a modern scheme for people
genuinely in the country for a
short period. We will end the use of
offshore trusts to avoid inheritance
tax so that everyone who makes
their home here in the UK pays
their taxes here. Private equity is the
only industry where performance-
related pay is treated as capital
gains. Labour will close this loophole.
We will modernise HMRC and
change the law to tackle tax
avoidance. We will increase
registration and reporting
requirements, strengthen HMRC’s
powers, invest in new technology
and build capacity within HMRC. This,
combined with a renewed focus on
tax avoidance by large businesses
and the wealthy, will begin to close
the tax gap and ensure everyone
pays their fair share.
Labour will stop the chaos,
turn the page, and return to
the foundations of national
security, secure borders,
and economic stability.
21Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
We will bring down the cost of energy.
We will reduce prices by removing
barriers to businesses trading. We
will make housing more affordable,
expand access to childcare, and
make work pay

23Change Labour Party Manifesto 202422 Change Labour Party Manifesto 202422

23Change Labour Party Manifesto 202422 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024 23Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
KICKSTART
ECONOMIC
GROWTH
23Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
 D eliver economic stability
with tough spending rules

A
new partnership with business
to boost growth everywhere

A N
ational Wealth Fund
to invest in jobs

P
lanning reform to build
1.5 million new homes

D
evolution of power
across England

A N
ew Deal for Working People

25Change Labour Party Manifesto 202424 Change Labour Party Manifesto 202424
Charlie, cafe owner
and former Conservative voter
“ C hange is overdue. Since we opened our cafe in June 2020 our gas and
electric bill has soared. Customers are feeling the pinch so some visit us
less often. How can we pass these costs on to customers when they can’t
afford to pay more? Continuing like this will ruin us. I voted Conservative
before but the only way out of this is Labour’s plan for economic growth.
Cheaper bills for us and our customers, and that bit of extra cash to spend.
That’s the change we need.”
MY STORY

25Change Labour Party Manifesto 202424 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024 25Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Sustained economic growth is
the only route to improving the
prosperity of our country and the
living standards of working people.
That is why it is Labour’s first mission
for government. It means being pro-
business and pro-worker. We are
the party of wealth creation.
This election follows the chaos of
the Conservatives’ ‘mini-budget’
and an unprecedented fall in
living standards. Their miserable
economic record over the past 14
years has seen productivity and
wages flatlining, leaving British
families significantly poorer than
those in France or Germany.
This decline is rooted in two failures.
First, an inability to accept that
a strong economy can only be
built on the contribution of every
community and every person – the
many not the few. Second, a failure
to acknowledge that sustainable
growth requires government to be
a strategic partner with business –
that markets must be shaped, not
merely served.
These twin failures have led to
greater economic insecurity – in the
financial resilience of households,
but also in our national economy
– at the very time when our world
has become less stable and secure.
The Conservatives have failed to
grasp the implications of a new
era of rising global competition
and tension, instead leaving our
economy on an increasingly
shallow and insecure footing.
It is time to turn the page.
Labour will restore stability,
increase investment, and reform
our economy.
We will embrace a new approach
to economic management –
securonomics – that understands
sustainable growth relies on
a broad base and resilient
foundations. Our approach
will depend on a dynamic and
strategic state. This does not
mean ever-growing government,
It is time to turn
the page. Labour
will restore
stability, increase
investment,
and reform
our economy

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
26 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
but it does mean a more active,
smarter government that works in
partnership with business, trade
unions, local leaders, and
devolved governments.
Labour will stop the chaos and
support business through a stable
policy environment – strengthening
our economic institutions, and
giving investors the certainty they
need to fuel growth. Labour will seek
involvement from industry, trade
unions, and civil society in our plans
for growth, so they can contribute
to building a stronger economy
in all parts of the country. We will
strategically use public investment
where it can unlock additional
private sector investment,
create jobs, and provide a return
for taxpayers.
While stability and greater
investment will support growth,
parts of our economy require
substantial reform if we are to
create the wealth our country
needs. Britain is hampered by
a planning regime that means
we struggle to build either the
infrastructure or housing the
country needs.
The country remains too centralised,
with the economic potential of too
many regions and communities
ignored. Our labour market fails to

27Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
provide secure jobs and, as a result,
for far too many people work does
not pay.
The innovation, dynamism and
sheer hard work of British business
and workers has never been
in question. The next Labour
government will partner with
them to kickstart economic growth
and rebuild Britain.
Strategic partnership through
industrial strategy
Labour will introduce a new
industrial strategy. Our approach
will be mission-driven and focused
on the future. We will work in
partnership with industry to seize
opportunities and remove barriers
to growth. Critically, we will end
short-term economic policy
making with the establishment
of an Industrial Strategy Council,
on a statutory footing, to provide
expert advice. We will ensure
representation on the Council from
all nations and regions, business
and trade unions, to drive economic
growth in all parts of the country.
Labour will take a sectoral approach
and be clear-eyed about where
the UK enjoys advantages over
other countries. Our approach will
back what makes Britain great:
our excellent research institutions,
professional services, advanced
manufacturing, and creative
RICHARD
WALKER OBE
Executive Chairman
of Iceland
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same.”
The innovation,
dynamism and
sheer hard work of
British workers has
never been in
question

28 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
industries. We will ensure a
pro-business environment,
with a competition and regulatory
framework, that supports
innovation, investment, and
high-quality jobs. Procurement
and trade policy will also be aligned
with our industrial strategy priorities.
Financial services are one
of Britain’s greatest success stories.
Labour will create the conditions
to support innovation and growth
in the sector, through supporting
new technology, including Open
Banking and Open Finance
and ensuring a pro-innovation
regulatory framework.
Our other great British industries
need certainty over the policies that
will apply to them. In opposition,
Labour has worked with the
automotive, life sciences, and
creative sectors, on the approach
we will take to policy. In government,
we will set out plans for these and
other vital sectors of the economy.
Boosting investment
Business has for too long been
hampered by a government that
does not work with it. As a result,
investment in the UK is too low. To
address this long-standing problem
Labour will use every available
lever. Public investment, where it
supports and de-risks additional
private investment, is one important
tool being used successfully across
the world. It can create good jobs
across the country and would
mean British taxpayers can reap
the benefits of economic growth.
To realise these opportunities
Labour will establish a National
Wealth Fund.
Capitalised with £7.3 billion over the
course of the next Parliament, the
National Wealth Fund will have a
remit to support Labour’s growth
and clean energy missions, making
transformative investments across
every part of the country. The fund
will have a target of attracting
three pounds of private investment
for every one pound of public
investment, creating jobs across the
country. We plan to allocate:

£
1.8 billion to upgrade ports and
build supply chains across the UK
We will work in
partnership with
industry to seize
opportunities and
remove barriers
to growth

29Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
• £ 1.5 billion to new gigafactories
so our automotive industry
leads the world

£
2.5 billion to rebuild
our steel industry

£
1 billion to accelerate the
deployment of carbon capture

£
500 million to support the
manufacturing of green hydrogen.
Labour will also act to increase
investment from pension funds in
UK markets. We will adopt reforms
to ensure that workplace pension
schemes take advantage of
consolidation and scale, to deliver
better returns for UK savers and
greater productive investment for
UK PLC. We will also undertake a
review of the pensions landscape
to consider what further steps
are needed to improve pension
outcomes and increase investment
in UK markets.
Business taxation
The business tax regime matters for
investors. It is not just the rates of
tax that matter, but also certainty.
Under the Conservatives there
has been constant chopping and
changing – corporation tax has
changed 26 times – and multiple

30 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

31Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
fiscal events have made drastic
changes often at little notice.
Labour will stop the chaos, and
turn the page with a strategic
approach that gives certainty and
allows long-term planning. We
are committed to one major fiscal
event a year, giving families and
businesses due warning of tax and
spending policies. We will publish
a roadmap for business taxation for
the next parliament which will allow
businesses to plan investments
with confidence.
Labour will cap corporation tax
at the current level of 25 per cent,
the lowest in the G7, for the entire
parliament, and we will act if tax
changes in other countries pose a
risk to UK competitiveness. We will
retain a permanent full expensing
system for capital investment and
the annual investment allowance
for small business. And we will
give firms greater clarity on what
qualifies for allowances to improve
business investment decisions.
The current business rates system
disincentivises investment, creates
uncertainty and places an undue
burden on our high streets. In
England, Labour will replace the
business rates system, so we can
raise the same revenue but in a
fairer way. This new system will
level the playing field between the
high street and online giants,
better incentivise investment,
tackle empty properties and
support entrepreneurship.
Economic infrastructure
Britain is grinding to a halt. Rail
cancellations are at record levels,
energy prices have risen faster
here than in any other country in
Western Europe, and not a single
reservoir has been built in the last
30 years. This is not an accident.
Conservative chaos has seen major
projects abandoned, decades-long
delays, cost overruns, uncertainty
for supply chains, and our
infrastructure crumbling.
Labour will stop
the chaos, and
turn the page
with a strategic
approach that
gives certainty
and allows long-
term planning

33Change Labour Party Manifesto 202432 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Labour will end this chaos by
developing a ten-year infrastructure
strategy, aligned with our industrial
strategy and regional development
priorities, including improving rail
connectivity across the north of
England. The strategy will guide
investment plans and give the
private sector certainty about
the project pipeline. We will work
closely with business to map and
address the delivery challenges
we face. We will create a new
National Infrastructure and Service
Transformation Authority, bringing
together existing bodies, to set
strategic infrastructure priorities
and oversee the design, scope,
and delivery of projects.
The current planning regime
acts as a major brake on
economic growth. Labour will
make the changes we need to
forge ahead with new roads,
railways, reservoirs, and other
nationally significant infrastructure.
We will set out new national policy
statements, make major projects
faster and cheaper by slashing
red tape, and build support
for developments by ensuring
communities directly benefit.
We will also update national
planning policy to ensure the
planning system meets the needs
of a modern economy, making it
easier to build laboratories, digital
infrastructure, and gigafactories.
Labour will ensure economic
regulation supports growth
and investment, promotes
competition, works for consumers,
and enables innovation.
In an ever more connected world,
Britain’s communication network is
also vital. Under the Conservatives,
investment in 5G is falling behind
other countries and the rollout of
gigabit broadband has been slow.
Labour will make a renewed push to
fulfil the ambition of full gigabit and
national 5G coverage by 2030.
Royal Mail remains a key part
of the UK’s infrastructure. Labour
will ensure that any proposed
takeover is robustly scrutinised
We need to forge
ahead with new
roads, railways,
reservoirs, and
other nationally
significant
infrastructure

33Change Labour Party Manifesto 202432 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
and that appropriate guarantees
are forthcoming that protect
the interests of the workforce,
customers and the United Kingdom,
including the need to maintain
a comprehensive universal
service obligation.
Labour will also explore new
business and governance models
for Royal Mail so that workers and
customers who rely on Royal Mail
services can have a stronger voice
in the governance and strategic
direction of the company.
A modern transport network
Rebuilding Britain means
modernising our transport
infrastructure. Our road network is
plagued by long-promised projects
that are never delivered. The
potholes cratering our roads are
a visible sign of the decline after
14 years of Conservative rule.
Cars remain by far the most
popular form of transport. Labour
will maintain and renew our
road network, to ensure it serves
drivers, cyclists and other road
users, remains safe, and tackles
congestion. We will fix an additional
one million potholes across
England in each year of the next
parliament, funded by deferring
the A27 bypass, which is poor
value for money. Labour will further
support drivers by tackling the
soaring cost of car insurance.
And, as set out in our automotive
sector plan, Labour will support
the transition to electric vehicles
by accelerating the roll out of
charge points, giving certainty
to manufacturers by restoring the
phase-out date of 2030 for new cars
with internal combustion engines,
and supporting buyers of second-
hand electric cars by standardising
the information supplied on the
condition of batteries.
Labour will overhaul Britain’s
railways. Fourteen years of
Conservative neglect have failed
passengers, businesses and
taxpayers. We will put passengers
at the heart of the service by
reforming the railways and bringing
them into public ownership. We
will do this as contracts with
existing operators expire or are
broken through a failure to deliver,
without costing taxpayers a penny
in compensation. Great British
Railways will deliver a unified system
that focuses on reliable, affordable,
high-quality, and efficient services;
along with ensuring safety and
accessibility. It will be responsible for
investment, day-to-day operational
delivery and innovations and
improvements for passengers,
working with publicly-owned rail
operators in Wales and Scotland.
Mayors will have a role in designing
the services in their areas. There

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
34 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
will be a duty to promote and grow
the use of rail freight. Open access
operators are an important part
of the rail system and will have
an ongoing role. Labour will also
create a tough new passenger
watchdog, focused on driving
up standards.
Local communities have lost
control over their bus routes.
Fares have increased, routes have
disappeared, and services are
unreliable. Building on the work of
Labour mayors, we will reform the
broken system through new powers
for local leaders to franchise local
bus services, and we will lift the ban
on municipal ownership. This will
give local communities in England
control over routes and schedules.
Under the Conservatives,
transport services have remained
fragmented and inefficient with
companies and sectors failing to
speak to and plan with each other.
Labour will give mayors the power
to create unified and integrated
transport systems, allowing for more
seamless journeys, and to promote
active travel networks. Labour will
also develop a long-term strategy
for transport, ensuring transport
infrastructure can be delivered
efficiently and on time. Labour will
secure the UK aviation industry's
long-term future, including through

35Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
promoting sustainable aviation
fuels, and encouraging airspace
modernisation.
Driving innovation
Delivering growth and raising
productivity depend on fresh
thinking and new ideas. Britain
has many cutting-edge businesses,
but innovation needs to be
converted into commercial success
in every corner of our country.
Labour will make Britain the best
place to start and grow a business.
We will ensure our industrial
strategy supports the development
of the Artificial Intelligence (AI)
sector, removes planning barriers
to new datacentres. And we will
create a National Data Library to
bring together existing research
programmes and help deliver
data-driven public services, whilst
maintaining strong safeguards and
ensuring all of the public benefit.
Labour will scrap short funding
cycles for key R&D institutions in
favour of ten-year budgets that
allow meaningful partnerships
with industry to keep the UK at the
forefront of global innovation. We
will work with universities to support
spinouts; and work with industry to
ensure start-ups have the access
to finance they need to grow. We
will also simplify the procurement
process to support innovation and
reduce micromanagement
with a mission-driven approach.
Regulators are currently
ill-equipped to deal with the
dramatic development of new
technologies, which often cut
across traditional industries
and sectors. Labour will create
a new Regulatory Innovation Office,
bringing together existing functions
across government. This office will
help regulators update regulation,
speed up approval timelines,
and co-ordinate issues that span
existing boundaries. Labour will
ensure the safe development and
use of AI models by introducing
binding regulation on the handful
of companies developing the
most powerful AI models and by
banning the creation of sexually
explicit deepfakes.
Labour will support diverse business
models which bring innovation and
new products to the market. This
includes the co-operative sector,
and we will aim to double the size
of the UK’s co-operative and
mutuals sector. We will work with the
sector to address the barriers they
face, such as accessing finance.
Support for small business
and the self-employed
Labour’s plan for economic
growth has been developed for
all UK businesses. But small firms,

36 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
entrepreneurs, and the self-
employed face unique challenges.
That is why, in partnership, Labour
has developed a plan for small
businesses – the lifeblood of
communities and high streets
across the country.
We will take action on late
payments to ensure small
businesses and the self-employed
are paid on time. We will improve
guidance and remove barriers
to exporting for small businesses.
Reform of the British Business Bank,
including a stronger mandate to
support growth in the regions and
nations, will make it easier for small
and medium sized enterprises to
access capital. We will also
reform procurement rules to
give them greater access
to government contracts.
The Post Office is an essential
service in communities across
the country. Labour will look for
ways to strengthen the Post Office
network, in consultation with
sub-postmasters, trade unions
and customers, and support the
development of new products,
services and business models,
such as banking hubs, that will
help reinvigorate the high street.
We will also ensure justice and
compensation are delivered
swiftly for those sub-postmasters
shamefully affected by the Horizon
IT scandal.
Get Britain building again
The dream of homeownership
is now out of reach for too many
young people. The Conservatives
have failed to act even though the
housing crisis is well known to be
one of the country’s biggest barriers
to growth. Labour will get Britain
building again, creating jobs across
England, with 1.5 million new homes
over the next parliament.
We will immediately update the
National Policy Planning Framework
to undo damaging Conservative
changes, including restoring
mandatory housing targets. We
will take tough action to ensure that
Labour will get
Britain building
again, creating
jobs across
England, with
1.5 million new
homes over the
next parliament

37Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
planning authorities have up-to-
date Local Plans and reform and
strengthen the presumption in
favour of sustainable development.
Labour will support local authorities
by funding additional planning
officers, through increasing the
rate of the stamp duty surcharge
paid by non-UK residents. We will
ensure local communities continue
to shape housebuilding in their
area, but where necessary Labour
will not be afraid to make full use
of intervention powers to build the
houses we need.
Labour will take a brownfield
first approach, prioritising the
development of previously used
land wherever possible, and
fast-tracking approval of urban
brownfield sites. But brownfield
development alone will not be
enough to meet our housing need.
Labour is committed to preserving
the green belt which has served
England’s towns and cities well
over many decades. Under the
Conservatives, greenbelt land is
regularly released for development
but haphazardly and often for
speculative housebuilding. Without
changing its purpose or general
extent, Labour will take a more
strategic approach to greenbelt
land designation and release to
build more homes in the right

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
38 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
places. The release of lower quality
‘grey belt’ land will be prioritised
and we will introduce ‘golden rules’
to ensure development benefits
communities and nature.
In partnership with local leaders
and communities, a Labour
government will build a new
generation of new towns, inspired
by the proud legacy of the 1945
Labour government. Alongside
urban extensions and regeneration
projects, these will form part
of a series of large-scale new
communities across England.
Housing need in England cannot
be met without planning for growth
on a larger than local scale so
we will introduce effective new
mechanisms for cross-boundary
strategic planning. Labour will
require all Combined and Mayoral
Authorities to strategically plan for
housing growth in their areas. We
will give Combined Authorities new
planning powers along with new
freedoms and flexibilities to make
better use of grant funding.
Labour will further reform
compulsory purchase
compensation rules to improve
land assembly, speed up site
delivery, and deliver housing,
infrastructure, amenity, and
transport benefits in the public

39Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
interest. We will take steps to
ensure that for specific types
of development schemes,
landowners are awarded fair
compensation rather than inflated
prices based on the prospect of
planning permission.
Labour will deliver the biggest
increase in social and affordable
housebuilding in a generation. We
will strengthen planning obligations
to ensure new developments
provide more affordable homes;
make changes to the Affordable
Homes Programme to ensure that it
delivers more homes from existing
funding; and support councils
and housing associations to build
their capacity and make a greater
contribution to affordable housing
supply. Labour will prioritise the
building of new social rented homes
and better protect our existing
stock by reviewing the increased
right to buy discounts introduced in
2012 and increasing protections on
newly-built social housing.
Labour wants exemplary
development to be the norm
not the exception. We will take
steps to ensure we are building
more high-quality, well-designed,
and sustainable homes and
creating places that increase
climate resilience and promote
nature recovery. We will implement
solutions to unlock the building
of homes affected by nutrient
neutrality without weakening
environmental protections.
Labour will work with local
authorities to give first-time
buyers the first chance to buy
homes and end the farce of
entire developments being sold
off to international investors
before houses are even built. And
we will introduce a permanent,
comprehensive mortgage
guarantee scheme, to support
first-time buyers who struggle to
save for a large deposit, with lower
mortgage costs.
Labour will
support first-
time buyers
who struggle to
save for a large
desposit, with
lower mortgage
costs

Economic growth
across the country
Every town and city across the
country has a vital contribution
to make to our economy. But
too many areas have been held
back because decisions are often
taken in Westminster, and not by
local leaders who understand
local ambitions and strengths.
This means we fail to make the
most of the contribution everyone
can make, hampering economic
growth. So, Labour will transfer
power out of Westminster, and
into our communities, with
landmark devolution legislation
to take back control.
In England, Labour will
deepen devolution settlements
for existing Combined Authorities.
We will also widen devolution to
more areas, encouraging local
authorities to come together and
take on new powers. Towns and
cities will be able to take hold of the
tools they need to pursue growth,
create jobs, and improve living
standards. Local areas will be
able to gain new powers over
transport, adult education and
skills, housing and planning, and
employment support. We will
ensure those places have the
strong governance arrangements,
capacity, and capability to
deliver, providing central support
where needed.
At the centre of our approach is
a new statutory requirement for
Local Growth Plans that cover
towns and cities across the country.
Local leaders will work with major
employers, universities, colleges,
and industry bodies to produce
long-term plans that identify
growth sectors and put in place
the programmes and infrastructure
they need to thrive. These will align
with our national industrial strategy.
Labour will review the governance
arrangements for Combined
Authorities to unblock decision
making. We will provide greater
flexibility with integrated settlements
for Mayoral Combined Authorities
that can show exemplary
management of public money. On
housing and planning we will seek
to consolidate powers to allow for
improved decision making.
Our approach will require
partnership with local authorities.
Local government is facing acute
financial challenges because
of the Conservatives’ economic
mismanagement which sent
interest rates soaring, along with
their failures on public services. To
provide greater stability, a Labour
government will give councils multi-
year funding settlements and end
wasteful competitive bidding. We
recognise good jobs deliver better
services that local communities
can rely on. Labour will provide
40 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

capacity and support to councils,
and will overhaul the local audit
system, so taxpayers get better
value for money.
Improving public services is
essential to growing our economy
across the country. Public service
workers have a critical role to play,
but services are suffering from
recruitment and retention crises.
Labour will act to improve public
service workers’ living standards
throughout the parliament,
and ensure any independent
mechanisms have the confidence
of all involved.
Labour will also work with the
Scottish and Welsh Governments,
and the Northern Ireland Executive,
to drive growth across the country.
Our industrial strategy will support
successful industries across all
nations of the UK.
A fair and properly managed
immigration system
People who have come to the
UK to work make a substantial
contribution to our economy,
our public services, and
our communities.
But under the Conservatives,
our economy has become overly
dependent on workers from abroad
to fill skills shortages. As a result,
we have seen net migration reach
record highs; more than triple the
level than at the last election in 2019.
The overall level must be properly
controlled and managed. Failure
to do so reduces the incentives
for businesses to train locally. So,
Labour will reduce net migration.
We will reform the points-based
immigration system so that it is
fair and properly managed, with
appropriate restrictions on visas,
and by linking immigration and
skills policy. Labour will not tolerate
employers or recruitment agencies
abusing the visa system. And
we will not stand for breaches of
employment law. Employers who
flout the rules will be barred from
hiring workers from abroad.
Conservative policy is incoherent,
with decisions on migration, skills
and sectoral pay determined in
41Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Labour will
transfer power out
of Westminster,
and into our
communities

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
isolation. Labour will bring joined-up
thinking, ensuring that migration
to address skills shortages triggers
a plan to upskill workers and
improve working conditions in the
UK. We will strengthen the Migration
Advisory Committee, and establish
a framework for joint working with
skills bodies across the UK, the
Industrial Strategy Council and the
Department for Work and Pensions.
We will end the long-term reliance
on overseas workers in some parts
of the economy by bringing in
workforce and training plans
for sectors such as health and
social care, and construction.
The days of a sector languishing
endlessly on immigration shortage
lists with no action to train up
workers will come to an end.
Supporting people into work
Too many people are out of work
or not earning enough. Long waits
for treatment of health conditions,
particularly mental health, are
contributing to the rise in economic
inactivity. Labour will reform
employment support so it drives
growth and opportunity. Our system
will be underpinned by rights and
responsibilities – people who can
work, should work – and there will be
consequences for those who do not
fulfil their obligations.
We will bring Jobcentre Plus and the
National Careers Service together
42 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

to provide a national jobs and
careers service, focused on getting
people into work and helping them
get on at work. We will ensure
the service is responsive to local
employers, inclusive for all users,
and works in partnership with other
local services.
Labour will work with local areas
to create plans to support more
disabled people and those with
health conditions into work. We will
devolve funding so local areas can
shape a joined-up work, health,
and skills offer for local people. We
will tackle the backlog of Access
to Work claims and give disabled
people the confidence to start
working without the fear of an
immediate benefit reassessment if
it does not work out. We believe the
Work Capability Assessment is not
working and needs to be reformed
or replaced, alongside a proper
plan to support disabled people
to work.
One in eight young people are
not in education, employment,
or training, with those lacking
good qualifications and with poor
mental health facing particular
disadvantages. Drawing together
existing funding and entitlements,
Labour will establish a youth
guarantee of access to training, an
apprenticeship, or support to find
work for all 18- to 21-year-olds, to
bring down the number of young
43Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

people who are not learning or
earning. We will also guarantee two
weeks’ worth of work experience
for every young person, and
improve careers advice in
schools and colleges.
We will work with the Scottish and
Welsh Governments, and Mayors
and Combined Authorities in
England, to ensure all aspects of
our new approach to Jobcentre Plus
and employment support partner
effectively with devolved provision,
to offer the best opportunities for
people right across the country.
Making work pay
Greater in-work security, better
pay, and more autonomy in
the workplace improve the lives
of working people and bring
substantial economic benefits.
Britain’s outdated employment
laws are not fit for the modern
economy, and recent Conservative
legislation has fuelled hostility and
confrontation leading to the worst
period in industrial relations since
the 1980s.
For too many people a job does
not offer the route out of poverty
it should: either because work is
insecure, inflexible, or low paid;
or because people face barriers
when trying to move into a better
job. Responsible businesses face
being undercut when rights are not
enforced properly.
44 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

Labour will stop the chaos and turn
the page to create a partnership
between business and trade
unions, by implementing ‘Labour’s
Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering
a New Deal for Working People’ in
full – introducing legislation within
100 days. We will consult fully with
businesses, workers, and civil society
on how to put our plans into practice
before legislation is passed. This will
include banning exploitative zero
hours contracts; ending fire and
rehire; and introducing basic rights
from day one to parental leave,
sick pay, and protection from unfair
dismissal. We will strengthen the
collective voice of workers, including
through their trade unions, and
create a Single Enforcement Body
to ensure employment rights are
upheld. These changes will improve
the lives of working people across
the entire UK.
Labour will also make sure the
minimum wage is a genuine
living wage. We will change the
remit of the independent Low
Pay Commission so for the first
time it accounts for the cost of
living. Labour will also remove the
discriminatory age bands, so all
adults are entitled to the same
minimum wage, delivering a pay
rise to hundreds of thousands of
workers across the UK.
Labour will stop the chaos, turn
the page, and kickstart economic
growth by reforming our economy.
45Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Britain’s outdated employment laws
are not fit for the modern economy.
Labour will implement our plan to
‘Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal
for Working People’

47Change Labour Party Manifesto 202446 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

47Change Labour Party Manifesto 202446 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
MAKE BRITAIN A
CLEAN ENERGY
SUPERPOWER
47Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
 S et up Great British Energy
to cut bills for good

E
nergy independence from
dictators like Putin

6
50,000 new high-quality jobs

W
armer homes to slash
fuel poverty

W
ater companies forced to clean
up our rivers

48 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Gary, pensioner
“ E nergy bills have shot up so much. I’ve lived in this house all my life and
I’ve never struggled this much to keep warm. I can only afford to heat one
room with a small portable heater. Sometimes I sleep in my armchair to
save money. It’s no way to live. Labour is the only party with a proper plan
to cut energy bills for good and get us back on track. The savings people
will get through things like Great British Energy will make a real difference
to me. No question.”
MY STORY

49Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
The climate and nature crisis
is the greatest long-term
global challenge that we face.
The clean energy transition
represents a huge opportunity
to generate growth, tackle the
cost-of-living crisis and make
Britain energy independent once
again. That is why clean energy by
2030 is Labour’s second mission.
The Conservatives have failed
to grasp opportunities in this
area for two related reasons.
First, because they simply do not
accept that economic growth,
energy security, lower bills, and
addressing climate change can be
complementary. Second, because
they are ideologically opposed to
using the role of the state, including
public investment, to guarantee
that they are.
The damage done by 14 years of
chaotic ‘sticking plaster’ policies
was exposed when Putin invaded
Ukraine. The cost of fossil fuel
energy on the international market
rocketed. The Conservatives’ ban
on new onshore wind, failure to
build new nuclear power stations,
and decision to scrap investment
in home insulation landed British
families with amongst the highest
energy bills in Europe. That is just
one way we are paying the price.
While countries around the world
are racing ahead to claim the jobs
and wealth that the transition offers,
Britain is losing out.
But it is not too late to stop the
chaos and turn the page.
We have tremendous untapped
advantages: our long coast-
line, high winds, shallow waters,
universities, and skilled offshore
workforce combined with our
extensive technological and
engineering capabilities. With a
serious industrial strategy and a
genuine partnership between
the public and private sectors,
The clean
energy transition
represents a
huge opportunity
to generate
growth, tackle
the cost-of-living
crisis and make
Britain energy
independent
once again

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
50 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
we can make Britain a clean
energy superpower.
Labour will take decisive action to
seize this economic opportunity.
We will shape markets, and use
public investment to crowd in
private funding. At the heart of
our approach will be our Green
Prosperity Plan where, in partnership
with business through our National
Wealth Fund, we will invest in the
industries of the future. Our plan
will create 650,000 jobs across
the country by 2030.
We will end the chaotic
Conservative chopping and
changing on policy, harness clean
power to boost our energy security,
and invest in home insulation
upgrades. We will save families
hundreds of pounds on their
bills, not just in the short term,
but for good.
We will provide leadership at home
so we can influence others to
ensure every country plays their
part in meeting our collective
obligations to future generations.
At home we will also tackle the
Conservatives’ nature emergency,
including the unforgivable pollution
of our rivers and seas. We will

51Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
S I R PATR ICK
VALLANCE
Former Chief
Scientific Adviser
“ Anationalmissionforclean
p
ower

by

2030

is

achievable
a
nd

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e

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he

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bills,
e
xcessivec
arbone
missions
a
nd

energy

insecurity

by
a
cceleratingt
het
ransition
t
o

clean,

homegrown

energy.
B
ritain

can

lead

on

this

by
t
reating

this

mission

like
t
he

vaccine

challenge.

We
c
an

be

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innovators

and
t
heimp
lementers,h
elping
o
urselves

and

exporting

our
s
olutions

worldwide.

But

if

we
c
hoose

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others
w
ill

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the

answers,

and
u
ltimately

we’ll

end

up

buying
t
hese

solutions

rather

than
s
elling

them.”
improve access to nature, promote
biodiversity, and protect our
landscapes and wildlife.
Labour understands the road
ahead. We have been clear that this
transition presents an opportunity
to create good jobs, with no
community left behind, and support
well-paying jobs in existing and
future industries. The Conservatives
propose an alternative course. A
denial of reality; delaying action;
increasing costs for Britain; exposing
us to insecurity; and a failure to win
the jobs of the future. They tried
this chaotic approach in the 1970s
and 80s, and communities are still
scarred by what happened. That is
the choice facing Britain.
Clean power by 2030
Families and businesses will have
lower bills for good, from a zero-
carbon electricity system. We have
chosen this mission not because it
is easy, but because working people
can never again be left vulnerable
to dictators like Putin.
To deliver our clean power mission,
Labour will work with the private
sector to double onshore wind,
triple solar power, and quadruple
offshore wind by 2030. We will invest
in carbon capture and storage,
hydrogen and marine energy, and
ensure we have the long-term
energy storage our country needs.
A new Energy Independence Act will
establish the framework for Labour’s
energy and climate policies.
Labour will end a decade of
dithering that has seen the
Conservatives duck decisions on

52 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
nuclear power. We will ensure the
long-term security of the sector,
extending the lifetime of existing
plants, and we will get Hinkley Point
C over the line. New nuclear power
stations, such as Sizewell C, and
Small Modular Reactors, will play
an important role in helping the UK
achieve energy security and clean
power while securing thousands of
good, skilled jobs.
Labour will maintain a strategic
reserve of gas power stations to
guarantee security of supply. We will
ensure a phased and responsible
transition in the North Sea that
recognises the proud history of our
offshore industry and the brilliance
of its workforce, particularly in
Scotland and the North East of
England, and the ongoing role of
oil and gas in our energy mix.
We will embrace the future of energy
production and storage which
will make use of existing offshore
infrastructure and the skills of our
offshore workforce. Labour will not
revoke existing licences and we will
partner with business and workers
to manage our existing fields for the
entirety of their lifespan. Crucially, oil
and gas production in the North Sea
will be with us for decades to come,
and the North Sea will be managed
in a way that does not jeopardise
jobs. And our offshore workers will
lead the world in the industries
of the future.
We will not issue new licences to
explore new fields because they
will not take a penny off bills, cannot
make us energy secure, and will
only accelerate the worsening
climate crisis. In addition, we will
not grant new coal licences and
will ban fracking for good.
To support investment in this plan,
Labour will close the loopholes
in the windfall tax on oil and gas
companies. Companies have
benefitted from enormous profits
not because of their ingenuity or
Labour will create
a new publicly-
owned company,
Great British
Energy. It will be
owned by the
British people
and deliver
power back to
the British people

53Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
investment, but because of an
energy shock which raised prices
for British families. Labour will
therefore extend the sunset clause
in the Energy Profits Levy until the
end of the next parliament. We will
also increase the rate of the levy by
three percentage points, as well as
removing the unjustifiably generous
investment allowances. Labour
will also retain the Energy Security
Investment Mechanism.
Switch on Great British Energy
To drive forward investment in clean,
home-grown energy production,
Labour will create a new publicly-
owned company, Great British
Energy. It will be owned by the British
people and deliver power back to
the British people.
Great British Energy will partner
with industry and trade unions to
deliver clean power by co-investing
in leading technologies; will help
support capital-intensive projects;
and will deploy local energy
production to benefit communities
across the country. To support this,
Labour will capitalise Great British
Energy with £8.3 billion, over the
next parliament.
The company will create jobs and
build supply chains in every corner
of the UK. Scotland will be the

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
54 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
powerhouse of our clean energy
mission, with Great British Energy
headquartered there.
Local power generation is an
essential part of the energy mix
and reduces pressures on the
transmission grid. Labour will
deploy more distributed production
capacity through our Local Power
Plan. Great British Energy will
partner with energy companies,
local authorities, and co-operatives
to install thousands of clean power
projects, through a combination
of onshore wind, solar, and
hydropower projects. We will invite
communities to come forward
with projects, and work with local
leaders and devolved governments
to ensure local people benefit
directly from this energy production.
Energy system reform
Under the Conservatives, the broken
energy market has let customers
down. The government has allowed
scandalous abuses on their watch,
including poor customer service,
companies going to the wall with
the costs falling on billpayers,
and the mass forced installation
of pre-payment meters.
Labour will ensure a much tougher
system of regulation that puts
consumers first and attracts the
investment needed to cut bills. Too
much of the burden of the bill is on
standing charges and we will work

55Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
with the regulator to reduce them.
We will strengthen the regulator to
ensure it can hold companies to
account for wrongdoing, require
higher standards of performance,
and ensure there is automatic
customer compensation for failure.
The national grid has become
the single biggest obstacle to the
deployment of cheap, clean power
generation and the electrification
of industry. With grid connection
dates not being offered until the
late 2030s, important business and
infrastructure investment is being
stalled or lost overseas. Labour will
work with industry to upgrade our
national transmission infrastructure
and rewire Britain.
High-quality jobs
As Britain becomes a clean energy
superpower, Labour is determined
that we will create new high-quality
jobs, working with business and
trade unions, as we manage the
transition. We will rebuild supply
chains at home. And, as the first
major economy to transition to a
clean-energy system, we will export
the technologies of the future.
Labour’s National Wealth Fund will
directly invest in ports, hydrogen
and industrial clusters in every
corner of the country. We will
also secure the future of Britain’s
automotive and steel industries.
We will reward clean energy
developers with a British Jobs
Bonus, allocating up to £500 million
per year from 2026, to incentivise
firms who offer good jobs, terms
and conditions and build their
manufacturing supply chains in our
industrial heartlands, coastal areas,
and energy communities.
Labour will end the injustice of the
Mineworkers' Pension Scheme.
We will review the unfair surplus
arrangements and transfer the
Investment Reserve Fund back to
members, so that the mineworkers
who powered our country receive a
fairer pension.
Labourʼs National
Wealth Fund will
directly invest in
ports, hydrogen
and industrial
clusters in every
corner of the
country

