Top lines
The British people needed to hear the Prime Minister set out how
he and his government will get a grip of the crisis. Instead we
got the usual bluster and no plan for the months ahead.
-
Economy and Jobs: The Prime Minister talked
about the weaknesses of the economy after a decade of
Conservative mismanagement, but offered nothing to the millions
whose jobs and livelihoods hang by a thread because of his
failure to get a grip of the health crisis.
-
Green investment: The government’s
announcements fail to meet the scale of the challenge and pale
in comparison to other advanced economies; for example, France
has committed 15bn euros to a green recovery, and Germany has
committed 40bn euros.
-
Homeownership: The Conservative’s record on
homeownership is woeful. There are over 800,000 fewer
home-owning households aged under-45 than when Labour left
office in 2010.
-
Skills: The Conservative’s announcement will
not even reverse the damage of the last ten years to the skills
sector, let alone mean increased investment.
-
Social care: The PM said virtually nothing on
social care. He repeated his July 2019 promise to “fix” social
care, but has so far not produced any plans.
-
Crime and justice: The PM tried to blame
'leftie human rights lawyers and other do-gooders’ for the
failure of the criminal justice system. The truth is that
Conservative underfunding and mismanagement has left the
country with tens of thousands of fewer officers and other
police staff, while police recorded crime is now at the highest
level in a decade.
_______________________
Contents
Economy and Jobs. 2
Green announcements. 3
Homeownership. 6
Skills. 6
Social care. 7
Crime and justice. 7
Background notes
Economy and Jobs
- The Prime Minister talked about the weaknesses of the economy
that have been caused by a decade of Conservative mismanagement
◦ Wages have not risen is over a decade – a period of stagnation
unprecedented since the 19th century
◦ Steep spending cuts from 2010 sucked demand from the economy
and cut off the recovery. What followed was the slowest recovery
from recession on record
◦ Productivity growth has flat lined since 2010, the largest
slowdown in productivity growth in a least 250 years.
◦ According to the ONS, the slowdown has cost the average worker
£5,000 pounds a year.
The Guardian, October 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/oct/10/gig-economy-fuelled-lost-decade-in-wage-growth-bank-economist-andy-haldane
The IFS, November 2019, https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/14577
February 2020, AA Europe, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/britain-sees-greatest-drop-in-productivity-in-250-years/1723393
The ONS, July 2019, https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/labourproductivity/articles/ukproductivityintroduction/januarytomarch2019
- This failure has left households overly exposed to the
coronavirus crisis. There are now 20 million adults with no
savings: a rise of three million since 2010. Nearly half of all
households say they would be unable to manage three months with a
significant loss of income
August 2020, The Mirror, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/one-three-brits-no-financial-22491431
ONS Wealth and Assets Survey 2019, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/datasets/wealthandassetssurveyfinancialresilience
- Johnson talked of workers in ‘suspended animation’ while the
Chancellor has said he will not support jobs that are currently
unviable.
- He had nothing new to say to the millions of people whose
jobs are now at risk because of his government’s failure to get a
grip of the jobs crisis.
- The hospitality industry is warning that more than half a
million jobs in pubs and restaurants will be lost by Christmas.
September 2020, Birmingham Mail, https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/560000-jobs-set-lost-pubs-19057554
- Meanwhile, nearly a million people are on furlough in areas
on the government’s coronavirus watch list, either facing
increased restrictions or under observation.
September 2020, MSN, https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/rishi-sunak-must-get-a-grip-to-avoid-jobs-cliff-edge-for-1-million-in-local-lockdowns-says-labour/ar-BB19H0jU
- The Government’s new Job Support Scheme is not a proper
short-time work scheme and actually makes it cheaper to keep one
full time worker than keep on two part time.
- Labour analysis shows it’s £500 a month cheaper to keep just
one bar worker on full-time than it would be to save two jobs and
keep two on part-time
September 2020, Business Live, https://www.business-live.co.uk/enterprise/cheaper-sack-staff-keep-under-19040415
Green announcements
- The PM’s rhetoric cannot cover up Conservative failure on
tackling the climate emergency, from the failed delivery of the
Green Deal and the short-sighted privatisation of the Green
Investment Bank to slashing funding for carbon capture and
storage, and home insulation.
“Green Deal fiasco: Thousands face 'rip-off' energy bills for
decades after failure of the £400m energy scheme.”
The Daily Mail, 9 January 2019
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6571419/Thousands-face-rip-energy-bills-decades-failure-400m-energy-scheme.html
“The government has agreed a £2.3bn sale of the Green Investment
Bank to the Australian bank Macquarie, according to sources close
to the process.”
