economy - the general election 2015 student manifesto

STUDENT MANIFESTO

ECONOMY

Among the student body, there is the perception that young people are being particularly squeezed in the current economic climate, and the burden for deficit reduction is being unfairly placed on those who are least well off. Having collected student views on issues related to the economy, we’ve ascertained that the mood lends itself towards the end of austerity measures, as well as a rebalancing of our economy towards higher taxation on the rich and corporations. The nine points below spell out what UEA students want from an incoming government’s economic policy.

fore-word

STUDENT MANIFESTO

ECONOMY

chrisjarvis campaigns & democracy officer

UKIP chose not to provide an answer for this question.

GR

EC

ON

LAB

LDU

KIP

Warm, affordable, secure homes are a basic need. House-building is in mix, with renovation, retrofitting and managing fair rents.

As part of Autumn Statement 2013 the Chancellor announced a £1bn extension of the Local Infrastructure Fund for large scale housing sites, to unlock around 250,000 homes over the next 6 years.

Labour will, if elected, build up to 200,000 new homes a year by 2020. Personally I’d make the bulk of them council homes and stop the right to buy.

Successive governments failed to address housing supply. We would continue to deliver more affordable housing as we have in government.

The UK government should invest more money in house building to address the crisis of high rents and social housing shortages.

LGLT

CL

SWSELesley GrahameGreen Party

Lisa Townsend Conservatives

Clive LewisLabour

Simon WrightLiberal Democrats

Steve EmmensUKIP

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Until we can bring in a citizens income http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/ec.html#EC730

I fully support any business who is able to pay the living wage doing so, but not at the expense of jobs. I am proud we are raising the NMW above inflation.

It should and here in Norwich I’ve been working with our city council to make that a reality. A Labour govt will use govt contracts as well as tax breaks to encourage payment of the living wage.

Strongly support voluntary Living Wage and Govt agencies should lead by example. The independent Low Pay Commission should look at how to raise NMW without damaging employment opportunities.


Living costs are not age-dependent. Neither are covered by workfare schemes which leave people not only money poor but time-poor .

I want every young person to have the option of either learning or earning – not living on benefits. No-one is suggesting taking away necessary support from the young or vulnerable.

Our focus as a government must be to support and encourage young people in quality apprenticeships, education and training. Not punitive measures that stigmatise. But we all have rights as well as responibilities.

Have already protected housing benefits for under 25s and would fight any future distinction.


LGLT

CL

SWSE

We are currently enduring a cost of living crisis, where a full time job often won’t cover basic needs. The statutory Minimum Wage should be raised to the level of the Living Wage.

Threats to welfare for those under 25 are an aggressive attack on the young, and fail to understand the diversity of situations young people find themselves in. Welfare payments for those aged 16-25 should be maintained and there should be no distinction on the basis of age for claiming benefits.

Bring trains back into public ownership. Also improve walking and cycling routes.

Enhancing bus services is a feature of 95 per cent of the projects supported by the £600m local sustainable transport fund, and £1billion is being invested in rail infrastructure.

Capital expenditure of transport infrastructure, especially public transport, is one of the key ways to stimulate our economy in a sustainable manner.

I’ve repeatedly called for rail investment, particularly important on London service. Must also continue local cycleway and bus route development.


Robust tax collection (at current rates) would save £34bn annually (Government figures).

I want to see lowest earners taken out of income tax, not an uncompetitive tax that is the highest in the G20 and doesn’t raise extra revenue

Labour have pledged to do this and end the tax break for millionaires.

Richest should pay their fair share but this best achieved by tackling avoidance and taxing unearned wealth through measures like higher council tax on large properties.


GR

EC

ON

LAB

LDU

KIP

To solve poor transport infrastructure, the government should increase investment in public transport such as trains and buses.

The 50p tax rate on the highest earners should be reintroduced, to shift the burden of taxation back on the rich.

LGLT

CL

SWSE

We would remove VAT from sanitary products. VAT hits the poorest hardest, as the cost of essentials is a higher proportion of their income.

The VAT of 5% on sanitary products is ridiculous to those of us who pay for them but is due to an EU restriction, not a UK one.

Entirely agree. Get rid.

But VAT changes only possible if all EU states agree.

HMRC recovers £18-£97 per £1 spent on tax investigation. Either way, what’s not to like. www.taxresearch.orgCaroline Lucas proposed EDM to support Fair Tax Mark.

The Government has made changes to tax laws in order to close such loopholes.

Labour has pledged to do this including a root and branch investigation and if necessary reform of HMRC and all forms of tax avoidance and evasion.

Have already acted to drive down tax avoidance investing £1bn to help HMRC collect an extra £10bn a yr. Commit to continue tough action against corporate tax evasion and avoidance strategies.

Tax avoidance from corporations and the wealthy has reached inordinate levels. To bring more revenue into the State as well as ensuring our taxation system is fair, we must close tax loopholes and clamp down on corporate tax avoidance.



At present, sanitary products such as tampons and towels are charged VAT, with the implicit suggestion that they are ‘luxury items’. This is an unjust tax on women, and VAT should be removed from sanitary products.

GR

EC

ON

LAB

LDU

KIP

Austerity is wrecking lives and local economies. 1% of the people own almost half the worlds wealth. (oxfam figures) Closing the tax gap, scrapping Trident, investing in climate mitigation would solve the economic crisis.

http://eastmidlands.greenparty.org.uk/news.html/2014/12/30/tory%E2%80%99s-treatment-of-overseas-students-will-backfire-claim-greens/

The Government’s strategy is delivering jobs and growth, with unemployment down and 1.7 million more people now in work, and with the security of a regular pay packet, since 2010.

The UK is right to want the brightest and best graduates from around the world and to set standards about who can stay after studying.

Austerity is as much a political as it is an economic policy. It is unjust, unfair and economically illiterate.

Encouraging them to use the skills and knowledge learnt here is a benefit to us all.

Need to balance Britain’s finances but will ensure deficit reduction is achieved fairly, and not solely by cutting public spending.

Graduates in skill shortage subjects should be able to work for 3yrs in the UK if in graduate-level work 6mths after finishing course.



Austerity measures are hurting the poor and vulnerable and are shifting the burden of who should pay for economic crisis from those who caused it to those who did not. Cuts to public services including education, welfare and libraries must be halted and reversed, and a new economic strategy developed.

Restrictions on international students working after they have finished their studies should be lifted.

STUDENT MANIFESTO

ECONOMY

economy - the general election 2015 student manifesto

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