56 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Warm homes plan
The energy shock of recent
years has highlighted the urgent
importance of improving energy
efficiency in British homes. Labour
will invest an extra £6.6 billion over
the next parliament, doubling
the existing planned government
investment, to upgrade five million
homes to cut bills for families.
The Warm Homes Plan will offer
grants and low interest loans to
support investment in insulation
and other improvements such as
solar panels, batteries and low
carbon heating to cut bills. We will
partner with combined authorities,
local and devolved governments,
to roll out this plan. Labour will
also work with the private sector,
including banks and building
societies, to provide further private
finance to accelerate home
upgrades and low carbon heating.
We will ensure homes in the private
rented sector meet minimum
energy efficiency standards by
2030, saving renters hundreds of
pounds per year. Nobody will be
forced to rip out their boiler as a
result of our plans.
Labour will save families hundreds
of pounds, slash fuel poverty, and
get Britain back on track to meet our
climate targets. Our plan will mean
good skilled jobs for tradespeople in
every part of the country.
Accelerating to net zero
British industry is also held back by
high electricity costs, which has often
made investing here uncompetitive.
Labour’s clean energy mission will
drive down those bills, making British
businesses internationally competitive
while our National Wealth Fund
supports the most energy intensive
sectors to decarbonise.
Labour supports the introduction
of a carbon border adjustment
Labour will save
families hundreds
of pounds, slash
fuel poverty,
and get Britain
back on track to
meet our climate
targets. Our plan
will mean good
skilled jobs for
tradespeople in
every part of the
country

57Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
mechanism. This will protect British
industries as we decarbonise,
prevent countries from dumping
lower-quality goods into British
markets, and support the UK to
meet our climate objectives.
Labour will ensure the institutional
framework for policy making reflects
our commitments to reach net zero
and meet our carbon budgets. The
Conservatives’ decision to prevent
the Bank of England giving due
consideration to climate change in
its mandates will be reversed.
Britain’s world-leading financial
services industry has a major role to
play in mobilising trillions of pounds
in private capital to address the
greatest long-term challenge of our
age. Labour will make the UK the
green finance capital of the world,
mandating UK-regulated financial
institutions – including banks, asset
managers, pension funds, and
insurers – and FTSE 100 companies
to develop and implement credible
transition plans that align with the
1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement.
Improving resilience
Preparing for the future not only
means tackling the climate and
nature emergencies, but also
adapting to the changes they will
bring to our environment. Without
action, flooding and coastal
erosion will pose greater risks to
lives, livelihoods and people’s
wellbeing. The Conservatives’ poor

58 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
risk management, and a disjointed
approach across government and
regulators have left Britain
badly exposed.
Labour will improve resilience
and preparation across central
government, local authorities, local
communities, and emergency
services. This includes formally
working with all stakeholders in
the Fire and Rescue services to
inform policy and establish national
standards.
Protecting nature
The climate crisis has accelerated
the nature crisis. Whilst Britain enjoys
remarkable natural beauty, the
Conservatives have left Britain one of
the most nature-depleted countries
in the world. Labour will deliver for
nature, taking action to meet our
Environment Act targets, and will
work in partnership with civil society,
communities and business to restore
and protect our natural world.
As part of our plans to improve
responsible access to nature, Labour
will create nine new National River
Walks, one in each region of England,
and establish three new National
Forests in England, whilst planting
millions of trees and creating new
woodlands. Labour will expand
nature-rich habitats such as
wetlands, peat bogs and forests so
families can explore and wildlife can
thrive, including on public land. Labour
is committed to reducing waste by
moving to a circular economy.

59Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Clean water
Britain’s coasts, rivers, and lakes are
being polluted by illegal sewage
dumping. The Conservatives have
turned a blind eye and weakened
rather than strengthened regulation,
with serious damage being done
to our countryside, our tourism
industry, and people’s health.
Labour will put failing water
companies under special measures
to clean up our water. We will give
regulators new powers to block the
payment of bonuses to executives
who pollute our waterways and
bring criminal charges against
persistent law breakers. We will
impose automatic and severe
fines for wrongdoing and ensure
independent monitoring of
every outlet.
Supporting British farmers
Labour recognises that food security
is national security. That is why we
will champion British farming whilst
protecting the environment. We
will set a target for half of all food
purchased across the public sector
to be locally produced or certified
to higher environmental standards.
We will introduce a land-use
framework and make environment
land management schemes work
for farmers and nature. And we will
work with farmers and scientists on
measures to eradicate Bovine TB,
protecting livelihoods, so that we
can end the ineffective badger cull.
Stronger animal welfare
Labour will improve animal
welfare. We will ban trail hunting
and the import of hunting trophies.
We will end puppy smuggling and
farming, along with the use of snare
traps. And we will partner with
scientists, industry, and civil society
as we work towards the phasing out
of animal testing.
Labour will end the climate and
energy chaos, turn the page on 14
years of failed policies, and make
Britain a clean energy superpower.
Britain’s coasts,
rivers, and lakes
are being polluted
by illegal sewage
dumping. Labour
will put failing
water companies
under special
measures
to clean up
our water

61Change Labour Party Manifesto 202460 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

61Change Labour Party Manifesto 202460 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
TAKE BACK
OUR STREETS
61Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
 Cr ack down on antisocial
behaviour with more
neighbourhood police

T
ough new penalties for offenders

A p
lan to get knives off our streets

A
specialist rape unit
in every police force

A n
ew network of
Young Futures hubs

62 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Nour: sister, aunt and
campaigner for Raneem’s Law
“ O n the night my niece Raneem Oudeh and her mother were murdered
they called 999 not once, not twice, not three times, but four times. No one
came. Raneem faced abuse, stalking and threats to kill from her ex-partner.
She repeatedly asked the police for help. But nothing was done. No woman
should ever be ignored like this. And this was preventable. It’s the result of
police cuts and the Conservatives serving themselves. As Director of Public
Prosecutions Keir gave victims a voice in the justice system. I’m backing
Labour’s plan to halve levels of violence against women and girls within
a decade.”
MY STORY

63Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Labour has a straightforward vision
for policing and criminal justice.
When you call the police, they
should come. When you report
a crime, it should be properly
investigated no matter who you are,
or where you live. Police should have
the trust of communities. Victims
must have faith that justice will
be delivered, and criminals will be
punished. Prisons should not
be academies of crime. These
are not outlandish expectations.
They are the basics of a safe,
secure, law-abiding society.
Sadly, this vision is a world away
from Britain today. Our sense of
security has been badly eroded.
Serious violence is too high.
Growing numbers of young
people are drawn into gangs,
drug dealing and violence at ever
earlier ages. Antisocial behaviour
blights our town and city centres.
Fewer criminals are being caught
and punished. More victims are
being let down.
This is not an accident, but the
result of Conservative choices
over the last 14 years. Community
policing has been downgraded,
with neighbourhood officers pulled
off the beat to plug shortages
elsewhere, weakening connections
with communities they serve. Trust
in the police has been undermined
by failures in vetting and appalling
misconduct of some officers.
Powers to combat antisocial
behaviour and shoplifting have
been weakened, leaving our town
centres exposed. Our justice system
has been allowed to grind
to a halt.
This must change. Labour will
restore neighbourhood policing
Labour has a straightforward vision
for policing and criminal justice. When
you call the police, they should come.
When you report a crime, it should be
properly investigated no matter who
you are, or where you live

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
64 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
with thousands of extra officers,
and we will equip officers with
the powers they need. We will
tackle the epidemic of serious
violence, with a greater focus on
prevention, including by holding
those companies and executives
cashing in on knife crime personally
to account. We will no longer
tolerate the violence against
women and girls that stains our
society. And we will reform the
justice system to put the needs of
victims first, tackle the prisons crisis
and cut reoffending.
In short, Labour will stop the
Conservative chaos and return
law and order to our streets.
Visible neighbourhood policing
Visible neighbourhood policing
was the cornerstone of the British
consent-based model. In too
many areas it has been eroded,
leaving the police a reactive service
focused on crisis response,
rather than preventing crime.
Labour will introduce a new
Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee,
restoring patrols to our town
centres by recruiting thousands
of new police officers, police
and community support
officers, and special constables.
Communities and residents will
have a named officer to turn to
when things go wrong.

65Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
GAVIN
THOMAS
Former Detective
Chief Superintendent
and Former President
of the Police
Superintendents
Association
“ Labourhasseriousand
c
redible

plans

to

take

back
o
ur

streets,

with

ambitious
m
issions

to

halve

serious
vi
olence

-

including

knife
c
rime

-

finally

tackle

the
s
crouge

of

violence

against
w
omen

and

girls,

and

rebuild
p
ublicconfi
denceinp
olicing
b
y

getting

bobbies

back

on
t
he

beat.

These

plans

will
r
equire

us

to

do

things
d
ifferently

and

to

work

hard
t
o

offer

better

protection

to
o
ur

communities.

But

they
c
an

only

happen

if

you

vote
f
or

them.”
These new recruits will be paid for
by tackling waste through a new
Police Efficiency and Collaboration
programme for England and
Wales. The programme will
set nation-wide standards for
procurement and establish shared
services and specialist functions to
drive down costs.
Cracking down
on antisocial behaviour
Antisocial behaviour is not merely a
‘low-level’ nuisance. It hits the poorest
communities hardest and, if left
unchecked, leads to more serious
offending. Yet, the Conservatives
weakened enforcement powers.
Labour will fix this by introducing new
Respect Orders – powers to ban
persistent adult offenders from town
centres, which will stamp out issues
such as public drinking and drug
use. Fly-tippers and vandals will also
be forced to clean up the mess they
have created.
With shoplifting soaring,
retail workers increasingly find
themselves in harm’s way. Labour
will scrap the effective immunity
for some shoplifting introduced by
the Conservatives and create a
new specific offence for assaults on
shopworkers that will protect them
from threats and violence.
Knife crime action plan
Knife crime has been rising for a
decade, claiming far too many
young lives. It is a national crisis,
requiring urgent action. Yet, under
the Conservatives, too often when
a teenager is found with a knife,
nothing happens, and carrying
a knife becomes normalised.

66 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
There are virtually no services for
vulnerable teenagers at risk of
being drawn into a life of violence.
The next Labour government will
change this. We aim to halve knife
crime in a decade.
Labour will end the practice of
empty warnings by ensuring knife
carrying triggers rapid intervention
and tough consequences. Every
young person caught in possession
of a knife will be referred to a Youth
Offending Team and will receive
a mandatory plan to prevent
reoffending, with penalties including
curfews, tagging, and custody for
the most serious cases.
To get knives off our streets Labour
will ban ninja swords, lethal zombie-
style blades and machetes, and
strengthen rules to prevent online
sales. Executives of online
companies that flout these rules will
be personally held to account
through tough sanctions.
Labour will intervene earlier to stop
young people being drawn into
crime, creating a new Young Futures
programme with a network of hubs
reaching every community. These
hubs will have youth workers, mental
health support workers, and careers
advisers on hand to support young
people’s mental health and avoid
them being drawn into crime.
We will not wait for those at risk to
come forward. Local prevention
partnerships will identify young
people who could be drawn into
violence and intervene. And to offer
young people a pathway out of
violence, we will place youth workers
and mentors in A&E units and Pupil
Referral Units, funded by full recovery
of the cost of firearm licensing.
Labour will also introduce a new
offence of criminal exploitation
of children, to go after the gangs
who are luring young people into
violence and crime.
To get knives off our streets Labour will
ban ninja swords, lethal zombie-style
blades and machetes, and strengthen
rules to prevent online sales

67Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Tackling violence against women
and girls
For too long, violence against
women and girls has been ignored.
Our landmark mission to halve
violence against women and girls
in a decade will require a national
effort. We will use every government
tool available to target perpetrators
and address the root causes of
abuse and violence.
That starts with tougher
enforcement and protection. With
Labour, there will be specialist
rape and sexual offences teams in
every police force. The most prolific
and harmful perpetrators will be
relentlessly targeted, using tactics
normally reserved for terrorists and
organised crime.
Prosecution rates for rape are
shamefully low with many victims
dropping out of the justice system
when faced with years of delays.
Labour will fast-track rape cases,
with specialist courts at every
Crown Court location in England
and Wales.
Victims deserve better support.
Building on the success of the
approach adopted by Labour Police
and Crime Commissioners, we will
introduce domestic abuse experts
in 999 control rooms so that victims
can talk directly to a specialist, and

Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
68 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
ensure there is a legal advocate
in every police force area to
advise victims from the moment of
report to trial.
Violence and abuse against
women and girls does not come
from nowhere. Misogyny is one root
cause, and therefore Labour will
ensure schools address misogyny
and teach young people about
healthy relationships and consent.
We will ensure police forces have
the powers they need to track and
tackle the problem.
Stalking has not been treated
with the seriousness it deserves.
Labour will strengthen the use of
Stalking Protection Orders and
give women the right to know the
identity of online stalkers. Spiking
is a devastating crime for victims,
leaving many women feeling
vulnerable when they go out.
Labour will introduce a new criminal
offence for spiking to help police
better respond to this crime.
We will strengthen the rights and
protections available to women in
co-habiting couples, as well as for
whistleblowers in the workplace,
including on sexual harassment.
Better policing
Under the Conservatives, poor
policing performance has been

69Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
tolerated, with forces spending
years in special measures. Trust in
the police has been undermined by
the appalling acts of some officers.
Labour will turn the page and raise
standards by reforming the police.
Labour will give His Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire
& Rescue Services new powers to
intervene with failing forces. We will
introduce mandatory professional
standards on vetting, checks and
misconduct for individual officers;
and stronger training on racism and
violence against women and girls.
Anyone with a history of violence
against women and girls will be
barred from the service and we will
introduce automatic suspensions
if officers are investigated for
domestic abuse and sexual
offences. Particular care is required
when investigating children. Labour
will introduce new legal safeguards
around strip-searching children and
young people.
Fraud accounts for almost two in
five crimes, but the Conservatives
have failed to respond to the
scale of the challenge. Labour will
introduce a new expanded fraud
strategy to tackle the full range
of threats, including online, public
sector and serious fraud. We will
work with technology companies to
stop their platforms being exploited
by fraudsters.
Criminals never stop looking for new
ways to target victims. Police must
change the way they operate too,
with technology and investigative
techniques keeping pace with
modern threats. We will work with
national policing bodies and police
staff to standardise approaches
to procurement, IT, professional
standards and training. And we will
For too long violence against women
and girls has been ignored. We will
use every government tool to target
perpetrators and address the root
causes of abuse and violence

71Change Labour Party Manifesto 202470 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
ensure the service is organised so
as to enable investment in specialist
capabilities, such as digital
forensics, and to more effectively
tackle cross-border issues such as
serious organised crime.
Solving crime
Under the Conservatives,
plummeting charge and
prosecution rates have emboldened
criminals. Rather than working
together, police and prosecutors
often engage in a blame game,
which lets down victims.
Labour will reverse this, driving up
the proportion of crimes solved
by reducing barriers to bringing
charges, cutting bureaucracy,
and improving collaboration.
We will make it easier for high-
performing police forces to charge
domestic abuse suspects to speed
up the process.
Labour recognises recruitment
challenges, particularly for
detectives, so we will roll out a direct
entry scheme for detectives to
boost investigation skills.
A justice system that
puts victims first
After 14 years of neglect, the
criminal justice system is broken.
Victims wait months, sometimes
years, for their case to come to trial,

71Change Labour Party Manifesto 202470 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
unable to move on with their lives.
As an initial step to address the
courts backlog, Labour will ensure
more prosecutors are available by
allowing Associate Prosecutors
to work on appropriate cases.
We will introduce new protections
for victims of crime and persistent
antisocial behaviour, by increasing
the powers of the Victims’
Commissioner, and ensuring victims
can access the information and
support they need.
Even when criminals are found
guilty, the sentences they receive
often do not make sense either to
victims or the wider public. This is
particularly worrying for offences
against women and girls. Labour will
carry out a review of sentencing to
ensure it is brought up to date.
Getting a grip of our prisons
and reducing reoffending
Prisons in England and Wales
are in crisis. The Conservatives’
failure to build sufficient places
has led to overcrowding and
chaos. Judges are being advised
to delay sentencing. Prisoners are
being released early. And fewer
dangerous criminals are locked
up because of a lack of space.
The Conservatives have failed to
get prisons built. Labour recognises
that prisons are of national
importance and therefore will
use all relevant powers to build
the prisons so badly needed.
As a result of overcrowding, our
prisons are increasingly dangerous,
plagued by drug use and violent
disorder – putting prison officers
in a dangerous position. Far from
being places where offenders are
punished and rehabilitated, prisons
are a breeding ground for more
crime. Prison leavers are more likely
to reoffend if they do not have the
tools to move away from crime, if
they have nowhere to live and if
they do not have a job on release.
Labour will act to reduce
reoffending. We will work with
prisons to improve offenders’
access to purposeful activity, such
as learning, and ensure they create
pre-release plans for those leaving
custody. We will support prisons to
link up with local employers and the
voluntary sector to get ex-offenders
into work. The children of those who
are imprisoned are at far greater
risk of being drawn into crime than
their peers. We will ensure that those
young people are identified and
offered support to break the cycle.
After 14 years of chaotic
reorganisations, the national
probation service is struggling
to keep the public safe. A lack of
co-ordination between prisons,
probation and other local services

72 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

73Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Under the Conservatives, plummeting
charge and prosecution rates have
emboldened criminals. Labour will
reverse this, driving up the proportion
of crimes solved
also means prison-leavers are
not getting the right support,
raising the risk that they go straight
back to crime.
In some areas of the country,
we have seen Labour Mayors
pioneering a more joined-up
approach to reduce reoffending.
In Greater Manchester, probation
is linked up with housing and
health services to ensure offenders
leaving custody receive the support
they need. Labour will conduct
a strategic review of probation
governance, including considering
the benefits of devolved models.
Historical injustices
Under the Conservatives, too many
victims of historical injustices have
had insult added to injury by years
of legal delays. Without justice and
the truth, victims and their families
cannot move forward. Labour will
right this wrong, act on the findings
of the Infected Blood Inquiry, and
respond to the findings of the
Grenfell Inquiry and the Covid-19
Inquiry, to ensure swift resolution.
Labour will introduce a ‘Hillsborough
Law’ which will place a legal duty
of candour on public servants and
authorities, and provide legal aid
for victims of disasters or state-
related deaths. We will ensure the
victims of the appalling Windrush
scandal have their voices heard
and the compensation scheme is
run effectively, with a new Windrush
Commissioner. Labour will also
ensure, through an investigation
or inquiry, that the truth about the
events at Orgreave comes to light.
Labour will stop the chaos that
lets too many criminals act
with impunity, turn the page with
stronger policing, and rebuild
our criminal justice system.

