With only a hundred days to go to the local and probable general elections, Progress is today launching 100 Labour achievements for 100 days. Our goal is to celebrate the difference that Labour has made to life in the UK and across the globe every day until May 6, reminding party members, activists and supporters of what we have achieved and telling the world why the party fights on for a fourth term.

Much has been done, and much remains to do. With this countdown we can reflect on past accomplishments and think ahead to the challenges facing us on May 7.

Please email us with your one favourite Labour achievement and a suggestion of which day this could be marked on.

1. Introduced the national minimum wage, enforced it through outlawing the use of tips to meet the wage and established the Low Pay Commission to advise on the wage’s implementation

2. Waiting lists have fallen by over 500,000; waiting times are now at a maximum of 18 weeks and are at their lowest level since records began

3. There are 42,400 extra teachers and 212,000 more support staff – including an extra 123,100 teaching assistants – than in 1997

4. More than doubled Britain’s overseas aid budget, helping lift an estimated three million people out of poverty each year

5. In 1997 284,000 patients waited more than 6 months for an operation. Today the figure is almost zero

6. Introduced the Human Rights Act in 1998, giving further legal effect in the UK to the fundamental rights and freedoms contained in the European Convention on Human Rights

7. More than doubled the number of apprenticeships to 234,000 apprenticeship starts in 2008/9, compared with 75,000 in 1997, the day after Gordon Brown puts jobs at the heart of his TV debate agenda 

8. Over 89,000 more nurses and 44,000 more doctors, as the health secretary Andy Burnham halts plans to close services at the Whittington Hospital in north London

9. Supporting the elderly with measures such as an increased state pension, Pension Credit and Winter Fuel payments, which have helped lift 900,000 pensioners out of poverty since 1997

10. 3,600 Neighbourhood Policing Teams now in every area of England and Wales

11. Building Schools for the Future, which has invested billions of pounds in school buildings and in ICT infrastructure, as the schools secretary criticises Tory ‘free school’ plans as potentially leading to cuts for existing schools

12. In 2002, just 25 per cent of schoolchildren undertook two hours of PE and sport in school, but this has now been raised to 93 per cent thanks to the support provided by Labour in government and the work of parents, teachers, coaches and volunteers, as the London marathon takes place and Britain’s gymnastics team wins a clutch of medals at the European championships

13. Britain now has more offshore wind capacity than any country in the world, providing enough electricity to power two million homes

14. Introduced the Equality and Human Rights Commission to stamp out all forms of discrimination including age, gender, race and disability

15. Ensuring new devolved institutions such as the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and the Greater London Assembly have fairer, more proportional voting systems in the form of AV+… as polls suggest the general election result could again highlight the inadequacy of the first past the post system

16. The Housing Pledge – £1.5 billion to speed up the delivery of new affordable housing and the largest programme of council house building for twenty years

17. The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are now 21 per cent below 1990 levels, beating our Kyoto target… as the volcanic ash cloud continues to cause problems for European airspace

18. Led efforts to agree a new international convention banning all cluster munitions, on the day of the foreign affairs debate between David Miliband and his Conservative and Liberal Democrat counterparts

19. Created a new right of pedestrian access to the English coast, as a ‘new Dunkirk’ operation to pick up stranded Britons in northern France is thwarted

20. In 1997 more than half of all schools saw less than 30 per cent of their pupils fail to get five good GCSEs including English and Maths. Now only 270 schools fail this benchmark, as the Easter holidays come to an end this weekend

21. Extended free eye tests for over 60s leading to millions more pensioners improving their eyesight since April 1999

22. The Climate Change Act 2008 which makes the UK the first country in the world to have legally binding long-term targets to cut carbon emissions and a framework in which to do so

23. Police numbers up by 16,000 since 1997, alongside more than 16,000 Police Community Support Officers

24. Over three quarters of GP practices now offer extended opening hours for at least one evening or weekend session a week

25. Removing the majority of hereditary peers in the first stage of House of Lords reform, as the Labour general election manifesto today promises a referendum on reform of the upper chamber

26. The Northern Ireland peace process, as policing and justice powers are devolved to Stormont at midnight

27. A free nursery place for every three and four year old, shortly before Labour announces its commitment to extend the places to two year olds in the manifesto

28. Paid annual leave currently standing at 28 days per year – as nominated by a Progress Magazine reader

29. All prescriptions are now free for people being treated for cancer or the effects of cancer, and teenage girls are offered a vaccination against cervical cancer

30. The car scrappage scheme, which helped boost motor manufacturing and sales during the recession, and was introduced by Peter Mandelson… on the day that he delivered a powerful speech to a Progress audience lambasting the Conservatives’ plans for economic development

31. Winning three successive elections on a New Labour platform on the day that Gordon Brown triggered the battle for a fourth

