--- election_year: 2024 party_id: welsh-labour party_name: Welsh Labour party_leader: Vaughan Gething political_spectrum: centre-left victory: true government_outcome: majority sections: - economy - taxation - health - education - housing - immigration - defence - foreign-policy - environment - transport - law-and-order - welfare - democracy-and-constitution - energy - devolution - science-and-technology - local-government --- # Welsh Labour Manifesto 2024 ## Labour’s six steps to change Wales 1. Deliver economic stability 2. Cut NHS waiting times 3. Launch a new Border Security Command 4. Set up Great British Energy 5. Crack down on antisocial behaviour 6. Recruit new teachers _Reproduced from electronic media, promoted by Joe Lock on behalf of Welsh Labour, both at 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff, CF11 9HA._ --- ## Foreword This is the moment we've been waiting for - the chance for the Labour Party to unleash Wales' full potential. A Welsh Labour Government, working with a Labour government in Westminster, led by Keir Starmer. We have to seize this opportunity. In the words of the poet Seamus Heaney, it is time to let hope and history rhyme. This manifesto is our blueprint for change. For a better Wales, a fairer Wales. Guided by five key missions, we are ready to tackle the challenges ahead and seize the opportunities that await. At the heart of our vision is an economy that works for everyone. The cost-of-living crisis has pushed many families to the edge. Rocketing mortgages, sky-high energy bills, and spiralling food costs, turning the weekly shop into an anxiety-inducing experience. That's why Labour will deliver economic stability, to bring back growth and help make working people better off. The Welsh Labour Government is already investing £100 million in Transforming Towns funding to rejuvenate Welsh towns and high streets, revitalising local economies and creating vibrant communities. By supporting working people to develop skills for the future, and working in partnership with a Labour government in Westminster, we will position Wales as a leader in the world economy. From economic hardship into shared prosperity. Wales should be a global leader in the green energy revolution and Labour is committed to realising this potential. We will cut energy bills for good, saving families hundreds of pounds. Through establishing Great British Energy, we will create new, skilled jobs in green industries, rebuilding the strength of our industrial heartlands. Harnessing our natural resources for a sustainable future. Our NHS is our most cherished institution. But, it deserves more than our love and admiration – it deserves careful modernisation and investment. Labour will ensure the NHS evolves to meet the demands of the future. We will train record numbers of doctors and nurses and protect free prescriptions for all. By delivering more services through GPs and pharmacies, we will speed up access to care and reduce hospital pressures. Opening a new medical school in North Wales will ensure we have the healthcare professionals we need. Healthcare that is accessible, efficient, and close to home. Safety is a fundamental right, and Labour will work tirelessly to ensure our streets are secure. We will collaborate closely with the police to build public confidence. By deploying more neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs in Wales, we will crack down on antisocial behaviour. All forms of violence against women and girls will be tackled, building on the work of the Welsh Labour Government. And we will launch a new Border Security Command, to smash criminal boat gangs. Building trust, ensuring safety, and protecting our communities. Labour believes in breaking down barriers that hold people back. We will extend our flagship childcare offer and provide free school meals to all primary school pupils. The Welsh Labour Government's investment in the Welsh Young Person's Guarantee and quality all-age apprenticeships will ensure no one is left behind. We will expand free learning opportunities for the lowest-paid workers, boosting prospects and earnings. Through ending tax breaks for private schools, we will fund the recruitment of new teachers in key subjects. Creating a society where everyone has the chance to succeed. In Wales, it often takes the worst times to bring out the best in us. In adversity, we stand united, fighting for the impossible, supporting the underdog, and standing up for the oppressed. Now is the time to take a more ambitious step into our shared future. We must raise our sights and ask, Beth nesa? — What's next for Wales? This manifesto sets out how we aim to change Britain, build a brighter future for Wales, a future where young people feel hopeful and where our nation's potential is fully realised. **Vaughan Gething, First Minister of Wales and Leader of Welsh Labour** --- ## My Plan for Change This election is about change. A chance to stop the endless Conservative chaos that has directly harmed the finances of every family in Britain. A moment where we can turn the page on a set of ideas that, over 14 years, have consistently left Britain more vulnerable in an increasingly volatile world. And an opportunity to begin the work of national renewal with two Labour governments working together to change Wales and Britain's future. A rebuilding of our country, so that it once again serves the interests of working people. **Restore hope** Every great nation is held together by shared beliefs. To outsiders they may not seem exceptional or distinctive, but they are essential for a sense of collective national purpose. They are also essential to our sense of togetherness across a union that serves and celebrates each of the nations individually and collectively. Britain is no different, but at this moment two of our most important beliefs are in grave danger. First, that politics should be driven by a sense of service to the country, not considerations of party or self-interest. Second, that if you work hard then - whoever you are, wherever you started in life - Britain is a country that will respect your contribution and give you a fair chance to get on. When I consider these beliefs, it is hard not to think back to my childhood. Then, as now, Britain's place in the world was uncertain. Then, as now, our economy was gripped by stuttering growth and a cost-of-living crisis that hurt working people. Yet back then, there was at least a degree of security in being able to take those two fundamental beliefs for granted. For families like mine, this was a comfort. The knowledge that Britain would offer your children a better future gave us hope. A hope that may not sound high-minded or particularly idealistic, but which families like mine could build a life around. **Stop the chaos** To restore this hope, we must first end the Conservative chaos. The visible decline in our communities – public services pushed to the brink, and families weighed down by soaring mortgages – is not an accident. Rather, it is a direct result of a governing party that, time and again, puts its own interests and obsessions above the issues that affect families. The result is a vicious cycle – decline feeding off chaos, chaos feeding off decline – that will continue if they return for five more years. Only a Labour government in Westminster – working in partnership with a Welsh Labour Government – can break this cycle and stop the chaos. **Turn the page** We must turn the page decisively on the Conservative ideas that have caused the chaos. Only Labour can turn the page. The world has become increasingly volatile, with a major war in Europe for the first time in a generation and ever greater threats to the living standards of working people. This 'age of insecurity' requires the government to step up, not stand aside. This means a return to the foundations of good government: national security, secure borders, and economic stability. But it also requires an enduring partnership with business and the Welsh Labour Government to deliver the economic growth we need. It needs more focus on long-term strategy, not the short-term distractions that can animate Westminster. And it demands a final and total rejection of the toxic idea that economic growth is gifted from the few to the many. Because whether it is crashing the pound to give tax cuts to the richest 1%; devastating austerity for public services because of a mess made by the banks; or the failure to invest in clean British energy that left us exposed when Putin invaded Ukraine – so much of what Britain has been through in the past 14 years is explained by a Conservative failure to face the future. Only Labour can turn the page. **Rebuild Britain** We must rebuild Britain. It will not be easy. Not only because there is no quick fix to the mess the Conservatives have made. But also, because their failures have sapped our collective confidence that Britain can still achieve great things. I reject this with every fibre of my being. Despite all the chaos inflicted on Britain, the country I see is one where working people never let each other down. They came together in the pandemic – missed weddings, funerals and last goodbyes – to save the lives of people they will never meet. They dug deep in the years of austerity, to keep delivering the public services people needed. And throughout the cost-of-living crisis, they found a way to support those less fortunate than themselves. I have also seen in Welsh Labour a determination to keep alive our values and commitment to public service, in the face of a chaotic and divisive Conservative Government in Westminster. Britain is still a great nation. We can still achieve great things. In Wales we can see the opportunities waiting to be unlocked. From a new generation of quality green jobs powered by the coastline, to the tech jobs allowing more people to fulfil their ambitions closer to home; Welsh Labour is determined to help more young people plan ambitious futures in Wales. What we lack is a UK government that can match the ambition working people have for their family and community, with a credible long-term plan. This manifesto is that plan. Fully costed, fully funded – built on a rock of fiscal responsibility. At its heart are five national missions – with clear first steps to begin the journey of rebuilding – that provide a clear destination for everyone invested in Wales' and Britain's future. A new Britain, where wealth is created in every community. Where the golden opportunity of clean British power is harnessed for lower bills. Where the fabric of Welsh town centres continues to improve - creating the environment for them to diversify as places of living, learning, leisure and work, where everyone feels safe to walk the streets. Where you can go to work and know you will be treated with dignity and respect. Where our children are equipped with the skills to thrive in the future. Where our NHS is supported through funding and innovation to be at the cutting edge of healthcare. And where we show that British politics can be about serving the country. **It's time for change** I know some people will roll their eyes at this last sentence. Yet serving our country is the only reason I came into politics. The defining purpose of my Labour leadership has been to drag my party away from the dead end of gesture politics and return it once more to the service of working people. I have changed my party. Now I want the chance to bring that change to the country. But to succeed we need everyone, every community, to play their part. I know, after everything you have been through in the past 14 years, that this is a hard request to make. But I also expect, deep down, that you know this is what our country needs now – an end to the chaos, a turning of the page, and a patient but determined rebuilding of our country. So, I invite you to join us in this common endeavour of national renewal, with two Labour governments pulling together to create the fairer, greener future Wales deserves. It is time to change Britain. **Keir Starmer, Leader of the UK Labour Party** --- ## Labour’s six steps to change Wales **1. Deliver economic stability** with tough spending rules, so we can grow our economy and keep taxes, inflation and mortgages as low as possible. **2. Cut NHS waiting times** by targeting those waiting the longest and in the most need, paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance and non-dom loopholes. **3.Launch a new Border Security Command** with hundreds of new specialist investigators and use counter-terror powers to smash the criminal boat gangs. **4. Set up Great British Energy** a publicly-owned clean power company working with the Welsh Labour Government to cut bills for good, boost energy security and create new jobs, paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants. **5. Crack down on antisocial behaviour** with more neighbourhood police paid for by ending wasteful contracts, tough new penalties for offenders, and investment in youth services. **6. Recruit new teachers** in key subjects to prepare children for life, work and the future, paid for by ending tax breaks for private schools. **Two Labour governments; working together for Wales' and Britain's Future.** --- ## Contents * Mission-driven government ......... 16 * Strong foundations ..................... 18 * Kickstart economic growth ........... 27 * Make Britain a clean energy superpower ....... 51 * Take back our streets .................. 69 * Break down the barriers to opportunity ....... 83 * Build an NHS fit for the future ........ 101 * Serving the country .................... 115 * Britain reconnected .................... 125 * Change .................................... 139 --- ### Government Ending the Conservative chaos is vital, but turning the page with a new Westminster government is not in itself enough to tackle the deep-rooted challenges our country now faces. To rebuild Britain, we need to change how Britain is governed. For too long, Britain has been held back by Conservative governments that, because they lack a relentless focus on long-term ends, are buffeted about by events. Politics has enormous potential to change lives for the better, but too often different parts of the government have pursued their own narrow goals rather than working together. We have frequently seen this Conservative Westminster Government actively seeking division and disunity across our country, relentlessly running down Wales and so many other parts of the UK. Government is at its best when working in partnership with councils, business, trade unions, civil society, faith groups, and communities. As we mark the 25th anniversary of Welsh devolution – delivered by a Labour government – new partnerships based on trust and respect across our nations and regions are essential to the task of delivering change and serving the entire United Kingdom. But without a shared project those partnerships barely get off the ground. That means we must see an end to Westminster picking needless fights with the Welsh Labour Government and instead, a new partnership for prosperity. So, as well as a new administration with new priorities, Britain needs a new approach: mission-driven government. Mission-driven government means raising our sights as a nation and focusing on ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that provide a driving sense of purpose for the country. It means a new way of doing government that is more joined up, pushes power out to communities and harnesses new technology, all with one aim in mind – to put the country back in the service of working people. **1) Get the British economy growing,** one built on good jobs so that incomes grow faster than outgoings. **2) Unlock Wales’ green energy potential,** to get cheaper bills, new high-paid jobs, and security from tyrants like Putin. **3) Modernise our NHS** by investing in the NHS workforce of the future, with a new medical school in North Wales. **4) Make streets in Wales safe** with more police officers and PCSOs our communities. **5) Break down the barriers to opportunity** with all under-25s guaranteed work, education, training, or self-employment. these missions is to ensure the _foundations_ of good government are right. Labour will make sure we have strong national security, secure borders, and economic stability. Building on these secure foundations, we have already set out the first steps for change. Today we present further policies in this manifesto, as part of the journey of rebuilding our country. in ### Strong Foundations ### National Security Labour’s missions matters unless we to keep the country safe. Peace constant vigilance. Over the risen, while the Conservatives have Putin is attempting to break European Ukraine. Labour will meet this forces and protecting our national security. Welsh communities have always played a key role in our national defence, and that is a proud record we will continue. Our commitment to the UK’s nuclear deterrent is absolute. It is a vital safeguard for the UK and our NATO allies. As the party that founded NATO, we maintain our unshakeable commitment to the alliance, and we will apply a NATO test to major defence programmes to ensure we meet our obligations in full. In recent years, threats to our safety and security have multiplied and diversified. Alongside greater conventional threats, we are faced with the growing emergence of hybrid warfare, including cyber-attacks and misinformation campaigns which seek to subvert our democracy. To ensure the UK is fully prepared to deal with these interconnected threats, Labour will conduct a Strategic Defence Review within our first year in government, and we will set out the path to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence. From the Skripal poisonings to assassination plots by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, threats from hostile states or state-sponsored groups are on the rise, but Britain lacks a comprehensive framework to protect us. Labour will take the approach used for dealing with non-state terrorism and adapt it to deal with state-based domestic security threats. Terrorism remains a significant threat. Labour will bring in ‘Martyn’s Law’ to strengthen the security of public events and venues. We will update the rules around counter-extremism, including online, to stop people being radicalised and drawn towards hateful ideologies. Labour will also ensure the police and intelligence services have the powers and resources they need to protect the British people from terrorism and hostile espionage. ### Strong Foundations ### Secure Borders Britain is a tolerant and compassionate of welcoming people fleeing persecution for Ukraine, Hong Kong humanitarian programme have provided important sanctuary. But the system needs to be need strong borders. The small boats smuggler gangs, is undermining our country. We have a proud tradition and abuse. Schemes like Homes visas, and the Syrian resettlement routes for refugees seeking controlled and managed and we crisis, fuelled by dangerous criminal security and costing lives. but desperate gimmicks. Their flagship policy – to fly a tiny number of asylum seekers to Rwanda – has already cost hundreds of millions pounds. Even if it got off the ground, this scheme can only address fewer than one per cent of the asylum seekers arriving. It cannot work. Chaos in the Channel has been matched by chaos at home. The Conservatives’ unworkable laws have created a ‘perma-backlog’ tens of thousands of asylum seekers, who are indefinitely staying in hotels costing the taxpayer millions of pounds every week. Labour will stop the chaos and go after the criminal gangs who trade in driving this crisis. We will create a new Border Security Command, with hundreds of new investigators, intelligence officers, and cross-border police officers. This will be funded by ending the wasteful Migration and Economic Development partnership with Rwanda. This new Command will work internationally and be supported by new counter-terrorism style powers, to pursue, disrupt, and arrest those responsible for the vile trade. We will seek a new security agreement with the EU to ensure access to real-time intelligence and enable our policing teams to go after the criminal gangs of lead joint investigations with their European counterparts. Labour will turn the page and of restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly; and the rules are properly enforced. We will hire additional caseworkers to clear the Conservatives’ backlog and end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds. Labour will set up a new returns and enforcement unit, with an additional 1,000 staff, to fast-track removals to