London: Britain’s Labor Party unveiled its general election manifesto on Thursday, hoping promises to revive the economy will sweep it into power after 14 years of opposition.
Labor has led Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives by 20 points for almost two years, and if the polls are correct, its leader Keir Starmer is a virtual shoe-in as the country’s next prime minister.
But Starmer, 61, still has work to do before election day on July 4 to tackle personal Tory claims about public funding shortfalls with Labor and warnings that he will raise personal taxes.
The launch of the manifesto comes two days after the main parties promised tax cuts to voters in a campaign that saw their spending plans scrutinized.
In details prepared in advance by the party, Starmer will describe Labour’s plan for government as a “manifesto for wealth creation” and call it “we come first”.
“The mandate we are looking for in Britain in this election is for economic growth,” the former human rights lawyer and attorney general told party members in Manchester, northwest England.
“Growth is our primary concern – the ultimate means and means of national renewal,” he said, promising sustainable economic growth to improve living standards.
To get there, Labor promised to restore economic stability after recent years of turmoil, with inflation rising to 11.1 percent by October 2022.
It promised to introduce a 25 percent tax levy on businesses and tough new spending rules to plan long-term investments in industrial strategies, especially in green technology and AI.
Starmer and possible finance minister Rachel Reeves appear to have no room for manoeuvre, but the economy stagnated in April after a recession in the first quarter.
Labor and business rule out raising sales tax, income tax and national insurance, which the government pays for health, pension and unemployment, if it wins.
Economists said the incoming government could get a boost from the expected reduction in interest rates and inflation by the end of the year.
Many of Labour’s policies – from continuing support for Ukraine and the Tory deportation of failed asylum seekers in Rwanda, to recognizing Palestinian sovereignty as part of the peace process.
As in 1997, when Tony Blair began to slide after 18 years of Tory rule, Starmer knew he had to reassure restless voters that Labor could deliver economic stability and expertise.
In the last election in 2019, his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, ran on a radical platform that included proposals to re-nationalise key industries and raise taxes on high earners.
Starmer, who came to power after Labour, was mentored by Boris Johnson’s Tories, pulling the party to a non-threatening center and vowing to be “Labour with Labour”.
Britain has experienced unprecedented political upheaval, with five Tory prime ministers since 2010 and three in four months in 2022.
A lot of it was Brexit, a difficult exit from the European Union, as well as Liz Truss’s short term in office, self-harm, tax evasion that pulled the markets and caused the pound to crash.
If Starmer finds himself in Downing Street on July 5, it will be preparing for next week’s NATO summit in Washington and hosting a meeting of European leaders.
UK’s Labour pitches for power with promise of growth
