Hi lovebugs,
Many of us aren't sure who to vote for because we aren't keeping ourselves well informed. So to help I've put together a small video to get your political juices flowing!
Alright! so lets get our selves together and make some decisions about the country a lot of us call 'home'.
(Yes I'm aware many of us that have non British Ancestry may refer to somewhere else as the true motherland but you were born here so be a bit grateful for the opportunity to be here and cast a vote )
I'm no political savvy person however I believe in speaking up and showing up. I see so many bright people getting involved over social media and it inspires me to want to get involved. So join me and watch the clip below.
Issues
Economy - Deficit reduction, Employment, role of business
Healthcare - NHS funding, GP access and social care, Elderly
Immigration - European Union and worldwide migration, border controls and rules on Work and Benefits
Welfare - Benefits, poverty and Equality
Law and Order - Policing, crime prevention and the criminal justice system
Education - Funding for schools, university tuition fees and early years education.
Foreign and Defence - Foreign policy and the role of UK's defence forces at home and abroad
Pensions - State and private provision for retirement, and related charges and tax arrangements
European Union - UK's membership of the EU and its negotiating position
Taxation - Income tax and national insurance levies and business taxes
Constitution - Devolution and reform of the Westminster political process.
Transport - Transport Infrastructure, High speed 2 (HS2) and Airport Expansion
Local Government - local funding and allocation of responsibilities to local authorities
Rural Affairs - Rural and agricultural Policies and Countryside Funding
The Parties
Conservatives
Main pledges
- Eliminate the deficit and be running a surplus by the end of the Parliament
- Extra £8bn above inflation for the NHS by 2020
- Extend Right to Buy to housing association tenants in England
- Legislate to keep people working 30 hours on minimum wage out of tax
- 30 hours of free childcare per week for working parents of 3&4-year-olds
- Referendum on Britain’s EU membership
Labour
Main pledges
- Responsibility "triple lock": fully funded manifesto, cut the deficit every year, balance the books as soon as possible in next Parliament
- Extra £2.5bn for NHS, largely paid for by a mansion tax on properties valued at over £2m
- Raise minimum wage to more than £8ph by 2019
- No rise in VAT, NI or basic and higher rates of income tax
- Access to childcare from 8am-6pm for parents of primary school children
- Freeze energy bills until 2017 and give energy regulator new powers to cut bills this winter
LibDems
Main pledges
- Balance the budget fairly through a mixture of cuts and taxes on higher earners
- Increase tax-free allowance to £12,500
- Guarantee education funding from nursery to 19 with an extra £2.5bn and qualified teachers in every class
- Invest £8bn in the NHS. Equal care for mental & physical health
- Five new laws to protect nature and fight climate change
Green
Main pledges
- End austerity and restore the public sector, creating jobs that pay at least a living wage
- End privatisation of the National Health Service
- Work with other countries to ensure global temperatures do not rise by more than 2C
- £85bn programme of home insulation, renewable electricity generation & flood defences
- Provide 500,000 social homes for rent by 2020 and control rent levels
- Return the railways to public hands
UKIP
Main pledges
- Rapid referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union
- Control immigration with points system, limit of 50,000 skilled workers a year and a five-year ban on unskilled immigration
- Extra £3bn a year for the NHS in England
- No tax on the minimum wage
- Meet Nato target of spending 2% of GDP on defence, and look to increase it “substantially”
Respect
Main pledges
- Fight discrimination and racism
- Protect the rights of other cultures, religions and backgrounds in a multicultural Britain
- An end to illegal war and occupation of foreign countries
- A progressive taxation system which redistributes wealth more fairly
SNP
Main pledges
- Modest spending increase of 0.5% a year, enabling £140bn extra investment
- Annual UK target of 100,000 affordable homes
- Increase in minimum wage to £8.70 by 2020
- Restore the 50p top income tax rate for those earning more than £150,000; introduce a mansion tax and a bankers' bonus tax
- Build an alliance against the renewal of Trident
- Retain the triple lock on pensions and protect the winter fuel allowance
Sinn Fein
Main pledges
- End austerity - negotiate to "restore" £1.5bn for job creation and strong public services
- Return economic powers for a fair recovery, including full control over income tax
- Fully implement welfare protection in Stormont House agreement
- Continue to campaign for border poll on Irish unity
Plaid Cymru
Main pledges
- Living wage for all employees by 2020
- Extra 1,000 doctors for Welsh NHS
- Scrap Bedroom Tax
- Transfer control of criminal justice system - including policing - to Wales
- Oppose renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system
- Wales to get same powers as Scotland. Also similar funding - additional £1.2bn each year
SDLP
Main pledges
- The SDLP has pledged a Scottish-style commission on devolving fiscal powers to Northern Ireland
- It sets out the need for a prosperity process rather than continued austerity
- It wants VAT in the hospitality and tourism industry reduced to 5%
- On welfare reform, the party will oppose further cuts
Alliance
Main pledges
- Promote integration and a shared future - division costs over £1bn pa
- Build a 21st century economy that can compete globally
- Invest in public services, like schools and hospitals
- Reboot NI political system: ensure openness about donations; create an opposition; push to lower voting age to 16
Hope that helps someone!
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