safe countries for people who do not have the right to stay here. We will negotiate additional returns arrangements to speed up returns and increase the number of safe countries that failed asylum seekers can swiftly be sent back to. And we will also act upstream, working with international partners to address the humanitarian crises which lead people to flee their homes, and to strengthen support for refugees in their home region. ### Strong Foundations ### Economic Stability Every commitment a Labour government money and economic stability. This changed UK Labour Party. The Welsh fiscal discipline in delivering balanced manifesto commitment not to raise that there are no limits on what government makes will be based on sound is a non-negotiable principle for our Labour Government has shown budgets, whilst sticking to the income tax. Siren voices may claim can spend, or that tax cuts Conservative ‘mini budget’. The British people are still paying the price of those unfunded commitments through higher mortgage costs, and taxpayers continue to foot the bill through higher interest payments, meaning less money for investment and public services. The impact was not confined to these shores. The Conservatives’ recklessness sent a signal of instability across the world that damaged our standing, making Britain a less attractive place for business to invest. The chaos is not over. The desperate Conservatives have now made yet more unfunded tax cuts and spending promises at a scale beyond the ‘mini budget’. This would be devastating for families across the country. Labour will turn the page on this economic chaos. Our approach is based on strong fiscal rules which will govern every single decision we make in government. Our fiscal rules are that: • T he current budget moves into balance, so that day-to-day costs are met by revenues These rules allow for prudent investment in our economy. This represents a clear break from the Conservatives who have created an incentive to cut investment; a short-term approach that ignores the importance of growing the economy. Labour will strike a balance between prioritising investment and the urgent need to rebuild our public finances. There will be no return to austerity. Unlike the Conservatives, Labour will never sideline the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) for political convenience. Instead, we will strengthen the role of the OBR. Every fiscal event making significant changes to taxation or spending will be subject to an independent OBR forecast. Labour will safeguard taxpayers’ money. We will end the link between access to UK Government ministers and an inside track for public contracts. We will appoint a fixed-term Covid Corruption Commissioner and use every means possible to recoup public money lost in pandemic-related fraud and from contracts which have not delivered. And we will not tolerate fraud or waste anywhere, Our approach is based on strong fiscal rules which govern every single decision we make in government whether in social security or the excessive use of consultants. Alongside strong national finances, Britain needs resilient family finances too. The Conservatives have left families struggling with the cost of living. Labour will take action to support families, by tackling the underlying causes of the crisis. We will bring down the cost of energy. A UK Labour government will make work pay and reduce food prices by removing barriers to businesses trading. The Welsh Labour Government will continue to make housing more affordable, expand access to childcare, and Labour will take action families, by tackling causes of the crisis support families with children by continuing its long standing commitment to free breakfasts for all primary school pupils. Labour will also keep mortgage rates as low possible, with a strong, independent Bank of England – which will continue to target stable inflation of 2 per cent. The Conservatives have raised the tax burden to a 70-year high. A UK Labour government will ensure taxes on working people are kept as low as possible. Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of Income Tax, or VAT. Labour will address unfairness in the tax system. We will abolish non-dom status once and for all, replacing with a modern scheme for people genuinely in the country for a short period. We will end the use of to support the underlying offshore trusts to avoid inheritance tax so that everyone who makes their home here in the UK pays their taxes here. Private equity is the as only industry where performance-related pay is treated as capital gains. Labour will close this loophole. We will modernise HMRC and change the law to tackle tax avoidance. We will increase registration and reporting requirements, strengthen HMRC’s powers, invest in new technology and build capacity within HMRC. This, combined with a renewed focus on tax avoidance by large businesses and the wealthy, will begin to close the tax gap and ensure everyone pays their fair share. **Labour will stop the chaos, ** it** turn the page, and return to the foundations of national ** ** security, secure borders, and economic stability.** ### Economic Growth  **Deliver economic stability tough spending rules**  **A new partnership with and the Welsh Labour** **to boost growth everywhere**  **A National Wealth Fund** **in jobs**  **Deliver 20,000 additional for social rent this Senedd**  **A New Deal for Working** **with** **business Government** **to invest** **homes term** ### People This election follows the chaos of the Conservatives’ ‘mini-budget’ and an unprecedented fall in living standards. Their miserable economic record over the past 14 years has seen productivity and wages flatlining, leaving British families significantly poorer than those in France or Germany. This decline is rooted in two failures. First, an inability to accept that a strong economy can only be built on the contribution of every community and every person – the many not the few. Second, a failure to acknowledge that sustainable growth requires government to be a strategic partner with business that markets must be shaped, not merely served. These twin failures have led to greater economic insecurity – in financial resilience of households, but also in our national economy – at the very time when our world has become less stable and secure. The Conservatives have failed to will restore stability, increase investment, and reform our economy grasp the implications of a new era of rising global competition and tension, instead leaving our economy on an increasingly shallow and insecure footing. It is time to turn the page. Labour will restore stability, increase investment, and reform our economy. – We will embrace a new approach to economic management – _securonomics_ – that understands sustainable growth relies on the a broad base and resilient foundations. Our approach will depend on a dynamic and strategic state. This does not mean ever-growing government, but it does mean a more active, **CChhaannggee** W Laeblsohu Lra Pbaorutyr MMaanniiffeessttoo 22002244 2299 governments properly empowered. Labour will stop the chaos and support business through a stable policy environment – strengthening our economic institutions, and giving investors the certainty they need to fuel growth. Labour will seek involvement from industry, trade unions, and civil society in our plans for growth, so they can contribute to building a stronger economy in all parts of the country. We will strategically use public investment where it can unlock additional private sector investment, create jobs, and provide a return for taxpayers. While stability and greater investment will support growth, parts of our economy require substantial reform if we are to create the wealth our country needs. Conservative austerity has impacted severely on local planning authorities - planning departments are overstretched and delays in determining planning applications are obvious. Britain remains too centralised, with the economic potential of too many regions and communities ignored. Our labour market fails to provide The innovation, dynamism and sheer hard work of British business and workers has never been in question. The next Labour government will partner with them to kickstart economic growth and rebuild Britain. Here in Wales, through work in areas like the Development Bank of Wales and the A ccelerated Growth Programme, the Welsh Labour Government is showing how vital partnership working with business can be. **Strategic partnership through industrial strategy** Labour will introduce a new industrial strategy. Our approach will be mission-driven and focused on the future. We will work in partnership with industry to seize opportunities and remove barriers to growth. Critically, we will end short-term economic policy making with the establishment of an I ndustrial Strategy Council, on a statutory footing, to provide expert advice. We will ensure representation on the Council from Wales, as well as business and trade unions, to drive economic growth in all parts of the country. Labour will take a sectoral approach and be clear-eyed about where the great: our excellent research institutions, professional services, advanced manufacturing like semiconductors, green energy, and creative industries. We will ensure a pro-business environment, with a competition and regulatory framework that supports innovation, investment, and high-quality jobs. Procurement and trade policy will also be aligned with our industrial strategy priorities, working in tandem with the Welsh Labour Government. Financial services are one of Britain’s greatest success stories. Labour will create the conditions to support innovation and growth in the sector, through supporting new technology, including Open Banking and Open Finance and ensuring a pro-innovation regulatory framework. Our other great British industries need certainty over the policies that will apply to them. In opposition, Labour has worked with the automotive, life sciences, and creative sectors, on the approach we will take to policy. In government, we will set out plans for these and other vital sectors of the economy. sheer hard work of British workers has never been in question For Wales, the industrial strategy will reinforce the Welsh Labour Government’s economic mission to deliver more investment and better jobs. By supporting our four national priority areas, collaborating Labour governments can achieve a just transition to a sustainable future, with fair work at its heart. **Boosting investment** Business has for too long been hampered by a government in Westminster that does not work with it. As a result, investment in the UK is too low. To address this long-standing problem Labour will use every available lever. Public investment, where it supports industry to seize opportunities and remove barriers to growth and de-risks additional private investment, is one important tool being used successfully across the world. It can create good jobs across the country and would mean British taxpayers can reap the benefits of economic growth. To realise these opportunities Labour will establish a UK-wide National Wealth Fund. With Labour governments in Wales and in Westminster working in partnership, the National Wealth Fund and industrial strategy together will deliver huge benefits. Capitalised with £7.3 billion over the course of the next parliament, the National Wealth Fund will have a remit to support Labour’s growth and clean energy missions, making transformative investments across every part of the country. The fund will have a target of attracting country. We plan to allocate: £1.8 billion to upgrade ports and **•** build supply chains across the UK **•** £1.5 billion to new gigafactories so our automotive industry leads the world **•** £2.5 billion to rebuild our steel industry £1 billion to accelerate the **•** deployment of carbon capture **•** £500 million to support the manufacturing of green hydrogen. It is vital that the steel industry remains a cornerstone of our economy and at the heart of our communities. The crisis we find at Port Talbot is the consequence of a chaotic Conservative government that has never understood the industrial heritage or future of Wales. There is a viable future for steelmaking in Wales within a transition that supports a stronger, greener future for the Welsh economy. UK Labour’s commitment of £2.5 billion earmarked to save the UK’s steel industry, on top of the £500 million promised to Port Talbot, shows the ambition we need. to ensure that workplace pension schemes take advantage of consolidation and scale, to deliver better returns for UK savers and greater productive investment for UK PLC. We will also undertake a review of the pensions landscape to consider what further steps are needed to improve pension outcomes and increase investment in UK markets. **Business taxation** The business tax regime matters investors. It is not just the rates of tax that matter, but also certainty. Under the Conservatives there has been constant chopping and changing – corporation tax has changed 26 times – and multiple fiscal events have made drastic changes often at little notice. Labour will stop the chaos, and turn the page with a strategic approach that gives certainty and allows long-term planning. We are committed to one major fiscal event a year, giving families and businesses due warning of tax and spending policies. We will publish a roadmap for business taxation for the next parliament which will allow businesses to plan investments with confidence. turn the page with a strategic approach that gives certainty and allows long- term planning for Labour will cap corporation tax at the current level of 25 per cent, the lowest in the G7, for the entire parliament, and we will act if tax changes in other countries pose a risk to UK competitiveness. We will retain a permanent full expensing system for capital investment and the annual investment allowance for small business. And we will give firms greater clarity on what qualifies for allowances to improve business investment decisions. Welsh Labour’s innovative reforms of the business rates system in Wales have striven to create a more responsive and efficient system for ratepayers, which is designed deliver on the principles identified in Future Wales, our national plan - helping to deliver a distinctly Welsh planning system to reflect the economic and social conditions long into the future. However, making the system fairer for our high streets has always been necessary at a UK level. A UK Labour government will work with the Welsh Labour Government to reform the business rates system so as to level the playing field between our high streets and online giants. **Economic infrastructure** Britain is grinding to a halt. Rail cancellations are at record levels across the UK and energy prices have risen faster here than in any other country in Western Europe. This is not an accident. Conservative chaos has seen major projects abandoned, decades-long delays, cost overruns, uncertainty Labour will end this chaos by developing a ten-year infrastructure strategy, aligned with our industrial strategy and regional development priorities. In partnership with the devolved governments, the strategy will guide investment plans and give the private sector certainty about the project pipeline. We will work closely with business to map and address the delivery challenges we face. We will create a new National I nfrastructure and Service Transformation A uthority, bringing together existing bodies, to set strategic infrastructure priorities and oversee the design, scope, and delivery of projects. In Wales, the I nfrastructure Consenting A ct allows more efficient and effective consenting arrangements both on and offshore to determine applications for energy infrastructure development, as well as other infrastructure. Welsh Labour will also continue to deliver on the principles identified in Future Wales, our national plan - helping to deliver a distinctly Welsh planning system. As a country, we understand our duty to be globally responsible and we also recognise that good development is a matter of local and community importance. choices – so the right developments happen in the right places. The planning system plays an important role in people’s lives. It helps shape and deliver sustainable development and places, to drive forward a values-based economic recovery, and improve the social, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales. Labour will ensure economic regulation supports growth and investment, promotes competition, works for consumers, and enables innovation. In an ever more connected world, Britain’s communication network also vital. Under the Conservatives, investment in 5G is falling behind other countries and the rollout of gigabit broadband has been slow. In Wales, the Welsh Labour Government has bridged the gap and provided access to gigabit capable broadband to more than 121,000 premises through our Superfast Cymru project and recent full fibre roll-out. Our Local Broadband Fund has also provided over £11 million to projects throughout Wales. The Welsh Labour Government welcomes the ambition of a UK Labour Royal Mail remains a key part of the UK's infrastructure. Labour will ensure that any proposed takeover is robustly scrutinised and that appropriate guarantees are forthcoming that protect the interests of the workforce, customers and the United Kingdom, including the need to maintain a comprehensive universal service obligation. Labour will also explore new business and governance models for Royal Mail so that workers and customers who rely on Royal Mail services can have a stronger voice in the governance and strategic direction of the company. is **A modern transport network** High-quality transport infrastructure is critical for Wales’ future: creating opportunity and connecting people, businesses, and communities. Through the existing £1 billion investment in the Metro, an £800 million investment in brand new trains serving every corner of Wales, and plans for fundamental bus reform – the Welsh Labour Government is transforming public transport while making it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle. Welsh Labour will also work with a UK Labour government to deliver a reliable, effective, and improved railway system in North Wales. In Wales, three quarters of journeys on public transport are on buses. By restoring the role of local government in planning local bus services and lifting the ban on municipal ownership we will deliver a better bus system for Wales. This is at the heart of our vision to deliver One Network, One Timetable, One Ticket. Most journeys will continue to be in private vehicles, and in line with the recommendations of the Lugg Review, the Welsh Labour Government will focus on maintaining and improving the road network, including adapting to the impact of climate change and working with local government to repair local roads and fix potholes. Labour will support drivers by tackling the soaring cost of car insurance and we will continue to support the transition to electric vehicles by rolling out charge points and focusing public investment on locations where it’s most needed. Labour will also give certainty to manufacturers by restoring the phase out date of 2030 for new petrol and diesel cars and vans, along with supporting buyers of second-hand electric cars. have faced 14 years of broken Tory promises on rail infrastructure. Recognising Transport for Wales’ existing responsibilities, the Welsh Labour Government will work in partnership with a UK Labour government on its ambitious plan for reforming rail, including the proposed new Passenger Standards A uthority. A UK Labour government will establish Great British Railways – a unified, publicly-owned new body running the railways in the public interest. The Welsh Labour Government will have a statutory role in governing, managing, planning and developing the rail network. Wales will have the ability to agree cross-border and regional rail services with Great British Railways, further enabling our ambitious plans for seamless, integrated public transport run in the interest of passengers. We will work in partnership with the UK Labour Government to create a Welsh rail enhancements pipeline. This will build on the industry-led Cyfuno workstream to bring track and train together in Wales. Labour will secure the UK aviation industry's long-term future, including **Driving innovation** Delivering growth and raising productivity depend on relentless fresh thinking and new ideas. Britain has many cutting-edge businesses, but innovation needs to be converted into commercial