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| What would a Labour government do for you? | What would a Labour government do for you? |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The next general election will take place in just under eight months. So, what did we learn about Labour's policies at the party's annual conference this week? | |
| If there is one thing Labour wants voters to remember, it's plans for the NHS... | If there is one thing Labour wants voters to remember, it's plans for the NHS... |
| It promised an extra £2.5bn to recruit more staff. | It promised an extra £2.5bn to recruit more staff. |
| The money will come from three sources - a new "mansion" tax, clamping down on tax avoidance by big corporations and a new tax on tobacco companies. | The money will come from three sources - a new "mansion" tax, clamping down on tax avoidance by big corporations and a new tax on tobacco companies. |
| Labour has also said patients in England would get an appointment within 48 hours. | Labour has also said patients in England would get an appointment within 48 hours. |
| If there is one thing voters tend to remember, it's policies on tax... | If there is one thing voters tend to remember, it's policies on tax... |
| Labour would tax people who own properties worth over £2m. It estimates that the "mansion tax" will bring in £1.2bn, although we've yet to be told how the tax would work. | Labour would tax people who own properties worth over £2m. It estimates that the "mansion tax" will bring in £1.2bn, although we've yet to be told how the tax would work. |
| It didn't get much of a mention at conference but Labour also restated its promise to reintroduce a 50p rate of income tax for earnings over £150,000. | It didn't get much of a mention at conference but Labour also restated its promise to reintroduce a 50p rate of income tax for earnings over £150,000. |
| And a symbolic (rather than deficit slashing) announcement - Labour would bring in a 5% pay cut for every government minister. For the prime minister, that's a loss of just over £7,000 a year. | And a symbolic (rather than deficit slashing) announcement - Labour would bring in a 5% pay cut for every government minister. For the prime minister, that's a loss of just over £7,000 a year. |
| There was a promise of more money for the low-paid... | There was a promise of more money for the low-paid... |
| There would be an increase in the minimum wage from £6.50-an-hour to £8-an-hour by 2020. | There would be an increase in the minimum wage from £6.50-an-hour to £8-an-hour by 2020. |
| Zero hours contracts would also be banned. | Zero hours contracts would also be banned. |
| Announced last year, Labour would also reintroduce the 10p rate of tax. (That was originally going to be funded by the mansion tax.) | Announced last year, Labour would also reintroduce the 10p rate of tax. (That was originally going to be funded by the mansion tax.) |
| Welfare spending to remain tight... | Welfare spending to remain tight... |
| Rises in child benefit would be capped at 1% for the first two years of the next parliament. | Rises in child benefit would be capped at 1% for the first two years of the next parliament. |
| Winter fuel allowance would be withdrawn from the wealthiest pensioners. | Winter fuel allowance would be withdrawn from the wealthiest pensioners. |
| But Labour would get rid of what it calls the "bedroom tax" - the coalition's policy to cut housing benefit for people deemed to have a home bigger than they need, which it calls the spare room subsidy. | But Labour would get rid of what it calls the "bedroom tax" - the coalition's policy to cut housing benefit for people deemed to have a home bigger than they need, which it calls the spare room subsidy. |
| Labour continues to talk about the "cost of living crisis"... | Labour continues to talk about the "cost of living crisis"... |
| Labour's remedies include forcing water companies to help customers struggling to pay their bills and a 20-month price freeze on energy. There would also be one million interest-free loans to help people insulate their homes. | Labour's remedies include forcing water companies to help customers struggling to pay their bills and a 20-month price freeze on energy. There would also be one million interest-free loans to help people insulate their homes. |
| Rail fares would be capped and for private renters there would be a cap on rent increases. | Rail fares would be capped and for private renters there would be a cap on rent increases. |
| There would be more homes too, with Labour planning to build 200,000 houses a year by 2020. | There would be more homes too, with Labour planning to build 200,000 houses a year by 2020. |
| What about business? | What about business? |
| Previous years have seen Ed Miliband targeting business in his speech with attacks on predatory "asset-stripping" companies. | Previous years have seen Ed Miliband targeting business in his speech with attacks on predatory "asset-stripping" companies. |
| We're yet to see how this might reflect itself in precise policy terms. What we do now know is that Labour would scrap a cut in corporation tax for big business in order to reduce business rates for small firms. | We're yet to see how this might reflect itself in precise policy terms. What we do now know is that Labour would scrap a cut in corporation tax for big business in order to reduce business rates for small firms. |
| Immigration is top, or near the top, of the list of issues for voters... | Immigration is top, or near the top, of the list of issues for voters... |
| This is one area where a host of Labour figures are happy to say the Blair/Brown government got it wrong. But they say, instead of an "arms race of rhetoric", they will offer practical policies that help. | This is one area where a host of Labour figures are happy to say the Blair/Brown government got it wrong. But they say, instead of an "arms race of rhetoric", they will offer practical policies that help. |
| They include "stronger" border controls to tackle illegal immigration with "proper" entry and exit checks. | They include "stronger" border controls to tackle illegal immigration with "proper" entry and exit checks. |
| Labour says there would be "smarter" targets to reduce low-skilled migration but ensure university students and high-skilled workers are not put off. | Labour says there would be "smarter" targets to reduce low-skilled migration but ensure university students and high-skilled workers are not put off. |
| And employment agencies who only recruit abroad will be outlawed while the fines for employing illegal immigrants will be increased. | And employment agencies who only recruit abroad will be outlawed while the fines for employing illegal immigrants will be increased. |
| What about the kids? | What about the kids? |
| Labour says it will make sure all teachers would have to be qualified. | Labour says it will make sure all teachers would have to be qualified. |
| Parents of primary school children would be guaranteed childcare from 8am to 6pm. | Parents of primary school children would be guaranteed childcare from 8am to 6pm. |
| The amount of free childcare for three and four year olds would be increased from 15 to 25 hours a week. | The amount of free childcare for three and four year olds would be increased from 15 to 25 hours a week. |
| Labour plans that by 2025, as many young people will be leaving school to do an apprenticeship as go to university. | Labour plans that by 2025, as many young people will be leaving school to do an apprenticeship as go to university. |
| Getting greener | Getting greener |
| Labour, which reckons David Cameron has made the environment "unfashionable", has promised to create one million green jobs - to make Britain a global leader in renewable energy. | Labour, which reckons David Cameron has made the environment "unfashionable", has promised to create one million green jobs - to make Britain a global leader in renewable energy. |
| It would also create a Green Investment Bank, with powers to borrow money. | It would also create a Green Investment Bank, with powers to borrow money. |
| Ed Miliband said tackling climate change was important to the economy and an important issue for him personally. | Ed Miliband said tackling climate change was important to the economy and an important issue for him personally. |
| That's it then. Or have we forgotten something...? | That's it then. Or have we forgotten something...? |
| Ah yes, it may have slipped Ed Miliband's mind during his speech, but what about the economy? The deficit remains rather large. | Ah yes, it may have slipped Ed Miliband's mind during his speech, but what about the economy? The deficit remains rather large. |
| Luckily shadow chancellor Ed Balls had covered that ground - Labour promised to get the current budget into surplus and the national debt falling "as soon as possible in the next parliament". | Luckily shadow chancellor Ed Balls had covered that ground - Labour promised to get the current budget into surplus and the national debt falling "as soon as possible in the next parliament". |
| It added that no proposals for new spending would be paid for by additional borrowing. | It added that no proposals for new spending would be paid for by additional borrowing. |