International
General Election 2019: Boris Johnson Vows To ‘Forge A New Britain’
The United Kingdom (UK) Conservatives will “get Brexit done” and “forge a new Britain”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said while launching the party’s election manifesto.
He promised 50,000 more nurses in England and the creation of 50 million more GP appointments.
Other “guarantees” include tighter immigration controls and not to increase rates of income tax, national insurance and VAT.
The 59-page manifesto comes 18 days before the general election.
Speaking at its launch in Telford, Shropshire, the prime minister said the choice facing the country in this “closely fought” contest had “never been starker”.
“Get Brexit done and we can focus our hearts and minds on the priorities of the British people,” he added.
The manifesto, which the PM described as a “partial blueprint” for the future of the country, promises 20,000 more police officers and to “level up” schools funding.
Nursing maintenance bursaries scrapped in 2016 will be restored, at an estimated cost of £760m in 2020-21, rising to £880m in 2023-4.
Other policies include:
A “triple tax lock”, ruling out increases in the headline rate of income tax and National Insurance, as well as VAT, for five years.
Raising the National Insurance threshold to £9,500 in 2020, with an ambition to raise it further to £12,500.
Childcare: £250m a year, for at least three years, plus a £250m capital spending boost, for “wraparound” childcare – meaning after school or during holidays.
Environment: £6.3bn for upgrades to homes, such as grants for improving boilers and insulation.
£500m a year for four years for filling potholes – almost 10 times the amount promised by the party in an announcement in March.
A new National Skills Fund of £600m a year for five years. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have announced similar plans
Building “Northern Powerhouse Rail” between Leeds and Manchester and investing £28.8bn in strategic and local roads.
It rules out any changes to the Hunting Act, which bans the hunting of foxes and others wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales.
A plan to lift income tax thresholds for middle-earners to £80,000, announced during the Tory leadership campaign, has been dropped, with Mr Johnson saying this “was not the time” for such a move.
The prime minister promised to bring back the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to Parliament before 25 December.
BBC
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