success in every corner of our country. Labour will make Britain the best place to start and grow a business. Wales is already leading the way in areas such as design, development, and commercialisation of semiconductors that are integral to the net zero economy, showing how an integrated approach can help deliver high-skilled jobs and economic growth. The Welsh Labour Government’s mission-based innovation strategy is designed to unlock the new thinking that can power a fairer, greener economy. Wales needs a partner that shares that ambition and long-term commitment. A UK Labour government will ensure our industrial strategy supports the development of the A rtificial I ntelligence (AI) sector and removes planning barriers to new datacentres. And we will create a National Data Library to mission-based innovation strategy is designed to unlock the new thinking that can power a fairer, greener economy bring together existing research programmes and help deliver data-driven public services, whilst maintaining strong safeguards and ensuring all of the public benefit. Labour will scrap short funding cycles for key R&Dinstitutions in favour of ten-year budgets that allow meaningful partnerships with industry to keep the UK at the forefront of global innovation. We will work with universities to support spinouts; and work with industry to ensure start-ups have the access to finance they need to grow. We will also simplify the procurement process to support innovation and reduce micromanagement with a mission-driven approach. which often cut across traditional industries and sectors. Labour will create a new Regulatory I nnovation Office, bringing together existing functions across government. This office will help regulators update regulation, speed up approval timelines, and co-ordinate issues that span existing boundaries. Labour will ensure the safe development and use of AI models by introducing binding regulation on the handful of companies developing the most powerful AI models and by banning the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes. Labour will support diverse business models which bring innovation and new products to the market. This includes the co-operative sector. The Welsh Labour Government has already doubled the number of co-operatives and mutuals in Wales, and is determined to double them again. We will work with the sector to address the barriers they face, such as accessing finance. **Support for small business and the self-employed** Labour’s plan for economic growth has been developed for all UK businesses. But small firms, entrepreneurs, and the self-employed face unique challenges. communities and high streets across Britain. We will take action on late payments to ensure small businesses and the self-employed are paid on time. We will improve guidance and remove barriers to exporting for small businesses. Reform of the British Business Bank, including a stronger mandate to support growth in the nations and regions, will make it easier for small and medium sized enterprises to access capital. We will also reform procurement rules to give them greater access to government contracts. Supporting businesses of all shapes and sizes remains a priority. The Welsh Labour Government is committed to building on the success of the likes of Business Wales, Social Business Wales and the Development Bank of Wales. These support mechanisms offer vital assistance to businesses and entrepreneurs in every corner of the country. They support a wide range of businesses to build the knowledge, expertise and contacts needed to grow their businesses, whilst helping to facilitate the finances needed to thrive. The Development Bank alone had a of the support offered to business in Wales and will collaborate with a UK Labour government to allow our businesses to thrive. The Welsh Labour Government will continue to invest in rejuvenating Welsh towns and high streets via the £100 million Transforming Towns programme, and to put in place measures to increase footfall on our high streets with the Town Centre First approach. The Post Office is an essential service in communities across the country. Labour will look for ways to strengthen the Post Office network, in consultation with sub-postmasters, trade unions and customers, and support the development of new products, services and business models, such as banking hubs, that will help reinvigorate the high street. We will also ensure justice and compensation are delivered swiftly for those sub-postmasters shamefully affected by the Horizon IT scandal. **Get Britain building again** Everyone should have a place called home, with access to warm, good-quality housing in their local communities – whether they are renting or buying. The Welsh Labour Government is working towards a Wales of thriving communities, where people can afford to live and work – all-year-round. I nvesting in social housing reduces poverty, improves health and helps drive economic growth. Welsh Labour is investing in social housing and will deliver 20,000 new homes for social rent by 2026, with all new builds being carbon neutral. This builds on the successful delivery of more than 20,000 affordable homes over the previous Senedd term. The Welsh Labour Government is supporting councils to build again, and delivery of affordable housing by councils in Wales has tripled in the last five years. This is in stark contrast to the Conservative record in England, where the delivery of homes for social rent has fallen by 76% since 2010. Welsh Labour has increased the land available for affordable housing schemes. Through the local development plan review process, local planning authorities are encouraged to identify affordable The Conservatives have failed to act, even though the housing crisis is one of Britain’s biggest barriers growth. In Wales, the Welsh Labour Government has extended the Help to Buy scheme to March 2025. Since its launch in 2014, Help to Buy Wales has supported thousands of people to realise their dream of home ownership. Welsh Labour has taken groundbreaking action to tackle issues caused by second home ownership in communities in Wales. The Welsh Labour Government has also worked hard to help people to stay in their own homes through the Conservative cost of living crisis. The Help to Stay scheme provides an option for homeowners who are at serious risk of losing their home by offering a partial repayment of an existing mortgage balance via an interest free equity loan for five years, reducing revised mortgage repayments to a level the applicant can afford. Future Wales – the National Plan - together with Planning Policy Wales, emphasises the need for sustainable, thriving communities, working in harmony with the natural environment and places emphasis working towards to a Wales of thriving communities, where people can afford to live and work on green infrastructure as well as traditional infrastructure in planning for the sustainable communities of the future. Welsh Labour is helping councils put in place local housing market assessments to properly plan for the number of homes their communities need. Together with a Labour government in Westminster, the Welsh Labour Government would be able to further reform compulsory purchase compensation rules to improve land assembly, speed up site delivery, and deliver housing, infrastructure amenity and transport benefits in the public interest. The planning system is critical to the delivery of these homes, but it with a Labour government in Westminster, the Welsh Labour Government will rebuild the capacity of these departments. **Economic growth across the country** Every town and city across Britain has a vital contribution to make to our economy. For Wales, the Conservatives have failed to show the ambition needed to back the abundant potential across our economy. That potential has been held back because decisions are often taken in Westminster, and not by local leaders who understand local ambitions and strengths. This means we fail to make the most of the contribution everyone can make, hampering economic growth. So, Labour will transfer power out of Westminster, and into our communities. With Labour, Wales will take back control of its economic destiny. Labour will restore decision-making over the allocation of structural funds to the representatives of Wales. The Welsh Labour Government’s approach has always been to work in partnership with councils. After 14 years of Conservative austerity, 44 **Change** Labour Party Manifesto 2024 Labour government to provide greater stability for the services that communities rely on. I mproving public services is essential to growing our economy. Public service workers have a critical role to play, but services are suffering from recruitment and retention crises caused by 14 years of economic mismanagement under the Conservatives. We will work in partnership across the Welsh and UK governments to improve public service workers’ living standards throughout the parliament, and ensure any independent mechanisms have the confidence of all involved. Labour will also work with the Welsh and Scottish Governments, and the Northern I reland Executive, to drive growth across the country. Our industrial strategy will support successful industries across all nations of the UK. **A fair and properly managed immigration system** People who have come to the UK to work make a substantial contribution to our economy, our public services, and our communities. to fill skills shortages. As a result, we have seen net migration reach record highs; more than triple the level than at the last election in 2019. The overall level must be properly controlled and managed. Failure to do so reduces the incentives for businesses to train locally. So, Labour will reduce net migration. A Labour government in Westminster will reform the points-based immigration system so that it is fair and properly managed, with appropriate restrictions on visas, and by linking immigration and skills policy. Labour will not tolerate employers or recruitment agencies abusing the visa system. And we will not stand for breaches of employment law. Employers who flout the rules will be barred from hiring workers from abroad. Conservative policy is incoherent, with decisions on migration, skills and sectoral pay determined in isolation. Labour will bring joined-up thinking, ensuring that migration to address skills shortages triggers a plan to upskill workers and improve working conditions in the UK. We will strengthen the Migration A dvisory Committee, and establish of Westminster, and into our communities a framework for joint working with skills bodies across the UK, the I ndustrial Strategy Council, and the Department for Work and Pensions. We will end the long-term reliance on overseas workers in some parts of the economy by bringing in workforce and training plans for sectors such as health and social care, and construction. The days of a sector languishing endlessly on immigration shortage lists with no action to train up workers will come to an end. **Supporting people into work** The Welsh Labour Government has successfully reversed the historic trend that saw Welsh unemployment rates sit above the UK average. **Change** Labour Party Manifesto 2024 45 This success has been a result of the Plan for Employability and Skills, including schemes such as the Community for Work, ReAct and Jobs Growth Wales. These interventions have delivered targeted support to thousands of people, including some of the most disadvantaged in our society – providing hope and transforming lives. A UK Labour government will work in close partnership with the Welsh Labour Government to build on this record, so we can support more people to get into work and to get on at work. Labour is committed to reforming employment support so it drives growth and opportunity, with a system underpinned by rights and responsibilities. The Welsh Labour Government and a UK Labour government would ensure Jobcentre Plus services better connect with the devolved careers service. We will ensure that Jobcentre Plus is responsive to local employers, inclusive for all users, and works in partnerships with other local services and supports the economic strategy of the Welsh Labour Government. To support more people with health conditions or a disability into the workforce, Labour will work with the Welsh Labour Government to develop plans to reduce economic inactivity. To support this, we will devolve non-JobcentrePlus employment support funding to the Welsh Government so it can shape a joined-up work, health, and skills offer for local people. We will tackle the backlog of A ccess to Work claims and give disabled people confidence to start working without the fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out. We believe the Work Capability A ssessment is not working and needs to be reformed or replaced, alongside a proper plan to support disabled people to work. The Welsh Labour Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee is providing everyone aged 16 to 24 with support to get a place in education, training or help to work or become self-employed. So far, over 27,000 young people have the started on employability and skills programmes. Since the launch of the guarantee, more than 5,000 young people have progressed into employment, over 400 have started **Change** Labour Party Manifesto 2024 their own business, and more than 12,700 have started apprenticeships. In implementing our commitment to a youth guarantee across England, we will learn from the success of the approach in Wales, and ensure that the DWP’s Youth Offer works alongside devolved provision to support the Welsh Labour Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee. **Making work pay** Greater in-work security, better pay, and more autonomy in the workplace improve the lives of working people and bring substantial economic benefits. Britain’s outdated employment 48 **Change** Labour Party Manifesto 2024 laws are not fit for the modern economy, and recent Conservative legislation has fuelled hostility and confrontation leading to the worst period in industrial relations since the 1980s. The Welsh Labour Government has a proud record of standing up against Conservative attacks on working people, including passing legislation in the Senedd to block elements of the Conservative Government’s anti-trade union legislation in Wales. For too many people a job does not offer the route out of poverty it should: either because work is insecure, inflexible, or low paid; Labour will implement ‘Make Work Pay: Delivering for Working People’ or because people face barriers when trying to move into a better job. Responsible businesses face being undercut when rights are not enforced properly. Labour will stop the chaos and turn the page to create a partnership between business and trade unions, by implementing 'Labour's Plan to Make Work Pay: Delivering a New Deal for Working People' in full – introducing legislation within 100 days. We will consult fully with businesses, workers, and civil society on how to put our plans into practice before legislation is passed. This will include banning exploitative zero hours contracts; ending fire and rehire; and introducing basic rights from day one to parental leave, sick pay, and protection from unfair dismissal. We will strengthen the collective voice of workers, including through their trade unions, and create a our plan to a New Deal Single Enforcement Body to ensure employment rights are upheld. These changes will improve the lives of working people across the entire UK. In Wales, the Welsh Labour Government has already legislated to put its social partnership approach on a statutory footing. Labour will also make sure the minimum wage is a genuine living wage. We will change the remit of the independent Low Pay Commission so for the first time it accounts for the cost of living. Labour will also remove the discriminatory age bands, so all adults are entitled to the same minimum wage, delivering a pay rise to hundreds of thousands of workers across the UK. **Labour will stop the chaos, turn the page, and kickstart economic ** ** growth by reforming our economy.** **Change** Labour Party Manifesto 2024 49 ### Clean Energy ### Superpower  **Set up Great British Energy to cut bills for good**  **Energy independence dictators like Putin**  **650,000 new high-quality across Britain**  **Warmer homes to slash** **poverty**  **A ction to clean up our** **from** **jobs** **fuel** **rivers** energy transition represents a huge opportunity to generate growth, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and make Britain energy independent once again. That is why clean energy by 2030 is Labour’s second mission. The Conservatives have failed to grasp opportunities in this area for two related reasons. First, because they simply do not accept that economic growth, energy security, lower bills, and addressing climate change can be complementary. Second, because they are ideologically opposed to using the role of the state, including public investment, to guarantee that they are. The damage done by 14 years of chaotic ‘sticking plaster’ policies was exposed when Putin invaded Ukraine. The cost of fossil fuel energy on the international market rocketed. The Conservatives’ ban on new on-shore wind in England, failure to build new nuclear power stations, and decision to scrap investment in home insulation landed British families with amongst the highest energy bills in Europe. That is just one way we are paying the price. While countries around the world are racing ahead to represents a huge opportunity to generate growth, tackle the cost-of-living crisis and make Britain energy independent once again claim the jobs and wealth that the transition offers, Britain is losing out. But it is not too late to stop the chaos and turn the page. The Green Prosperity Plan will drive new investment into Wales, with the potential to lift people out of poverty and deliver new career opportunities. The Welsh Labour Government is backing this journey, investing in hydrogen, tidal energy, on-and off-shore wind, green innovation, and a new Net Zero Skills A ction Plan. owned company, Great British Energy. It will be owned by the British people and deliver power back to the British people Britain has tremendous untapped advantages: our long coast-line, high winds, shallow waters, universities, and skilled offshore workforce, combined with our extensive technological and engineering capabilities. Wales is incredibly well-placed to maximise these opportunities. With a serious, joined-up industrial strategy and a genuine partnership between the public and private sectors, as well as between Labour governments in Wales and Westminster, we can make Britain a clean energy superpower. public investment to crowd in private funding. At the heart of our approach will be our Green Prosperity Plan where, in partnership with business through our National Wealth Fund, we will invest in the industries of the future. Our plan will create 650,000 jobs across the country by 2030. We will end the chaotic Conservative chopping and changing on policy, harness clean power to boost our energy security, and invest in home insulation upgrades. We will save families hundreds of pounds on their bills, not just in the short term, but for good. We will provide leadership at home so we can influence others to ensure every country plays their part in meeting our collective obligations to future generations. At home, the Welsh Labour Government will continue to tackle the climate and nature emergencies together. Working alongside a UK Labour government, it will keep working to improve access to nature on people’s doorsteps and across Wales’ beautiful landscapes, promote biodiversity, and protect our wildlife. to create good jobs, with no community left behind, and support well-paying jobs in existing and future industries. The Conservatives propose an alternative course. A denial of reality; delaying action; increasing costs for Britain; exposing us to insecurity; and a failure to win the jobs of the future. They tried this chaotic approach in the 1970s and 80s, and communities right across Wales are still scarred by what happened. That is the choice facing Britain. **Clean power by 2030** Families and businesses will have lower bills for good, from a zero-carbon electricity system. We have chosen this mission not because is easy, but because working people can never again be left vulnerable to dictators like Putin. To deliver our clean power mission, Labour will work with the private sector to double on-shore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple off-shore wind by 2030 across Britain. We