After more than a decade in government, I am ever more convinced of a profound but simple truth: our greatest successes and our most enduring reforms have come when we are boldest and most determined to overcome those forces and vested interests holding back change.
Since 1997, we have demonstrated that strong, active government works: saving the NHS for a generation, expanding educational opportunity, a national minimum wage, employment rights for millions of workers, tackling child and pensioner poverty and devolution.
So Building Britain’s Future is our plan to entrench and take forward the successes of the last 12 years. In these extraordinary times of a global economic downturn and crisis of trust in our political system, we must fight even harder for the ordinary hard working majority.
Wherever possible, we want the national targets which have improved health care, education and policing turned into individual entitlements as a way of defending our achievements in public services and increasingly place power with people.
Patients will have guaranteed access to a cancer specialist within two weeks, free health-checks for those aged 40-74 and hospital treatment within 18 weeks.
Parents will be guaranteed an education tailored to their child, with a personal tutor for every secondary school pupil and catch up tuition, including one-to-one, for those who need it.
And residents will have the right to hold the police to account at monthly beat meetings, get a say on CCTV and vote on how offenders pay back the community.
All these guarantees will come with proper systems of redress if they are not met.
We will not make the same mistakes of past recessions by losing another generation to work. Everyone under 25 who has been out of work for a year will be guaranteed a job, training or work experience place. And they will have to take that offer.
New industries bring new jobs, so there will be investment in low carbon, biotechnology, life sciences, digital, advanced manufacturing and financial services.
Carefully targeted investment of an extra £1.5bn over the next two years will also deliver an additional 20,000 new affordable homes and create 45,000 jobs, while new guidance will allow local authorities more flexibility on how they allocate council houses.
Tough choices must be made to achieve our goals and so we have decided to prioritise where taxpayers’ money is directed to ensure the best results for the immediate needs of the country.
Under our opponents, families would have no such guarantees on health, education and tackling crime – instead they would face a market-driven gamble. The Conservative approach to public services is to cut investment by £5bn this year, and 10% in future years.
The current economic climate is not an excuse for drift or inaction, but the moment to forge a new economic and constitutional settlement for Britain.
There is now a real choice for our country: creating jobs or doing nothing; driving growth or letting the recession take its course. To have no plan for taking us through the recession or building for recovery is to fail Britain.
We will not walk away from people but continue to fight for a fairer and more responsible society.
Dear Gordon,
I refer to your following quote: –
“So Building Britain’s Future is our plan to entrench and take forward the successes of the last 12 years. In these extraordinary times of a global economic downturn and crisis of trust in our political system, we must fight even harder for the ordinary hard working majority”
Wherever possible, we want the national targets which have improved health care, education and policing turned into individual entitlements as a way of defending our achievements in public services and increasingly place power with people”
Gordon,
With regards to renewing policies and placing power with people would you be as so kind to ask The Rt Hon Edward Balls if he is aware of Conservative Peers (proposed by Cameron) taking over the directorship of 5 so called flagship Academy schools in the North of England, particularly the one who is the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, responsible for the North of England Tory campaign for the next general election. He is also Local communities and government advisor and climate change advisor in the House of Lords. This individual on the Conservative website is very critical of the Labour Party.
Diversity and Choice is certainly producing Tory values and influence not excellence…so much for
the empowerment of the citizen.
Where and how is Labour empowering the citizen?
Why is Labour allowing Tories and Tory supporter sponsors to take over the running of local public institutions like Education.
Labour is working hard for a few business sponsors not the working majority?
THE TORIES ARE LAUGHING AT YOU AND YOUR MANIFESTO ADVISORS