32. Extended free off-peak bus travel for over-60s and disabled travellers so they can travel anywhere in England using a single pass

33. Set up the Food Standards Agency to protect the public’s health and consumer interests in relation to food – on the day you treated yourself to your favourite Easter Eggs 

34. Introduced the Equality Act that prevents businesses from discriminating against customers on the grounds of their sexual orientation on the day a recording of Chris Grayling supporting a B&B’s right to refuse homosexual guests was released 

35. Passed the Freedom of Information Act that introduced a public ‘right to know’ in relation to public bodies

36. Increasing the number of university places, on the day that figures show a majority of women now go to university

37. Assuring the construction of Crossrail with a £5 billion grant from the government, after decades of false dawns for the line

38. Helping to end the civil war in Sierra Leone through the UK’s military intervention in May 2000 bringing security to civilians and allowing for the deployment of UN troops… on the day that Tony Blair made a keynote speech on the Labour party and government, in which he made specific mention of Sierra Leone

39. Rural Development Programme for England which makes £3.9 billion available 2007 – 2013 to protect the rural environment and improve competitiveness in rural sectors of the economy such as forestry

40. Educational Maintenance Allowances as having a positive impact in encouraging pupils after 16 years to stay in education, attend regularly, focus and make real progress. They have helped to turn many young people’s lives around – as nominated by one ProgressOnline reader

41. Introduction of civil partnerships for some religions such as Quakerism, Liberal Judaism and Unitarianism following an amendment from Lord Alli, on the day that that the first civil partnership took place in the palace of Westminster

42. Narrowed the income gap between richest and poorest on the day an Institute for Fiscal Studies report reveals the boost to incomes of the lowest-earners

43. A ban on the use, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions on the day the ban came into force

44. The number of households in the UK without a bank account fell from two million in 2003-4 to 0.9 million in 2007-8 thanks in part to the Financial Inclusion Task Force launched in 2005, on the day the chancellor of the exchequer announces plans to guarantee bank accounts for all adults in the UK

45. Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment to champion well designed buildings and good use of open space

46. Increased expenditure on maternal health globally three-fold from £16.2 million in 2004-5 to £54 million in 2008-9

47. Increased per capita health spending to the OECD average… the day the US Congress passes historic healthcare legislation

48. Revised gift aid to remove the minimum donations limit… on the weekend the country raises money for Sport Relief

49. Introduced Sport Action Zones to tackle the lack of sports activities and facilities in some of the most socially and economically deprived areas of the country, as Sports Relief 2010 begins this weekend

50. The government is supporting Nissan’s investment in the production of its new Leaf car in Sunderland with a £20.7 million grant, helping to protect jobs and advance the use of green technology

51. The Young Person’s Job Guarantee on the day that unemployment shows another fall

52. Statutory union recognition being created by the Labour government – on today, the ten year anniversary of the granting of recognition

53. The introduction of data.gov.uk, a website that is enabling unprecedented access to government data by the public – on the 25th anniversary of the .com domain name

54. Introduction of the health in pregnancy grant in January 2009, on mothers’ day

55. Labour has cut the ties between aid and business interests enabling poorer countries to buy goods and services from the most cost-effective sources… two days before the Conservatives voted against the banning of ‘vulture funds’, which allow the sale of poor countries’ debt for use in lawsuits against those countries

56. Launched the UK School Games to encourage physical fitness and unearth young sporting talent as politicians put their political differences aside to run the Westminster Mile for Sports Relief 

57. Decreased homelessness by 73% since 2003 as fresh statistics show the Government are well on the way to meeting their recent target to halve the number of households in temporary accommodation to 50,500 by the end of this year

58. Raised the legal age of buying cigarettes to 18 and banned tobacco advertising in magazines, newspapers and on billboards on No Smoking Day 

59. Introduced the successful literacy and numeracy hours in schools unlike the Tories who wants to take education back to the 19th century

60. Abolished the Social Chapter opt-out introducing the right to parental leave, extended maternity leave and right to request flexible working time on International Women’s Day

61. Increased guaranteed bank deposits from £35 000 to £50 000 on the day Iceland votes on a referendum in the wake of the collapse of the Icesave bank

62. Introduced Armed Forces Day as an opportunity for the nation to show its support for our servicemen and women on the day Gordon Brown showed his support with a surprise visit of British troops in Afghanistan

63. New Deal for Communities programme, which is investing £2 billion in some of the most deprived areas of England

64. Established an electoral commission to clean up politics on the day that the commission investigated Lord Ashcroft’s donations

65. Whilst it does not fulfil Michael Foot’s deep conviction in nuclear disarmament, the UK has halved its nuclear arsenal since 1997 and remains committed to further reduction in concert with the international community

66. Free television licences for those aged 75 or over on the day that the BBC publishes its strategy review

67. The establishment of the Welsh assembly, on St David’s Day and in the wake of news that Welsh voters would likely opt for more devolved powers to Cardiff

68. The number of instances of non-compliance in coastal bathing water quality in the UK halved 1997-2008… on the day that the Conservative party gathers by the seaside for a crunch speech from David Cameron

69. Signed up to the Social Chapter of the Maastricht Treaty after entering office in 1997. This introduced guarantees on workers’ consultation, employment rights and social security… on the day that the Labour party was founded 110 years ago in Farringdon, London.

