Conference Update – Six Goals for Britain’s Future

Emma has endorsed Ed Miliband’s speech at Labour party conference, where the Labour Leader set out his plan for Britain’s future.  The plan sets out an ambitious future for the UK, to save the NHS, tackle the cost of living crisis and rebuild the economy.

Ed’s speech set out a national mission, with six goals for 2025:

1. Giving all young people a shot in life: Ensure as many school-leavers go on to apprenticeships as go to university.
2. Tackling the cost-of-living crisis: Help working families share fairly in the wealth of our country so, when the economy grows, the wages of everyday working people grow at the same rate.
3. Restoring the dream of home ownership: Meet demand for new homes for the first time in half a century – doubling the number of first-time buyers getting on to the housing ladder each year.
4. Tackling low wages: Halve the number of people on low pay in our country, changing the lives of over two million people.
5. Securing the future: Create one million more high-tech jobs by securing the UK’s position as a world leader in green industries.
6. Saving our NHS: Build a world-class, 21st century health and care service.

Ed also pledged to clamp down on tax avoidance, fight climate change by taking carbon out of Britain’s electricity supply, and extend the right to vote to 16 and 17 year olds.

Ed has also set out Labour’s policy on immigration. He said that Labour had listened to people’s concerns about migration, and that a Labour government would change the laws for foreign benefit claimants so that new arrivals would be expected to work and contribute to the economy before being entitled to support.  He also said it was right to expect migrants who wanted to work in Britain to be able to speak English.

Emma said:

“What Ed set out in his speech today is a plan that will transform Britain.  On important issues like jobs, homes and the NHS he has given people a clear vision of what our country can achieve, and how we can fix a broken system so that it works for everybody, not just the few at the top.

“Things like a higher Minimum Wage, more high tech jobs and a transformed health and care service will make a huge difference to people in South Shields.  That positive vision is a clear contrast with a Coalition that has only promised more cuts, and which will do nothing to stand up for working people.”