UK

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorWith the July 4 general election nearly just days away, all major parties have released their manifestos setting out their vision for the country’s future.The policies within these documents explain what each party would aim to achieve during their time in power, should they successfully secure a parliamentary majority.For all the latest updates ahead of the general election, follow The Independent’s live coverageWhile it’s very unlikely any party but Labour or the Conservatives will form the new government in July, other parties’ manifestos offer an insight into the principles their members hold, and will hold the prevailing government to account on if they secure any MPs.With each manifesto coming in at hundreds of pages, it can be hard to sift through to the important bits, so here’s a handy guide to where all the major parties stand on the key areas:ConservativesIncrease NHS spending above inflation every yearLong-term workforce plan: 92,000 new nurses, 28,000 more doctors by the end of next parliamentInvesting £8.6bn into social care system, reaching a funding settlement with local authoritiesSticking to 2019 plan of 40 new hospitals by 2030 (despite concerns from the National Audit Office)Expand Pharmacy First, build or modernise 250 GPs, build 50 more Community Diagnostic CentresLabourReduce waiting time for non-urgent treatment to no longer than 18 weeks from referral40,000 more appointments a week by incentivising out-of-hours working and shared waiting lists between practicesUse ‘spare capacity’ in the private sector to reduce waiting times (in the short-term)8,500 more mental health staffDouble the number of CT and MRI scanners for cancer preventionIntroduce Neighbourhood Health Service and give pharmacists independent prescribing rightsLib DemsGive patients the right to see a GP within 7 days, or 24 hours if urgentRecruit 8,000 new GPsBring in mental health hubs for young people, with check-ups offered at key points in lifeCancer treatment to be guaranteed no more than 62 days after referralGive pharmacists independent prescribing rightsSupport carers with wages at least £2 above the minimum, and free personal care for adultsGreensSteadily reduce waiting lists and grant rapid access to a GP (same day if urgent)Guaranteed access to an NHS dentistBoost NHS staff pay immediatelyRestrict the role of commercial companies in the NHSMove towards a legal and regulated drug marketMake mental health and equal priority to physical health: guaranteed free therapy within 28 daysReformNo tax on frontline NHS staff for first three yearsUse independent healthcare capacity to supplement NHS services20 per cent tax relief on all private healthcare and insuranceNHS patients to receive voucher for private treatment if they can’t see a GP within three daysSet up an ‘excess deaths and vaccine harms’ Covid inquiryTax and economyConservativesAnother 2p cut to national insurance (halving it to 6p from 12p at the start of the year)No increase to personal taxes like income tax or VAT Maintain corporation tax at 25 per cent and back businesses to trade and invest in the UKReduce borrowing and debtAbolish main rate of national insurance for self-employed workersLabourNo increases to taxes like income tax, VAT or national insuranceImplement new strict fiscal rules guided by ‘securonomics,’ strengthen the role of the OBRCreate ‘sustained economic growth’ by being the party of ‘wealth creation’Close non-dom tax loopholes and tackle tax avoidanceIntroduce VAT and business rates to private schoolsWindfall tax on oil and gas giantsLib DemsCut income tax by increasing the tax-free personal allowance (frozen since 2022)Reform capital gains tax to make it ‘fairer’ by introducing three rates, similar to income tax, and raising allowanceReverse Conservative ‘tax cuts’ for big banksImplement a one-off windfall tax on ‘super-profits’ of oil and gas companiesProtect the independence of the Bank of England and OBRFix ‘broken relationship’ with Europe to improve trade opportunitiesGreensNo increase to basic rate of income tax during cost of living crisis75 per cent windfall tax on banksIntroduce a ‘wealth tax’: assets over £10 million taxed at 1 per cent; assets over £1 billion at 2 per centReform capital gains by bringing rates in line with income tax, scrap the upper limit of national insurance taxInvest £40bn into the “green economic transformation,” through combined revenue-raising measuresOnly party backing full nationalisation of public utilitiesReformLift income tax allowance to £20k (and higher rate to £70k)Lower fuel duty by 20p per litreReduce stamp duty to 0 per cent below £750k (up from the current £250k)Bring corporation tax down to 15 per cent within three yearsImmigrationConservativeGet Rwanda scheme off the ground as soon as possibleIntroduce a legal cap on migrationIncrease visa feesCut migration by half and then reduce every year of next parliamentLabourReduce migration by training more UK workers to fill employment gapsBan employers from recruiting from overseas as defaultAbolish the non-dom status immediately (curbing transitional measures)Bring in 1,000 more staff dedicated to returning asylum seekers with rejected applicationsCancel the Rwanda policyLib DemsScrap the Rwanda scheme, and provide a safe, legal route for refugeesCreate a dedicated unit to decide on asylum cases within three monthsGive asylum seekers right to work if no decision is made on their case in three monthsGive full settled status to all EU citizens in the UK with pre-settled statusGreensReplace Home Office with Department of MigrationScrap minimum income requirement for spouses of migrants with work visasEnd all detention of migrantsAll asylum seekers to work while their case is being decidedReformAll migrants who arrive illegally from safe countries are barred from claiming asylumSmall boat migrants who cross Channel are sent back to FranceRequired five years residency before benefits can be claimedAsylum seekers to be processed from safe countries offshore20 per cent national insurance for international