74 Change Labour Party Manifesto 202474
74 74

75Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024 75Change — Labour Party Manifesto 2024
BREAK DOWN
THE BARRIERS
TO OPPORTUNITY
 R ecruit 6,500 new expert
teachers in key subjects

3,
000 new primary
school-based nurseries

F
ree breakfast clubs
in every primary school

A mo
dern curriculum
so young people are ready
for work and life

H
igh-quality apprenticeships
and specialist technical colleges
75Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

Zahida,
Trust School Improvement Partner
“ Iwentintoeducationtomakeadifferenceforallchildren,especiallythose
f
rom

council

estates

like

the

one

I

grew

up

on.

I

taught

Spanish

to

Labour’s
S
hadow

Secretary

of

State

for

Education

Bridget

Phillipson.

Having

been
a

headteacher,

it

is

my

privilege

to

support

Labour’s

plans

for

6,500

new
t
eachers,

free

breakfast

clubs

in

every

primary

school,

and

to

give

all
c
hildren

the

chance

to

take

part

in

music,

sport,

and

the

arts.

Bridget
a
nd

her

colleagues

in

government

will

continue

to

make

that

difference.”
MY STORY
76 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

Whoeveryouare,whereveryou
c
ome

from,

Britain

should

be

a
c
ountry

where

hard

work

means
y
ou

can

get

on

in

life.

Under

the
C
onservatives, this basic promise


that

if

you

work

hard,

you

will
e
njoy

the

rewards



has

been
b
roken.

We

are

a

country

where
w
ho

your

parents

are



and

how
m
uch money they have – too
often counts for more than your
effort

and

enterprise.

Too

many
p
eople

see

success

as

something
t
hat

happens

to

others.

This

is

an
a
ppalling

waste

of

talent

as

well

as
a

huge

injustice.

So,

breaking

the
p
erniciouslin
kb
etweenb
ackground
a
nd

success

will

be

a

defining
m
issionf
orL
abour.
F
irst,

we

must

recognise

that
gr
eaterop
portunityr
equires
gr
eaters
ecurity.T
acklinge
conomic
i
nsecurity



at

work,

at

home,

in

our
c
ommunities and public services


is

the

golden

thread

that

runs
t
hrough

all

of

Labour’s

missions.
O
n

that

secure

foundation,

we

can
b
uild an education system that
prepares

our

children

for

life,

work,
a
nd

the

future.
O
ur

education

system

is

struggling
t
o cope after years of chronic
mismanagementund
ert
he
C
onservatives.

Childcare

and
e
arlye
ducationar
einc
reasingly
un
affordableandun
available.
T
oo many children arrive at primary
school

not

ready

to

learn.

Too

many
c
hildren

are

not

even

getting

to
s
chool.

Teachers

are

burnt

out

and
l
eaving

in

droves.

Fewer

people

are
p
articipatinginap
prenticeships
andt
raining.H
ighere
ducationis
i
n

crisis.

Meanwhile,

too

many

of
o
ur

young

people

leave

school
u
nprepared

for

the

future.
L
abour

will

transform

our

education
s
ystem

so

that

young

people

get
t
he

opportunities

they

deserve.
W
e

will

expand

our

childcare
and
early-years system, drive up
standards, modernise the school
curriculum, reform assessment, and
create
h
igher-qualityt
rainingand
em
ploymentpa
thsb
yem
powering
Breakingthe
p
ernicious
linkb
etween
b
ackground
and success
will

be

a

defining
m
ission for Labour
77Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

78 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
local communities to develop
the

skills

people

need.

We

will
a
lso put employers at the heart
of

our

skills

system.
E
very

child

should

believe

that
s
uccess

belongs

to

them.

Education
h
as

so

often

been

the

spark

that
c
an

light

a

fire

within,

transforming
l
ife

chances.

It

is

time

to

light

that
fi
re

for

the

whole

country.
F
amily security
The

last

Labour

government

lifted
o
ver half a million children and
over a million pensioners out of
poverty.

That

progress

transformed
li
fe chances and ensured security
in

retirement.

The

next

Labour
g overnment  will  build  on  that
l
egacy

of

pursuing

opportunity
ands
ocialj
ustice.
G
ood

work

will

be

the

foundation
o
f

our

approach

to

tackling

poverty
a
nd

inequality.

We

will

create

more
g
ood

jobs,

reform

employment
s
upport,

and

make

work

pay

so
t
hat

many

more

people

benefit
f
romt
hedign
ityandpur
pose
o
f

work.
L
abour

is

committed

to

reviewing
U
niversal

Credit

so

that

it

makes
w
ork

pay

and

tackles

poverty.
W
e

want

to

end

mass

dependence
o
n

emergency

food

parcels,

which
i
s

a

moral

scar

on

our

society.

79Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
IMELDA
ST AUNTON CBE
Actor
“  Iw elcome L abour’sp roposals
s
et

out

by

Keir

Starmer
t
ob
roadenop
portunity
a
nd

make

sure

all

young
p
eople

have

access

to

the
a
rts.

Opening

up

access
t
o

creativity

in

our

schools
i
s

critical,

not

just

so

that
o
ur

children

have

a

better
c
hance

at

a

career

in

the
a
rts,

but

because

access

is
w
hat

will

fuel

growth

in

the
c
reative

industries



one

of
t
hemo
stimp
ortants
ectors
f
or

the

future

of

the

economy


creating

good

jobs

in

all
c
orners

of

the

country.”
Child

poverty

has

gone

up

by
7
00,000 under the Conservatives,
with

over

four

million

children
n
ow

growing

up

in

a

low-income
f
amily.

Last

year,

a

million

children
e
xperienced

destitution.

This

not
o nly  harms  children’s  lives  now,  it
d
amages

their

future

prospects,
a
nd

holds

back

our

economic
p
otential

as

a

country.

Labour

will
d
evelop

an

ambitious

strategy
t
o

reduce

child

poverty.

We

will
w
ork

with

the

voluntary

sector,
f
aithor
ganisations,t
radeun
ions,
busine
ss, devolved and local
government,andc
ommunities
t
o

bring

about

change.
W
e

will

take

initial

steps

to
c
onfront

poverty

by

introducing
f
ree

breakfast

clubs

in

every
p
rimary

school,

protecting

renters
f
rom

arbitrary

eviction,

slashing
f
uel

poverty,

banning

exploitative
z
ero

hours

contracts,

and

improving
s
upport

to

help

people

get

into
g
ood

work.
Our system of state, private, and
workplace

pensions

provide

the
b
asis

for

security

in

retirement.
L
abour

will

retain

the

triple

lock
f
or

the

state

pension.

We

will
a
lso

adopt

reforms

to

workplace
p
ensions to deliver better outcomes
for

UK

savers

and

pensioners.

Our
p
ensions

review

will

consider

what
f
urther steps are needed to improve
security

in

retirement,

as

well

as

to
increase productive investment
in

the

UK

economy.
Security

also

means

having
a

secure

roof

over

your

head.
T
hat is not the case for too many
renting

their

homes

privately.
L
abour

will

legislate

where

the
C
onservatives have failed,
overhaulingt
her
egulationo
f
t
he

private

rented

sector.

We

will
im
mediately abolish Section 21
‘no

fault’

evictions,

prevent

private

80 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
rentersbeingexploitedand
dis
criminateda
gainst,e
mpower
t
hem

to

challenge

unreasonable
r
ent

increases,

and

take

steps
t
o decisively raise standards,
includinge
xtending‘
Awaab’sL
aw’
t
o

the

private

sector.
L
abour

will

also

take

decisive

action
t
oim
provebu
ildings
afety,inc
luding
t
hrough

regulation,

to

ensure

we
n
ever

again

see

a

repeat

of

the
G
renfell

fire.

We

will

review

how

to
be
tter protect leaseholders from
costs

and

take

steps

to

accelerate
t
he pace of remediation across the
country.

We

will

put

a

renewed

focus
o
n

ensuring

those

responsible

for
t
he

building

safety

crisis

pay

to
p
ut

it

right.
For far too many leaseholders,
the

reality

of

home

ownership
f
alls

woefully

short

of

the

dream
t
hey

were

promised.

Labour

will
a
ct

where

the

Conservatives
h
ave

failed

and

finally

bring

the
f
eudal leasehold system to an
end.

We

will

enact

the

package
o
f

Law

Commission

proposals

on
l
easeholde
nfranchisement,r
ight
t
om
anageandc
ommonhold.
W
e

will

take

further

steps

to

ban
n
ew

leasehold

flats

and

ensure
c
ommonholdist
hed
efaultt
enure.
W
e

will

tackle

unregulated

and
un
affordablegr
oundr
entc
harges.
W
e

will

act

to

bring

the

injustice

of

fleecehold’

private

housing

estates
and
unfair maintenance costs to
an  end.
T
he

last

Labour

government
m
ade

huge

strides

in

ending
home
lessness.U
ndert
he
C
onservatives,

that

progress

has
b
een

undone,

with

rough

sleepers
ana
ll-too-commonsigh
tino
ur
t
owns

and

cities,

and

a

sharp
r
iseinh
iddenhome
lessness.
B
uilding

on

the

lessons

of

our
p
ast,

Labour

will

develop

a

new
c
ross-government

strategy,

working
w
ith

Mayors

and

Councils

across
t
he

country,

to

put

Britain

back

on
t
rackt
oe
ndinghome
lessness.
Best start in life
High-qualitye
arlye
ducationand
c
hildcare is a crucial opportunity
High-quality
e
arly education
and childcare
is a crucial
opportunity
to transform
life chances…
Labour

will

open
an
additional
3,000 nurseries

81Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
totransformlifechances.Toooften
i
tisun
available,orun
affordable.
A
s

an

initial

step,

Labour

will

open
an
additional 3,000 nurseries
through

upgrading

space

in
pr
imary schools, to deliver the
extension

of

government

funded
h
ours

families

are

entitled

to.
S
upporting

children

in

the

early
p
art

of

their

life

also

means

giving
p
arents

the

flexibility

they

need

to
c
are

for

their

children.

Labour

will
r
eview

the

parental

leave

system,
s
o

it

best

supports

working

families,
w
ithin

our

first

year

in

government.
E
very

child

should

have

a

loving,
s
ecure

home.

Labour

will

work
w ith  local  government  to  support
c
hildren

in

care,

including

through
k
inship,

foster

care,

and

adoption,
a
s

well

as

strengthening

regulation
o
f

the

children’s

social

care

sector.
Sadly,

too

often

we

see

families
f
alling

through

the

cracks

of

public
s
ervices.

Labour

will

improve

data
s
haring

across

services,

with

a
s
ingle

unique

identifier,

to

better
s
upportc
hildrenandf
amilies.
Raising school standards
Labour is determined to raise
school standards for every child,
and ensure they are prepared for
the
f
uture.

Most

children

attend
s
chools

where

the

Conservatives

82 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
arefailingtoprovidethesupport
a
nd

teaching

that

they

need.
L
abour

will

end

the

VAT

exemption
and
business rates relief for private
schools

to

invest

in

our

state

schools.
The

factor

that

makes

the
b
iggest

difference

to

a

child’s
e
ducationish
igh-qualityt
eaching;
b
ut

there

are

shortages

of

qualified
t
eachers

across

the

country.
L
abour

will

recruit

an

additional
6
,500

new

expert

teachers.

We

will
g
et

more

teachers

into

shortage
s
ubjects, support areas that face
recruitment

challenges,

and

tackle
r
etention

issues.

The

way

bursaries
ar
e allocated, and the structure of
retention

payments,

will

be

reviewed.
Teaching

is

a

hard-earned

and
h
ard-learneds
kill,L
abourw
ill
w
ork

to

further

raise

its

status.
W
e

will

update

the

Early

Career
F
ramework,m
aintainingi
ts
gr
oundingine
vidence,and
e
nsure

any

new

teacher

entering
t
he

classroom

has,

or

is

working
t
owards,

Qualified

Teacher
S
tatus.

We

will

introduce

a

new
T
eacher

Training

Entitlement

to
e
nsure teachers stay up to date
on

best

practice

with

continuing
p
rofessionald
evelopment.
School support staff play a vital
role

in

children’s

education

and
d
evelopment.

Labour

will

reinstate
t
heS
choolS
upportS
taffN
egotiating
B
ody,

which

will

help

address

the
a
cute recruitment and retention
crisis  in  support  roles.
Raising

school

standards

starts

with
e
arly

education.

The

last

Labour
g
overnment’sp
romotion
o
f

phonics

put

rocket

boosters
u
nder

the

reading

and

writing
a
bility

of

a

generation

of

children.
W
e

will

do

the

same

for

numeracy,
i
mproving

the

quality

of

maths
t
eaching

across

nurseries

and
pr
imarys
chools.
D
evelopinge
arlyc
ommunication
s
kills

is

another

key

foundation
f
or

life,

with

serious

knock-on
c
onsequencesw
hend
evelopment
i
s

delayed.

Labour

will

fund
e
vidence-basede
arly-language
Labourwil l f und
f
reeb
reakfast
c
lubs in every
primary school,
accessible
to

all

children.
O
urb
reakfast
c
lubswil
ls
upport
p
arents

through
t
he cost-of-
livingc
risis

83Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
interventions in primary schools, so
that

every

child

can

find

their

voice.
A
longsideh
igh-qualityt
eaching,
dr
ivingups
tandardsine
ducation
r
equireso
utstandingl
eadership.
L
abour

will

create

a

new

Excellence
inL
eadershipP
rogramme,
a

mentoring

framework

that
e
xpands

the

capacity

of
he
adteachers and leaders to
improve

their

schools.

Labour
w
ill

introduce

new

Regional
I
mprovement Teams, to enhance
school-to-school support, and
spread
b
estpr
actice.
A
ccountabilityisnon
-negotiable,
w
hich

is

why

Labour

supports
s
chool

inspection.

Under

the
C
onservatives our inspection
regime

has

been

broken.

A

system
w
hich

declares

nine

in

ten

schools
a
re

good

or

outstanding

fails

to
p
rovides
ufficientin
formation
o
n

school

performance.

We

will
e
nhance

the

inspection

regime

by
r
eplacing

a

single

headline

grade
w
ith

a

new

report

card

system
t
elling

parents

clearly

how

schools
a
re

performing.

We

will

also

bring
M
ulti-Academy

Trusts

into

the
in
spection system and introduce a
new

annual

review

of

safeguarding,
a
ttendance,ando
ff-rolling.
E
very

child

should

have

a

broad
c
urriculum

with

an

excellent
f
oundationinr
eading,w
ritingand
m
aths, and support to develop
essentialdigi tal,s peaking,and
c
reative

skills.

Yet

today,

too

many
a
re

missing

out.

Labour

will

launch
a
n

expert-led

review

of

curriculum
a
nd

assessment,

working

with
s
chool staff, parents and employers
to

change

this.
Our

reforms

will

build

on

the

hard
w
ork

of

teachers

who

have

brought
t
heir

subjects

alive

with

knowledge-
rich syllabuses, to deliver a
curriculum

which

is

rich

and

broad,
inc
lusive,andin
novative.T
oc
apture
t
his

breadth,

our

review

will

consider
t
he

right

balance

of

assessment
m
ethods

whilst

protecting

the
i
mportant

role

of

examinations.
Too often our education and care
systems do not meet the needs of
all

children,

including

those

with
S
pecial

Educational

Needs

and
D
isabilities

(SEND).

Labour

will

take
ac
ommunity-widea
pproach,
im
provinginc
lusivityande
xpertise
i
n

mainstream

schools,

as

well

as
e
nsuring

special

schools

cater

to
t
hose

with

the

most

complex

needs.
W
e

will

make

sure

admissions
d
ecisions account for the needs of
communitiesandr
equirea
lls
chools
t
o

co-operate

with

their

local
au
thority on school admissions,
SENDinc
lusion,andp
lacep
lanning.
Too

many

children’s

life

chances
a
re

being

scarred

by

rising

poverty.
T
oo many arrive at school not ready
to

learn,

and

too

many

are

absent.

84 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Breakfastclubsimprovebehaviour,
a
ttendance,andl
earning.L
abour
w
ill

fund

free

breakfast

clubs

in
e
very primary school, accessible
to

all

children.

Our

breakfast

clubs
w
ill

support

parents

through

the
c
ost-of-living

crisis.

We

will

also
b
ring

down

the

cost

of

school

by
l
imiting

the

number

of

branded
i
tems

of

uniform

and

PE

kit

that
s
chools

can

require.
Poor mental health is another
barrier

to

learning.

The

struggle
t
o

access

support

is

paralysing
c
hildren

and

young

people
t
hrough

their

formative

years.
L
abourwil
lpr
ovideac
cess
t
o specialist mental health
professionals in every school, so
every

young

person

has

access

to
e
arly support to address problems
before

they

escalate.
T his  will  complement  our  plan
f
or

Young

Futures

Hubs,

which

will
m
ake

sure

every

community

has
an
open-access hub for children
and

young

people

with

drop-in
m
ental

health

support.
R
eforming further
and higher education
After

years

of

Conservative

chaos
a
nd

policy

churn,

the

skills

system
i
n

England

is

confusing

for

young
p
eople,

adults,

and

employers.
A
pprenticeshipn
umbersh
ave
p
lummeted.Sk
illss
hortagesar
e
w
idespread.

Young

people

have
b
een

left

without

the

opportunities
t
hey

need.

The

result

is

an
e
conomyw
ithoutt
hene
cessary
s
kills,

nor

any

plan

for

the

skills
n
eeds

of

the

future.

