A Manifesto for the People of Southend

Julian Ware-Lane, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Southend West, feels optimistic about polling day on 8th June. “With the manifestos published, Southend residents have a clear choice about the sort of future they want for themselves and their families, and I am happy that Labour puts people first: we want to create a Britain that works for the many and not the few.”

Labour’s manifesto talks throughout about a fairer Britain, how to unlock Britain’s true potential, and giving those who are missing out the chance for a fresh start. Julian wants people to read each manifesto and to make up their own minds, rather than believing the constant stream of negative publicity from the mainstream media. “Anybody who follows my career knows that I am a ‘what you see is what you get’ sort of guy. I deal in facts; I have no reason to distort or make up stories about where I stand on issues.

“We have just had the Tory Leader of Southend Council criticise his own party’s manifesto, and looking at the record of Conservative Government I don’t have to make anything up. We all know that the NHS and social care are in crisis, housebuilding is at its lowest since the 1920s, schools face cuts while class sizes rise, students Leave University with huge debts, and Police cuts are a risk to public safety.

“Most families have become financially worse off under the Tories, and by contrast we know that for the past seven years the super-rich have been given tax breaks, worth tens of billions.”

These are Labour’s key manifesto pledges

1.      Making work pay: A real living wage of £10 per hour by 2020.

2.      Investment in Britain: Labour's £500bn big deal to upgrade the economy.

3.      Take back control: Rail, energy, water and Royal Mail in public ownership.

4.      Jobs and economy first: A Brexit for the many not the few.

5.      Extend childcare: 30 hours for all 2 to 4 year olds.

6.      Our children's futures: Increase schools funding, cut class sizes and free school meals for all primary school children.

7.      Free education: Scrap tuition fees and college fees.

8.      End the NHS crisis: Extra funding for our health service.

9.      Dignity for all: Towards a National Care Service.

10.  Your community safer: 10,000 extra police officers.

11.  Decent homes for all: A million new homes to rent or buy.

12.  Tax guarantee: No VAT, national insurance or income tax rise for 95%.

Julian believes that Labour’s pledges are the best opportunity for local people to improve their lives: “our manifesto is fully-costed and it sets out a credible vision for the future. We will protect our public services, give the NHS the money it needs and deliver good teaching in good schools for all our children.

“Labour will ask the wealthiest in society to contribute a little more to ensure that schools, hospitals and other public services have the funding they need.

“We will guarantee there will be no rise in VAT or National Insurance, but we will only raise income tax on the highest five per cent of earners, those earning over £80,000 a year, and we will increase corporation tax while still keeping it the lowest in the G7.”