The country will head to the polls in just over two weeks, electing the UK’s next Prime Minister. Whoever is chosen could be in charge of running the country for the next five years.
Since Rishi Sunak fired the starting gun on 22 May, politicians have been busy running up and down the country in a bid to get your vote. But which party is looking out for your best interests?
A string of election pledges have now been announced. The Conservatives published their manifesto on 11 June, unveiling a 2p National Insurance cut as their headline promise.
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Labour followed two days later, focusing on stability and fashioning themselves as a changed party which is pro-growth and pro-business. We have also heard from the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and Reform UK in recent days.
We look at which parties are vying for voters of different ages and demographics.
Which party is offering the most to pensioners?
Pensioners typically turn out in force at the ballot box, so it is unsurprising that all major parties have been vying for their fair share of the grey vote in recent weeks.
Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have all promised to maintain the triple lock, if they win the upcoming general election. This increases the state pension each year in line with inflation, average earnings or 2.5% – whichever measure is highest.
Arguably, the Conservatives have gone the furthest with their ‘triple lock plus’ policy. This would unfreeze the personal allowance for pensioners, meaning they would never have to pay income tax on their state pension, the party has said.
However, critics of the policy point out that the state pension is already expensive enough as it is. They also argue that the triple lock plus promotes intergenerational unfairness at a time when workers continue to face a higher tax bill thanks to fiscal drag.
What’s more, the Tories don’t appear to have won over-65s round just yet. According to a poll from YouGov conducted on 29 May, 54% of the age group said the party’s pension plans did not go far enough.
Perhaps those leaning more towards a Labour vote are concerned that Sunak’s plans to cut National Insurance could put the state pension at risk – an accusation Starmer’s party has levelled at the Conservatives in recent weeks.
In terms of the other parties, the Greens have said they would move away from the triple lock to a double-lock system. Meanwhile, Reform UK’s manifesto makes no mention of the triple lock.
“This could mean that it is so ingrained within the system that it doesn’t need to be mentioned or it could mean it’s for the chop,” says Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Which party is prioritising working parents?
Both Labour and the Conservatives are committed to continuing the rollout of Jeremy Hunt’s free childcare reforms. Previously, there had been some doubts as to whether Labour would commit to the policy amid concerns about the strain it could put on the sector.
Labour has also announced plans to convert over 3,000 classrooms into nurseries in schools with spare capacity, creating 100,000 additional nursery places. The party plans to fund the additional nursery places by ending tax breaks for private schools.
Labour has also promised free breakfast clubs for primary school children, and 6,500 new teachers for the state sector.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have promised to “end the unfairness in child benefit by moving to a household system”. Currently, parents start losing their allowance as soon as one parent’s income hits £60,000. The Tories have also said they will raise the child benefit threshold to £120,000.
Whether parents end up voting Labour or Conservative could be determined by how much they earn, and whether their children are educated in the state or private system.
Those with children in the state sector will be pleased by the prospect of additional teachers and more nursery places. Meanwhile, those with children in private school will likely be nervous about the prospect of a potential 20% fee hike, if VAT is imposed on school fees.
Of course, Labour and the Conservatives aren’t the only two parties on your ballot paper. The Liberal Democrats could also look attractive to those thinking about having children in the future.
Ed Davey’s party has promised to double statutory maternity pay and shared parental pay to £350 per week, as well as introducing “an extra use-it-or-lose-it month for fathers and partners, paid at 90% of earnings”.
The Lib Dems have also said they would make these “day-one rights” and extend them to self-employed parents.
Which party is doing the most for young people?
When it comes to young people, a key focus for both major parties is housing. Mortgage rates have skyrocketed in recent years, pushing the dream of home ownership out of reach for many.
Labour has unveiled a ‘Freedom to Buy’ pledge on the election trail, which we explored in a recent article. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have promised to launch a “new and improved Help to Buy scheme”, while permanently scrapping stamp duty for first-time buyers, up to a threshold of £425,000.
“Neither of the main parties mentioned the Lifetime ISA in their manifestos. However, it still offers a vital leg-up onto the property ladder,” adds Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown.
“An estimated 11% of first-time buyers with a mortgage used a Lifetime ISA to get onto the property ladder in the most recent year we have data for (2022-23),” she explains.
Other Conservative policies directed at young people include replacing certain “rip off” degrees with 100,000 new apprenticeships, as well as introducing a new form of national service.
This would not involve being conscripted into the armed forces, but would require young people to get involved in community service.
Meanwhile, Labour has promised a “youth guarantee”, which will ensure 18 to 21-year-olds have access to training, an apprenticeship or support finding work.
In terms of the other parties, the Greens are likely to prove popular with young voters who often point out that they will have to live with the effects of climate change for longer than anyone else.
One of the Green Party’s headline policies is to reach net zero by 2040 by rolling out more renewable power.
Labour has also focused on energy transition, pledging to set up a new publicly-owned clean energy company. The party would pay for this by upping the windfall tax levied on oil and gas companies.
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