will invest in carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and marine energy, and ensure we have the long-term energy storage our country needs. A new Energy I ndependence A ct will establish the Labour will end a decade of dithering that has seen the Conservatives duck decisions on nuclear power. We will ensure the long-term security of the sector, extending the lifetime of existing plants, and we will get Hinkley Point Cover the line. New nuclear power stations, such as Sizewell C, and Small Modular Reactors, will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while securing thousands of good, skilled jobs. With two Labour governments, we will continue to explore the opportunities for new nuclear at Wylfa. Labour will maintain a strategic it reserve of gas power stations to guarantee security of supply. We will ensure a phased and responsible transition in the North Sea that recognises the proud history of our offshore industry and the brilliance of its workforce, particularly in Scotland and the North East of England, and the ongoing role of oil and gas in our energy mix. We will embrace the future of energy production and storage which will make use of existing offshore infrastructure and the skills of our offshore workforce. Labour will not revoke existing licences and we will partner with business and workers to manage our existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan. Crucially, oil and gas production in the North Sea will be with us for decades to come, and the North Sea will be managed in a way that does not jeopardise jobs. And our offshore workers will lead the world in the industries of the future. We will not issue new licences to explore new fields because they will not take a penny off bills, cannot make us energy secure, and will only accelerate the worsening climate crisis. In addition, we will not grant new coal licences. A UK Labour government will ban fracking for good, as the Welsh Labour Government has already done in Wales. To support investment in this plan, Labour will close the loopholes in the windfall tax on oil and gas companies. Companies have benefitted from enormous profits not because of their ingenuity or investment, but because of an therefore extend the sunset clause in the Energy Profits Levy until the end of the next parliament. We will also increase the rate of the levy by three percentage points, as well as removing the unjustifiably generous investment allowances. Labour will also retain the Energy Security Investment Mechanism. **Switch on Great British Energy** To drive forward investment in clean, home-grown energy production, Labour will create a new publicly-owned company, Great British Energy. It will be owned by the British people and deliver power back to the British people. Working with the Welsh Labour Government and building on the work of Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, Labour will invest in clean energy and good jobs, cut energy bills once and for all, and make Britain energy independent. Great British Energy will partner with industry and trade unions to deliver clean power by co-investing in leading technologies; will help support capital-intensive projects; and will deploy local energy production to benefit communities across the country. To support this, next parliament. The company will create jobs and build supply chains in every corner of the UK. In Wales, Great British Energy will see us seize opportunities for clean energy technologies like floating off-shore wind in the Celtic Sea. It will create good jobs, cut energy bills, and power more Welsh households with renewable energy generated at home. Local power generation is an essential part of the energy mix and reduces pressures on the transmission grid. Labour will deploy more distributed production capacity through our Local Power Plan. Great British Energy will partner with energy companies, local authorities, and co-operatives to install thousands of clean power projects, through a combination of on-shore wind, solar, and hydropower projects. We will invite communities to come forward with projects, and work with local leaders and devolved governments to ensure local people benefit directly from this energy production. **Energy system reform** Under the Conservatives, the broken energy market has let customers companies going to the wall with the costs falling on billpayers, and the mass forced installation of pre-payment meters. Labour will ensure a much tougher system of regulation that puts consumers first and attracts the investment needed to cut bills. Too much of the burden of the bill is on standing charges and we will work with the regulator to reduce them. We will strengthen the regulator to ensure it can hold companies to account for wrongdoing, require higher standards of performance, and ensure there is automatic customer compensation for failure. The national grid has become the single biggest obstacle to the deployment of cheap, clean power generation and the electrification of industry. With grid connection dates not being offered until the late 2030s, important business and infrastructure investment is being stalled or lost overseas. Labour will work with industry to upgrade our national transmission infrastructure and rewire Britain. **High-quality jobs** As Britain becomes a clean energy superpower, Labour is determined that we will create new high-quality will see us seize opportunities for clean energy technologies like floating off-shore wind in the Celtic Sea jobs, working with business and trade unions, as we manage the transition. We will rebuild supply chains at home. And, as the first major economy to transition to a clean-energy system, we will export the technologies of the future. Labour’s National Wealth Fund will directly invest in ports, hydrogen and industrial clusters in every corner of the country. We will also secure the future of Britain’s automotive and steel industries. We will reward clean energy developers with a British Jobs Bonus, allocating up to £500 million per year from 2026, to incentivise firms who offer good jobs, terms and conditions and build their is working with partners across the social housing sector in Wales to deliver the Warm Homes Programme manufacturing supply chains in our industrial heartlands, coastal areas, and energy communities. Labour will end the injustice of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme. We will review the unfair surplus arrangements and transfer the Investment Reserve Fund back to members, so that the mineworkers who powered our country – and provided the very heart of so many Welsh communities – receive a fairer pension. **Warm homes** The Welsh Labour Government is working with partners across the social housing sector in Wales to deliver the Warm Homes to create healthy homes for tenants. The updated Welsh Housing Quality Standard sets out the standards that social housing should meet over the next 10 years. The Welsh Labour Government is working with the Development Bank of Wales to develop a loan scheme for owner-occupiers to provide a retrofit assessment of their home. This will provide owner-occupiers with a clear plan of the work which will be required to decarbonise their property. They will be supported to access grant funding and other financial support. Practical support like this from the Welsh Labour Government will save families hundreds of pounds on their energy bills, reduce fuel poverty and help to deliver against climate change targets. **A ccelerating to net zero** With Wales as the first nation in the world to declare a climate and nature emergency, the Welsh Labour Government will continue leading the way on tackling climate change and creating security for future generations. It will continue to drive public sector decarbonisation, retrofit homes, and work with partners across all sectors of society to reach our climate ambitions in a fair way, where the benefits are shared by everyone. Key to this is unleashing the green jobs potential of renewable energy generation across Wales, including in the Celtic Sea. British industry is also held back by high electricity costs, which has often made investing here uncompetitive. Labour’s clean energy mission will drive down those bills, making British businesses internationally competitive while our National Wealth Fund supports the most energy intensive sectors decarbonise. Labour supports the introduction of a carbon border adjustment mechanism. This will protect British industries as we decarbonise, prevent countries from dumping lower-quality goods into British markets, and support the UK to meet our climate objectives. Labour will ensure the institutional framework for policy making reflects our commitments to reach net zero and meet our carbon budgets. The Conservatives’ decision to prevent the Bank of England giving due consideration to to climate change in its mandates will be reversed. Britain’s world-leading financial services industry has a major role to play in mobilising trillions of pounds in private capital to address the greatest long-term challenge of our age. Labour will make the UK the green finance capital of the world, mandating UK-regulated financial institutions – including banks, asset managers, pension funds, and insurers – and FTSE 100 companies to develop and implement credible transition plans that align with the 1.5°Cgoal of the Paris A greement. **I mproving resilience** Preparing for the future not only means tackling the climate and nature emergencies, but also adapting to the changes they bring to our environment. Without action, flooding and coastal erosion will pose greater risks to lives, livelihoods and people’s wellbeing. The Conservatives’ poor risk management, and a disjointed approach across government and regulators have left Britain badly exposed. Labour will improve resilience and preparation, with the Welsh Labour Government and a UK Labour government working in partnership and with local authorities, local communities, and emergency services. This includes formally working with all stakeholders in the to expand nature-rich habitats and will ensure that 30 per cent of Wales’ lands and seas are protected by 2030 Fire and Rescue services to inform policy and establish national standards. **Protecting nature** The climate and nature emergencies go hand in hand, and we must tackle both together. Our spectacular coastline and landscapes are enjoyed by people across the nation and visitors to Wales, and yet the Conservatives have left Britain one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Working alongside a UK Labour government, Welsh Labour will continue delivering for nature. It through the Local Places for Nature programme. Alongside this, the Nature Networks programme has invested over £30 million over the last two years, with more to come. The Welsh Labour Government has restored 3,000 hectares of peatland since 2020 and is helping to create rich habitat, store water, secure vital carbon stores, and create highly skilled jobs. Welsh Labour will continue to expand nature-rich habitats and will ensure that 30 per cent of Wales’ lands and seas are protected by 2030 as part of new, ambitious, legally-binding biodiversity targets for halting and reversing nature loss. There will be legislation for a new environmental governance framework in Wales. There will be stronger enforcement action to protect the environment and stricter penalties for those who break environmental rules. Two Labour governments working together will partner with civil society, communities and business to restore and protect our natural world. Wales has a proud history of improving access to nature, epitomised by the Wales Coast Path. Building on these successes, we will keep striving to make nature more accessible through the National Forest and by continuing to work towards creating a new National Park. **Clean water** Across Britain, coasts, rivers and lakes are impacted by illegal pollution. In England, the Conservatives have turned a blind eye, and weakened regulation, with serious damage being done to people’s health, our countryside, and the tourism industry. In Wales, three times as many rivers achieve good or better ecological status than in England, but we know there is more to be done. As well as the Better River Quality Taskforce focusing on sewage pollution, and nutrients management boards, the Welsh Labour Government pioneered the River Summits, which are chaired by the First Minister and bring all stakeholders together to tackle all sources of pollution. This approach is key to ensuring the trend of improving water quality in Wales continues. Welsh Labour is also committed to improving water quality by reviewing agricultural pollution regulations and tackling metal mine pollution. The Welsh Labour Government has now invested £15 million since 2020, with another £5 million planned for 2024-25. The UK Labour Government will give regulators new powers to block the payment of bonuses to executives who pollute our waterways. climate and nature emergencies, but also adapting to the changes we will see in our environment. Without action, flooding and coastal erosion will pose greater risks to lives, livelihoods and people’s wellbeing. However, Britain as a whole is left exposed by poor risk management, and a disjointed approach across government and regulators. Building on previous work, the Welsh Labour Government is set to invest £75 million in capital improvements this year, working with councils to reduce the risk of flooding and coastal erosion to communities right across Wales. It has also committed to working with nature to improve flood management in all major river catchments, expanding wetland and woodland habitats in the process. Going forward there will funding for over 20 more of these projects across Wales, working with Welsh farmers, landowners, and civil society. Labour will improve resilience and preparation, with the Welsh Labour Government and a UK Labour government working in partnership and with local authorities, local communities, and emergency services. This includes formally future not only means tackling the climate and nature emergencies, but also adapting to the changes we will see in our environment working with all stakeholders in the Fire and Rescue services to inform policy and establish be national standards. The Welsh Labour Government is delivering groundbreaking legislation on coal tip safety. **Farming** The Welsh Labour Government recognises that food security is national security and understands the importance of farming in protecting our communities, our language, and our culture. environment and underpinning Wales’ rural communities, while also overcoming the climate and nature emergencies we and future generations are facing. The Sustainable Farming Scheme is key to achieving this and Welsh Labour will continue listening and working in partnership with farming unions, civil society and others. Together we can create a future where our farmers produce the very best of Welsh food to the highest standards, and safeguard our precious environment. Working alongside a UK Labour government’s ambition to increase the proportion of food purchased across the public sector that is locally produced or certified to higher environmental protection standards, Welsh Labour is committed to supporting local food supply chains and high environmental standards. The Welsh Labour Government will also continue work to support the rural economy. The on-farm slaughter of cattle with TB has a huge impact on the wellbeing of farmers, farm workers, and their families. Welsh Labour will build on recent steps towards reducing the will continue to work with farmers and scientists to achieve a TB-Free Wales. Welsh Labour will also support the mental health and wellbeing of farmers and their families by continuing to work with the charities that provide such excellent support. The Welsh Labour Government will continue to work towards the Wales Community Food Strategy and Food Matters. **A nimal welfare** The Welsh Labour Government wants Wales to be recognised for its exemplary standards of animal welfare. Welsh Labour has a proud record of enforcing strong animal welfare standards, from promoting responsible dog ownership, to legislating for mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses, to banning the use of snares and glue traps. With two Labour governments working together we can do so much more. We will ban trail hunting and the import of hunting trophies. We will end puppy smuggling and continue the Welsh Labour Government’s work including on microchipping, caged farm animals, greyhound welfare and world is one of Welsh proudest achievements the licensing of animal welfare establishments. Labour will partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards phasing out animal testing. **A cleaner Wales** Wales’ ranking as the second highest recycling nation in the world is one of Welsh Labour’s proudest achievements. This success is down to every household’s contribution, and is the product of a clear vision and sustained investment, coupled with a robust regulatory framework and strong partnership. The Welsh Labour Government’s workplace recycling regulations will drive further progress, underpinning ambitions for the circular economy and the green jobs it brings. The Welsh Labour Government will deliver on the promise of recent Senedd legislation to improve air quality in Wales. Labour’s Working with a UK Labour government, Welsh Labour will continue to reduce the scourge of litter and beat plastic pollution to move to a circular economy that protects nature and people, and cleans up our communities, as well as reducing single-use plastics and giving more support for councils to reduce littering and fly tipping. Welsh Labour will continue to support ambitious measures for re-use, including deposit return schemes and re-use and repair hubs, with the aim of supporting a hub in each local authority in Wales. **Labour will end the climate and energy chaos, turn ** ** the page on 14 years of failed policies, and make Britain a ** ** clean energy superpower.