workersLabourRecruit 6,500 new teachersCreate 100,000 new nursery places and 3,000 primary school-based nurseriesHelp such as training or apprenticeships for all 18-21 year olds looking for workFree primary school breakfast clubs for all childrenConservatives30 hours free childcare from nine months old (from September 2025)Child benefit threshold for single-income households raises to £120,000Schools to ban mobile phonesEnd ‘rip-off’ degrees and fund 100,000 more apprenticeships instead60,000 more school places and 15 new free schoolsLib DemsDedicated mental health professional in every primary and secondary schoolIncrease school and college funding per pupil above inflation every yearIntroduce a ‘tutoring guarantee’ for every disadvantaged pupil needing supportAll adults given £5,000 to spend on education or training throughout their lives, rising to £10k when possibleTriple pupil premium to £1000 a yearGreensAdditional £8bn funding for schoolsAbolish university tuition feesScrap OFSTEDEnd ‘high stakes’ testing in schools to reduce pupil stressReformBan ‘transgender ideology’ in all schoolsNo VAT on private school feesScrap interest on student loansCut funding to universities that ‘undermine free speech’EnvironmentConservativesBan bonuses for water company bosses if the company breaks the lawCreate a new national parkIncrease the UK’s offshore wind capacity threefoldCut the cost of net zero and aim for goal of 2050LabourCreate Great British Energy – a publicly-owned clean power companyBan bonuses for bosses of failing water companiesMake five million homes energy efficientCreate 650,000 new energy jobs by 2030Ban frackingLib DemsWater companies made public and bonuses for bosses bannedIntroduce a 16 per cent sewage tax on water company profitsDouble the size of Protected Area Network by 2050All new homes to be zero carbonPlant 60 million trees a yearGreensBring in a carbon tax on businesses of £120 per tonne emitted (rising to £500 p/t over ten years)70 per cent of UK electricity to come from wind by 2030Ban cage farming and badger cullingBring energy sources into community ownership, allowing excess to be soldRemove oil and gas subsidiesReformScrap VAT on energy billsScrap environmental leviesSpeed up North Sea oil and gas licencesScrap HS2 and ULEZ More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorJacob Rees-Mogg said he wants to build a wall in the middle of the English channel and questioned the mental acuity of US president Joe Biden.Mr Rees-Mogg told young Tory activists that he would vote for former US president Trump if he could and that he was right to build the wall along the border with Mexico.In a leaked recording obtained by The Guardian, he said: “If I were American I’d want the border closed, I’d be all in favour of building a wall. I’d want to build a wall in the middle of the English Channel,” the former cabinet minister said.Mr Rees-Mogg is currently campaigning hard to regain his North East Somerset and Hanham seat amid a strong challenge from Labour’s Dan Norris.He’s not the only member of the Tory party who has previously admitted his admiration for Mr Trump. Former prime minister Liz Truss has backed Mr Trump to win the presidential election this year and said the world was “safer” when he was in the White House.In comments to the BBC in April, she said: “I’m not saying that I agree with absolutely everything he’s ever said.”But added: “I do agree that under Donald Trump when he was president of the United States, the world was safer.“I want to work with fellow conservatives to take on what I believe is a real threat of Western society and civilization being undermined by left-wing extreme ideas.”Nigel Farage with former US president Donald Trump More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorDelays to postal votes being delivered are being urgently investigated, a minister has said, amid concerns that some people could be left disenfranchised at the General Election.Kevin Hollinrake has criticised Royal Mail for failing to deliver ballot packs to voters in some constituencies ahead of polling day on Thursday.Appearing on Tuesday’s morning broadcast round, health minister Maria Caulfield said Mr Hollinrake, the postal affairs minister, is in “direct contact” with the service.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.Kevin Hollinrake criticised Royal Mail over delays in postal votes arriving (PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorA second Reform candidate has dropped out of the election campaign and endorsed their local Conservative instead, claiming the “vast majority” of Reform candidates are “racist, misogynistic and bigoted”.Georgie David, the Reform candidate for West Ham and Beckton, said she believes the party leadership is “not racist” but it has failed to “tackle this issue in any meaningful way”.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.Ms David’s move follows that of Liam Booth-Isherwood, who was standing in the seat of Erewash under the Reform banner but also dropped out of the race saying he had become “increasingly disillusioned” with the behaviour of the party, citing a “significant moral issue” within its ranks.And it comes on a damaging day for Mr Farage’s right-wing challenger party, with Reform chairman Richard Tice clashing with the BBC in a car-crash interview. Mr Tice was challenged over Mr Farage’s insistence that the West provoked Russia’s war with Ukraine, with presenter Nick Robinson pointing out that he repeatedly refused to repeat the words of his party leader. Mr Farage’s party has been embroiled by racism allegations since campaigners for Reform in Clacton were recorded by an undercover journalist from Channel 4 making racist comments, including about the Prime Minister, who is of Indian descent.Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed an undercover report which exposed racism by a party candidate was a ‘set-up’ (PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditor Britain’s upcoming general election is widely expected to lead to a change of government for the first time in 14 years. Many analysts believe it will be one of the country’s most consequential elections since the end of World War II.Ahead of the July 4 vote, The Associated Press takes a look back at other landmark U.K. elections since the war.