The Green Party launched its election manifesto today, dubbing it a 'green guarantee' and promising to work towards introducing a universal basic income – a policy The Guardian says is "an attempt to outflank Labour on the left".
The manifesto was revealed this morning by the party's co-leaders, Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley, in central London.
Bartley pledged to build a "confident and caring Britain and a future that we can all be proud of" while Lucas said the manifesto contained "big, bold ideas to create a confident and caring country".
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Here's what the Green Guarantee sets out:
Economy
The party promises to invest selectively in transport infrastructure, dropping the HS2 but spending on regional rail links and the electrification of existing lines. It will remove subsidies from fossil fuels and nuclear, investing in clean energy instead. The Greens are also proposing to renationalise energy, water, railways, buses, care work and the Royal Mail.
Tax
There will be a wealth tax on the top one per cent of earners and a higher level of corporation tax for larger businesses, as well as a 'Robin Hood tax' on high-value transactions in the finance sector.
Business and employment
The Greens say they will abolish zero-hours contracts, end the gender pay gap and require a minimum of 40 per cent of board members in public companies to be women. They will phase in a four-day working week (a maximum of 35 hours) and increase the living wage to £10 an hour by 2020. Start-ups will receive community credit and green investment.
Families
The party promises free universal childcare and will push back the school starting age to seven.
Housing
There will be 100,000 new social rented homes built every year by 2022. The party promises to introduce rent controls, abolish the bedroom tax and scrap Right To Buy at discounted rates.
Healthcare
Privatisation of the health service will be rolled back with an NHS Reinstatement Act. All services will be kept free at the point of access. Mental health care is to be improved.
Education
The Greens have committed to ending tuition fees in English and Welsh universities and are promising to fund full student grants and restore the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA). They would also scrap all existing student debt. They will bring free schools and academies into the local authority system, reform the curriculum, abolish SATS exams and Ofsted, and reduce class sizes.
Brexit and immigration
There will be a second referendum on the final Brexit deal, giving people the option to stay in the EU. The party will protect freedom of movement, push to stay in the single market and immediately guarantee the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.
Security and defence
The UK's Trident nuclear deterrent will be cancelled unilaterally and the party will stop supporting aggressive wars of intervention and promote an ethical foreign policy that builds capacity for conflict resolution and ends arms sales to oppressive regimes. The overseas aid budget will increase from 0.7 per cent of GDP to 1 per cent of GDP and the party will strengthen the global deal on climate change. On the domestic front, the Prevent counter-extremism strategy will be replaced with community-led collaborative approaches.
Benefits and pensions
The party's flagship proposal is to take steps towards introducing a universal basic income that would replace benefits with a flat rate paid to everyone whether or not they are working. The Greens would reinstate housing benefit for under 21s.
Government
Proportional Representation will replace the First Past the Post system for all elections – and 16-year-olds will get the vote. Parliament will be gender balanced 50-50 and the House of Lords will be replaced with an elected second chamber.
Extras
The Green manifesto includes an Environmental Protection Act – to safeguard the environment and promote sustainable food and farming – as well as a Clean Air Act and the mandatory funding of clean air zones. Fracking and coal power stations will be replaced with renewable energy and there will be a fine for car manufacturers that cheat emissions tests. The Greens will also end the sale of personal data such as health or tax records for commercial means.
