Labour promises infrastructure commission, training, and homes in first manifesto shot

The election has started early, but in earnest. Labour has published its pre-manifesto Changing Britain Together. Lots to digest for the infrastructure sector.

Jackie Whitelaw
08 December 2014

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Politics

Here’s our quick guide to the most directly relevant policies.

Key policies

Raise minimum wage to £8 an hour and ban exploitative zero hours contracts.

Freeze energy bills until 2017 and reform energy market

Cut the deficit by introducing 50p tax for those earning over 150,000/year

Build at least 200,000 homes a year to 2020

Require all firms on government contracts to offer apprenticeships

Devolve power to Scotland, Wales and the counties and cities of England.

Apart from the key policies there are many that directly affect the infrastructure sector.

Supporting growth and business

Establish an Infrastructure Commission to plan and secure the infrastructure Britain needs.

Create a British Investment Bank along with a network of regional banks to boos lending for small businesses to grow.

Devolve £30bn of funding and give control over the full revenue from growth in business rates to powerhouse economic regions so they can back local growth.

Create low carbon jobs

Create a million new high technology, green jobs by 2025

Set a legal target for decarbonizing electricity by 2030.

Strengthen the Green Investment Bank with borrowing powers.

Insulate five million homes over the next 10 years.

Making  work pay and tackling exploitation at work

Launch an inquiry into blacklisting in the construction industry.

Abolish the loophole that allows firms to pay agency workers less than permanent staff.

Delivering fair and responsible social security

Allow councils that make savings in the Housing Benefit bill to recycle them into building homes.

Transport

Introduce a strict cap on annual rail fare increases.

Legislate so a public sector operator can take on lines and challenge private train operating companies on a level playing field.

Devolve regional transport decision making so that areas can bring together trains, buses, ferries and trams into a single network with smart ticketing

Give city and county regions London style powers to regulate bus services.

Make cycling safer and more accessible with national standards to reduce deaths and serious injuries.

Environment

Prioritise flood prevention and introduce a new climate change adaptation plan.

Equalities

Require large companies to publish their gender pay gap.

The document says Labour wants to hear comments on the programme.

Visit  www.labour.org.uk/changingbritaintogether

You can read the full pre-manifesto here