Labour & Conservative Parties

Labour & Conservative Parties

The Conservative and Labour parties are the two dominant political parties in the British system. Over the years, the two parties have modified their policy positions on many issues, to the point that they share similar views in such areas as national defe nse. However, the two parties continue to differ on many issues.

Conservative Party (1834), byname Tories, promotes private property and enterprise, the maintenance of a strong military, and the preservation of traditional cultural values and institutions.

Labour Party promotes an active role for the state in the creation of economic prosperity and in the provision of social services.

Economy and Taxes

Although the Labour Party, under former Prime Minister Tony Blair in the 1990s, stepped away from the socialist policies of earlier times, it differs with the Conservative Party on economics and taxes. The Labour Party supports cutting government office expenditures, as well as spending on consulting and marketing. The party also favors spending to modernize Britain’s infrastructure and to support business in creating new jobs. Labour’s platform also favors what it describes as “ fair tax increases. ” Taxes include a tax on bankers’ bonuses and a new tax on earnings that exceed £150,000 a year. The Conservative Party, in contrast, favors broader cuts in government spending, including a 5 percent cut in salaries for government ministers. It also favors cuts in Britain’s corporation tax.

Education

The Conservative Party’s position calls for allowing parents, charities and private firms to create their own schools as a means to increasing the variety of schools from which parents can choose. Labour, meanwhile, proposes allowing parents to use takeovers to place new management teams in failing schools. The Conservatives support reforming Britain’s national curriculum and increasing education funding for disadvantaged children. Labour supports broader increases in education spending, including an expansion in free nursery care.

Environment

Both parties express support for a “greener” Britain. Labour calls for achieving 40 percent low- carbon electricity by 2020 and creating 400,000 so-called green jobs by 2015. The Conservatives, meanwhile advocated less waste, expanded wind and water power, sustainable water management and more incentives to recycle. Labour also advocates banningdisposing of recyclable and biodegradable materials in landfills.

Health Care

Both parties express support for Britain’s National Health Service. The two parties’ policy documents both pledge increased funding for the NHS, but also promise different reforms in health care. The Conservatives support greater transparency by allowing online access to NHS performance data. They also favor expanded patient choice and allowing patients to rate doctors and hospitals. The Labour Party advocates expanded diagnostic testing and more preventive checkups for people over the age of 40. The Labour advocates a maximum of an 18-week wait for treatment or allowing a patient to seek private care at NHS expense.

Immigration

The Conservative Party supports annual limits on immigration, especially unskilled workers. Labour rejects this approach as unflexible, favoring instead a points-based system similar to that used in Australia, in order to reduce unskilled migration from outside the European Union. Labour also favors requiring public employees to demonstrate competency in the English language.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-04