___By the spring of 2010, Labour had been in power for 13 years, its longest ever stretch. When Prime Minister Gordon Brown called an election for May 6, few gave the party much of a chance in extending that period in office.Though Brown was a hugely driven politician, he lacked the natural flair of his predecessor Blair. The global financial crisis in 2008, which led to the deepest U.K. recession in a century and the state bailout of some of the country’s biggest banks, saw Labour’s popularity took a dive.The Conservatives had reinvented themselves in the aftermath of their third straight election defeat in 2005, and were now being led by the smooth David Cameron, who sought to broaden the party’s appeal to younger voters by raising issues like the environment, health and education. Cameron was dubbed the “heir to Blair.”But it was economic matters that dominated the election campaign. The worsening financial situation in much of Europe, particularly in Greece, only added to the concerns over the U.K.’s public finances.With barely a week to go to the election, Brown’s fate was ultimately sealed when he was caught calling a Labour supporter “just a bigoted woman.” Brown was campaigning when he was questioned by 65-year-old Gillian Duffy over the state of the economy and immigration, and he was still wired up to a microphone when he made the comment to his advisers. With social media now part of the broadcast mix, the exchange took a life of its own and Brown was forced to apologize repeatedly.Though Labour ended up with its lowest share of the vote since 1983, it held onto more seats than most pollsters were predicting. Cameron’s Conservatives fell short of the number needed to govern alone.After days of frantic discussions Cameron was able to seal a deal with the centrist Liberal Democrats and its leader Nick Clegg to create the first coalition government since World War II.The coalition government, which lasted until 2015, was fairly liberal, not least in its backing of same-sex marraige. It managed to get public borrowing down, but the impact of its harsh fiscal austerity measures still reverberates for many in Britain today. More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorA senior Tory candidate was a trustee of a church while it promoted so-called conversion therapy, it has emerged.Miriam Cates, Conservative candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge, was a member of St Thomas Philadelphia church in Sheffield between 2003 and 2018 and a trustee from 2016 to 2018.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.An independent report has concluded the church “endorsed and supported” conversion practices between 2014 and 2019.Miriam Cates is a co-foudner of the influential right-wing New Conservatives group of MPs More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorVoters have been required to bring photographic identification for certain elections in the UK since May 2023.This came after parliament passed the Elections Act in April 2022, enacting a recommendation the Electoral Commission first made in 2014.Voter ID is now required at by-elections and recall petitions, general elections, local elections and referendums in England, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.The new rules do not apply to Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd, or council elections taking place in Scotland or Wales.The new ID laws have already been in place in many local elections and by-elections since being implemented. But 2024 will be the first year they are in place for a general election, after Rishi Sunak announced a snap election on July 4 at the end of May.Here’s everything you need to know about voter ID ahead of upcoming general election:What ID do I need to vote?There are many different forms of ID that will be accepted at the polling station. It must be photographic ID – meaning a bank card is not valid, for instance.Accepted forms of ID include:Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth countryA photo driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (including a provisional driving licence)A Blue BadgeOlder Person’s Bus PassDisabled Person’s Bus PassFreedom PassIdentity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)Biometric immigration documentMinistry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)National identity card issued by an EEA stateAnonymous Elector’s DocumentYou can use an out-of-date photo ID provided it still looks like you. A full list of accepted forms of ID can be found on the Electoral Commission website.What if I don’t have voter ID?If you do not have any of the accepted forms of photo ID, you are able to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. It’s free to apply for, and will be accepted at the polling station when you want to vote.You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate on the Electoral Commission website. It is free and they do not expire, although it is recommended you reapply every 10 years to ensure your likeness remains similar to the ID.A voter leaves a polling station after voting in the Rochdale by-election on February 29 More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorRishi Sunak has revealed the worst moment of his time as prime minister, just two days before voters go to the polls and deliver an expected wipeout for the Conservatives.The PM was asked for the highs and lows of his time in office in what could be one of his last broadcast interviews in charge of the country.Talking to the BBC’s Breakfast about his worst moment in the job, Mr Sunak said it was his failure to cut NHS waiting lists.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.Waiting lists stood at around 7.2m when he became prime minister in October 2022 and now stand at around 7.5m, according to official figures.Rishi Sunak said his worst moments were failures including over NHS waiting lists More