14 June 2024

Election 2024 – manifesto roundup

The Conservatives, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have published their manifestos. The main points regarding healthcare and the economy are as follows:

Conservatives

The Conservatives propose increasing NHS spending above inflation every year and moving care closer to people's homes through the Pharmacy First scheme, modernised GP surgeries and new community diagnostic centres. The manifesto states the party supports extending patients' right to choose their provider for community-based healthcare as well as hospital services. It adds that it would build 50 more community diagnostic centres and spend £3.4 billion on new technology in the NHS to improve productivity. 

On tax, the manifesto focuses on cutting employee national insurance (NI) by 2p by April 2027, with a "long-term ambition" to abolish the main rate of self-employed NI by the end of the next Parliament. There is also a commitment not to increase the rate of income tax or VAT. Read more.

Labour

The Labour manifesto states that the party would "take the pressure off GP surgeries by improving access to services and treatment through new routes", allowing other health professionals "to make direct referrals to specialist services or tests, as well as expanding self-referral routes where appropriate".

The manifesto sets out Labour's plan to cut NHS waiting times, with an additional 40,000 appointments a week. This is projected to cost £1 billion, funded by closing loopholes on non-dom tax and tackling tax avoidance. The party also says it would cap corporation tax at 25% for the entire Parliament and reform the business rates system, which currently places an "undue burden on our high streets".  Read more.  

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats have given prominence to health and social care in their manifesto, including primary care - although focusing only on increasing access to GPs and dental care and moving towards a "fairer and more sustainable long-term funding model" for pharmacies. In addition, the manifesto commits to supporting every care setting having electronic records that can "feed into a patient's health record with their consent". 

The party states it would cut personal tax when "public finances allow" and review off-payroll working reforms to "ensure self-employed people are treated fairly". Read more.

Green Party

The Greens commit to a "fully public, properly funded health and social care system, and to keeping profit motive well away from the NHS".  It also said it would push for guaranteed access to an NHS dentist. The party calls for an additional £8 billion in funding for the NHS in the first year of a new Parliament and additional £20bn in capital spending over five years to build and repair hospitals.

The Green Party proposes a new wealth tax and reforms to capital gains tax and tax on investments. Read more.