The Guardian, 20 April 2017
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/19/green-investment-bank-to-be-sold-off-in-23bn-deal-reports
“The UK government has announced it is axing a £1bn grant for
developing new carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.”
BBC News, 25 November 2015
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-34357804
“The amount of household solar power capacity installed in the
past two months has plummeted by three quarters following the
government’s cuts to subsidies, according to new figures.”
The Guardian, 8 April 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/08/solar-installation-in-british-homes-falls-by-three-quarters-after-subsidy-cuts
- This Government continues to funnel billions into overseas
fossil fuel projects, undermining our international credibility
on climate issues ahead of COP26.
“The UK government has spent nearly £4 billion pounds of UK
public funding on fossil fuel infrastructure in the global south
since the Paris Agreement was signed.”
The Ecologist, 17 June 2020
https://theecologist.org/2020/jun/17/uk-funding-fossil-fuels-overseas
- The Government has continually delayed key legislation and
regulatory changes in this area, including the National
Infrastructure Plan and the implementation of the Green Finance
Strategy.
“The long-awaited National Infrastructure Strategy is to be
further delayed, and not released next week as expected, the BBC
understands.”
BBC, 5 March 2020
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51760507
- The Government’s climate plans pale in comparison to those of
advanced economies. For example, France has committed €15bn euros
to a green recovery, and Germany €40bn.
“Emmanuel Macron has promised an extra €15bn (£13.7bn) for
measures to combat the climate crisis over the next two years and
a referendum on whether to introduce the crime of “ecocide” for
harming the environment.”
The Guardian, 29 June 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/29/emmanuel-macron-pledges-15bn-to-tackle-climate-crisis
“The German government has unveiled plans for a massive €130bn
stimulus package that features at least €40bn climate-related
spending.”
Business Green, 4 June
2020
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4016109/green-recovery-germany-unveils-plans-eur40bn-climate-spending-surge
- The Tories have left us on course to miss targets set by the
Climate Change Act – and official figures show that the shortfall
is growing.
“The first carbon budget (2008 to 2012) was met and the UK is
currently on track to outperform on the second (2013 to 2017) and
third (2018 to 2022). However, it is not on track to meet the
fourth (2023 to 2027).”
The Committee on Climate Change
https://www.theccc.org.uk/tackling-climate-change/reducing-carbon-emissions/carbon-budgets-and-targets/
- Conservative MPs are five times as likely to vote against
climate action as those from other parties, according to an
analysis from The Guardian and DeSmog.
“Conservative MPs are almost five times as likely to vote against
climate action as legislators from other parties, a Guardian
analysis of 16 indicative parliamentary divisions over the past
decade has revealed.”
The Guardian, 11 October 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/11/tory-mps-five-times-more-likely-to-vote-against-climate-action
- According to a Guardian analysis of votes in
Parliament between 2008 and 2018, voted against stronger climate action on every
single occasion.
“Boris Johnson was among several dozen MPs, mostly Conservatives,
who recorded the worst possible score of zero. Although the prime
minister has at various times said it was important to cut
emissions, records show he voted five times against bills or
amendments that could have had a positive climate impact.
The Guardian, 11 October 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/11/tory-mps-five-times-more-likely-to-vote-against-climate-action
- Environmental groups including Greenpeace, WWF and Friends of
the Earth have said that Conservative climate plans are too late
to “save the planet from climate and ecological collapse”.
“The next government must bring forward the target for reaching
net-zero carbon emissions by five years to 2045, phase out diesel
and petrol cars by 2030 instead of 2040, and start devoting at
least 5% of all government spending to the climate and the
restoration of the UK’s natural environment, a broad coalition of
civil society groups has demanded.”
The Guardian, 4 November 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/04/charities-next-uk-government-bring-forward-climate-targets
- Critics say the government has created a “hostile
environment” for renewable energy. Clean energy investment
plummeted 56% in 2017 following Conservative cuts to various
renewable schemes, and has fallen each year since.
“While investment in wind, solar and other renewable sources
slumped by 56% to $10.3bn (£7.5bn) in the UK, worldwide spending
climbed 3% to $333.5bn (£242.4bn), the second-highest level on
record.”
The Guardian, 16 January 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/16/uk-green-energy-investment-plunges-after-policy-changes
“Critics say the government has created a “hostile environment”
for renewable energy that scares away potential investors and
prevents the UK from reaching its full potential.”
