One of the frustrations that has been expressed to me talking to constituents is the Conservative Party has been slow to set out policies since the general election. Rather than rush out plans, we have been listening and learning from our defeat and time in government. But at party conference last week we set out plans for a stronger economy and stronger borders.
There were plenty of policies announced based on conservative principles of personal responsibility, free enterprise, family, freedom of speech. Here’s a run down:
Our economic approach is based on fiscal responsibility and living within our means. So our Golden Rule means for every £1 of savings we make, at least half will go to cutting the deficit. We set out plans to save £47 billion in the next Parliament including £23 billion from welfare – including restricting eligibility to British citizens and reforming health support.
Spending is now 45 per cent of GDP compared to 40 per cent before Covid. That represents around £150 billion a year of higher spending which is not sustainable. We want a state that takes less of of your money and does less, but does it better. Cutting the civil service back to 2016 levels would save £8 billion.
The next Conservative government would abolish Stamp Duty on family homes to make it easier for first time buyers, growing families, people looking to downsize, or people moving for work. Rather than impose more housing in rural areas, we would build more homes in places like London where demand is highest and will boost growth.
To help young people we will introduce a First Job Bonus - the first £5,000 a person pays in National Insurance will instead of going to the taxman go into a saving account for them to use towards a home.
Our pubs, restaurants, shops, and our high streets have been hit by higher taxes under this government leading to over 100,000 job losses. To back these sectors we would abolish business rates for retail, hospitality & leisure firms.
Energy prices are too high and Ed Miliband’s dogma driven approach is adding to costs. By contrast our Cheap Power Plan will cut electricity bills by £165 by axing the Carbon Tax and old renewable subsidies.
Too many students are being trapped with major debts after studying low value degrees – we will end this and instead to support skills we would double apprenticeships funding.
One of our long-standing policies is to scrap Labour’s damaging Family Farm Tax and we would take steps to improve food security, protect prime agricultural land, and review DEFRA quangos like Natural England that hold back rural growth.
Our Crime Plan will hire 10,000 more police officers, triple stop and search, and introduce Hot Spot Policing in problem areas. We will end policing of free speech. We would abolish the Sentencing Council and put and end to judicial activism. We would protect our veterans from vexatious litigation.
Our Borders plan will ban asylum claims for illegal entrants and we would leave the European Convention on Human Rights and repeal the Human Rights Act so we can control our borders. Ending the use of asylum hotels would save £3.5 billion.
These policies are driven by a focus on being on the side of people who work hard and do the right thing, living within our means, rewarding effort, backing enterprise, and having a stronger economy and stronger borders.