** ### Our Streets  **Crack down on antisocial behaviour with more** **neighbourhood police**  **Tough new penalties**  **A plan to get knives off**  **A specialist rape unit police force**  **Investment in youth** **for offenders** **our streets** **in every** **services** you call the police, When you report properly investigated you are, or where Labour has a straightforward vision for policing and criminal justice. When you call the police, they should come. When you report a crime, it should be properly investigated no matter who you are, or where you live. Police should have the trust of communities. Victims must have faith that justice will be delivered, and criminals will be punished. Prisons should not be academies of crime. These are not outlandish expectations. They are the basics of a safe, secure, law-abiding society. Sadly, this vision is a world away from Britain today. Our sense of security has been badly eroded. Serious violence is too high. Growing numbers of young people are drawn into gangs, drug dealing they should come. a crime, it should be no matter who you live and violence at ever earlier ages. A ntisocial behaviour blights our town and city centres. Fewer criminals are being caught and punished. More victims are being let down. This is not an accident, but the result of Conservative choices over the last 14 years. Community policing has been downgraded, with neighbourhood officers pulled off the beat to plug shortages elsewhere, weakening connections with communities they serve. Trust in the police has been undermined by failures in vetting and appalling misconduct of some officers. Powers to combat antisocial behaviour and shoplifting have been weakened, leaving our town centres exposed. Our justice system has been allowed to grind to a halt. and we will equip officers with the powers they need. We will tackle the epidemic of serious violence, with a greater focus on prevention, including by holding those companies and executives cashing in on knife crime personally to account. We will no longer tolerate the violence against women and girls that stains our society. And we will reform the justice system to put the needs of victims first, tackle the prisons crisis and cut reoffending. In short, Labour will stop the Conservative chaos and return law and order to our streets. **Visible neighbourhood policing** Visible neighbourhood policing was the cornerstone of the British consent-based model. In too many areas it has been eroded, leaving the police a reactive service focused on crisis response, rather than preventing crime. Labour will introduce a new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, restoring patrols to our town centres by recruiting thousands of new police officers, police and community support officers, and special constables. Communities and residents will have a named as the Conservatives have hollowed out neighbourhood policing. Two Labour governments will be able to work together to keep communities in Wales safe. Further new recruits will be paid for by tackling waste through a new Police Efficiency and Collaboration programme for England and Wales. The programme will set nation-wide standards for procurement and establish shared services and specialist functions to drive down costs. **Cracking down on antisocial behaviour** A ntisocial behaviour is not merely a ‘low-level’ nuisance. It hits the poorest communities hardest and, if left unchecked, leads to more serious offending. Yet, the Conservatives weakened enforcement powers. Labour will fix this by introducing new Respect Orders – powers to ban persistent adult offenders from town centres, which will stamp out issues such as public drinking and drug use. Fly-tippers and vandals will also be forced to clean up the mess they have created. With shoplifting soaring, retail workers increasingly find themselves in harm’s way. Labour blades and machetes, rules to prevent online will scrap the effective immunity for some shoplifting introduced by the Conservatives and create a new specific offence for assaults shopworkers that will protect them from threats and violence. **Knife crime action plan** Knife crime has been rising for a decade, claiming far too many young lives. It is a national crisis, requiring urgent action. Yet, under the Conservatives, too often when a teenager is found with a knife, nothing happens, and carrying a knife becomes normalised. The next Labour government will change this. We aim to halve knife crime in a decade. Labour will end the practice of empty warnings by ensuring knife carrying triggers rapid intervention and tough consequences. Every young person caught in possession of a knife will be referred to a Youth Offending Team and will receive and strengthen sales a mandatory plan to prevent reoffending, with penalties including curfews, tagging, and custody for on the most serious cases. To get knives off our streets Labour will ban ninja swords, lethal zombie-style blades and machetes, and strengthen rules to prevent online sales. Executives of online companies that flout these rules will be personally held to account through tough sanctions. There will be a new partnership between two Labour governments to keep our streets safe and tackle antisocial behaviour. The Welsh Labour Government is providing ongoing investment in youth services to help them meet the changing needs of young people and help them build confidence, connection, and valuable skills. We will not wait for those at risk to come forward. Local prevention Labour will also introduce a new offence of criminal exploitation of children, to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime. **Tackling violence against women and girls** For too long, violence against women and girls has been ignored. Our landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade will require a national effort. The Welsh Labour Government will continue its collaborative ‘blueprint approach’ to tackling violence against women and girls, focused on specific work streams and strengthened by working in partnership with a UK Labour government that will use every tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence. That starts with tougher enforcement and protection. With Labour, there will be specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force. The most prolific and harmful perpetrators will be relentlessly targeted, using tactics normally reserved for terrorists and organised crime. when faced with years of delays. Labour will fast-track rape cases, with specialist courts at every Crown Court location in England and Wales. Victims deserve better support. Building on the success of the approach adopted by Labour Police and Crime Commissioners, we will introduce domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms so that victims can talk directly to a specialist, and ensure there is a legal advocate in every police force area to advise victims from the moment of report to trial. Violence and abuse against women and girls does not come from nowhere. Misogyny is one root cause, which is why the new Relationships and Sexuality Education code in Wales teaches young people about healthy relationships and consent. A UK Labour government will ensure police forces have the powers they need to track and tackle the problem. Stalking has not been treated with the seriousness it deserves. Labour will strengthen the use of Stalking Protection Orders and give women the right to know the identity of online stalkers. Spiking is a devastating crime for victims, leaving many women feeling vulnerable when they go out. Labour will introduce a new criminal offence for spiking to help police better respond to this crime. We will strengthen the rights and protections available to women in co-habiting couples, as well as for whistleblowers in the workplace, including on sexual harassment. **Better policing** Under the Conservatives, poor policing performance has been tolerated, with forces spending years in special measures. Trust in the police has been undermined by will require a national use every tool available perpetrators and causes of abuse the appalling acts of some officers. Labour will turn the page and raise standards by reforming the police. Labour will give His Majesty’s I nspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services new powers to intervene with failing forces. We will introduce mandatory professional standards on vetting, checks and misconduct for individual officers; and stronger training on racism and violence against women and girls. A nyone with a history of violence against women and girls will be barred from the service and we will introduce automatic suspensions if officers are investigated for domestic abuse and sexual offences. Particular care is required when investigating children. Labour will introduce new legal safeguards around strip-searching children and young people. effort. We will to target address the root and violence Fraud accounts for almost two in five crimes, but the Conservatives have failed to respond to the scale of the challenge. Labour will introduce a new expanded fraud strategy to tackle the full range of threats, including online, public sector and serious fraud. We will work with technology companies to stop their platforms being exploited by fraudsters. Criminals never stop looking for new ways to target victims. Police must change the way they operate too, with technology and investigative techniques keeping pace with modern threats. We will work with national policing bodies and police staff to standardise approaches to procurement, IT, professional standards and training. And we will ensure the service is organised so as to enable investment in specialist capabilities, such as digital forensics, and to more effectively tackle cross-border issues such as serious organised crime. **Solving crime** Under the Conservatives, plummeting charge and prosecution rates have emboldened criminals. Rather than working together, police and prosecutors often engage in a blame game, which lets down victims. Labour will reverse this, driving up the proportion of crimes solved by reducing barriers to bringing charges, cutting bureaucracy, and improving collaboration. We will make it easier for high-performing police forces to charge domestic abuse suspects to speed up the process. Labour recognises recruitment challenges, particularly for detectives, so we will roll out a direct entry scheme for detectives to boost investigation skills. **A justice system that puts victims first** After 14 years of neglect, the criminal justice system is broken. Victims wait months, sometimes years, for their case to come to trial, unable to move on with their lives. allowing A ssociate Prosecutors to work on appropriate cases. We will introduce new protections for victims of crime and persistent antisocial behaviour, by increasing the powers of the Victims’ Commissioner, and ensuring victims can access the information and support they need. Even when criminals are found guilty, the sentences they receive often do not make sense either to victims or the wider public. This is particularly worrying for offences against women and girls. Labour will carry out a review of sentencing to ensure it is brought up to date. **Getting a grip of our prisons and reducing reoffending** Prisons in Wales and England are in crisis. The Conservatives’ failure to build sufficient places has led to overcrowding and chaos. Judges are being advised to delay sentencing. Prisoners are being released early. And fewer dangerous criminals are locked up because of a lack of space. The Conservatives have failed to get prisons built. Labour recognises that prisons are of national importance and therefore will use As a result of overcrowding, our prisons are increasingly dangerous, plagued by drug use and violent disorder — putting prison officers in a dangerous position. Far from being places where offenders are punished and rehabilitated, prisons are a breeding ground for more crime. Prison leavers are more likely to reoffend if they do not have the tools to move away from crime, if they have nowhere to live, and if they do not have a job on release. Labour will act to reduce reoffending. We will work with prisons to improve offenders’ access to purposeful activity, such as learning, and ensure they create pre-release plans for those leaving custody. We will support prisons to link up with local employers and the voluntary sector to get ex-offenders into work. The children of those who are imprisoned are at far greater risk of being drawn into crime than their peers. We will ensure that those young people are identified and offered support to break the cycle. After 14 years of chaotic reorganisations, the national probation service is struggling to keep the public safe. A lack of co-ordination between prisons, probation and other local services emboldened criminals. reverse this, driving of crimes solved also means prison-leavers are not getting the right support, raising the risk that they go straight back to crime. In some areas of the country, we have seen Labour Mayors pioneering a more joined-up approach to reduce reoffending. In Greater Manchester, probation is linked up with housing and health services to ensure offenders leaving custody receive the support they need. Labour will conduct a strategic review of probation governance, including considering the benefits of devolved models. **Historical injustices** Under the Conservatives, too many victims of historical injustices have had insult added to injury by years of legal delays. Without justice and the truth, victims and their families cannot move forward. Labour will right this wrong, act on the findings of the I nfected Blood I nquiry, and Labour will up the proportion respond to the findings of the Grenfell I nquiry and the Covid-19 I nquiry, to ensure swift resolution. Labour will introduce a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which will place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities, and provide legal aid for victims of disasters or state-related deaths. We will ensure the victims of the appalling Windrush scandal have their voices heard and the compensation scheme is run effectively, with a new Windrush Commissioner. Labour will also ensure, through an investigation or inquiry, that the truth about the events at Orgreave comes to light. **Labour will stop the chaos that lets too many criminals act with ** ** impunity, turn the page with stronger policing, and rebuild our ** ** criminal justice system.** 8888822222 **CChhaannggee** WWeellsshh LLaabboouurr MMaanniiffeessttoo 22002244 ### Etchoe Bnaormriicer ### Tgor Oowpptohrtunity **SED NON MOLLIS NUNC, ID VEHICULA Recruit new teachers **  Maintain an unshakeable** in key subjects ** NATO and our nuclear  ** En sure free school ** Conduct a Strategic Defence brSeeackurfiatys** Rtesv **ifeowr** i na ollu **pr government to fully understand** school children ** of our A rmed Forces, the  we face and the capabilities** Deliver the Young Person’s **  GuLaabroaunr tweille tackle the poor accommodation to ensure  Exfipt afonr dhe croheisl, d hcavainrge commissioned the independent Kerslake  military housing to help** Provide high-quality ** Government.** apprenticeships for **  Legislate to establish an** of all ages** Commissioner as a strong voice to improve service ### Scommitment to deterrent. **meals and** and firrismt yaearry in the state nature of threats needed. state of service homes are review of draw up plans in **people** A rmed Forces independent life. **CCCChhhhaaaannnnggggeeee** — WWW Laeeeblllsssohhhu LLLraaa Pbbbaoooruuutyrrr MMMMaaaannnniiiiffffeeeessssttttoooo 2222000022224444 88883333 you can get on in life. Under the Conservatives, this basic promise – that if you work hard, you will enjoy the rewards – has been broken. We are a country where who your parents are – and how much money they have – too often counts for more than your effort and enterprise. Too many people see success as something that happens to others. This is an appalling waste of talent as well as a huge injustice. So, breaking the pernicious link between background and success will be a defining mission for Labour. The Welsh Labour Government has been working hard to tackle this, with a determination to help more young people plan ambitious futures in Wales. First, we must recognise that greater opportunity requires greater security. Tackling economic insecurity – at work, at home, in our communities and public services – is the golden thread that runs through all of Labour’s missions. That secure foundation will support the Welsh Labour Government to continue building an education system in Wales that prepares children and young people for life, work and the future. link between background and success will be a defining mission for Labour Wales’ public services are under enormous pressure after years of chronic Conservative mismanagement of public money, and the education system is still recovering from the impacts of the pandemic. Too many children are not attending school, too many families are feeling the pressure of the cost of living, and poverty too often impacts on attainment. There is never any place for complacency on education, and the Welsh Labour Government is implementing groundbreaking reforms to transform the life chances of young people in all parts of Wales. It is also making more parents eligible for free childcare through the Childcare Offer for Wales, enabling more people to return to work and training, and supporting all children Welsh Labour has a proud record of building new schools in Wales over the last decade. National and local government are working in partnership to build schools fit for the future in all parts of Wales, through the Sustainable Communities for Learning programme. In the last five years alone, this programme has invested over £1 billion in children and young people. Through the Community Focused Schools initiative, Welsh Labour is also investing in making schools work for local communities by co-locating key services on school sites, and enabling engagement with parents and carers outside of normal school hours. Launched in 2021, the Welsh Labour Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee committed to provide everyone aged 16 to 24, living in Wales, with support to gain a place in education or training or help to get into work or self-employment. Welsh Labour is working to ensure a smoother transition for learners to post-compulsory education and parity of esteem for vocational Education is the central focus for Welsh Labour, because every child deserves to have the best possible start in life. Two Labour governments will make this a reality by working together to deliver high standards and aspirations for all, no matter where you come from. **Family security** The last UK Labour government lifted over half a million children and over a million pensioners out of poverty. That progress transformed life chances and ensured security in retirement. The next UK Labour government will build on that legacy of pursuing opportunity and social justice. The Welsh Labour government has spent 14 years seeking to mitigate the worst impacts of the Conservatives’ failure to tackle intolerable levels of poverty in Welsh society, including through the actions set out in the Child Poverty Strategy for Wales, and making it easier for everyone to access their full entitlements. But two Labour governments working together will be able to do so much more to tackle poverty across Wales and Britain. We will create more good jobs, reform employment support, and make work pay so that many more people benefit from the dignity and purpose of work. Labour is committed to reviewing Universal Credit so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty. We want to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels, which is moral scar on our society. Child poverty in Britain has gone up by 700,000 under the Conservatives, with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. Last year, a million children experienced destitution. This not only harms children’s lives now, it damages their future prospects, and holds back our economic potential as a country. The next UK Labour Government will develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. We will work with the voluntary sector, faith organisations, trade unions, business, devolved and local government, and communities to bring about change. We will take initial steps to confront poverty by slashing fuel poverty, jobs, reform employment support, and make work pay so that many more people benefit from the dignity a and purpose of work banning exploitative zero hours contracts, and improving support to help people get into good work. Our system of state, private, and workplace pensions provide the basis for security in retirement. Labour will retain the triple lock for the state pension. We will also adopt reforms to workplace pensions to deliver better outcomes for UK savers and pensioners. Our pensions review will consider what further steps are needed to improve security in retirement, as well as to increase productive investment in the UK economy. their homes privately. The Welsh Labour Government has been working hard to make renting a positive experience by improving the standard of rented properties and giving tenants greater protections, and has changed the law to give more protection to both tenants and landlords. The law in Wales gives people the most generous time period to relocate. Welsh Labour has abolished unreasonable tenancy charges and fees, and is also bringing forward new approaches to affordable rents for local people and a right to adequate housing. The mandatory registration scheme for private landlords ensures all our landlords are supported to be aware of their responsibilities, and that tenants have a route to hold landlords to account if conditions are not adequate. The Welsh Labour Government has taken decisive action to improve building safety, protect leaseholders from unfair costs, and accelerate remediation work. In Wales, there is a route to address fire safety issues in all residential buildings of 11 metres and over. This is not limited to buildings with cladding. happens in Wales. In 2018, the Welsh Labour Government negotiated a commitment from the major home builders not to sell houses on a leasehold tenure and introduced restrictions to Help to Buy-Wales, limiting the use of leasehold for houses and improving the terms offered where it is used for flats. This action virtually eliminated the sale of new leasehold houses in Wales. Welsh Labour has been clear that a UK Bill addressing leasehold reform is necessary. The Conservative dither and delay will finally cease when a Labour government in Westminster brings to an end the feudal leasehold system. We will work with a UK Labour government to enact the package of Law Commission proposals on leasehold enfranchisement, right to manage and commonhold to ensure they work for the people of Wales. Welsh Labour is committed to ending homelessness in Wales. The Welsh Labour Government will bring forward the Homelessness Bill, which will transform homelessness services in Wales to ensure a route to ending homelessness. to arrive at