Labour

will
a
ddress

this

by

bringing

forward
a

comprehensive

strategy
Poor mental health is another barrier
to

learning.

The

struggle

to

access
s
upport

is

paralysing

children

and
y
oung

people

through

their

formative
y
ears.

Labour

will

provide

access

to
s
pecialist mental health professionals
in every school

85Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
forpost-16education.And
w
e

will

guarantee

training,

an
a
pprenticeship,

or

help

to

find
w
ork

for

all

18-

to

21-year-olds.
We

will

establish

Skills

England

to
b
ringt
ogetherbusine
ss,t
raining
p
roviders

and

unions

with

national
a
nd

local

government

to

ensure
w
e

have

the

highly

trained
w
orkforce

needed

to

deliver
L
abour’sI
ndustrialS
trategy.Sk
ills
E
ngland

will

formally

work

with

the
M
igration

Advisory

Committee

to
m
ake

sure

training

in

England
a
ccounts for the overall needs of
the

labour

market.

And

we

are
c
ommittedt
ode
volvingad
ultsk
ills
f
undingt
oC
ombinedA
uthorities,
em poweringloc alle aderst o
h
ave

greater

control

of

skills
d
evelopment in their areas,
alongside

a

greater

role

in
s
upporting

people

into

work.
Sk
illsE
nglandw
illc
o-ordinate
b
etween

local

areas

to

ensure
e
veryone can access all the
opportunitiesa
vailable.
Labourw
illt
ransformF
urther
E
ducationc
ollegesin
tos
pecialist
T
echnical

Excellence

Colleges.
T
hese

colleges

will

work

with
busine
sses, trade unions, and
local

government

to

provide

young
p
eople

with

better

job

opportunities
andt
heh
ighlyt
rainedw
orkforce
t
hat

local

economies

need.

86 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Labourwillalsoreform
t
he

Conservatives’

broken
A
pprenticeships

Levy.

The

current
r
igidr
ulesignor
ev
itals
kills
a
nd

training

needed

to

access
a
pprenticeships.

Labour

will

create
a

flexible

Growth

and

Skills

Levy,
w
ithSk
illsE
nglandc
onsulting
o
n

eligible

courses

to

ensure
q
ualifications

offer

value

for

money.
L
abour

will

continue

to

support
t
he aspiration of every person
who

meets

the

requirements
a
nd

wants

to

go

to

university.
W
e

recognise

that

UK

higher
e
ducation creates opportunity,
is

a

world-leading

sector

in

our
e
conomy, and supports local
communities.

To

better

integrate
f
urtherandh
ighere
ducation,
ande
nsureh
igh-qualityt
eaching,
L
abour’s

post-16

skills

strategy
w
ill

set

out

the

role

for

different
p
roviders,

and

how

students

can
m
ove

between

institutions,

as

well
a
s

strengthening

regulation.

We

will
ac
t to improve access to universities
andr
aiset
eachings
tandards.
Thec
urrenth
ighere
ducation
f
unding

settlement

does

not

work
f
or

the

taxpayer,

universities,

staff,
o
r

students.

Labour

will

act

to

create
a

secure

future

for

higher

education
and
the opportunities it creates
across

the

UK.

We

will

work

with
u
niversities to deliver for students
ando
ure
conomy.
Access to arts, music and sport
With Labour, the arts and music
will

no

longer

be

the

preserve
o
f

a

privileged

few.

Culture

is

an
e
ssential

part

of

supporting

children
a
nd

young

people

to

develop
c
reativity

and

find

their

voice.
T
here

is

huge

potential

for

growth
in
the creative industries that
benefit

every

corner

of

the

UK.
L
abour

will

implement

our
c
reative industries sector
plan as part of our Industrial
Strategy,

creating

good

jobs

and
a
ccelerating

growth

in

film,

music,
g
aming,ando
therc
reatives
ectors.
W
e

will

work

constructively

with

the
B
BC

and

our

other

public

service
b
roadcasters so they continue
to inform, educate and entertain
people, and support the creative
economy
b
yc
ommissioning
dis
tinctivelyB
ritishc
ontent.
Labour

will

support

children

to
s
tudy a creative or vocational
subject

until

they

are

16,

and

ensure
a
ccountabilityme
asuresr
eflect
t
his.

We

will

get

more

children
a
ctive

by

protecting

time

for
p
hysicale
ducation,ands
upporting
t
he

role

grassroots

clubs

play
i
n

expanding

access

to

sport.
Labour

will

improve

access
t
o

cultural

assets

by

requiring
pub
licly funded national museums
and

galleries

to

increase

the

loans
t
hey

make

from

their

collections

87Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
to communities across the
country.

We

will

also

launch

a
newN
ationalM
usicE
ducation
N
etwork



a

one-stop

shop
w
ith

information

on

courses

and
c
lasses for parents, teachers and
children.

Access

to

music,

drama
a
nd

sport

has

become

difficult
a
nd

expensive

because

of

ticket
t
outing.

Labour

will

put

fans

back
a
t

the

heart

of

events

by

introducing
n
ew

consumer

protections

on
t
icket

resales.
F
rom

the

Men’s

UEFA

European
F
ootball Championship to the ICC
Women’s

T20

World

Cup

to

the
I
nvictusG
ames,L
abourw
ill
d
eliver

international

events

with
p
ride

and

seek

new

opportunities
w here  we  can,  creating  a  legacy
t
o

inspire

the

next

generation

of
t
alent

while

promoting

exercise
andhe
althyli
ving.
L
abour

is

committed

to

making
B
ritain

the

best

place

in

the
w
orld

to

be

a

football

fan.

We

will
r
eform

football

governance

to
pr
otect football clubs across our
communities

and

to

give

fans

a
g
reater

say

in

the

way

they

are
r
un.

We

will

introduce

a

Football
G
overnance

Bill,

which

will

establish
a
n

independent

regulator

to

ensure
fi
nancials
ustainabilityo
ff
ootball
c
lubs

in

England.

We

will

never

allow
a

closed

league

of

select

clubs

to
b
e

siphoned

off

from

the

English
f
ootballp
yramid.

Respect and opportunity for all
Everyone

in

this

country

deserves
a

government

that

matches

their
a
mbition.

Labour

will

ensure

no
m
atter

whatever

your

background,
y
ou

can

thrive,

and

therefore

we

will
e
nact the socio-economic duty in
the

Equality

Act

2010.
W
omen’s

equality

will

be

at

the
h
eart

of

our

missions.

Our

plan

to
M
ake

Work

Pay

will

transform

the
li
veso
fw
orkingw
omen,inc
luding
b
y

strengthening

rights

to

equal
p
ay and protections from maternity
and menopause discrimination and
sexual

harassment.

And

Labour

will
t
ake

action

to

reduce

the

gender
p
ay

gap,

building

on

the

legacy

of
B
arbara

Castle’s

Equal

Pay

Act.
L abourw illin troduceal andmark
R
ace

Equality

Act,

to

enshrine
i
n

law

the

full

right

to

equal

pay
f
or

Black,

Asian,

and

other

ethnic
m
inorityp
eople,s
trengthen
p
rotections

against

dual
dis
crimination and root out other
racialine
qualities.L
abourw
illa
lso
r
everse

the

Conservatives’

decision
t
o

downgrade

the

monitoring

of
an
tisemiticandI
slamophobich
ate.
L
abour is committed to
championing

the

rights

of
dis
abled people and to the
principle

of

working

with

them,

so
t
hat

their

views

and

voices

will

be
a
t

the

heart

of

all

we

do.

We

will
i
ntroduce

the

full

right

to

equal
p
ay

for

disabled

people.

Building
88 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

ongenderpaygapreporting,
w
ew
illin
troducedis
ability
a
nd

ethnicity

pay

gap

reporting
f
or

large

employers.

We

will
s
upport disabled people to
work

by

improving

employment
s
upport and access to reasonable
adjustments.

We

will

also

tackle
t
he

Access

to

Work

backlog

and
m
ake

sure

people

can

try

out

a

job
w
ithout

fear

of

an

immediate

benefit
r
eassessment

if

it

does

not

work

out.
Deliveringop
portunitiesf
ora
ll
me
ans that everyone should be
treated

with

respect

and

dignity.
L
abour

will

protect

LGBT+

and
d
isabled

people

by

making

all
e
xisting

strands

of

hate

crime
a
n

aggravated

offence.
S
o-called conversion therapy
is abuse – there is no other
word

for

it



so

Labour

will

finally
d
eliver a full trans-inclusive ban
on

conversion

practices,

while
p
rotecting

the

freedom

for

people
t
o

explore

their

sexual

orientation
a
nd

gender

identity.
W
e

will

also

modernise,

simplify,
and
reform the intrusive and
outdated

gender

recognition
l
aw

to

a

new

process.

We

will
r
emoveindig
nitiesf
ort
ransp
eople
w
ho

deserve

recognition

and
a
cceptance;w
hilstr
etaining
t
he

need

for

a

diagnosis

of
g
ender

dysphoria

from

a

specialist
d
octor,

enabling

access

to

the
h
ealthcarep
athway.
Labour

is

proud

of

our

Equality

Act
a
nd

the

rights

and

protections

it
a
ffords

women;

we

will

continue

to
s
upport the implementation of its
single-sexex
ceptions.
Labour will stop the chaos,
end the failure and division of the
last 14 years, and turn the page to
ensure everyone can thrive.
89Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
With Labour, the
arts and music
will

no

longer
be
the preserve
of

a

privileged
f
ew.

Culture

is
an
essential part
ofs
upporting
c
hildren and
youngpeo
ple
t
o develop
creativity and
find

their

voice

90 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

91Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
BUILD AN
NHS FIT FOR
THE FUTURE
91Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
 C ut NHS waiting times with
40,000 more appointments
every week

D
ouble the number of cancer
scanners

A n
ew Dentistry Rescue Plan

8
,500 additional mental
health staff

R
eturn of the family doctor

Haruna,securitymanager,
f
ormer Conservative voter
“ I’vealwaysvotedConservativebutIwon’tbeagain.They’veletthecountry
d
own

badly.

My

wife

is

a

teacher

at

a

local

school

and

I’m

a

security
m
anager

in

London.

We

love

living

in

Thurrock.

But

over

the

last

ten

years
t
hings

have

gotten

worse.

Booking

the

dentist

for

my

daughter

was

a
n
ightmare.

We

had

to

wait

over

a

year

for

an

appointment.

We

switched

and
v
oted

Labour

at

the

local

elections.

Keir

Starmer

is

a

good

man.

His

plan

to
g
et

more

NHS

appointments

is

so

important.

He’ll

deliver

it.”
MY STORY
92 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

The1945Labourgovernment
f
ounded

our

National

Health
S
ervice on principles that have
stood the test of time:
The best health services should
be available, free for all. Money
should no longer be the passport
to the best treatment. People should
get the best that modern science
can offer.
For

decades

the

NHS

has

served
u
s

well,

with

those

values

enduring.
T
hese

are

the

principles

which
w
ill

underpin

the

next

Labour
g
overnment’s

plan

to

reform
t
he

NHS.
But

as

we

look

at

the

NHS

now,
i
t

is

clearly

broken



and

the
C
onservatives

broke

it.

Whilst

the
C
ovid-19

pandemic

placed

the

NHS
u
nder unprecedented stress, the
reality

is

waiting

lists

were

at

record
h
ighs

even

before

it

struck.

Rather
t
han

healthcare

being

‘free

for

all’,
w
e

now

find

ourselves

with

a

de
f
acto

two-tier

system



with

working
p
eople

regularly

forced

to

scrape
t
ogether

the

means

to

go

private.
M
eanwhile,

over

the

past

14

years,
t
he

‘winter

crisis’

cycle

has

become
p
art

of

the

national

calendar.

Every
y
ear,

a

new

crisis

is

declared.

Then,
e
very year, the Conservatives reach
for

a

sticking

plaster

patch-up

to
g
et

through

the

winter,

without

ever
a
ddressing

the

root

cause.
T
his is a situation Labour is familiar
with:

we

have

saved

the

NHS

before,
a
nd

the

next

Labour

Government
w
ill

do

so

again.

With

Labour,

it

will
a
lways

be

publicly

owned

and
pub
liclyf
unded.B
uto
uram
bition
g
oes

beyond

returning

the

NHS
t
o

what

it

was.

Labour’s

mission
i
s

to

build

an

NHS

fit

for

the

future.
I
nvestment

alone

won’t

be

enough
t
o

tackle

the

problems

facing

the
N
HS;

it

must

go

hand

in

hand

with
f
undamentalr
eform.
We

must

change

the

NHS

so

that
i
t

becomes

not

just

a

sickness
s
ervice, but able to prevent ill
heath

in

the

first

place.

It

must

also
Labour’smi ssion
i
s

to

build

an

NHS
fi
t

for

the

future.
I
nvestment alone
won’t

be

enough
t
o

tackle

the
p
roblemsf
acing
t
he

NHS;

it

must
g
o

hand

in

hand
w
ithf
undamental
r
eform
93Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

94 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
reflectthechangeinthenature
o
f

disease,

with

a

greater

focus
o
n

the

management

of

chronic,
l
ong-term

conditions.

And

we

will
d
eliver

a

renewed

drive

to

tackle

the
b
iggest

killers;

cutting

the

lives

lost
t
o cancer, cardiovascular disease
and

suicide,

while

ensuring

people
l
ive

well

for

longer.
Labour’s

reforms

will

shift

our
N
HS

away

from

a

model

geared
t
owardsl
atedia
gnosisand
t
reatment,

to

a

model

where
mor
e services are delivered in
local

communities.

We

will

harness
t
he

power

of

technologies

like

AI
t
o transform the speed and
accuracyo
fdia
gnostics
ervices,
s avingp otentiallyt housandso f
l
ives.

And

we

will

embed

a

greater
f
ocus

on

prevention

throughout
t
he entire healthcare system and
supporting

services.

As

we

knew

in
1
945, much avoidable ill health can
be prevented.
The

factor

that

is

markedly

different
f
rom the past decades is our
understandingo
fme
ntalhe
alth.
A
cross

society,

mental

health

has
s
tepped

out

of

the

shadows,

yet
i
t

is

difficult

to

argue

the

NHS

has
k
ept

up.

Indeed,

Britain

is

currently
s
uffering

from

a

mental

health
e
pidemic

that

is

paralysing

lives,
p
articularly those of children
and

young

people.

This

is

a

tragedy

95Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
DAME JULIE
MOORE
Former CEO of
Birmingham NHS Trust
“ I’veworkedintheNHSfor
a

long

time

and

I

remember
h
ow

Labour,

the

party

who
c
reated

the

NHS,

transformed
i
t

to

be

the

best-performing
h
ealth

system

in

the

world.
I
t

is

heartbreaking

to

see

its
d
ecline

over

the

last

14

years.
I
t

will

be

difficult

but

I

believe
t
hat,

under

Keir

Starmer,
L
abour’s

plans,

short

and
l
ong

term,

will

once

again
r
estore

the

NHS

to

deliver
t
op-class

health

care

for

the
p
eople

of

this

nation,

reducing
w
aiting

lists

and

times

and
t
ransforming

it

to

be

fit

for
t
he

future.”


arguably

nothing

says

more
a
bout the state of a nation than the
wellbeing

of

its

children.

So

right

at
t
hec
oreo
fo
urm
issionw
illb
eab
old
n
ew

ambition

to

raise

the

healthiest
g
eneration

of

children

in

our

history.
A
nd,

as

a

crucial

part

of

that,

we

will
r eform  the  NHS  to  ensure  we  give
me
ntal health the same attention
and

focus

as

physical

health.
Get the NHS back on its feet
We should all be able to trust that
the

NHS

will

be

there

for

us

when
w
e

need

it,

whether

it

is

a

GP
ap
pointment, an ambulance, or
helpa
tA
&E.L
abour’sim
mediate
p
riority

on

health

will

be

to

get

a
g
rip

on

the

record

waiting

list.
W
e

will

return

to

meeting

NHS
p
erformances
tandards.T
hat
m
eans

patients

should

expect

to
w
ait

no

longer

than

18

weeks

from
r
eferral for consultant-led treatment
ofnon
-urgenthe
althc
onditions.
T
his

standard

was

achieved

with

the
l
ast

Labour

government

and

will

be
a
gain

under

the

next.
A
s

a

first

step,

in

England

we
w
ill

deliver

an

extra

two

million
N
HS

operations,

scans,

and
a
ppointments

every

year;

that

is
4
0,000 more appointments every
week.

We

will

do

this

by

incentivising
s
taff to carry out additional
appointments

out

of

hours.
L
abour

will

pool

resources

across
ne
ighbouringho
spitalst
oin
troduce
sharedwaitingliststoallowpatients
t
o

be

treated

quicker.

Recognising
t
he

urgent

need

to

bring

down
w
aiting

lists,

Labour

will

use

spare
c
apacity in the independent sector
to

ensure

patients

are

diagnosed
a
nd

treated

more

quickly.
Getting

the

NHS

back

to

working
f
or

patients

means

ending

the
w
orkforce

crisis

across

both

health

96 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
andsocialcare.Whenonein
s
even people in hospital do not
need

to

be

there,

joint

working

is
e
ssential.

Labour

will

ensure

the
pub
licationo
fr
egular,ind
ependent
w
orkforce

planning,

across

health
a
nd

social

care.

We

will

deliver
t
he

NHS

long-term

workforce

plan
t
o

train

the

staff

we

need

to

get
p
atients

seen

on

time.
T
oo many patients have seen
their

treatment

affected

by

strikes.
L
abour

will

reset

relations

with
N
HS

staff,

moving

away

from

the
C
onservatives’f
aileda
pproach.
M
odernising the NHS
A

system

reliant

on

pagers

and

fax
m
achines

is

not

fit

for

this

decade
l
et

alone

the

next.

Too

many

cancer
d
eaths could have been prevented
with

earlier

diagnosis.

The

NHS

has
f
ewerdia
gnostics
cannersp
er
p
erson

than

other

countries,

with
m
any

ageing

machines

operating
f
or

long

after

they

should.

State

of
t
he

art

scanners

with

embedded
A
I

are

faster

and

more

effective

at
fi
ndings
mallert
umours,s
aving
l
ives.