The Independent, 19 May 2018
https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/uk-renewable-energy-investment-targets-wind-solar-power-onshore-a8358511.html
Homeownership
- The Tories record on homeownership is woeful. There are over
800,000 fewer home owning households aged under-45 than when
Labour left office in 2010.
English Housing Survey 2018 to 2019: headline report, MHCLG,
January 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2018-to-2019-headline-report
- The overall rate of home-ownership has fallen since 2009-10
from 67.4% to 63.8% in 2018-19.
English Housing Survey 2018 to 2019: headline report, MHCLG,
January 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2018-to-2019-headline-report
- The number of households in the private rented sector has
increased by over a million since 2010. One in four families with
children now rent privately.
English Housing Survey 2018 to 2019: headline report, MHCLG,
January 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2018-to-2019-headline-report
- Average private rents have risen by over £2,000 a year
compared to 2010, ahead of wage growth for many.
English Housing Survey 2018 to 2019: headline report, MHCLG,
January 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-housing-survey-2018-to-2019-headline-report
Skills
- The Conservative’s spent the last ten years slashing funding
for further education; further education and skills has been cut
by over £3 billion under the Conservatives and cut maintenance
support for learners.
https://labour.org.uk/press/education-skills-cut-3-billion-tories/
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-to-end-the-education-maintenance-allowance-ema-programme
- The funding announced for the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, £2.5
billion, will not even reverse the damage, let alone mean
increased investment.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-expansion-of-post-18-education-and-training-to-level-up-and-prepare-workers-for-post-covid-economy
- The funding announced for the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, £2.5
billion, amounts to less than £280 per eligible adult.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/major-expansion-of-post-18-education-and-training-to-level-up-and-prepare-workers-for-post-covid-economy
- Since the Government introduced the apprenticeship levy,
numbers have been consistently falling especially at lower
levels.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06113/
Social care
-
promised to ‘fix’ social care in his first speech
as Prime Minister.
“My job is to protect you or your parents or grandparents from
the fear of having to sell your home to pay for the costs of
care.
“And so I am announcing now - on the steps of Downing Street -
that we will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with
a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person the
dignity and security they deserve.”
, 24 July 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49102495
- This was then made a Conservative party manifesto commitment.
“We need a long-term solution for social care”
https://assets-global.website-files.com/5da42e2cae7ebd3f8bde353c/5dda924905da587992a064ba_Conservative%202019%20Manifesto.pdf
- But he’s put forward no plan and today’s speech just
contained more empty words.
“We will fix the injustice of care home funding. ... care for the
carers, as they care for us."
Conservative party conference speech, 6 October
2020
Crime and justice
- Cuts to police funding saw officer numbers to the lowest
level since 1981. While numbers have risen, there are still tens
of thousands fewer officers, PCSO, staff and special constables
than 2010.
|
Officer losses
|
Mar-10
|
Mar-20
|
Net change
|
%
|
|
Total 43 forces
|
143,734
|
129,110
|
-14,624
|
-10
|
|
PCSO losses
|
Mar-10
|
Mar-20
|
Net change
|
%
|
|
Total 43 forces
|
16,918
|
9,180
|
-7,737
|
-46
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Police staff
|
Mar-10
|
Mar-20
|
Net change
|
%
|
|
Total 43 forces
|
83,436
|
72,330
|
-11,106
|
-13
|
|
Specials
|
Mar-10
|
Mar-20
|
Net change
|
%
|
|
Total 43 forces
|
15,505
|
9,571
|
-5,934
|
-38
|
Home Office, Police Workforce statistics, https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales
- In 2019, the police recorded 5.8m offences in total, up from
5.5m in 2018 and the highest in over a decade. Knife crime has
been on the rise since 2014, with a 7% increase last year to
45,627 (excluding GMP). This was 49% higher than when comparable
recording began (YE March 2011) and the highest on record.
Robbery offences rose for the fourth consecutive year, with an
increase of 12% (to 83,930 offences).
ONS, Crime in England and Wales YE Dec 19, 23 April
2020, https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingdecember2019
- The Tories have closed half of magistrates courts (162 out of
323), and 8 Crown Court locations have also closed (out of 92).
HoC Library, CDP-0156, 18 June 2019
- The scale of closures led to massive delays in court
listings. Last September, the Government exacerbated this backlog
by cutting the number of ‘sitting days’ meaning courts would not
be open often as they could
Evening Standard, 6 September 2019, https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/court-days-cut-despite-backlog-of-crime-cases-after-ministry-of-justice-audit-a4230416.html
- The Tories have squandered £467m on a failed
part-privatisation that has caused chaos in the probation system
over the last six years.