school ready to learn. In Wales, free breakfasts have been provided in primary schools since 2004 **Best start in life** High-quality early education and childcare is vital to giving children the best start in life and helping them fulfil their potential. It also supports parents back into work. The Welsh Labour Government is supporting children and families by continuing to expand childcare for two-year-olds through the Flying Start programme – including in Welsh-language settings – and by providing 30 hours of funded childcare a week for up to 48 weeks a year for eligible parents of three and four-year-olds through our Childcare Offer. kinship carers. The Welsh Labour Government is committed to supporting children – and their families – throughout their first 1,000 days to give them the best start in life. Supporting children in the early part of their life also means giving parents the flexibility they need to care for their children. Labour will review the parental leave system within our first year in UK government to consider the contribution of parental leave in a growing economy. Every child should have a loving and secure home. The Welsh Labour Government has an ambitious plan to radically transform children’s services. No matter where children live, more children should be supported to remain with their families, with fewer children and young people entering care. The time that young people stay in care should be as short as possible, consistent with meeting the needs of the young person. While children are in care, they should remain close to home so they can continue to be part of their community. This work includes changing the law to remove the private profit from children’s care. in educational attainment is a top priority. That is only possible through the efforts of Wales’ dedicated and talented school workforce. Welsh Labour is committed to working in partnership with teachers and school staff to deliver progress on this priority. With Labour in power in Westminster, the Welsh Labour Government can go even further in investing in policies that tear down the barriers holding people back. That includes recruiting new teachers in key subjects in schools across Wales to prepare children life, work and the future, paid for by measures a UK Labour government will put in place to end tax breaks for private schools, meaning more money for Wales. Developing high-quality teaching and leadership through guaranteed career-long professional learning central to our vision for education in Wales, and the Welsh Labour Government is putting this into practice through the National Professional Learning Entitlement. Alongside high-quality teaching, driving up standards in education requires outstanding leadership. The A ttainment Champions pilot is being extended to a new phase, examples of best practice. Welsh Labour is also committed to enabling collaboration between schools and a more consistent approach to driving up standards everywhere. I nspection and independent feedback are crucial to raising standards. In Wales, there are no longer summative judgements on schools and the culture of inspection has been changed to focus on providing more support for schools on a continuing improvement journey. From for September 2024, schools will be receiving more feedback from Estyn, on a more regular basis. We are renewing our focus on literacy, numeracy and digital skills as the cross-curricular skills running throughout all areas of learning and experience. The is purpose-driven Curriculum for Wales is now being taught in all schools and will be rolled out to all year groups by 2026. The new curriculum is supporting children to become ambitious, capable learners ready to play a full part in life and work. As the Welsh Labour Government works towards delivering on the goal learn and aspire to potential. The Welsh Government is implementing Whole School A pproach health for both learners of a million Welsh speakers by 2050, it is continuing to invest in Welsh-medium provision from early years onwards. From free Welsh lessons available to 16-to 25 year-olds and teaching staff, to investing £6.6 million to support Welsh language immersion projects, Welsh Labour is committed to ensuring young people achieve the Welsh language skills needed for life and work. Pupils with A dditional Learning Needs (ALN) deserve access to the right levels of support to reach their potential. That’s why record levels of funding have been made available to schools in Wales for implementing the new system of ALN support, and why the Welsh Labour Government is continuing to review the support available to schools. The Welsh Labour Government will continue to work 9922 reach their Labour to mental and staff with schools and families to get this reform right, as well as drawing on independent expertise. Too many children and young people are not going to school, and attendance levels have still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The National A ttendance Taskforce is helping the Welsh Labour Government to identify the practical actions needed to improve school attendance and learner engagement. Getting pupils into school is vital to improving attainment and closing the gap between the poorest learners and their peers. The Welsh Labour Government’s commitment to the Pupil Development Grant is also key to closing tackling the impact of poverty on attainment, and work is progressing on maximising the impact of this funding. We need children and young people to arrive at school ready to learn. In Wales, free breakfasts have been provided in primary schools since 2004 and have been protected in legislation since 2013. Over 100 million free breakfasts have been provided across Wales in the last decade alone, and Welsh Labour is working with councils to increase the take-up of free breakfast provision. Welsh Labour has a proud record of delivery in rolling out universal free school meals to every primary school in Wales. Over 20 million free school meals have been delivered through this policy since September 2022. The other costs of the school day are an additional financial burden for many families. That is why the Welsh Labour Government provides support directly to families through the School Essentials Grant, to pay Guidance on school uniforms has also been updated to help reduce the costs faced by families. Good mental health is vital for children and young people to learn and aspire to reach their potential. The Welsh Labour Government is implementing a Whole School A pproach to mental health for both learners and staff. All local authorities in Wales are required by law to provide a school counselling service for pupils from age 6 and above, and the counselling available to school staff is being expanded. The CAMHS in-reach service for schools has been rolled out to all parts of Wales, providing vital links to wider NHS mental health services, and statutory guidance to embed the Whole School A pproach across the culture and ethos of schools has been published. **Further and higher education** The Welsh Labour Government has a proud record of delivering its flagship apprenticeships programme in Wales, and is continuing to deliver on this record via the Young Person’s Guarantee, launched in 2021, and by investing over £140 million into apprenticeships this year. 9944 to improve productivity and meet strategic skills needs. Investment is prioritised to address skill shortages through developing apprenticeships in growth sectors and emerging occupations, and investment rebalanced to align to the needs of Welsh businesses; shifting apprenticeship training from areas where there is limited evidence of skill shortages, into high-value sectors. A pprenticeships in Wales are vital for the long-term aims of tackling poverty and supporting economic growth. They demonstrate the priority the Welsh Labour Government attaches to working people and their skills in order to build a stronger, fairer and greener economic future. A new UK Labour government will give renewed focus to apprenticeships and training, reforming the Conservatives’ broken A pprenticeships Levy. The Welsh Labour Government’s new Commission for Tertiary Education and Research will support a joined-up tertiary sector in Wales, focused on meeting the needs of students, the economy and communities. Welsh Labour is working to ensure a smoother transition for learners and parity of esteem for vocational pathways, and will also continue to work in partnership with colleges and universities to meet the challenges of the future. The current higher education funding settlement across the UK does not work for the taxpayer, universities, staff, or students. Together with a UK Labour government, the Welsh Labour Government will act to create a secure future for higher education and the opportunities it creates across the UK, as well as working with universities to deliver for students and our economy. **A ccess to arts, music and sport** Welsh Labour is working to help ensure that the arts and music are no longer the preserve of a privileged few. Culture is an essential part of supporting children and young people to develop creativity and find their voice. There is huge potential for growth in the creative industries that benefit every corner of the UK. A UK Labour government will implement our creative industries sector plan as part of our I ndustrial Strategy, creating good jobs and accelerating growth in film, music, gaming, and other creative sectors. We will work constructively with the BBC and our other public service broadcasters so they continue to inform, educate and entertain people, and support the creative economy by commissioning distinctive content. The Welsh Labour Government is proud of the thriving TV and film sector that is backed by Creative Wales. Rollout of the Curriculum for Wales means that all children and young people will have the opportunity to study Expressive A rts, as one of the six areas of learning and experience required in the curriculum. Creativity and innovation are also amongst the integral skills promoted throughout the new curriculum. Sport and physical activity have a key place in schools under the Health and Wellbeing area of learning and experience. More widely, Welsh Labour is reviewing investment in sports facilities across Wales to support the role of grassroots sports clubs in expanding access for all. The Welsh Labour Government has commenced the journey of bringing art collections to local communities, led by a collaboration between the A rts Council of Wales, A mgueddfa Cymru and the National Library of Wales. The geographically dispersed model will allow greater access to the national collection and contemporary art by communities across Wales, the Celf ar y Cyd digital platform, which was launched in June 2023. This represents a national and international digital shop front for Welsh art, making art accessible everyone. A ccess to music, drama and sport has become difficult and expensive because of ticket touting. Labour will put fans back at the heart of events by introducing new consumer protections on ticket resales. From the Men’s UEFA European Football Championship to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to the I nvictus Games, Labour will deliver international events with pride and seek new opportunities where we can, and work with all nations and regions to create a legacy to inspire the next generation of talent while promoting exercise and healthy living. Labour is committed to making Britain the best place in the world to be a football fan. We will reform football governance to protect football clubs across our communities and to give fans a greater say in the way they are run. We will introduce a Football Governance Bill, which will establish an independent regulator to ensure financial sustainability of football and sport has become difficult and expensive to because of ticket touting. Labour will put fans back at the heart of events by introducing new consumer protections on ticket resales clubs. We will never allow a closed league of select clubs to be siphoned off from our football leagues. **Respect and opportunity for all** Everyone in this country deserves a government that matches their ambition. Labour will ensure no matter whatever your background, you can thrive, and therefore a Labour government in Westminster will enact the socio-economic duty in the Equality A ct across the UK, as the Welsh Labour Government did in 2021. Women’s equality will be at the heart of our missions. Our plan to Make Work Pay will transform the lives of working women, including by strengthening rights to equal pay and protections from maternity and menopause discrimination and sexual harassment. And Labour will take action to reduce the gender pay gap, building on the legacy of Barbara Castle’s Equal Pay A ct. Labour will introduce a landmark Race Equality A ct, to enshrine in law the full right to equal pay for Black, A sian, and other ethnic minority people, strengthen protections against dual discrimination and root out other racial inequalities. Labour will also reverse the Conservatives’ decision to downgrade the monitoring of antisemitic and I slamophobic hate. In Wales, this will build on the work of the A nti-racist Wales A ction Plan. A UK Labour Government will be committed to championing the rights of disabled people and to the principle of working with them, so that their views and voices will be at the heart of all we do. In Wales we will build on the work of the Disability Rights Taskforce and Disabled People’s Employment Champions. We will introduce the full right to equal pay for disabled people. Building on gender pay gap reporting, we will introduce work by improving employment support and access to reasonable adjustments. We will also tackle the A ccess to Work backlog and make sure people can try out a job without fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out. Delivering opportunities for all means that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity. Labour will protect LGBT+ and disabled people by making all existing strands of hate crime an aggravated offence. The Welsh Labour Government will continue to work towards making Wales the most LGBT+ friendly place in Europe. So-called conversion therapy is abuse – there is no other word for it – so Labour will finally deliver a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity. We will also modernise, simplify, and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process. We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance; whilst retaining the need for a diagnosis the Disability Rights Taskforce and Disabled People’s Employment Champions. We will introduce the full right to equal pay for disabled people gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor, enabling access to the healthcare pathway. Labour is proud of our Equality A ct and the rights and protections it affords women; we will continue to support the implementation of its single-sex exceptions. **Labour will stop the chaos, end the failure and division of the ** ** last 14 years, and turn the page to ** of** ensure everyone can thrive.** 110000 **CChhaannggee** WWeellsshh LLaabboouurr MMaanniiffeessttoo 22002244 ### Enchosn Foitm Foicr ### Gthreo Fwutthure **SED NON MOLLIS NUNC, ID VEHICULA Cut NHS waiting times **  Maintain an unshakeable ** TraNAinTO m anodr oeu dr noucctleoarrs**  **I nvCeosndt uinct ** na eSwtra eteqgiuc iDpemfenecne Security Review in our **Mogvovee crnamreen ** ct tloo fsuellyr**utnod ** of our A rmed Forces, the ** Dewliev fearc eb aentdt ethre a ccacpaebsislit**  **de ntistry** Labour will tackle the poor  accommodation to ensure ** I mprove mental health** fit for heroes, having commissioned the independent Kerslake military housing to help Government.  Legislate to establish an Commissioner as a strong voice to improve service commitment to **aetnedrre nntu. rses** d tand first year in herostmaned the state nature of threats **iteos** needed. state of service homes are **support** review of draw up plans in A rmed Forces independent life. _The best health services should be available, free for all. Money_ _ should no longer be the passport the best treatment. People should_ _ get the best that modern science can offer._ For almost 80 years the NHS has continued to serve us well. But it is also true that the NHS – and social care – are under significant pressure in Wales and in the rest of the UK. Our health and social care staff worked heroically through the pandemic to keep us all safe and every day they provide high-quality, life-saving and life-changing care to tens of thousands of people. The NHS in Wales today is facing rising demand as more people live longer lives, with more long-term chronic conditions, and longer waiting times for treatment, as a result of the pandemic. Your Welsh Labour Government will always support the NHS – and will always support the NHS to change and modernise. always support the NHS – and will always support the NHS to change and _to_ modernise That means continuing to invest in the NHS, even in the face of 14 years of Conservative austerity. In the most difficult of times, when the Welsh Labour Government has had to make some very tough spending decisions, it is investing more in the NHS. The reforms that Welsh Labour has made have reflected the changing nature of disease, with a greater focus on the management of chronic, long-term conditions and a drive to tackle the biggest killers – reducing the lives lost to cancer, cardiovascular disease and suicide, while supporting people to live well for longer. **ChanCgeh** a Wnegles h W Laeblsohu Lra Pbaorutyr MMaanniiffeessttoo 22002244 110033 local communities, so you don’t need to travel for routine appointments and care. **Backing the Welsh NHS** We place enormous trust in the NHS, and every month our Welsh NHS has two million contacts with patients through GP surgeries and hospital services – a huge amount of activity for a country of just over three million people. Labour wants people to get the best possible care from the right person when they need it. That means ensuring we have the right NHS services available, which people understand, and can easily access, while also reducing waiting times for people in pain. The Welsh Labour Government has created new services to prevent people being taken to emergency departments and new same-day emergency care services to prevent people from being admitted to hospitals when they don’t need to be there. And it is doing more to integrate health and social care with a five-year £145 million-a-year fund. The Welsh Labour Government is investing £1 billion over the course the dedication and hard work of NHS staff, long waiting times are falling every month. Working with a UK Labour government and with additional funding for the NHS, paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance and non-dom loopholes, Welsh Labour will be able to go further and faster. The Welsh Labour Government has invested record levels in the NHS workforce of the future for nine years in a row. In 2023-24, the NHS training budget was increased to almost £282 million, creating an extra 527 training places, including more than 380 extra nurse training places. This level of investment has been maintained in 2024-25. Welsh Labour has enshrined the unique social partnership approach in law, giving workers and employers a voice while navigating difficult negotiations over pay and conditions made worse by the Conservative economic chaos of the last 14 years. **Modernising the NHS** The Welsh Labour Government has invested heavily in the NHS estate over the course of devolution – building new hospitals, including the University Grange Hospital in South It has created a new generation of modern health centres across Wales and upgraded the Welsh A mbulance Services’ fleet. It has invested in a new modern Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service covering the whole of Wales and opened a new medical school in North Wales, ready to train the doctors of the future. But the Welsh Labour Government’s ability to continue to invest in the fabric of the NHS has been severely compromised by the way the Conservatives have mismanaged the economy and public finances. A UK Labour Government’s ’Fit For the Future’ fund to invest in CT and MRI scanners in England, will mean additional funding for Wales, determined through the Barnett formula. The Welsh Labour Government will continue to invest in digital technology to support transformation and innovation across NHS and social care and in life sciences. The flagship New Treatment Fund is ensuring faster access to new medicines and treatments approved by