Therefore,

Labour

will

introduce
a

new

‘Fit

For

the

Future’

fund

to
d
ouble the number of CT and MRI
scanners,

allowing

the

NHS

to

catch
c
ancer and other conditions earlier,
savingl
ives.
I
t

is

also

clear

that

NHS

estates
ar
e in a state of disrepair after
years

of

neglect.

Labour

is

therefore
c ommitted  to  delivering  the
N
ew

Hospitals

Programme.
T
he

revolution

taking

place
in
data and life sciences has
the potential to transform our
nation’she
althcare.T
heC
ovid-19
p
andemic

showed

how

a

strong
m
ission-drivenindus
trials
trategy,
in
volvingg
overnmentp
artnering
w
ith

industry

and

academia,

could
t
urn

the

tide

on

a

pandemic.

This
i
s

the

approach

we

will

take

in
g
overnment.

As

part

of

Labour’s
We should all
be able to trust
that

the

NHS

will
b
e there for us
when

we

need
i
t,

whether

it

is

a
G
P appointment,
an ambulance,
or help at
A&E.
L
abour’s
i
mmediate priority
onhe
althw
ill
b
e

to

get

a

grip
on
the record
waitinglis
t

97Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
lifesciencesplan,wewilldevelop
a
n

NHS

innovation

and

adoption
s
trategy

in

England.

This

will

include
a

plan

for

procurement,

giving

a
c
learer

route

to

get

products

into
t
he

NHS,

coupled

with

reformed
inc
entive structures to drive
innovationandf
asterr
egulatory
a
pproval

for

new

technology
andme
dicines.
Drawing

on

the

strength

of

our
N
ational

Health

Service,

Labour
w
ill

also

maximise

our

potential
t
o

lead

the

world

in

clinical

trials.
T
his

means

making

the

process
mor
ee
fficientanda
ccessible,
b
y

speeding

up

recruitment

and
g
iving

more

people

a

chance

to
p articipate  through  the  NHS  app.
T
his

will

mean

putting

Britain

at

the
f
orefront

of

transforming

treatment
f
ord
ementia.
Power to patients
At

the

heart

of

every

medical
d
ecision must be patients and their
families.

Too

many

are

not

treated
w
ith

the

respect

they

deserve

or
g
iven

the

information

they

need

to
a
dequately

access

services

and
n
avigate

the

system.
Labourw
illt
hereforet
ransform
t
he

NHS

app,

putting

patients
i
n

control

of

their

own

health

to
b
etterm
anaget
heirme
dicine,
a
ppointments,

and

health

needs.

98 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Thisw ill inc ludegi vingp erformance
in
formation on local services, and
notifications

of

vaccinations

and
h
ealth

checks.

Patients

will

be

able
t
o

see

the

medical

guidelines

for
t
he

treatment

they

should

get,

to
ho
ld health services to account and
understandw
hatt
heirc
hoicesar
e.
Ensuring patient safety
Childbirth

should

not

be

something
w
omen

fear

or

look

back

on
w
ith

trauma.

Labour

will

ensure
t
hat

trusts

failing

on

maternity
c
are are robustly supported into
rapid

improvement.

We

will

train
t
housands

more

midwives

as

part
o
f

the

NHS

Workforce

Plan

and

set
a
n

explicit

target

to

close

the

Black
andA
sianm
aternalmor
talityg
ap.
L
abour

will

digitise

the

Red
B
ook

record

of

children’s

health,
im
provings
upportf
orne
wf
amilies.
W
e

will

also

enable

vaccinations
f
or babies and children as part of
health

visits.
So much of the treatment in
the

NHS

is

dependent

on

the
e
ffective administration of
services.

Managers

need

support
anda
ccountability.L
abourw
ill
im
plement professional standards
and

regulate

NHS

managers,
e
nsuring

those

who

commit

serious
m
isconduct

can

never

do

so

again.
A
nd
we
will
establish
a
Royal
College
o
f Clinical Leadership to champion
thev
oiceo
fc
linicians.
W e  will  work  to  implement  the
e
xpert

recommendations

of

the
C
ass

Review

to

ensure

that

young
p
eople

presenting

to

the

NHS

with
g
ender

dysphoria

are

receiving
ap
propriateandh
igh-qualityc
are.
Healthcare closer to home
The

National

Health

Service

needs
t
o

move

to

a

Neighbourhood

Health
S
ervice,

with

more

care

delivered

in
loc
al communities to spot problems
earlier.

To

achieve

this,

we

must

over
t
ime shift resources to primary care
andc
ommunitys
ervices.
G
Ps are the front door to the health
service

for

most

people.

Excellent
p
rimary

care

is

the

key

to

earlier
d
iagnosis,

but

too

often

it

is

not
p
ossible

to

get

an

appointment,
s
o

Labour

will

reform

the

system.
W
ew
illt
raint
housandsmor
e
G
Ps,

guarantee

a

face-to-face
a
ppointment

for

all

those

who
w
ant

one

and

deliver

a

modern
a
ppointment

booking

system

to
e
nd

the

8am

scramble.

We

will
b
ring

back

the

family

doctor

by
i
ncentivising

GPs

to

see

the

same
p
atient,

so

ongoing

or

complex
c
onditions

are

dealt

with

effectively.
Labour

will

also

take

the

pressure
o
ff

GP

surgeries,

by

improving
a
ccess to services and treatment
through

new

routes.

We

will

create

a
C
ommunityP
harmacistP
rescribing
S
ervice,gr
antingmor
ep
harmacists
ind
ependentp
rescribingr
ights

99Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
wherec linically ap propriate.
W
e

will

allow

other

professionals,
s
uch

as

opticians,

to

make

direct
r
eferrals to specialist services or
tests,

as

well

as

expanding

self-
referral

routes

where

appropriate.
Thep
rincipleo
fin
tegrating
h
ealth

and

care

services

will
i
mprove the treatment patients
receive.

We

know

that

more

of

this
c
are needs to happen outside
hospitals.

Therefore,

we

will

trial
N
eighbourhood

Health

Centres,
b
y

bringing

together

existing
s
ervices such as family doctors,
district

nurses,

care

workers,
p
hysiotherapists, palliative care,
and mental health specialists
under

one

roof.
Dentistry Rescue Plan
Getting

an

NHS

dentist

is
i
ncreasingly

a

lottery

and

the
c
onsequences

are

dire.

The

most
c
ommon

reason

children

aged

five
t
o nine are admitted to hospital is to
have

rotting

teeth

removed.

Labour
w
ill

tackle

the

immediate

crisis

with
a r
escue plan to provide 700,000
more

urgent

dental

appointments
a
nd

recruit

new

dentists

to

areas
t
hat

need

them

most.

To

rebuild
d
entistry

for

the

long

term,

Labour
w
ill

reform

the

dental

contract,

with
a

shift

to

focusing

on

prevention
a
nd

the

retention

of

NHS

dentists.
W
e

will

also

introduce

a

supervised
t
ooth-brushing

scheme

for

3-

to
5
-year-olds,

targeting

the

areas

of
h
ighestne
ed.

Social care reform
Labour

is

committed

to

ensuring
e
veryone lives an independent,
prosperous

life.

Social

care

is

vital
t
o

achieving

this,

but

hundreds

of
t
housands

of

people

suffer

without
t
he

care

they

need

for

a

dignified
l
ife.

The

sector

needs

deep

reform:
t
here are inconsistent standards,
chronic

staff

shortages,

and

people
a
re

not

always

treated

with

the

care,
d
ignity

and

respect

they

deserve.
L
abourw
illund
ertakeap
rogramme
o
f reform to create a National Care
Service, underpinned by national
standards,d
eliveringc
onsistency
o
f

care

across

the

country.

Services
w
ill

be

locally

delivered,

with

a
p rinciple  of  ‘home  first’  that  supports
peo
ple to live independently for as
long

as

possible.

Our

new

standards
w
ille
nsureh
igh-qualityc
areand
on
goings
ustainability,ande
nsure
pr
ovidersb
ehaver
esponsibly.
L
abour

will

develop

local

partnership
w
orking

between

the

NHS

and

social
c
are

on

hospital

discharge.
We

will

enhance

partnership
w
orking

across

employers,

workers,
t
rade

unions

and

government

and
e
stablish

a

Fair

Pay

Agreement
i
n

adult

social

care.

This

sector
c
ollective

agreement

will

set

fair
p
ay,

terms

and

conditions,

along
w
itht
rainings
tandards.L
abourw
ill
c
onsult

widely

on

the

design

of

this
100 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

agreement,b eforeb eginningt he
p
rocess and learn from countries
where

they

operate

successfully.
L
abour

is

committed

to

ensuring
f
amilies have the support they
need.

We

will

guarantee

the

rights
o
f those in residential care to be
able

to

see

their

families.

As

part
o
f the efforts to move healthcare
into local communities and
professionaliset
hew
orkforce,
w
e

will

task

regulators

with
a
ssessing

the

role

social

care
w
orkers

can

play

in

basic

health
t
reatmentandmon
itoring.
A
longside

these

changes,

we

will
b
uild

consensus

for

the

longer-
term reform needed to create a
sustainable
N
ationalC
areS
ervice.
W
e

will

explore

how

we

best
m
anage

and

support

an

ageing
p
opulation;ho
win
tegrationw
ith
t
he

NHS

can

be

secured;

how

to
b
est

support

working

age

disabled
a
dults;

and

how

to

move

to

a

more
p
reventativesy
stem.
Improving mental health
The

NHS

has

struggled

to

keep
u
p

with

greater

awareness

of
t
he

challenges

of

mental

health.
W
aiting

lists

for

those

referred
f
or

support

are

too

high,

and
s
hamefully

so

for

young

people.
L
abour

will

bring

waiting

times

down
a
nd

intervene

earlier.

We

will

recruit
a
n

additional

8,500

new

staff

to
t
reat

children

and

adults

through
o
ur

first

term.

As

part

of

our

mission
t
o reduce the lives lost to suicide,
these

new

staff

will

be

specially
t
rained

to

support

people

at

risk.
L
abour’s

new

Young

Futures

hubs
w
ill

provide

open

access

mental
he
alth services for children and
young

people

in

every

community.
Mental

health

legislation

is

also
w
oefully

out

of

date.

The

treatment
o
f

people

with

autism

and

learning
d
ifficulties

is

a

disgrace.

The
o
peration

of

the

Mental

Health

Act
Labourwil l 
und
ertakea
p
rogrammeo
f
r
eform to create
a National
Care Service,
underpinned
by national
standards,
delivering

c
onsistency
of care across
the country
101Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

discriminatesa gainstB lackp eople
w
ho

are

much

more

likely

to

be
d
etained

than

others.

Labour

will
m
odernise

legislation

to

give

patients
gr
eaterc
hoice,au
tonomy,e
nhanced
r
ights

and

support,

and

ensure
e
veryone

is

treated

with

dignity
a
nd

respect

throughout

treatment.
Action on public health
Prevention

will

always

be

better,
a
nd

cheaper,

than

a

cure.

So,
w
e

must

take

preventative

public
h
ealth

measures

to

tackle

the
b
iggest

killers

and

support

people
t
o

live

longer,

healthier

lives.
T hat  starts  with  smoking.  Labour
w
ill

ensure

the

next

generation

can
n
ever

legally

buy

cigarettes

and
e
nsure

all

hospitals

integrate

‘opt-
out’s
mokingc
essationin
terventions
i
nto

routine

care.

Labour

will

ban
v
apes

from

being

branded

and
a
dvertised to appeal to children
to

stop

the

next

generation

from
b
ecomingho
okedonn
icotine.
We

face

a

childhood

obesity

crisis.
S
o,

Labour

is

committed

to

banning
a
dvertising

junk

food

to

children
a
long

with

the

sale

of

high-caffeine
e
nergy

drinks

to

under-16s.
102 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

Childrenandyoungpeopleface
sign
ificanth
armon
line,w
ith
in
appropriate content too easily
available

at

their

fingertips

on

a
s
martphone.

We

have

seen

an
inc
reaseine
xtremem
isogynistic
c
ontent

online

driving

a

culture

of
v
iolencea
gainstw
omen.L
abour
w
ill

build

on

the

Online

Safety

Act,
b
ringingf
orwardp
rovisionsa
s
q
uickly

as

possible,

and

explore
f
urther

measures

to

keep

everyone
s
afeon
line,p
articularlyw
henusin
g
s
ocial

media.

We

will

also

give
c
oroners

more

powers

to

access
i
nformation

held

by

technology
c
ompanies

after

a

child’s

death.
Labour is committed to
reducingg
ambling-related
h
arm.R
ecognisingt
hee
volution
o
ft
heg
amblingl
andscape
s
ince

2005,

Labour

will

reform
g
amblingr
egulation,s
trengthening
p
rotections.

We

will

continue

to
w
ork

with

the

industry

on

how

to
e
nsurer
esponsibleg
ambling.
Reducing health inequalities
The

UK

has

stark

health

inequalities.
I
t

cannot

be

right

that

life
e
xpectancy

varies

so

widely

across
a
nd

within

communities.

As

part
o
f

our

health

mission,

Labour

will
t
ackle

the

social

determinants

of
h
ealth,

halving

the

gap

in

healthy
l
ife

expectancy

between

the

richest
a
nd

poorest

regions

in

England.
N
ever

again

will

women’s

health
b
e

neglected.

Labour

will

prioritise
w
omen’s

health

as

we

reform
t
he

NHS.
We are currently on the cusp of
eradicating

new

cases

of

HIV.
L
abour

will

commission

a

new
H
IV

action

plan

in

England,

in
p
ursuit

of

ending

HIV

cases

by

2030.
Labour will stop the chaos in
our health and care services,
turn the page, and reform them
in line with the principles of the
NHS that Labour founded.
103Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Rightatthe
c
ore of our
missionw
ill
b
e

a

bold

new
am
bition to raise
the healthiest
generation
o
f children
in our history

104 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

105Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
SERVING THE
COUNTRY
105Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
 A n ew Ethics and
Integrity Commission

M
odernise the House of Commons

I
mmediate reform of
the House of Lords

A r
eset between Westminster
and Holyrood, Cardiff Bay,
and Stormont

V
otes at 16

Over the last 14 years, trust in politics
has

been

shattered.

Partying

in
D
owning

Street

whilst

the

whole
c
ountry

sacrificed

their

freedom.
H
anding

lucrative

Covid

contracts
t
o

friends

and

donors.

Failing

to
e
xpel

MPs

caught

breaking

the

rules.
T
he behaviour of the Conservatives
has understandably led to a
widespread

belief

that

many
p
oliticians

are

in

it

for

themselves.
A
s

a

result,

there

is

now

a

crisis

of
c
onfidence

in

our

political

system’s
a
bility to deliver anyc
hange.
T
his is not limited to Westminster –
in Scotland, the Scottish National
Party has also failed to uphold the
standards
e
xpectedinpub
licli
fe.
T
he scandals may be different,
but

the

SNP

has

also

sought
t
o

protect

its

own

and

failed

to
a
ddress the behaviour of its MPs
and

MSPs,

from

sexual

harassment
s
candals

to

accusations

of

financial
m
ismanagementandd
efending
t
he inappropriate use of public
expenses.

The

people

of

Scotland
a
lso deserve better from their
representatives.
I
t is not just sleaze and scandal that
have

eroded

trust.

Just

as

corrosive
h
as been the inability of politicians
to
keep
promises
made
to
the
British
p
eople.

Over

the

last

14

years,

the
v
ast

chasm

between

Conservative
s
logans

and

reality

has

shown

a
c
ontempt

for

democracy.

From
c laiming  “we’re  all  in  it  together”
w
hiled
ecimatingpub
lics
ervices,
t
o

the

empty

promises

to

“level
u
p”,

gimmicks

and

gestures

have
s
hamefully

replaced

the

hard

graft
o
fg
overning.
I
n contrast, Labour has been
transformed from a party of protest
to

one

that

always

puts

the

interests
o
f

the

country

first.

Now

we

are
d
etermined

to

do

the

same

with
o
ur

politics,

returning

government
t
o

the

service

of

working

people.
T
his

will

require

a

reset

in

our

public
l
ife;

a

clean-up

that

ensures

the
h
ighests
tandardso
fin
tegrityand
h
onesty.

We

will

make

sure

MPs
f
ocus

on

serving

their

constituents.
W
e

will

deepen

our

democracy

by
r
eformingP
arliamentandd
evolving
p
ower

to

communities.

And

rather
t
han

stoking

division



as

do

both
t
he Conservatives and the SNP –
we

will

ensure

there

is

respect

and
c
ollaboration across the different
governments

that

make

up

the
U
nited

Kingdom.
S
etting

the

highest

of

standards
in
public life is not just about
better behaviour or decision-
making,

though

it

will

improve

both.
I
t

is

also

central

to

restoring

trust
b
etweent
hepub
licandp
olitics.
A
fter

14

years

of

chaos,

division
a
nd

disrespect,

the

British

people
ar
e understandably cynical about
appeals

to

come

together

in

the
106 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

nationalinterest.Butthechallenges
w
e

face

demand

nothing

less
– i
t is the lifeblood of national
renewal.

This

plan

recognises
t
hat

politics

must

make

the

first
m
ove

in

repairing

that

bond.
Restoring public service
in Westminster
Labour

will

restore

confidence

in
g
overnment

and

ensure

ministers
a
re

held

to

the

highest

standards.
W
e

will

establish

a

new

independent
E
thicsandI
ntegrityC
ommission,
w
ith

its

own

independent

Chair,
t
o

ensure

probity

in

government.
L
abour

will

review

and

update

post-
government

employment

rules

to
e
nd

flagrant

abuses

seen

under
t
he

Conservatives.

This

includes
e
nforcing

restrictions

on

ministers
l
obbying

for

the

companies

they
u
sed

to

regulate,

with

meaningful
s
anctions

for

breaching

the

rules.
W e  will  give  the  Independent  Adviser
o
n

Ministerial

Interests

the

powers

to
s
tartin
vestigationsin
tom
isconduct
a
nd ensure they have access to the
evidence

they

need.
M
ost

MPs

work

hard

to

serve
t
heir constituents but can be
hamstrungb
yar
canep
rocedures
a
nd

outdated

working

practices.
L
abour

will

establish

a

new
M
odernisationC
ommitteet
asked
w
ith

reforming

House

of

Commons
p
rocedures,dr
ivingups
tandards,
andim
provingw
orkingp
ractices.
T
he absence of rules on second
jobs also means some constituents
end

up

with

MPs

who

spend

more
t
ime

on

their

second

job,

or

lobbying
f
or outside interests, than on
representing

them.

