FOR THE MANY NOT THE FEW THE LABOUR PARTY MANIFESTO 2017 CONTENTS FOREWORD 4 1 CREATING AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS FOR ALL 7 A fair taxation system 9 Balancing the books 10 Infrastructure investment 11 Upgrading our economy: Labour's industrial strategy 13 Transforming our financial system 16 A new deal for business 17 Widening ownership of our economy 19 Sustainable energy 20 2 NEGOTIATING BREXIT 23 Immigration 28 International trade 30 3 TOWARDS A NATIONAL EDUCATION SERVICE 33 Early years 35 Schools 37 Skills 39 Higher Education 43 4 A FAIR DEAL AT WORK 45 Rights at work 47 Self-employed workers 51 5 SOCIAL SECURITY 53 Dignity for pensioners 54 Dignity for those who cannot work 56 6 SECURE HOMES FOR ALL 59 Home ownership 61 Private renters 62 Council and social tenants 63 Homelessness 64 7 HEALTHCARE FOR ALL 65 NHS 66 Towards a National Care Service 71 Mental health 73 8 SAFER COMMUNITIES 75 Police and crime 76 Border security 78 Fire and Rescue Services 79 Justice 80 Prisons and Probation service 82 9 LEADING RICHER LIVES 85 Local communities 86 Transport 90 Environment 93 Animal welfare 94 Culture for all 95 Media 97 Sport 99 10 EXTENDING DEMOCRACY 101 England 103 Scotland 104 Wales 105 Northern Ireland 106 11 A MORE EQUAL SOCIETY 107 Women 109 LGBT equality 111 Diverse communities 112 People with disabilities 113 12 A GLOBAL BRITAIN 115 Diplomacy 117 Defence 120 Development 122 FOREWORD A big part of being the leader of a political party is that you meet people across the country and hear a wide range of views and ideas about the future. For me, it's been a reminder that our country is a place of dynamic, generous and creative people with massive potential. But I've also heard something far less positive, something which motivates us in the Labour Party to work for the kind of real change set out in this manifesto. It is a growing sense of anxiety and frustration. Faced with falling living standards, growing job insecurity and shrinking public services, people are under increasing strain. Young people are held back by debt and the cost of housing. Whole families are being held back from the life they have worked towards. I'm constantly told of these pressures in the workplace. Faced with constant cuts and interference, our police, nurses, doctors, teachers and council staff are held back from delivering the public services they signed up to. Workers are held back by falling real pay and job security. Our entrepreneurs and managers are being held back from growing their business. If you are increasingly asked to do more with less, then you are not alone. Every election is a choice. What makes this election different is that the choice is starker than ever before. You can choose more of the same: the rich getting richer, more children in poverty, our NHS failing and our schools and social care in crisis. Or you can vote for the party that has a plan to change all of this - The Labour Party. Britain is the fifth richest country in the world. But that means little when many people don't share in that wealth. Many feel the system is rigged against them. And this manifesto sets out exactly what can be done about it. Britain needs to negotiate a Brexit deal that puts our economy and living standards first. That won't be achieved by empty slogans and posturing. We cannot put at risk our links with our largest trading partner. Instead we need a jobs-first Brexit that allows us to upgrade our economy for the 21st century. Labour will invest in the cutting-edge jobs and industries of the future that can improve everybody's lives. Which is why this manifesto outlines a fully costed programme to upgrade our economy. From childcare to transport, housing to lifelong learning, Labour understands how a successful economy depends on services that support us all.