The Scramble- Manifesto Thread

[Blair]

Manifesto Thread.

One of the most unique events in UK Elections are the manifesto's that major parties publish. Published by the Party (with various levels of output from the Leader, the Party Staff and Party members) manifestos are lengthy policy heavy documents which set out the parties plans if they get into government.

Not only do they have a constitutional power (with the Salisbury Convention that the House of Lords can't block a manifesto commitment from passing) but they're one of the most powerful political tools parties have to offer. They give the chance to give certain perks to various parts of the electorate, and allow parties to shape their entire campaign.

A good manifesto can turn around a campaign, but be warned (as seen in 2017) a poorly thought out manifesto, which gets attacked by the Press and rival parties can sink your party. It's your most valuable card, so use it carefully.

[Lumine]

UKIP Manifesto:

"Take Back Control" manifesto launched at Hartlepool

Press Release: As the campaign begins UKIP has decided to make an early manifesto launch to maximize its opening efforts, and it was on Hartlepool that Leader Nigel Farage and Deputy Leader Suzanne Evans made a joint speech launching the manifesto for the 2015 Election titled "Take Back Control". (OOC: I won't be publishing a full manifesto, just a few key points like in my own British game)

"Myself I have had enough of career politicians mishandling our politics and endlessly spinning promises to the people they can't deliver on. Whether it's Labour pretend to stand tough on immigration while leaving an open door to millions, or the Conservatives's protests that they won't privatize the NHS and that they would reduce immigration to the tens of thousands, or the Liberal Democrats and all the promises they conveniently forgot just to get a taste of power, I have had enough. I have also had enough of a unelected, faceless and unaccountable bureaucracy running an ever increasing amount of issues in this country, as British laws are started to be made in Brussels. That is one of many reasons why a referendum is not only the democratic thing to do, it is the right thing to do.

This manifesto, the "Take Back Control" manifesto, is a bold agenda for change and a call to the people to try something different. This is a unique chance to make what has made Britain great a reality once again, and to do away with what just isn't working. Not only because this manifesto has a spirit of renewal for Westminster and for reforming politics for the better to empower the British people, but because we are the one party which is serious about social mobility on this nation. For how long have millions of Britons waited for things to get better under Conservative and Labour governments, only to find out both parties can't seem to get a grasp of things? Only to find out they are left behind, their views characterized as irrelevant, their votes taken for granted?

Enough is enough, my friends. Even though the fight against the political establishment is always a fight bound to be tough, it is also one worth fighting. UKIP and its candidates will go to every corner of this nation during the new few weeks to make our case, to listen to what people have to say, to include more and more Britons who are fed up into the "People's Army". Yes, we should invest more in the NHS and protect it from privatization. Yes, we should allow grammar schools to expand across this nation. Yes, we should drive down immigration through a fair and strong points based system. Yes, we should stop the gutting of our national defence and take better care of our brave Armed Forces. Yes, we should move forward with a Low Tax Revolution that can make the difference. Yes, we should protect and promote British values and British culture. Yes, we should reform politics to empower the people.

And Yes, we should have a referendum on whether to exit the European Union once and for all."

Key Pledges:

(a brief selection)

1. A Referendum to Exit the European Union, to be held as soon as possible.
2. A point-based Immigration system, a five-year ban on unskilled immigration and a 30,000 cap on visas for skilled immigration.
3. A major investment in the NHS of £3bn a year, increased funding to hire more nurses and doctors, a commitment to protect the NHS from any attempt at privatization.
4. Expanding Grammar Schools across Britain in the "A Grammar School in Every Town" initiative. Abolish primary sex education and leave it just for secondary. Encourage further autonomy  in schools.
5. An Economic agenda of low taxes ("Low Tax Revolution") raising the threshold on taxation, abolishing the inheritance tax and ending taxation for the minimum wage.
6. Reforming politics and Westminster by allowing the Recall of MP's with enough signatures, a proportional electoral system, national referendums on citizen initiatives, and giving Gibraltar, the Falklands and potentially other overseas territories representation in Westminster.
7. Fighting waste in government and funding by abolishing the Culture Media and Sport and International Development departments, and reducing foreign aid by £10bn.
8. Reversing the Conservative cuts to our national defence, expanding the army in a long-term defence plan, enshrining the Military Covenant into law. Keep Britain out of foreign conflicts and Parliament as sovereign when it comes to deciding to go to war.
9. Promote Law and Order in Britain by deporting foreigners who commit crimes, repealing the Human Rights Act, ending the EU intromission on British justice, toughening sentencing for repeated offenders and expanding both frontline policemen and the number of prisons.
10. Tackle the Housing deficit by building 1.000.000 new homes in the course of the Parliament, giving priority in social housing to ex-service personnel from the Armed Forces and for residents with strong local connections in a given community.