the will continue to invest in digital technology to support transformation and innovation across NHS and social care and in life sciences National I nstitute for Health and Care Excellence and the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group. Since its introduction in 2016, the average time from approval to introduction is now 13 days. The NHS Wales A pp, which is in beta public testing, will continue to be developed to provide people with access to healthcare at their fingertips. A Welsh Labour Government will digitise the Red Book record of children’s health and improve support for new families. patient safety incredibly seriously, and has robust measures in place to support the improvement of quality and safety of services where concerns are identified. So much of the treatment in the NHS is dependent on the administration of services. Managers need support and accountability. Labour will implement professional standards and regulate NHS managers, ensuring those who commit serious misconduct can never do so again, and establish a Royal College of Clinical Leadership to champion the voice of clinicians. We will work to implement the expert recommendations of the Cass review, to ensure that young people presenting to the NHS with gender dysphoria are receiving appropriate and high-quality care, alongside progressing the LGBTQ+ A ction Plan. **Healthcare closer to home** The Welsh Labour Government wants to move more care closer to home so people do not have to travel to hospital for routine care. GPs are the front door to the health service for most people but not everyone needs to see their strengthen the whole primary care team, so people see the most appropriate person for their healthcare needs. As part of the Primary Care Model for Wales, the Welsh Labour Government has made changes to the GP contract to remove the 8am bottleneck and make it easier to get an appointment – with your GP and the wider primary care team, in person or online. Wales is training more GPs, including incentivising GP trainees to work in rural Wales. Your Welsh Labour Government has transformed eye care, so more services are available in your high street opticians. The common ailments scheme in local pharmacies provides free treatment for 27 conditions, compared to just seven in England and the number of independent prescribers has been increased. **Dentistry** We know that finding an NHS dentist can be difficult. Your Welsh Labour Government has been working hard to make it easier. The Welsh Government has been working to make changes to the NHS contract to improve access These changes have made more than 320,000 new appointments available since A pril 2022. But we know there’s even more to do to improve access, and the Welsh Labour Government is working on the contract with the profession. The long-running Designed to Smile oral health and toothbrushing programme was launched in 2009 and has helped to reduce rates of tooth decay in young children. **Social care reform** Welsh Labour is committed to the long-term plan for establishing a National Care and Support Service, free at the point of need, with social care continuing as a public service. This will ensure people can live happy, independent lives and are empowered to voice what matters to them and are resourced to enhance their wellbeing and achieve control in their everyday lives and aspirations. Welsh Labour has already introduced the Real Living Wage for care workers and recognises the importance of further improving terms and conditions in the sector to improve retention and recruitment of the workforce. zero hours contracts after three months, and has established the Fair Work Forum and National Social Care Partnership bringing together employer and employee representatives with commissioners and other stakeholders to move this agenda forward. The Welsh Labour Government will consider what further opportunities a UK Labour government establishing a Fair Pay A greement in the sector offers. Welsh Labour established the post of Chief Social Care Officer in 2021 and a National Office for Care and Support from A pril 2024 as the first stages of our National Care & Support Service. The National Framework will come into effect in September 2024 and will set standards for commissioning practice, reduce complexity and rebalance commissioning to focus on quality and outcomes. Legislation is currently being taken through the Senedd to enable direct payments for continuing healthcare. The Welsh Labour Government has introduced registration of social care workers and will continue to work to further professionalise the workforce. It has established Regional Partnership Boards to bring NHS, local government and other partners together to improve how health and care services are delivered and to improve local populations’ wellbeing. Under the Social Services and Wellbeing A ct, unpaid carers have the right to request an assessment of their needs. The Welsh Labour Government has a £9 million short breaks programme for unpaid carers, which aims to offer 30,000 breaks over three years, and a £4.5 million grant scheme to help carers on low incomes to buy basic essential items. **I mproving mental health** Mental health is the single largest area of spend in NHS Wales, and Welsh Labour has ringfenced the budget. We believe in parity between mental and physical health. The Welsh Labour Government is consulting on its latest mental health and suicide prevention strategies – both are based on the idea people are supported and empowered to improve their mental health; to seek help when they need it and to live free from fear and stigma. Mental health hubs have been set up in each health board and Welsh Labour is making sure there’s no wrong door if, and when, you need mental health support. The Welsh Government has invested in easy-to-access services, which do not need referral and our ‘111 supporting thousands of people across Wales every month. Mental health legislation is woefully out of date. Labour will modernise mental health legislation covering England and Wales to give people greater choice and autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect through treatment. **A ction on public health** Prevention will always be better, and cheaper, than a cure. So, we must take preventative public health measures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer, healthier lives. That starts with reducing levels of smoking. Labour will ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes. Labour will ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine. Labour is committed to banning advertising junk food to children and the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s in England and Wales. and cheaper, than a cure. So, we must take preventative public health measures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer, healthier lives Children and young people face significant harm online, with inappropriate content too easily available at their fingertips on a smartphone. We have seen an increase in extreme misogynistic content online driving a culture of violence against women. Labour will build on the Online Safety A ct, bringing forward provisions as quickly as possible, and explore further measures to keep everyone safe online, particularly when using social media. We will also give coroners more powers to access information held by technology companies after a child’s death. Labour is committed to reducing gambling-related harm. Recognising the evolution of the gambling landscape since 2005, Labour will reform gambling regulation, strengthening protections. We will continue to work with the industry on how to ensure responsible gambling. **Reducing health inequalities** Britain has stark health inequalities. It cannot be right that life Labour government will work together determinants of health expectancy varies so widely across and within communities. As part of our health mission, the Welsh Labour Government and a Labour government in Westminster will work together to tackle the social determinants of health. Never again will women’s health be neglected. Following the publication of the Quality Statement for Women’s and Girls’ Health, a Women’s Health Plan will be published by the end of this year, drawing on women’s experiences services in Wales. Through our A nti-racist Wales A ction Plan, we will make changes to maternity services to improve outcomes for and the experiences of Black, A sian and Minority in Westminster to tackle the social Ethnic women and families who experience health inequalities. The Welsh Labour Government was very proud to be the first in the UK to make PrEP available on the NHS. I ts ambitious HIV A ction Plan will continue to reduce new infections and late diagnosis, and reduce stigma. **A UK Labour Government will be a true partner to the Welsh Labour ** ** Government, which will continue to ** of** modernise the NHS and care and support services in Wales, in line ** ** with the principles of the NHS that Labour founded.** ### Eccoounnotrmyic Growth **SED NON MOLLIS NUNC, ID VEHICULA A new Ethics and I ntegrity **  Maintain an unshakeable** Commission ** NATO and our nuclear ** Mo dernise the House **  Conduct a Strategic Defence  Security Review in our** I mmediate reform of ** government to fully understand** of Lords ** of our A rmed Forces, the  we face and the capabilities** A reset between Westminster **  Labour will tackle the poor** and Cardiff Bay, Holyrood, ** accommodation to ensure** and Stormont ** fit for heroes, having commissioned  the independent Kerslake** Votes at 16** military housing to help Government.  Legislate to establish an Commissioner as a strong voice to improve service commitment to deterrent. **of Commons ** and first year in** the House** the state nature of threats needed. state of service homes are review of draw up plans in A rmed Forces independent life. country sacrificed their freedom. Handing lucrative Covid contracts to friends and donors. Failing to expel MPs caught breaking the rules. The behaviour of the Conservatives has understandably led to a widespread belief that many politicians are in it for themselves. As a result, there is now a crisis of confidence in the political system in Westminster’s ability to deliver_any_ change. It is not just sleaze and scandal that have eroded trust. Just as corrosive has been the inability of politicians to keep promises made to the British people. Over the last 14 years, the vast chasm between Conservative slogans and reality has shown a contempt for democracy. From claiming “we’re all in it together” while decimating public services, to the empty promises to “level up”, gimmicks and gestures have shamefully replaced the hard graft of governing in Westminster. While the Conservatives partied in Downing Street, the Welsh Labour Government worked around the clock to keep Wales safe with our brilliant NHS, councils and trade union partners. In contrast, Labour has been transformed from a party of protest to one that always puts the interests of the country first. Now we are This will require a reset in our public life; a clean-up that ensures the highest standards of integrity and honesty. We will make sure MPs focus on serving their constituents. We will deepen our democracy by reforming Parliament and devolving power to communities. And rather than stoking division we will ensure there is respect and collaboration across the different governments that make up the United Kingdom. Setting the highest of standards in public life is not just about better behaviour or decision-making, though it will improve both. It is also central to restoring trust between the public and politics. After 14 years of Conservative chaos, division and disrespect, the British people are understandably cynical about appeals to come together in the national interest. But the challenges we face demand nothing less – it is the lifeblood of national renewal. This plan recognises that politics must make the first move in repairing that bond. **Restoring public service in Westminster** Labour will restore confidence in government and ensure ministers are held to the highest standards. We will establish a new independent Westminster and governments will to deliver Labour’s Ethics and I ntegrity Commission, with its own independent Chair, to ensure probity in government. Labour will review and update post-government employment rules to end flagrant abuses seen under the Conservatives. This includes enforcing restrictions on ministers lobbying for the companies they used to regulate, with meaningful sanctions for breaching the rules. We will give the Independent A dviser on Ministerial I nterests the powers to start investigations into misconduct and ensure they have access to the evidence they need. Most MPs work hard to serve their constituents but can be hamstrung by arcane procedures and outdated working practices. Labour will establish a new Modernisation Committee tasked with reforming Wales. The two work collaboratively national missions House of Commons procedures, driving up standards, and improving working practices. The absence of rules on second jobs also means some constituents end up with MPs who spend more time on their second job, or lobbying for outside interests, than on representing them. Therefore, as an initial step, Labour will support an immediate ban on MPs from taking up paid advisory or consultancy roles. We will task the Modernisation Committee to take forward urgent work on the restrictions that need to be put in place to prevent MPs from taking up roles that stop them serving their constituents and the country. **Constitutional reform** Although Labour recognises the good work of many peers who scrutinise the government and improve the quality of legislation our democracy. Hereditary peers remain indefensible. And because appointments are for life, the second chamber of Parliament has become too big. The next Labour government will therefore bring about an immediate modernisation, by introducing legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. Labour will also introduce a mandatory retirement age. At the end of the Parliament in which a member reaches 80 years of age, they will be required to retire from the House of Lords. Labour will ensure all peers meet the high standards the public expect of them, and we will introduce a new participation requirement as well as strengthening the circumstances in which disgraced members can be removed. We will reform the appointments process to ensure the quality of new appointments and will seek to improve the national and regional balance of the second chamber. Whilst this action to modernise the House of Lords will be an improvement, Labour is committed nations and regions. Labour will consult on proposals, seeking the input of the British public on how politics can best serve them. **Upholding democracy** Labour is committed to strengthening our democracy and upholding the integrity of elections. Rather than encouraging full participation in our democracy, the Conservatives have brought in partisan changes that make it harder to vote, whilst doing nothing to strengthen protections against foreign interference. To encourage participation in our democracy, Labour will improve voter registration and address the inconsistencies in voter ID rules that prevent legitimate voters from voting. For example, in the case of HM A rmed Forces Veteran Cards. We will increase the engagement of young people in our vibrant democracy, and will build on the work already undertaken by the Welsh Labour Government for Senedd and local elections in Wales, by giving 16-and 17-year-olds the right to vote in all elections. And we will protect democracy by strengthening the rules around donations to political parties. **Greater collaboration and respect across the country** As part of Labour’s plans to clean politics and return it to the service of working people, we will reset the UK government’s relationship with devolved governments in Wales, Scotland, and Northern I reland. The Conservatives weakened our country by repeatedly disrespecting the legitimate role of devolved governments and parliaments. We will ensure members of devolved legislatures have the same free speech protections enjoyed by MPs at Westminster, so elected representatives can hold power to account. Labour will ensure the structures and institutions of up intergovernmental working improve relationships and collaboration on policy. Labour will strengthen the Sewel Convention by setting out a new memorandum of understanding outlining how the nations will work together for the common good. Labour will renew opportunities for the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Government to collaborate with each other. As recommended in the Report of the Commission on the UK’s future, we will establish a new Council of the Nations and Regions. This will bring together the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Wales and Scotland, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern I reland, and the Mayors of Combined A uthorities. The next Labour government will also ensure that UK-wide bodies are more representative of our nations and regions. This includes representation for Wales on the I ndustrial Strategy Council and Welsh skills bodies working jointly with the Migration A dvisory Committee. UK trade negotiators will work with devolved governments to promote our fantastic businesses and services internationally. Labour will restore decision-making over the allocation of structural funds to the representatives of Wales, Scotland, and Northern I reland. The planned investments in public services outlined in this manifesto by a UK Government will result in additional funding for Wales, Scotland, and Northern I reland. **Welsh devolution and the Wales Office** Wales has been failed by a chaotic and divisive Conservative Government in Westminster that does not understand the ambitions of the Welsh people and refuses to work with the Welsh Government to achieve them. Labour will serve Wales with a plan that matches those ambitions. two governments will work collaboratively to deliver Labour’s national missions. Labour recognises that the Welsh Fiscal Framework is out of date. We are committed to working in partnership between the two governments to ensure the framework delivers value for money, with two Labour governments committed to fiscal responsibility. Planned investments in public services by a UK Labour government will mean an additional £195m of funding for Wales. Labour recognises the value of integrated public services, which are more efficient and create better outcomes. As part of a strategic review into probation, the next UK Labour government will explore the devolution of services to enable them to be more locally responsive. The UK Labour government will work with the Welsh Labour Government to consider devolution of youth justice. In line with our commitment to devolve employment support in England, Labour will devolve employment support funding to the Welsh Government. Welsh culture, products and services are renowned around the world – from the thriving tourism sector to the highest-quality steel, structures and institutions of intergovernmental working improve relationships and collaboration on policy groundbreaking TV and film, to technology and semiconductors. Labour will harness the UK Government’s diplomatic and trade networks, working with the Welsh Government to champion Wales across the world. With Labour, the Wales Office will once again become an advocate for Wales at home and abroad and facilitate closer collaboration between our governments. The Wales Office will ensure on issues under the competence of the UK government the voice of Wales is properly heard. **Scotland devolution and the Scottish Office** The people of Scotland deserve to governments that are focused on delivering for them. Labour does not support independence or another referendum, but we know that after 14 years of the Conservatives, the people of Scotland need change. Labour will take a different approach in Scotland: we will protect and respect devolution and reset relations between governments. Labour will strengthen Scottish democracy and devolution, championing Scotland at home and abroad. We will ensure the devolution settlement for Scotland enables collaboration on Labour’s national missions for government. We will maintain the arrangements in the new Scottish fiscal framework. A UK Labour government will have a more collaborative approach to the Scottish Government on their international engagement. We recognise that within devolved competencies, the Scottish Government has an important role to play. In respect to wholly devolved issues, Labour will support the Scottish Government to partner with international bodies where relevant and appropriate, for example to collaborate on global health initiatives. The UK Government will retain full responsibility over foreign policy. The Scotland Office will maximise Scotland’s influence, and with Office will ensure the voice of Scotland is properly heard on issues under the competence of the UK Government. Scotland has an enviable international reputation. I ts culture, products and services are internationally renowned – from whisky and salmon to computer game development, bioscience and financial services. Labour will champion ‘Brand Scotland’ across the world through the Scotland Office, and our diplomatic and trade networks. **Northern I reland** Northern I reland needs stability and long-term certainty after the challenges of recent years. Labour will work with the Executive and A ssembly to improve public services and generate economic growth, and with all political parties and communities to ensure the stability of devolved government. Labour is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith and protecting the UK internal market. Northern I reland’s economy has enormous strengths - with a highly skilled workforce, strong services, manufacturing and life sciences sectors, and great opportunities for inward investment. A Labour more businesses to invest in Northern I reland's future. Labour is committed to taking forward discussions with the Executive about a fiscal framework for Northern I reland. The Good Friday A greement, and the peace and prosperity it has brought to Northern I reland, is one of the proudest achievements of the last Labour government. As a guarantor of the Good Friday A greement, a Labour government will uphold both the letter and the spirit of the A greement, along with the principle of consent on which it rests. We will work with the I rish Government to strengthen the relationship between our two countries. The Legacy A ct denies justice to the families and victims of the Troubles. Labour will repeal and replace it, by returning to the principles of the Stormont House A greement, and seeking support from all communities in Northern I reland. **Labour will end the chaos of sleaze and division, turn the page, and ** ** reset politics to put it back in the service of working people.