The publication of political manifestos continues, and the second party to do so are the Conservatives. So, what do we know about the Conservatives commitment to business and employment under a Conservative Government? Here are the key pledges:
Tax and Wages
A crucial aspect of the Conservatives employment and business manifesto 2024 is tax and wages:
- Cut 2p off National Insurance
- Abolish the main rate of self-employed National Insurance by the end of next Parliament
- Maintain the National Living Wage in each year of the next Parliament at two thirds of the median earnings, where it is expected to increase to around £13 per hour.
Skills Investment
The Conservatives employment and business manifesto 2024 includes significant commitments to skills investment:
- Introduce a new National Service that will see young people either volunteer in the community for the equivalent of one weekend a month or to carry out one year of military service.
- Create 100,000 more apprentices in England.
- From September 2025, adults will be able to apply for loans to cover new qualifications.
- Continue to expand adult skills programmes such as Skills Bootcamps.
- Introduce the Advanced British Standard which is to enhance technical learning as well as academic skills for those between 16–19-year-olds by building on A levels and T levels.
- Raise the skilled worker threshold.
- Increase all visa fees.
Employment Rights
The Conservatives employment and business manifesto 2024 aims to enhance employment rights provisions:
- Extend the 30 hours a week of free childcare to include children from the age of nine months.
- Define ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 to mean biological sex.
- Overhaul the ‘fit note’ system.
Stay Informed
You can read the Liberal Democrats’ Party’s manifesto here.
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