Therefore,

as

an
i
nitial

step,

Labour

will

support

an
i
mmediate

ban

on

MPs

from

taking
up
paid advisory or consultancy
roles.

We

will

task

the

Modernisation
Labourwillrestoreconfidencein
g
overnment

and

ensure

ministers
a
re

held

to

the

highest

standards.
W
e

will

establish

a

new

independent
E
thics

and

Integrity

Commission,

with
i
ts

own

independent

Chair,

to

ensure
p
robity

in

government
107Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

108 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Committeetotakeforwardurgent
w
ork

on

the

restrictions

that

need
t
o be put in place to prevent MPs
from

taking

up

roles

that

stop

them
s
erving

their

constituents

and

the
c
ountry.
C
onstitutional reform
AlthoughL
abourr
ecognisest
he
g
ood

work

of

many

peers

who
s
crutinise

the

government

and
i
mprove

the

quality

of

legislation
p
assed

in

Parliament,

reform

is

long
o
ver-due

and

essential.

Too

many
p
eers do not play a proper role in
our

democracy.

Hereditary

peers
r
emainind
efensible.A
ndb
ecause
ap
pointments are for life, the
second chamber of Parliament
has

become

too

big.
T
he

next

Labour

government

will
t
hereforeb
ringab
outanim
mediate
mo
dernisation,b
yin
troducing
l
egislation

to

remove

the

right

of
he
reditary peers to sit and vote in
the

House

of

Lords.

Labour

will

also
in
troduce a mandatory retirement
age.

At

the

end

of

the

Parliament

in
w
hich

a

member

reaches

80

years
o
f

age,

they

will

be

required

to

retire
f
rom

the

House

of

Lords.
L
abour

will

ensure

all

peers

meet
t
heh
ighs
tandardst
hepub
lice
xpect
o
f

them,

and

we

will

introduce

a

new
p
articipationr
equirementa
sw
ell
a
ss
trengtheningt
hec
ircumstances
i
n

which

disgraced

members

can
b
e

removed.

We

will

reform

the
a ppointments process to ensure
the

quality

of

new

appointments
a
nd

will

seek

to

improve

the
n
ationalandr
egionalb
alance
o
f

the

second

chamber.
W
hilst this action to modernise
the

House

of

Lords

will

be

an
im
provement, Labour is committed
to

replacing

the

House

of

Lords

with
a
n alternative second chamber
that is more representative of the
regions

and

nations.

Labour

will
c
onsult

on

proposals,

seeking

the
i
nput

of

the

British

public

on

how
p
olitics

can

best

serve

them.
Uph
olding democracy
Labour is committed to
strengthening

our

democracy
andup
holdingt
hein
tegrityo
f
e
lections.R
athert
hane
ncouraging
f
ull participation in our democracy,
the

Conservatives

have

brought
i
n

partisan

changes

that

make

it
h
arder

to

vote,

whilst

doing

nothing
t
o

strengthen

protections

against
f
oreignin
terference.
T
o

encourage

participation

in

our
d
emocracy,

Labour

will

improve
v
oter

registration

and

address

the
inc
onsistencies in voter ID rules that
prevent

legitimate

voters
f
rom

voting.

For

example,

in
t
he

case

of

HM

Armed

Forces
V
eteran

Cards.

We

will

increase
t
he

engagement

of

young

people
in
our vibrant democracy, by
giving

16-

and

17-year-olds

the

109Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
righttovoteinallelections.And
w
e

will

protect

democracy

by
s
trengtheningt
her
ulesar
ound
d
onations

to

political

parties.
G
reater collaboration and
respect across the country
As

part

of

Labour’s

plans

to

clean

up
p
olitics and return it to the service
of

working

people,

we

will

reset

the
U
K

government’s

relationship

with
d
evolved

governments

in

Scotland,
W
ales,

and

Northern

Ireland.
T
he

Conservatives

weakened
o
ur

country

by

disrespecting
t
he

legitimate

role

of

devolved
g
overnmentsandp
arliaments.
W
e

will

ensure

members

of
d
evolved

legislatures

have

the
s
ame free speech protections
enjoyed by MPs at Westminster,
so elected representatives can
hold

power

to

account.
Labour

will

ensure

the
s
tructures and institutions of
intergovernmentalw
orking
im
prove relationships and
collaborationonp
olicy.L
abour
w
ill

strengthen

the

Sewel
C
onvention

by

setting

out

a

new
me
morandumo
fund
erstanding
o
utlining

how

the

nations

will

work
t
ogether

for

the

common

good.
L
abourw
illr
enewop
portunities
f
or

the

Prime

Minister

and

Heads
o
f Devolved Government to
collaborate

with

each

other.
A
s

recommended

in

the

Report

of
t
he

Commission

on

the

UK’s

future,
w
e

will

establish

a

new

Council

of
t
he

Nations

and

Regions.

This

will

110 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
bringtogetherthePrimeMinister,
t
he First Ministers of Scotland and
Wales, the First and deputy First
Minister of Northern Ireland, and the
Mayors
o
fC
ombinedA
uthorities.
T
he

next

Labour

government

will
a
lso

ensure

that

UK-wide

bodies

are
m
ore representative of our nations
and

regions.

UK

trade

negotiators
w
ill
work
with
devolved
governments
t
o promote our fantastic businesses
ands
ervicesin
ternationally.L
abour
w
illr
estored
ecision-makingo
ver
t
he allocation of structural funds
to the representatives of Scotland,
Wales,

and

Northern

Ireland.

The
p
lanned investments in public
services outlined in this manifesto
by

a

UK

government

will

result

in
a
dditionalf
undingf
orS
cotland,
W
ales,

and

Northern

Ireland.
Scottish devolution
and the Scotland Office
The people of Scotland deserve
governments

that

are

focused
o
n

delivering

for

them.

Labour
d
oes not support independence
or

another

referendum,

but

we
k
now

that

after

14

years

of

the
C
onservatives, the people of
Scotland

need

change.

Labour
w
ill

take

a

different

approach
i
n

Scotland:

we

will

protect

and
r
espect devolution and reset
relations

between

governments.
L
abour

will

strengthen

Scottish
de
mocracy and devolution,
championingS
cotlanda
thome
a
nd

abroad.

We

will

ensure

the
d
evolution settlement for Scotland
enablesc
ollaborationonL
abour’s
n
ational

missions

for

government.

111Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Wewillmaintainthearrangements
i
n

the

new

Scottish

fiscal

framework.
A

UK

Labour

government

will

have
a
more collaborative approach
to the Scottish Government on
theiri
nternationalen
gagement.
W
e

recognise

that

within

devolved
c
ompetencies, the Scottish
Government has an important
role

to

play.

In

respect

to

wholly
d
evolved

issues,

Labour

will

support
t
he Scottish Government to partner
with

international

bodies

where
r
elevant and appropriate, for
example

to

collaborate

on
g
lobal

health

initiatives.

The
U
K

Government

will

retain

full
r
esponsibilityo
verf
oreignp
olicy.
The

Scotland

Office

will

maximise
S
cotland’s

influence,

and

with
L
abour

it

will

once

again

become
a
n advocate for Scotland, both at
homeandab
road.T
heS
cotland
O
ffice

will

ensure

the

voice

of
S
cotland is properly heard on issues
under

the

competence

of

the

UK
G
overnment.

Scotland

has

an
e
nviablein
ternationalr
eputation.
I
ts culture, products and services
are

internationally

renowned



from
w
hisky

and

salmon

to

computer
g
amed
evelopment,b
ioscience
andfi
nancials
ervices.L
abourw
ill
c
hampion

‘Brand

Scotland’

across
t
he

world

through

the

Scotland
O
ffice,ando
urdip
lomaticand
tr
aden
etworks.
Welsh devolution
and the Wales Office
Wales has been failed by a
chaotic and divisive Conservative
Government that does not
understand the ambitions of the
Welsh

people

and

refuses

to

work
w
ith

the

Welsh

Government

to
a
chieve

them.

Labour

will

serve
W
ales

with

a

plan

that

matches
t
hoseam
bitions.
We

will

strengthen

the

relationship
b
etween

the

governments

in
W
estminster

and

Cardiff

Bay.
T
he

two

governments

will

work
c
ollaboratively

to

deliver

Labour’s
n
ationalm
issions.L
abourr
ecognises
t
hat

the

Welsh

Fiscal

Framework
i
s

out

of

date.

We

are

committed
Labourwil l 
e
nsure the
structures and
institutions of
intergovernmental

w
orkingi
mprove
r
elationships
and collaboration
on policy

112 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
toworkinginpartnershipwiththe
W
elsh Government to ensure the
framework

delivers

value

for

money
w
ith

two

Labour

governments
c
ommitted

to

fiscal

responsibility.
L
abour

recognises

the

value

of
in
tegratedpub
lics
ervices,w
hich
a
re

more

efficient

and

create
b
etter

outcomes.

As

part

of

the
s
trategic

review

into

probation,
w
e

will

explore

the

devolution

of
s
ervices to enable them to be more
locally

responsive.

We

will

work
w
ith

the

Welsh

Labour

Government
t
o consider devolution of youth
justice.

In

line

with

our

commitment
t
o devolve employment support
in

England,

Labour

will

devolve
e mployments upportf undingt o
t
he

Welsh

Government.
W
elsh culture, products and services
are

renowned

around

the

world

–
f
rom

the

thriving

tourism

sector

and
h
ighest-quality

steel

to

Welsh

Lamb
ands
emi-conductors.L
abourw
ill
h
arnesst
heU
K’sdip
lomaticand
t
rade

networks,

working

with

the
W
elsh Government to champion
Wales

across

the

world.
With

Labour,

the

Wales

Office

will
o
nce

again

become

an

advocate
f
or Wales at home and abroad
and facilitate closer collaboration
between

our

governments.

The
W
ales

Office

will

ensure

on

issues

113Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
underthecompetenceoftheUK
G
overnment the voice of Wales is
properlyhe
ard.
N
orthern Ireland
Northern Ireland needs stability
and

long-term

certainty

after

the
c
hallenges

of

recent

years.

Labour
w
ill

work

with

the

Executive

and
A
ssembly

to

improve

public

services
andg
eneratee
conomicgr
owth,
a
nd

with

all

political

parties

and
c
ommunities to ensure the stability
ofde
volvedgo
vernment.
L
abour is committed to
implementingt
heW
indsor
F
ramework

in

good

faith

and
p
rotecting

the

UK

internal

market.
N
orthernI
reland’se
conomyh
as
e
normous

strengths

-

with

a

highly
s
killed

workforce,

strong

services,
m
anufacturingandli
fes
ciences
s
ectors,andgr
eatop
portunities
f
or

inward

investment.

A

Labour
g
overnment

will

champion

Northern
I
reland

around

the

world

and

work
w
ith

the

Executive

to

encourage
mor
e businesses to invest in
NorthernI
reland’sf
uture.
Labour

is

committed

to

taking
f
orwarddis
cussionsw
itht
he
E
xecutive

about

a

fiscal

framework
f
orN
orthernI
reland.
T
he

Good

Friday

Agreement,

and

the
p
eace

and

prosperity

it

has

brought
t
o Northern Ireland, is one of the
proudest achievements of the last
Labour  government.  As  a  guarantor
o
f

the

Good

Friday

Agreement,

a
L
abour

government

will

uphold
b
oth the letter and the spirit of the
Agreement,

along

with

the

principle
o
f

consent

on

which

it

rests.

We

will
w
ork

with

the

Irish

Government

to
s
trengthen

the

relationship

between
o
ur

two

countries.
The

Legacy

Act

denies

justice

to

the
f
amilies

and

victims

of

the

Troubles.
L
abour

will

repeal

and

replace

it,
b
y

returning

to

the

principles

of
t
heS
tormontH
ouseA
greement,
a
nd

seeking

support

from

all
c
ommunitiesinN
orthernI
reland.
Labour will end the chaos of sleaze
and division, turn the page, and
reset politics to put it back in the
service of working people.

114 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

115Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
B R ITAI N
RECONNECTED
115Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
 An unshakeable commitment to
NATO and our nuclear deterrent
 Standing up for our armed forces
and veterans
 New trade agreements
 Britain leading a
Clean Power Alliance
 Modernise international
development

WithLabour,Britainwillonceagain
b
e

strong

on

the

world

stage,
c
onfident

in

the

pursuit

of

our
n
ational

interest,

and

progressive
b
ut

realistic

about

the

challenges
w
e

face.

We

will

reconnect

with
a
lliesandf
orgene
wp
artnerships
t
o deliver security and prosperity
at

home

and

abroad.
Over

the

last

14

years,

the

world
h
as

grown

more

volatile

and
i
nsecure.

War

has

returned

to
E
urope

for

the

first

time

in

a
g
eneration,

there

is

devastating
v
iolence

in

the

Middle

East,
r
apidt
echnologicalc
hange
andt
hec
limatec
risisar
ef
uelling
g
eopoliticalt
ensions,andm
align
a
ctors

are

seeking

to

divide

us.
Thisd arkeningg loball andscape
d
emands

a

strong

and
c
onnectedB
ritain.
I
nstead, chaotic Conservative
foreign

policy

has

weakened

our
a
lliances,s
quanderedo
urc
limate
l
eadership



a

huge

diplomatic
op
portunity – and undermined
our reputation as upholders of
international

law.

At

home,
C
onservative

attacks

on

our
g
lobally

respected

institutions

–
u
niversities,

courts

and

the

BBC

have undermined our soft
power,

traditionally

a

source

of
gr
eats
trength,anddim
inished
o
urin
fluence.
T
his failure on the international
stage

has

cost

the

British

people.
116 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

Wearelesssecure,withfamilies
e
xposed

to

high

energy

bills

and
f
ood

prices

as

a

result.
L
abour

will

turn

the

page

and
r
everset
his,r
einvigoratinga
lliances
andf
orgingne
wp
artnerships.
O
ur

commitment

to

NATO

as

the
c
ornerstoneo
fE
uropeanand
g
lobal

security

is

unshakeable.
W
e

will

be

confident

in

our

status
o
utside

of

the

EU,

but

a

leading
n
ation

in

Europe

once

again,
w
ith

an

improved

and

ambitious
r
elationship

with

our

European
p
artners.

We

will

once

again

be
a

good

partner

for

international
d
evelopment, and a defender of
the

international

rule

of

law.

And

we
w
ill

return

to

the

forefront

of

climate
a
ction

by

creating

the

green

jobs
o
f

the

future

at

home

and

driving
f
orward

the

energy

transition

on
t
he

global

stage.
Britain

will

be

a

reliable

partner,
a

dependable

ally,

and

a

good
ne
ighbour.A
nop
timisticc
ountry
a
t

the

start

of

an

era

of

renewal.
Rebuilding relationships
Britain

is

always

stronger

when
w
e

work

with

others.

The

United
S
tates

is

an

indispensable

ally.
O
ur special relationship is crucial
for security and prosperity, and
transcends

whatever

political
p
arties and individuals are in
office.

We

will

continue

to

work
w
ith

the

United

States

on

the

basis
o
f our shared values and common
interestsinc
ludingone
conomicc
o-
operation,d
efenceandin
telligence.
W
ith

Labour,

Britain

will

stay
o
utside

of

the

EU.

But

to

seize
t
he

opportunities

ahead,

we

must
m
ake

Brexit

work.

We

will

reset

the
r
elationship

and

seek

to

deepen
t
ies

with

our

European

friends,
ne
ighboursanda
llies.T
hatd
oes
no
tme
anr
eopeningt
hedi
visions
o
f

the

past.

There

will

be

no

return
t
o

the

single

market,

the

customs
u
nion,

or

freedom

of

movement.
With Labour,
Britainwil
lo
nce
a
gain

be

strong
o
n

the

world
s
tage,

confident

in
t
he pursuit of our
nationali
nterest.
O
ur commitment
to

NATO

as

the
c
ornerstone of
Europeanand
gl
obals
ecurity
i
sun
shakeable
117Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

118 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Instead,Labourwillworktoimprove
t
he

UK’s

trade

and

investment
r
elationship

with

the

EU,

by

tearing
d
own

unnecessary

barriers

to
t
rade.

We

will

seek

to

negotiate
a

veterinary

agreement

to

prevent
un
necessaryb
orderc
hecksand
h
elp

tackle

the

cost

of

food;

help
o
ur

touring

artists;

and

secure

a
m
utualr
ecognitionag
reement
f
orp
rofessionalqu
alifications
t
o

help

open

up

markets

for

UK
s
ervicee
xporters.
L
abour

will

seek

an

ambitious

new
U
K-EU

security

pact

to

strengthen
c
o-operation

on

the

threats

we
f
ace.

We

will

rebuild

relationships
w
ithk
eyE
uropeana
llies,inc
luding
F rance  and  Germany,  through
inc
reased defence and security
co-operation.

We

will

seek

new
b
ilateral

agreements

and

closer
w
orking

with

Joint

Expeditionary
F
orce

partners.

This

will

strengthen
N
ATO

and

keep

Britain

safe.
Multilateral institutions remain
indispensable, but they are
struggling

under

the

strain

of

new
g
lobal

challenges.

Labour

will

work
w
ith

allies

to

build,

strengthen

and
r
eform

these

institutions.

We

will

use
t
he

UK’s

unique

position

in

NATO,

the
U
N,

G7,

G20

and

the

Commonwealth
t
o

address

the

threats

we

face,
a
nd

to

uphold

human

rights

and
i
nternational

law.

Labour

values

119Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
internationallawbecauseof
t
he

security

it

brings.

Britain

will
une
quivocallyr
emainame
mber
o
f

the

European

Convention

on
H
umanR
ights.
Defending the UK’s security
Labour’s

first

duty

in

government
w
ill

be

to

keep

our

country

safe.
W
e

will

launch

a

Strategic

Defence
R
eview

to

assess

the

threats

we
f
ace and the capabilities needed
to

address

them.

At

the

heart
o
f our security are the men and
women

who

serve

and

risk

their
l
ives

for

this

country.