70. Brought in the 1999 Greater London Authority Act, enabling the introduction of the London congestion charge

71. Teenage pregnancies down 13.3 per cent since 1998 on the day that the government launches its Teenage Pregnancy Strategy: Beyond 2010

72. The Decent Homes programme has invested £20 billion in improvements to social housing conditions, ensuring homes are warm, safe, modern and watertight

73. Investment in six cycling demonstration towns has seen bike journeys rise by over a quarter in 2005-8, according to Cycling England today, while the number of children cycling to school has doubled over a similar period

74. As allegations of bullying reverberate in the news today, for many years the government has supported the fight against bullying within schools through support to the national anti-bullying week and the ‘Say no to bullying’ part of Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning

75. The UK Film Council, established in 2000, which has helped fund films such as Man on Wire, In the Loop and This is England, on the day of the 2010 Bafta awards ceremony

76. On the day that Labour launched its electoral slogan ‘A future fair for all’, we mark the government’s investment in the Child Trust Fund, a policy that will help create a more equitable future for today’s children and which is now being examined by other governments from across the world

77. 50,000 permanent jobs will be created by the Olympic Park facilities site following £6.1billion of investment, on the 25th anniversary of EastEnders

78. The Hunting Act, which banned fox hunting in England and Wales – on today, the fifth anniversary of the act’s entry into force

79. Introduced and extended the right to ask for flexible working to care for children under 16 or a disabled relative. On the day that a report finds that flexible working can help workers achieve better physical and mental health

80. This government has banned junk food in school vending machines and supported the Change 4 Life campaign to foster healthy eating amongst children… on Shrove Tuesday (perhaps a reward day for healthy eating the rest of the year…)

81. Labour investment has helped 93,000 more 11-year-olds master numeracy each year since 1997 – on the day the Tories misplace a decimal point and ‘report’ that 54 per cent of girls in the most deprived areas fall pregnant by age 18 (should be 5.4 per cent)

82. £3.1 million investment including £1 million for Relate to ensure relationship and family counselling is available to those affected by the recession – on Valentine’s Day, 22 years after Relate adopted its new name, formerly being the Marriage Guidance Council

83. The Department for International Development contributes £20 million a year towards regional programmes in southern Africa – in the week of the twentieth anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison

84. The contribution of Labour politicians such as Tony Blair, Tessa Jowell and Ken Livingstone to the winning 2012 Olympic bid on the day that the Winter Olympics open in Vancouver

85. Healthier school meals after Labour introduced stricter standards on the nutritional quality of school food at the beginning of this parliament, as today the Marmot Review reminds us that much remains to be done to combat health inequalities in the UK

86. Set up Sure Start centres across the country to help children and parents, on the day that the ‘shout out for a sure start’ campaign was launched

87. The prime minister now appears twice a year before a Commons select committee to give account of himself and his government, the Liaison committee. We mark this achievement on the day parliament votes on a referendum to reform itself further through changing its electoral system

88. NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice

89. Points-based system of immigration as Alan Johnson announced stricter rules on student visas

90. Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 making it an offence for UK nationals and residents to carry out FGM abroad, on the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM on Saturday 6 February 2010 

91. Introduction of the Freedom of Information Act five years since its entry into force and on the day Sir Thomas Legg recommends MPs repay second homes expenses

92. Violent incidents down by a half (49%) since 1995 according to the British Crime Survey, on the day the Conservatives tried to claim the opposite

93. Introduced devolution in Scotland on the day that Gordon Brown commits himself to thoroughgoing reform of the Westminster parliament and backs the Alternative Vote

94. Equalised the age of consent, as LGBT history month kicks off today

95. Introduced the smoking ban, as Andy Burnham announces plans to halve the number of smokers by 2020

96. Introduced directly-elected mayors on the day Simon Fanshawe argued for extension of their powers at the Progress one-day manifesto conference

97. Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries, as Jean-Roger Kaseki on Progress calls for Haiti’s debt to be cancelled

98. Record number of students in higher education on the day we learned that more students from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university than five years ago

99. Crime down by 45% since 1995. As overall crime recently fell by 8% British Crime Survey figures remind us of the overall fall over the last decade and a half 

100. Scrapped section 28 and introduced civil partnerships, on the day that the British social attitudes survey revealed that negative attitudes to homosexuality had halved since 1983