Why Labour?
Labour’s purpose is fairness: to build a country where everyone has the opportunity to succeed regardless of their background. Sustainable growth, higher employment, better living standards, investment in health, transport, education. These are all essential if we are to build the fairer, stronger, country we want to see. A stable economy is not an optional extra. It's a means to an end - fairness; rising prosperity; opportunities for everyone.
The Labour government is committed to taking the action needed to support British families and businesses through the tougher economic times sweeping the world. Britain is better placed to emerge from this world slowdown stronger than before, but we are taking action now to ease the pain of the credit crunch for hard-working families.
Labour has taken the right decisions to promote prosperity. And it has put policies in place to offer everyone the chance to harness their talents, not just the few. Labour’s New Deal programmes have helped more than 1.8 million people back to work. And our investment in programmes such as Train to Gain, which pays for people to get training at work, has helped hundreds of thousands not just to get a job, but to get a qualification and get on.
We will only be able to compete globally if we harness the talents of everyone in our society, without discrimination. We will need to offer greater opportunities for our workforce to get the right skills and training throughout their careers.
Key achievements:
- Under Labour we have had the longest period of sustained low inflation since the 1960s, the lowest interest rates since the 1960s and the highest levels of employment since records began
- The second highest employment rate and GDP per head of the G7
- Inflation rates have averaged less than half their rates between 1979 and 1997 in the past decade, even after recent unforeseen shocks.
- There are approximately 430,000 more VAT registered businesses now than in 1997, and 350,000 more self-employed people
- Over the last 12 years, the incomes of the poorest 20 per cent of the population have grown faster than the richest 20 per cent.
- 600,000 children have been lifted out of poverty
- New Deal - helped over 1.8 million people into work
- Cut number of young people making long-term unemployment claims by over 75 per cent
Winning the fight for Britain's future:
- By 2011 we will have seen the longest sustained expansion of investment in public services since 1945
- In 2008, a record 800,000 businesses benefited from the local Business Link service and one million businesses a month benefited from its award-winning web portal on business support simplification and measures to ensure better access to Government procurement for small firms
- In 2009, the administrative burden on business of regulation will be reduced by almost 20 per cent making it easier and cheaper for businesses of all sizes to grow
- By 2010 we will be spending over £6 billion a year supporting British science and innovation, up from £1.3 billion in 1997
- Reducing the main rate of Corporation Tax to 28 per cent will deliver its lowest ever rate in the UK and the lowest in the G7, improving competitiveness and encouraging investment.
- Because we are serious about our commitment to eradicating child poverty, in 2010 new lone parents on income support will be required to seek work once their youngest child is seven, backed up by the local availability of high-quality wrap around child care.