Campaign Note: The Manifesto Launch was clobed with the unveiling of one of the six opening UKIP billboards set to be deployed across the nation, outlining the biggest manifesto priorities:

[_]

Plaid Cymru Manifesto:
Plaid Manifesto "Real Progress for Wales" launched in Llanelli

Press Release:  A week after the campaign began, Plaid Cymru has decided to release their Manifesto before the first Debate in order to continue their momentum in the campaign and be completely transparent on what Plaid offers Wales.  Leader Leanne Wood gave a speech in Llanelli launching Plaid's 2015 Election Manifesto, named "Real Progress for Wales".  (OOC:  As Lumine did, I'll publish key points for this Manifesto)

"Ladies and Gentlemen, today I am here to announce a new choice for Wales.  Today, Wales will be given a choice other than 4 different shades of Conservatives.  Wales will no longer have to tolerate voting for Conservatives who will privatize our NHS, LibDems who will say they oppose privatization and go along with it, Labour who will pretend to oppose those actions yet will do nothing to reverse it when they come into power, and UKIP who say they're "committed to protecting the NHS from privatization", yet their own Leader called for the privatization* of the NHS. The fact is, none of these 4 parties can be trusted to protect the NHS, and they can't be trusted to give Wales the powers it deserves, and to represent Wales in Parliament.

I'm here to show you all a new choice, and that choice is Plaid Cymru's Manifesto, the Real Progress for Wales Manifesto.  This Manifesto will give Wales a chance to vote for a party that will reverse the disastrous Health and Social Care Act of 2012 and truly protect our NHS from privatization.  A chance to vote for a party that will reverse the course of Austerity and protect against any more cuts to our social services.  A chance to vote for a party give the workers of Wales a living wage and stop businesses that fail to pay a living wage to workers.  A chance to vote for a party that will prioritize reforming the EU to help it's people, rather than leaving the EU as is.  A chance to vote for a party that will make the banks and wealthy pay their fair share in taxes, as well as help lower paid workers by increasing the national insurance threshold.  Finally, a chance to vote for a party that will advocate for Wales to have the powers and funding it deserves, so Wales can finally govern itself just as Scotland can.

Plaid Cymru offers Wales a new option, an option of hope rather than fear, of progress rather than going backwards, and for Wales to be granted it's right to govern itself.  It's time for an end of the same old deal of being shafted by the Westminster parties, and instead for a new deal and a party that will always fight for Wales and her people"

Pledges:
(OOC:  I'm going to go into a bit of detail on the Pledges, I hope that's alright)



1, The National Health Service:  A repeal of the Health and Social Care Act of 2012 and opposition to any further attempts of privatization, 1000 additional Doctors for the Welsh NHS, and increased funding overall for Nurses, Doctors, Hospitals, Ambulances, and other vital services.

2, Powers for Wales:  A promise to fight for the powers of policing, additional planning powers, courts, public sector pay and regulation, prison and probation services, water and sewerage, natural resources and energy, and any other powers that the people of Wales want control of in Cardiff, not Westminster.  In addition, Plaid will fight for Wales to have the same "Funding per Head" deal that Scotland gets so Wales can provide public services and invest in it's economy.

3, Austerity:  Plaid will fight for an end to Austerity and the cuts it has brought to Wales and the UK, and propose an economic fairness bill so that Westminster must assess the impact of economic plans on Wales before they're implemented, and to rebalance wealth across the UK overall.

4, The EU:  Plaid believes Wales and the UK are better off within the EU, but would support a referendum on EU membership after EU reforms have been implemented.  Plaid believes that the EU should be reformed to benefit it's population rather than corporations, opposes the EU-US free trade agreement which could partially privatize the NHS, and Plaid supports the closure of the Second EU Parliament in Strasbourg.  In addition, Plaid believes EU funding for Wales and it's regions should continue to go directly to Wales for distribution, rather than through Westminster.

5, Taxes:  Plaid supports returning the UK additional tax rate to 50p for those making above £150,000 per year, doubling the Bankers' Levy to make banks pay their fair share, raising the personal allowance for national insurance contributions to the same level as the allowance for income taxes, reversing Labour cuts to HMRC staff in order to crack down on corporate and income tax evasion, and finally transferring control of the Corporation Tax for Wales to Wales.

6, Defence and Trident:  Plaid will fight to eliminate the replacement of Trident and end wasteful spending on producing new nuclear weapons.  Plaid supports taking all money cut from defense spending during the Cameron Prime Ministership and spending it on enhancing after-care for veterans, reinforcing the Military Covenant through a Military Well-Being Act, and focusing on modernizing the army with the funds it has, as well as supporting cyber-defence initiatives.

7, Businesses:  Plaid supports increasing business rate relief in order to help small and medium businesses be able to employ workers, as well as giving more public sector contracts to companies in Wales in order to make sure public funding is better used.

8, Immigration:  Plaid will make it illegal for businesses to offer unfair advantage to migrant workers over workers in the UK.  Plaid will offer all new peoples classes to learn both Welsh and English in order to integrate them into our society. 

9, Criminal Justice:  Plaid supports the decriminalization of cannabis, spending more money on education and information programmes on substances, rehabilitating prisoners and preparing them for finding a job after their sentence in finished, and offer rehabilitation rather than prison sentences in order to stop repeat offences.

10, Welfare:  Plaid will eliminate the bedroom tax, opposes enacting the universal credit system until a fully independent review is conducted, and support repealing the welfare spending cap, which would harm families and those on benefits should another recession occur.



(Source for Farage NHS Privatization Support:  https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/12/film-nigel-farage-insurance-based-nhs-private-companies )