We

will
s
trengthen

support

for

our

Armed
F
orces

communities

by

putting
t
he

Armed

Forces

Covenant
f
ullyin
tol
awande
stablishing
a
n

independent

Armed

Forces
C
ommissioner to improve service
life.

Labour

will

ensure

veterans
h
ave access to the mental health,
employment,andho
usings
upport
a
nd

in

other

areas

they

need.
W
e

will

also

scrap

visa

fees
f
or

non-UK

veterans

who

have
s
erved for four or more years,
and

their

dependents.
StrengtheningB
ritain’ss
ecurity
r
equiresal
ong-termp
artnership
w
itho
urd
omesticd
efenceindus
try.
L
abour

will

bring

forward

a

defence
indus
trials
trategya
ligningo
ur
s
ecurityande
conomicp
riorities.
W
e

will

ensure

a

strong

defence
s
ector and resilient supply chains,
including

steel,

across

the

whole

of
t
he

UK.

We

will

establish
lo
ng-termpa
rtnershipsbe
tween
busine
ssandg
overnment,p
romote
in
novation,andim
prover
esilience.
W
e

will

prioritise

UK

businesses

for
d
efence

investment

and

will

reform
p
rocurement

to

reduce

waste.
L
abourw
ills
upportindus
tryt
o
b
enefitf
rome
xportop
portunities,
i
n

line

with

a

robust

arms

export
r
egimec
ommittedt
oup
holding
i
nternationall
aw.
Strengthening

our

defences
a
lso

requires

stronger

leadership,
c
learer accountability, faster
delivery,
l
ess
w
aste,
a
nd
b
etter
v
alue
f
or

money.

Labour

will

establish

a
Attheheart
o
f our security
are the men
andw
omen
w
ho

serve

and
r
isk

their

lives

for
t
his

country.

We
w
ills
trengthen
su
pport for our
ArmedF
orces
c
ommunities

120 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
fullyf unctioning m ilitarys trategic
h
eadquarters

and

a

national
ar
maments director to create a
strong

defence

centre

capable
o
f

leading

Britain

in

meeting

the
i
ncreasing

threats

we

face.
With

Labour,

the

UK’s

military,
fi
nancial,dip
lomaticandp
olitical
s
upportf
orU
krainew
illr
emain
s
teadfast.

Labour

will

support

efforts
t
o

hold

Putin’s

Russia

to

account
f
or

its

illegal

war,

backing

calls

for
a
Special Tribunal for the Crime of
Aggression.

We

will

work

with

our
a
llies to enable the seizure and
repurposing

of

frozen

Russian

state
a
ssets

to

support

Ukraine.

And

we
w
ill

play

a

leading

role

in

providing
U
kraine

with

a

clear

path

to
N
ATOm
embership.
L
abour

will

also

work

with

our

allies
andin
ternationalfi
nancialc
entres
t
o

tackle

corruption

and

money
l
aundering,inc
ludinginB
ritain,
C
rown

Dependencies,

and

in

British
O
verseasT
erritories.
L
abour is fully committed to
AUKUS,

the

trilateral

security
p
artnershipw
ithA
ustraliaand
t
he

United

States.

We

will

ensure
i
t

delivers

its

full

economic

as

well
a
s

security

potential,

increasing
j
obs and investment in communities
across

the

UK.
A
fter

14

years

of

damaging
C onservative inconsistency over
China,

Labour

will

bring

a

long-
term

and

strategic

approach

to
m
anaging

our

relations.

We

will
c
o-operate

where

we

can,

compete
w
here

we

need

to,

and

challenge
w
here

we

must.

We

will

improve
t
heU
K’sc
apabilityt
ound
erstand
a
nd

respond

to

the

challenges

and
o
pportunities

China

poses

through
a
n

audit

of

our

bilateral

relationship.
W
e

will

always

act

in

our

interests
a
nd

defend

our

sovereignty

and

our
d
emocratic

values.

We

will

stand
w
ith

and

support

members

of

the
H
ong

Kong

community

who

have
r
elocated

to

the

UK.
Defending

our

security

also
m
eans

protecting

the

British
O
verseas

Territories

and

Crown
D
ependencies,inc
ludingt
he
F
alklandsandG
ibraltar.L
abour
w
ill

always

defend

their

sovereignty
a
nd

right

to

self-determination.
With Labour,
the

UK’s

military,
fi
nancial,
d
iplomatic and
political support
for

Ukraine

will
r
emain steadfast

121Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Championing UK prosperity
Labour’s

first

mission

in

government
w
ill

be

to

grow

our

economy.

This
w
ill

be

at

the

heart

of

everything
w
e

do,

including

our

foreign

policy.
W
e

will

use

our

diplomatic

network
t
o

attract

foreign

direct

investment
i
nto

the

UK,

expand

markets
f
or

British

exporters,

and

shape
e
mergingr
egulatoryf
rameworks.
B
ritain

is

a

proud

trading

nation

and
fl
ourishingin
ternationalbusine
ssis
a v
ital part of our plan for
growth.

Openness

to

trade

allows
o
ur

firms

to

grow

and

delivers
g
reater

choice

and

value

for
c
onsumers.R
athert
hanp
rioritising
in substantiala greementsw hich
d
o

not

bring

meaningful

benefits
t
o

the

UK,

Labour

will

seek

targeted
t
radea
greementsa
ligned
w
ith

our

industrial

strategy

and
e
conomic

strengths,

to

bring
pr
osperity to communities across
England,

Scotland,

Wales,

and
N
orthernI
reland.
W
e

will

publish

a

trade

strategy
a
nd

use

every

lever

available

to

get
U
K

business

the

access

it

needs
t
o

international

markets.

This

will
p
romotet
heh
ighests
tandards
w
hen

it

comes

to

food

production.
A
s

well

as

striking

new

free

trade
a
greements,

Labour

will

seek

122 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
tone gotiate s tandalones ector
d
eals,

such

as

digital,

or

mutual
r
ecognition

agreements,

to

promote
o
ur

services

exports.
W
e

will

lead

international
dis
cussions to modernise trade
rules

and

agreements

so

they
w
orkf
orB
ritain,p
romoting
d
eeper trade and co-operation
includingt
hrought
heW
orld
T
rade

Organisation

and

the
C
omprehensiveandP
rogressive
A
greement

for

Trans-Pacific
P
artnership.L
abours
upports
i
mplementation

of

the

OECD
g
lobal

minimum

rate

of

corporate
t
axation

and

backs

international
e
fforts

to

make

sure

multinational
t
ech companies pay their fair
share

of

tax.
Labour

will

build

and

strengthen
mo
dernp
artnershipsw
itha
lliesand
r
egional

powers.

We

will

seek

a

new
s
trategicp
artnershipw
ithI
ndia,
i
ncluding

a

free

trade

agreement,
a
s

well

as

deepening

co-operation
i
n

areas

like

security,

education,
t
echnology

and

climate

change.
W
e

will

deepen

our

co-operation
w
ith

partners

across

the

Gulf

on
r
egional

security,

energy

and

trade
andin
vestment.
R
ecognisingt
hegr
owingp
olitical
and
economic importance of
African

countries,

we

will

deliver
a

new

approach

to

the

continent
t
o foster opportunities for mutual
long-termb enefit.
C
limate leadership
We

cannot

address

the

urgency
o
f the climate and nature crisis
withoutc
o-ordinatedgl
obal
a
ction.

A

failure

to

act

will

cause
e
nvironmentald
evastation,f
uelling
dis
placement,c
onflictandf
amine.
B
y

being

climate

leaders

at

home,
inc
ludingme
etingo
ura
greed
t
argets,

Labour

will

restore

the
s
trong

global

leadership

needed
t
o

tackle

the

climate

crisis.
International allies and competitors
have

already

recognised

the
op
portunitiesandar
er
acing
a
head,

investing

in

new

technology
a
nd

creating

the

jobs

of

the

future.
U
nder

the

Conservatives,

Britain
Labourwillcreate
a

new

Clean
P
owerA
lliance,
b
ringingt
ogether
a c
oalition of
countries at the
cutting

edge

of
cl
imate action

123Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
hassquanderedourleadership,
w
asting

the

opportunity

of

our
C
OP26

presidency

to

make

historic
p
rogress.

Labour

will

move

faster
b
y

working

together

with

our
in
ternational partners, especially
those at the forefront of the climate
crisis,inc
ludingP
akistanand
B
angladesh,

and

the

COP30
h
osts,

Brazil.
L
abour

will

create

a

new

Clean
P
owerA
lliance,b
ringingt
ogethera
c
oalition

of

countries

at

the

cutting
e
dge

of

climate

action.

This

will

help
t
o

deliver

lower

energy

bills

while
a
ccelerating

the

energy

transition
andp
rotectingande
nhancing
c
lean

energy

supply

chains.
S trengthening diplomacy
Labour

will

strengthen

Britain’s
in
fluenceab
road,d
efendingo
ur
n
ational

interests,

promoting
p
rogressive

values,

and

protecting
U
K

nationals.
Our diplomatic leadership is
bolstered

by

the

soft

power
o
fo
urw
orld-leadingc
ultural
i
nstitutions.

Rather

than

running
t
hese

institutions

down,

we

will
w
ork

across

government

to

bring
l
eading

creative

and

cultural
i
nstitutions

together

to

increase
t
he

UK’s

international

clout.

And

we
w
ill

work

with

our

proud

diaspora
c
ommunities to enhance our
cultural

links

across

the

world.

124 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Long-termpeaceandsecurity
i
n

the

Middle

East

will

be

an
im
mediatef
ocus.L
abour
w
ill

continue

to

push

for

an
i
mmediate

ceasefire,

the

release
o
f

all

hostages,

the

upholding
o
f

international

law,

and

a

rapid
inc
reaseo
faidin
toG
aza.P
alestinian
s
tatehoodist
hein
alienabler
ight
o
f

the

Palestinian

people.

It

is

not

in
t
he

gift

of

any

neighbour

and

is

also
e
ssential

to

the

long-term

security
o
f

Israel.

We

are

committed

to
r
ecognisingaP
alestinians
tate
a
s

a

contribution

to

a

renewed
p
eace

process

which

results

in

a
t
wo-state

solution

with

a

safe

and
s
ecure

Israel

alongside

a

viable
ands
overeignP
alestinians
tate.
Labour  will  also  strengthen  support
f
or

British

nationals

abroad.

We

will
i
ntroduce

a

new

right

to

consular
a
ssistance in cases of human
rights

violations.
Modernising international
development
With

previous

Labour

governments,
B
ritaing
ainedw
orld-leading
ex
pertisei
ni
nternational
d
evelopment,

with

the

aim

of
m
aking

the

world

a

safer,

more
p
rosperous

place.

Under

the
C
onservatives, this capacity has
been

degraded,

and

as

a

result
B
ritain

has

lost

influence.
L
abour

will

turn

the

page

to

rebuild
B
ritain’sr
eputationonin
ternational

125Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
developmentwithanewapproach
b
ased

on

genuine

respect

and
p
artnership

with

the

global

South
t
o

support

our

common

interests.
To

counter

the

growing

influence
o
f

malign

actors

and

boost

efforts
t
o

combat

threats

like

climate
c
hange,

the

UK’s

development

work
m
ust

be

closely

aligned

with

our
f
oreignp
olicyaim
s,c
o-ordinated
t
o

tackle

global

poverty,

instability,
andt
hec
limateandn
aturec
risis.
O
ur

mission

statement

will

be

‘to
c
reate

a

world

free

from

poverty

on
a

liveable

planet’

as

a

signal

of

our
c
ommitment

to

greater

multilateral
a
ction, and our intention to lead on
thisag
enda.
RegainingB
ritain’sg
loball
eadership
o
n

development

is

a

key

part

of

our
p
lan

to

reconnect

with

our

allies
a
nd

partners.

Labour

will

strengthen
in
ternationald
evelopmentw
ork
w
ithint
heF
oreign,C
ommonwealth
&

Development

Office.

We

will

renew
e
xpertise

and

focus,

especially

in
p
riority

areas

such

as

supporting
e
conomict
ransformation,t
ackling
un
sustainabled
ebt,e
mpowering
w
omenandgir
ls,s
upporting
c
onflictp
revention,andun
locking
c
limat

e

finance.
L
abour

is

committed

to

restoring
d
evelopment

spending

at

the
l
evel

of

0.7

per

cent

of

gross
n
ational income as soon as
fiscalc ircumstancesa llow.
W
e

will

deliver

value

for

money
f
or

the

British

taxpayer

by

working
c
losely

with

the

Independent
C
ommission

for

Aid

Impact

to
ap
plyt
heh
ighests
tandards
t
o

our

aid

spend



bringing

in
r
obust measures of development
effectiveness, transparency,
ands
crutiny.
L
abour will end the chaotic
approach to foreign affairs,
turn the page and reconnect
with our allies, to once again
stand strong on the world stage.

LABOUR’S
FISCAL PLAN
Our fiscal rules are non-negotiable
and will apply to every decision
taken by a Labour government.
This means that the current budget
must move into balance, so that
day-to-day costs are met by
revenues and debt must be falling
as a share of the economy by the
fifth year of the forecast.
Costs for Labour’s additional
public services spending are set
out below. We have used the last
year of the most recent Office for
Budget Responsibility forecast
(2028-29) which represents the
highest annual cost of the policies.
However, we will begin to put these
policies in place from day one of
a Labour government, moving as
quickly as possible in a way that
also ensures value for money for
the taxpayer.
We have not allocated
all additional revenue to
potential spending. This is
a prudent approach in line
with our commitment to
economic stability.
Policies not listed here will be
funded from existing budgets
or do not have a cost.
126 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

PublicS ervices 1
REVENUE
(2028-29)
 £M POLICIES  FUNDED  (2028-29) £M
Revenue from
closing further
non-dom tax
loopholes and
investment in
reducing tax
avoidance
2
5,230
40,000 more operations, scans and
appointments every week 1,010
Double the number of NHS CT and MRI
scanners 250
Dentistry package including 700,000 urgent
appointments every year 125
Free breakfast clubs in every primary school 315
Investment in HMRC to reduce tax avoidance 855
Revenue from
applying VAT and
business rates to
private schools
1,510
6,500 new expert teachers 450
Increased teacher and headteacher training 270
Delivering work experience and careers advice
for all young people 85
Early language development in primary
schools 5
Ofsted reform 45
Over 3,000 new nurseries 35
Mental health support for every school 175
Young Futures Hubs 95
Revenue from
closing carried
interest tax
loophole
565
Recruit 8,500 new mental health staff 410
Legal aid for victims of disasters
or state-related deaths
3 30
Waive visa costs for non-UK veterans who
have served four years or more in the British
forces
4
10
Revenue from
increasing stamp
duty on purchases
of residential
property by non-UK
residents by 1%
40 Appoint 300 new planning officers 20
Barnett consequentials
5
650
Total 7,350 Total including Barnett consequentials 4,835
1 May not sum due to rounding.
2
R
evenue from tax avoidance driven by additional £855m per year investment in HMRC. Does not
include £600m revenue from removing non-dom discount loophole in 2025-26.
3
C
osts are England and Wales.
4 Costs are UK wide.
5 Scotland (£320m), Wales (£195m), Northern Ireland (£135m).
127Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

GreenProsperityPlan6
T
he Green Prosperity Plan will be funded in part by a time-limited
windfall tax on the oil and gas giants making record profits, with the
rest of the funding coming from responsible borrowing to invest within
Labour’s fiscal rules – catalytic investment that will leverage higher
private investment and boost economic growth.
For transparency, we have given an annual average across the
parliament given the exact profile of projects will be driven by
partnership with business.
Funding
(annual average) £bn Policies funded (annual average) £bn
Windfall tax on oil
and gas giants 1.2
Great British Energy 1.7
National Wealth Fund 1.5
British Jobs Bonus
7 0.3
Warm Homes Plan7 1.1
Barnett consequentials 0.2
Total 1.2
Total including Barnett consequentials 4.7
Borrowing to invest
within fiscal rules 3.5
6 M ay not sum due to rounding.
7
E
lements of the British Jobs Bonus (up to £500m per year from 2026-27) and Warm Homes Plan
will be devolved.
128 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

Changeswithindepartmentalspendingplans8
We have identified waste and other efficiencies which will be used
to fund further public service priorities.
For transparency, we have used an annual figure that reflects the
highest annual costs of these policies given the differing profiles of
each spending priority.
Policy
Funding
within existing
departmental plans
Amount
re-allocated,
annualised,
£m
Prioritising frontline public service delivery
and public sector capability
Halving consultancy
spend 745
13,000 additional neighbourhood police
and community PCSOs; and specialist
domestic abuse advisers in 999 control
rooms at peak times
Police Efficiency
and Collaboration
Programme
400
New measures to clear the asylum backlog:
Caseworkers, Returns and Enforcment Unit
End use of hotels
for asylum
accommodation
155
Border Security Comand to tackle criminal
gangs behind small boat crossings
Scrap the Rwanda
scheme 75
Invest in roads maintenance to fill
in up to 1 million potholes every year
Deferring the
A27 bypass 65
Put youth workers in A&E units and
custody centres, and youth mentors
in pupil referral units
Full cost recovery for
firearms licenses 20
Appoint legal advocates to provide free legal
advice and support to rape survivors across
England and Wales
Redirect PCC grants
for victims’ services 5
Total 1,460
8 May not sum due to rounding.
129Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

130 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
130 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

131Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
CHANGE
At this election we can change Britain.
Wecanstopthechaos,turnthepage,andstarttorebuild
o
urc
ountry.
A

country

restored

to

the

service

of

working

people;

united

in
t
he

common

determination

to

build

and

share

wealth.

And

with
a

renewed

confidence

that

the

future

will

be

better

for

our

children.
This manifesto contains our plan to
begin that work.
Tosucceedwewillneedeveryindividualandcommunityto
p
lay

their

part.

We

must

come

together,

after

14

years

of

chaos
anddi
vision.
That is what Britain needs –
and we hope you will join us
in this national endeavour.
131Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

132 Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

Accessible versions of the
manifesto are available at:
labour.org.uk/accessiblemanifesto
or scan the QR code below
133Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024

Keir Starmer
Leader of the Labour Party
2338_24 Reproduced from electronic media. Promoted by David Evans on behalf of the Labour Party,
both at 20 Rushworth Street, London, SE1 0SS.