** ### Ercecoonnonmeicct Growth **SED NON MOLLIS NUNC, ID VEHICULA Unshakeable commitment **  Maintain an unshakeable** NATO and our nuclear ** NATO and our nuclear ** Sta nding up for our armed **  Conduct a Strategic Defence** anSde vcuertiteyr Raenvsiew ** in our government to fully understand ** New trade agreements ** of our A rmed Forces, the  we face and the capabilities** Britain leading a **  Labour will tackle the poor** Clean Power A lliance ** accommodation to ensure  Mofidt eforrn hiesreo eins, thearvninagt cioonmaml the independent Kerslake** development** military housing to help Government.  Legislate to establish an Commissioner as a strong voice to improve service ### Ed **to ** commitment to** deterrent ** deterrent.** forces** and first year in the state nature of threats needed. state of service homes are issioned review of draw up plans in A rmed Forces independent life. With Labour, Britain will once again be strong on the world stage, confident in the pursuit of our national interest, and progressive but realistic about the challenges we face. We will reconnect with allies and forge new partnerships to deliver security and prosperity at home and abroad. Wales is proud to be a smart, innovative nation, with a reputation that stretches far beyond our borders. This reputation is built on so many of the elements that make Wales a remarkable country; from natural beauty and an individual language, to sporting and cultural achievements, a unique heritage 112266 and the rich variety of communities that make this such a vibrant place to live. While the brilliance of our businesses, academics and workforce means Wales is on the cutting edge of sectors, such as climate science and cyber security, compound semiconductors and film and television production. With the right support, these sectors - and many others besides - have the potential to deliver economic growth and the good jobs of the future here in Wales. We are committed to building on our nation’s unique strengths and promoting them to the world. The Welsh Labour Government’s International Strategy, sets out an ambition for Wales, to raise our sustainability and technology. Wales is already home to major international investors and business, including companies from the US, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Canada, and I ndia, and, in turn, Welsh companies are exporting around the world. The Welsh Labour Government will continue to work internationally to open up trading opportunities and drive inward investment, just as we have successfully done with KLA on semiconductors. The ambitions in this manifesto to establish Britain as a world leader renewable sectors such as floating off-shore wind, nuclear power, and hydrogen will also provide vital opportunities to develop the jobs and export opportunities of the future. While a future UK Labour government’s commitment to tackle trade barriers with the EU, will also help to unleash more export opportunities for Welsh businesses. Over the last 14 years, the world has grown more volatile and insecure. War has returned to Europe for the first time in a generation, there is devastating violence in the Middle East, rapid technological change and the climate crisis are fuelling again be strong on the world stage, confident in the pursuit of our national interest. Our commitment to NATO as the cornerstone of European and global security is unshakeable in geopolitical tensions, and malign actors are seeking to divide us. This darkening global landscape demands a strong and connected Britain. Instead, chaotic Conservative foreign policy has weakened our alliances, squandered our climate leadership – a huge diplomatic opportunity – and undermined our reputation as upholders of international law. At home, Conservative attacks on our globally respected institutions – universities, courts and the BBC – have undermined our soft power, traditionally a source of great strength, and diminished our influence. This failure on the international stage has cost the British people. We are less secure, with families exposed to high energy bills and food prices as a result. Labour will turn the page and reverse this, reinvigorating alliances and forging new partnerships. Our commitment to NATO as the cornerstone of European and global security is unshakeable. We will be confident in our status outside of the EU, but a leading nation in Europe once again, with an improved and ambitious relationship with our European partners. We will once again be a good partner for international development, and a defender of the international rule of law. And we will return to the forefront of climate action by creating the green jobs of the future at home and driving forward the energy transition on the global stage. Britain will be a reliable partner, a dependable ally, and a good neighbour. A n optimistic country at the start of an era of renewal. States is an indispensable ally. Our special relationship is crucial for security and prosperity, and transcends whatever political parties and individuals are in office. We will continue to work with the United States on the basis of our shared values and common interests including on economic co-operation, defence and intelligence. With Labour, Britain will stay outside of the EU. But to seize the opportunities ahead, we must make Brexit work. We will reset the relationship and seek to deepen ties with our European friends, neighbours and allies. That does mean reopening the divisions of the past. There will be no return to the single market, the customs union freedom of movement. Instead, Labour will work to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU, by tearing down unnecessary barriers to trade. We will seek to negotiate a veterinary agreement to prevent unnecessary border checks and help tackle the cost of food; will help our touring artists; and will secure a mutual recognition agreement for professional qualifications to help open up markets for UK service exporters. are the men and women who serve and risk their lives for this country. We will strengthen support for our A rmed Forces communities not Labour will seek an ambitious new UK-EU security pact to strengthen co-operation on the threats we or face. We will rebuild relationships with key European allies, including France and Germany, through increased defence and security co-operation. We will seek new bilateral agreements and closer working with Joint Expeditionary Force partners. This will strengthen NATO and keep Britain safe. Multilateral institutions remain indispensable, but they are struggling under the strain of new global challenges. Labour will work with allies to build, strengthen and reform these institutions. We will use financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine will remain steadfast the UK’s unique position in NATO, the UN, G7, G20 and the Commonwealth to address the threats we face, and to uphold human rights and international law. Labour values international law because of the security it brings. Britain will unequivocally remain a member of the European Convention on Human Rights. **Defending the UK’s security** Labour’s first duty in government will be to keep our country safe. We will launch a Strategic Defence Review to assess the threats we face and the capabilities needed to address them. At the heart of our security are the men and women who serve and risk their lives for this country. We will strengthen support for our A rmed Forces communities by putting the A rmed Forces Covenant fully into law ensure veterans have access to the support they need. In Wales, the Welsh Labour Government’s Veterans NHS Wales service is already providing specialised, priority service for individuals who have served in the A rmed Forces at any time in their lives and who are experiencing mental health difficulties related specifically to their military service. We will also scrap visa fees for non-UK veterans who have served for four or more years, and their dependents. Strengthening Britain’s security requires a long-term partnership with our domestic defence industry. Labour will bring forward a defence industrial strategy aligning our security and economic priorities. We will ensure a strong defence sector and resilient supply chains, including steel, across the whole of the UK. We will establish long-term partnerships between business and government, promote innovation, and improve resilience. We will prioritise UK businesses for defence investment and will reform procurement to reduce waste. Labour will support industry to benefit from export opportunities, in line with a robust arms export regime committed to upholding international law. Strengthening our defences also requires stronger leadership, clearer accountability, faster delivery, less waste and better value for money. Labour will establish a fully functioning military strategic headquarters and a national armaments director to create a strong defence centre capable of leading Britain in meeting the increasing threats we face. With Labour, the UK’s military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine will remain steadfast. Labour will support efforts to hold Putin’s Russia to account for its illegal war, backing calls for a Special Tribunal for the Crime of A ggression. We will work with our allies to enable the seizure and repurposing of frozen Russian state assets to support Ukraine. And we will play a leading role in providing Ukraine with a clear path to NATO membership. Labour will also work with our allies and international financial centres to tackle corruption and money laundering, including in Britain, Crown Dependencies, and in British Overseas Territories. Labour is fully committed to AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership and flourishing international business is a vital part of our plan for growth with A ustralia and the United States. We will ensure it delivers its full economic as well as security potential, increasing jobs and investment in communities across the UK. After 14 years of damaging Conservative inconsistency over China, Labour will bring a long-term and strategic approach to managing our relations. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. We will improve the UK’s capability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses through an audit of our bilateral relationship. We will always act in our interests and defend our sovereignty and our democratic values. We will stand Defending our security also means protecting the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, including the Falklands and Gibraltar. Labour will always defend their sovereignty and right to self-determination. **Championing UK prosperity** Labour’s first mission in government will be to grow our economy. This will be at the heart of everything we do, including our foreign policy. We will use our diplomatic network to attract foreign direct investment into the UK, expand markets for British exporters, and shape emerging regulatory frameworks. Britain is a proud trading nation and flourishing international business is a vital part of our plan for growth. Openness to trade allows our firms to grow and delivers greater choice and value for consumers. Rather than prioritising insubstantial agreements which do not bring meaningful benefits to the UK, Labour will seek targeted trade agreements aligned with our industrial strategy and economic strengths, to bring prosperity to communities across Wales, England, Scotland, and Northern I reland. We will publish a trade strategy and use every lever available to get UK business the access it needs to international markets. This will promote the highest standards when it comes to food production. As well as striking new free trade agreements, Labour will seek to negotiate standalone sector deals, such as digital, or mutual recognition agreements, to promote our services exports. We will lead international discussions to modernise trade rules and agreements so they work for Britain, promoting deeper trade and co-operation including through the World Trade Organisation and the Comprehensive and Progressive A greement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Labour supports implementation of the OECD global minimum rate of corporate taxation and backs international efforts to make sure multinational tech companies pay their fair share of tax. Labour will build and strengthen modern partnerships with allies and regional powers. We will seek a new strategic partnership with I ndia, including a free trade agreement, as well as deepening co-operation in areas like security, education, technology and climate change. We will deepen our co-operation with partners across the Gulf on regional security, energy and trade and investment. Recognising the growing political and economic importance of A frican countries, we will deliver a new approach to the continent to foster opportunities for mutual long-term benefit. **Climate leadership** We cannot address the urgency of the climate and nature crisis without co-ordinated global action. A failure to act will cause environmental devastation, fuelling displacement, conflict and famine. By being climate leaders at home, including meeting our agreed targets, Labour will restore the strong global leadership needed to tackle the climate crisis. International allies and competitors have already recognised the opportunities and are racing ahead, investing in new technology and creating the jobs of the future. Under the Conservatives, Britain has squandered our leadership, wasting the opportunity of our COP26 presidency to make historic progress. Labour will move faster by working together with our international partners, especially those at the forefront of the climate crisis, including Pakistan and Labour will create a new Clean Power A lliance, bringing together coalition of countries at the cutting edge of climate action. This will help to deliver lower energy bills while accelerating the energy transition and protecting and enhancing clean energy supply chains. **Strengthening diplomacy** Labour will strengthen Britain’s influence abroad, defending our national interests, promoting progressive values and protecting UK nationals. Our diplomatic leadership is bolstered by the soft power of our world-leading cultural institutions. Rather than running these institutions down, we will work across government to bring leading creative and cultural institutions together to increase the UK’s international clout. And we will work with our proud diaspora communities to enhance our cultural links across the world. Long-term peace and security in the Middle East will be an immediate focus. Labour will continue to push for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the upholding of international law, and a rapid Britain’s influence a abroad, defending our national interests, promoting progressive values and protecting UK nationals increase of aid into Gaza. Palestinian statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people. It is not in the gift of any neighbour and is also essential to the long-term security of Israel. We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to a renewed peace process which results in a two-state solution with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. Labour will also strengthen support for British nationals abroad. We will introduce a new right to consular assistance in cases of human rights violations. **Modernising international development** With previous Labour governments, Britain gained world-leading expertise in international development, with the aim of making the world a safer, more prosperous place. Under the Conservatives, this capacity has been degraded, and as a result Britain has lost influence. Labour will turn the page to rebuild Britain’s reputation on international development with a new approach based on genuine respect and partnership with the global South to support our common interests. To counter the growing influence of malign actors and boost efforts to combat threats like climate change, the UK’s development work must be closely aligned with our foreign policy aims, co-ordinated to tackle global poverty, instability, and the climate and nature crisis. Our mission statement will be ‘to create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet’ as a signal of our development with based on genuine partnership with support our common commitment to greater multilateral action, and our intention to lead on this agenda. Regaining Britain’s global leadership on development is a key part of our plan to reconnect with our allies and partners. Labour will strengthen international development work within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. We will renew expertise and focus, especially in priority areas such as supporting economic transformation, tackling unsustainable debt, empowering women and girls, supporting conflict prevention, and unlocking climate finance. a new approach respect and the global South to interests. Labour is committed to restoring development spending at the level of 0.7 per cent of gross national income as soon as fiscal circumstances allow. We will deliver value for money for the British taxpayer by working closely with the Independent Commission for Aid Impact to apply the highest standards to our aid spend – bringing in robust measures of development effectiveness, transparency, and scrutiny. **Labour will end the chaotic approach to foreign affairs, ** ** turn the page and reconnect with our allies, to once again ** ** stand strong on the world stage.** --- ## Change At this election we can change Wales and Britain. We can stop the chaos, turn the page, and start to rebuild our country, with two Labour governments working together. A country restored to the service of working people; united in the common determination to build and share wealth. And with a renewed confidence that the future will be better for our children. This manifesto contains our plan to begin that work. To succeed we will need every individual and community to play their part. We must come together, after 14 years of chaos and division. That is what Britain needs – and we hope you will join us in this national endeavour. [labour.org.uk/accessiblemanifesto](https://labour.org.uk/accessiblemanifesto)