BORIS Johnson is set to unveil his vision of life after Brexit — by promising a new year return to bread and butter issues.
The PM will focus on the priorities of hard-working people, with a wave of measures to cut the cost of living.
His General Election manifesto will include a freeze on all taxes, guaranteed perks for pensioners and £1billion to extend free childcare to school holidays.
It will also pledge an end to rip-off hospital parking charges, £2billion to fix potholes and action to improve schools, roads and tackle crime.
Mr Johnson said tonight: “Our positive, One Nation agenda will unite this great country not just for Christmas but for years to come.”
The blueprint for power sets out how a Tory majority government would put a Brexit deal back before MPs within days of the December 12 election — so it can spend 2020 dealing with issues that have been neglected for three years.
BoJo’s bold vision for the future is summed up in the title of the manifesto to be unveiled in the West Midlands today: Get Brexit Done, Unleash Britain’s Potential.
It sets out how he would put more money back in people’s pockets by cutting taxes and tackling high bills.
‘HOPE AND OPTIMISM’
Measures to ease the burden on striving households will include:
- A tax triple lock to freeze rates of income tax, National Insurance and VAT for the next five years. This builds on the PM’s announcement to raise the National Insurance threshold, saving 31million people £100 next year.
- Extra free childcare with £1billion to provide another 250,000 after-school and holiday places to give parents more flexibility.
- Cutting fuel bills by spending £6.3billion on insulation and energy efficient measures for 2.2million families in social housing.
- Keeping the energy price cap to protect struggling families from sudden rises in heating bills.
- Protecting OAP perks by guaranteeing the pensions triple lock, winter fuel payments and bus passes.
Backed by his Cabinet, the Prime Minister will make clear that only by giving him a majority will it get Brexit done and allow him to deliver on his promises.
The alternative, he will say, is more “dither and delay” with two more referendums in 2020 and a Labour manifesto that will bankrupt Britain.
As he put the finishing touches to his speech today, Mr Johnson declared: “With new policies — to cut the cost of living, support our fantastic NHS staff, help parents juggling childcare and work, and invest in a massive programme of infrastructure across the whole country — we are offering hope and optimism where the Labour party only offer hate and division.”
The manifesto will also include record investments in the infrastructure, science funding and skills to help level up the economy.
It includes £2billion for the biggest ever pothole-filling operation and first steps towards a right to retrain with a £3billion new National Skills Fund. This will give individuals and small firms the chance to level-up with high-quality education and training.
Mr Johnson has taken every care to avoid a repeat of the mistakes made by his predecessor Theresa May — whose 2017 manifesto bombed and cost her government its majority.
Ministers have been called into No10 to pore over the early drafts and encouraged to speak out if they have any misgivings.
Housing Minister Esther McVey said tonight: “This is a blue collar manifesto for hard-working families.
TACKLE VIOLENT CRIME
“It is aimed precisely at the people who Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party has completely abandoned.”
The manifesto promises to provide free hospital car parking for protected groups — including the elderly, disabled, terminally ill patients and their families plus NHS nurses working night shifts.
Mr Johnson has avoided offering free parking for all, which would lead to shoppers and people working nearby using hospital car parks and depriving patients and staff of places.
He has vowed that no NHS trust will lose out because of this change by providing up to £78million a year of new money in compensation.
Today, The Sun reported Mr Johnson also plans to bring back a version of NHS bursaries to help with the cost of training to be a nurse.
The Prime Minister hopes the new maintenance grants for nurses will draw a line in the sand between him and the austerity of previous leaders of the Conservative party.
Comments