UK’s Labour unveils ‘radical and ambitious’ plan to remake Britain

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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn unveiled his party’s election manifesto on Thursday, setting out radical plans to transform Britain with public sector pay rises, higher taxes on companies and a sweeping nationalisation of infrastructure.

Voters face a stark choice at the country’s Dec. 12 election: opposition leader Corbyn’s socialist vision, including widespread nationalisation and free public services, or Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s drive to deliver Brexit within months and build a “dynamic market economy”.

Speaking in the central English city of Birmingham, Corbyn set out his crowd-pleasing plans, offering something for almost everyone in Britain – from help to parents with young children to free university education and more money for elderly care.

In a speech punctuated by applause and standing ovations from supporters, he promised to stand up for ordinary people against the “bankers, billionaires and the establishment” who was fighting to keep a system that was “rigged in their favour”.

“Labour’s manifesto is a manifesto for hope, that is what this document is – a manifesto that will bring real change,” Corbyn said, describing his plan as the most “radical and ambitious plan” in decades.

“A manifesto full of popular policies that the political establishment has blocked for a generation.”

Lagging in the polls, Corbyn hopes his message of change will drown out criticism of his Brexit stance, which even some in his party say lacks the clarity of Johnson’s vow to “get Brexit done”.

Instead, the Labour leader says he will get Brexit “sorted” in six months, with a new exit deal put to a second referendum as a way to bring the country together.

Hoping to avoid comparisons with Labour’s 1983 socialist-inspired manifesto described later by a then Labour lawmaker as “the longest suicide note in history”, Corbyn rejected suggestions he was harping back to the 1970s.

He was instead offering “a green industrial revolution”, an ambitious plan that, he said, could be paid for in part by taxing the richest in Britain.

The manifesto showed an extra 82.9 billion pounds of spending, matched by 82.9 billion pounds of revenue-raising measures.

SPEND, SPEND, SPEND

Both parties have promised to end economic austerity and spend more money on public services before the election, which will determine how, when and even whether Britain’s departure from the European Union happens.

Brandon Lewis, a Conservative minister, said Labour would go on “a reckless spending spree which would take a sledgehammer to the British economy”.

Most polls put the Conservative Party in front, but few are able or willing to predict a victor in the election.

Labour could be in a position to form a minority government if Johnson’s Conservatives fall short of an outright majority in parliament and rivals are prepared to support Corbyn as prime minister.

But to implement its manifesto in full the party would likely need an even bigger turnaround in the election race to claim a majority of its own. One polling expert described the chances of this as “close to zero” based on current evidence.

Held after three years of negotiations to leave the EU, the December election for the first time will show how far Brexit has torn traditional political allegiances apart and will test an electorate increasingly tired of voting.

Labour has put at the forefront of its campaign its attack on “vested interests”, taking aim at Johnson, who was educated at England’s elite Eton public school, has considerable personal wealth and whose party has wealthy backers.

Among the proposals, Labour said it would bring in a windfall tax on oil companies, de-list companies that do not contribute to tackling climate change and increase public sector pay by 5%.

“They know we will go after the tax dodgers, the bad bosses and the big polluters so that everybody in our country gets a fair chance in life,” Corbyn said.

His manifesto also promised to reverse privatisations begun by former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, by nationalising rail, mail, water, and BT’s broadband network to provide free internet for all.

Those pledges have been mocked by the Conservatives, with Johnson calling plans to nationalise broadband as a “crazed Communist scheme”.

While business groups welcomed measures such as investment in infrastructure, they also warned many of Labour’s policies risked damaging business and the economy.

“Command and control isn’t the way,” BCC Director-General Adam Marshall said in a statement.

REUTERS