The 97-page document was launched by the party on Wednesday.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: “I am immensely proud to launch our 2017 manifesto: Change Britain’s Future. Over the past few weeks we’ve been working tirelessly – speaking to the public, analysing costs, fine-tuning our priorities – to bring you a single blueprint for a better Britain.
“This momentous new manifesto sets out our hopes and plans for an open, tolerant and united country. From defending our place in Europe, to protecting universal human rights, to building a greener economy, it encapsulates our positive vision for the future.”
Priorities that UK manufacturers may find interesting include:
Education, training and apprenticeships:
● Improving the quality of vocational education, including skills for entrepreneurship and self-employment, and improve careers advice in schools and colleges
● Improving links between employers and schools and encouraging all schools to participate in employment and enterprise schemes that promote regular experiences in business. “We will seek to inspire more children and young people to follow technical and scientific careers through partnership with relevant businesses,” the manifesto says
● Aiming to double the number of businesses which hire apprentices
● Developing national colleges as national centres of expertise for key sectors, such as renewable energy, to deliver the high-level vocational skills that businesses need
● Identifying and seeking to solve skills gaps by expanding higher vocational training
● Ensuring that all the receipts from the Apprenticeship Levy in England are spent on training
Brexit and immigration:
● Pressing for the UK to unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU nationals in the UK, and urge that the same rights for UK citizens living in European Union countries are secure
● When the terms of Britain’s future relationship with the EU have been negotiated, put the deal to a vote of the British people in a referendum, with the alternative option of staying in the EU on the ballot paper
● Any deal negotiated for the UK outside the EU must ensure that trade can continue without customs controls at the border, and must maintain membership of the single market
● Supporting the principle of freedom of movement – the right to work, travel, study and retire across the EU
● Protecting support for domestic industries, as well as regional support for deprived areas
● Holding an annual debate in parliament on skill and labour market shortfalls and surpluses to identify the migration necessary to meet the UK’s needs
● Continuing to allow high-skilled immigration to support key sectors of the economy
● Reinstating post-study work visas for graduates in STEM subjects who find suitable employment within six months of graduating
The economy:
● Creating a new ‘start-up allowance’ to help those starting a new business with their living costs in the first weeks of their business
● Supporting fast-growing businesses seeking to scale up, through the provision of mentoring support
● Reviewing Business Rates to reduce burdens on small firms, and make them the priority for any future business tax cuts
● Continuing to champion the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine initiatives and invest significant capital resources in infrastructure projects across the north of England and the Midlands
● Devolving more decision-making power over key levers of economic development including transport, housing and skills
● Providing assistance to areas heavily dependent on fossil fuel industries, such as the north-east of Scotland, to diversify away from these industries
● Giving the immediate go-ahead to the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project
● Encouraging local authorities and local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) to work in partnership with existing business, universities and other business hubs to develop plans for building on already established success in a particular area
● Using central government public procurement policy as a tool of local growth and community development by, for example, purchasing from diverse sources and using local labour, goods and services, and encouraging local government to do the same
● Extending transparency requirements on larger employers to include publishing the number of people paid less than the living wage and the ratio between top and median pay
● Modernising employment rights to make them fit for the age of the ‘gig’ economy, looking to build on the forthcoming Taylor report
● Stamping out abuse of zero-hours contracts
Innovation, science and technology:
● Building on the Coalition’s industrial strategy, working with sectors which are critical to Britain’s ability to trade internationally, creating more ‘catapult’ innovation and technology centres and backing private investment
● Developing a national skills strategy for key sectors, including low-carbon technologies, to help match skills and people
● Commiting to build digital skills in the UK and retain coding on the national curriculum in England.
Taxation:
● Aiming in the long term, and as resources allow, to raise the employee national insurance threshold to the Income Tax threshold, while protecting low earners’ ability to accrue pension and benefit entitlements
● Ensuring those with the highest incomes and wealth are making a fair contribution. Reversing a number of tax cuts, including: the cutting of Corporation Tax; Capital Gains Tax cuts; Capital Gains Tax extended relief; The Marriage Allowance; and the raising of the Inheritance Tax threshold
● Taking tough action against corporate tax evasion and avoidance
Other:
● Strengthening the armed services and address critical skills shortages by recruiting STEM graduates to be armed forces engineers
● Ensuring that future trade deals require high safety, environmental and animal welfare standards for food imports, including clear and unambiguous country of-origin labelling for meat and dairy products
●Continue to drive for diversity in business leadership, pushing for at least 40% of board members being women in FTSE 350 companies and implementing the recommendations of the Parker review to increase ethnic minority representation
● Extending the Equality Act to all large companies with more than 250 employees, requiring them to monitor and publish data on gender, BAME, and LGBT+ employment levels and pay gaps
● Commiting to £100 billion package of additional infrastructure investment. This will prioritise things including a programme of installing hyperfast, fibre-optic broadband across the UK and investment in road and rail infrastructure, including a continued commitment to HS2, Crossrail 2 and rail electrification
To view the priorities in detail and by section, click here.
Industry reaction:
“Business needs clarity and certainty about the future relationship with the EU and another referendum is surely unrealistic and would cause massive further uncertainty. However, it’s clear that in voting to leave the EU, there was no real discussion about how to go about it while protecting the nation’s economic interests. A so-called hard Brexit would be disastrous for business. Companies want a clear commitment to achieving a seamless trading relationship with our EU partners, with no tariffs and a straightforward and simple customs arrangement.
“The Liberal Democrats also rightly point to the importance of high-skilled migration and there are themes in the manifesto which would fit comfortably under the umbrella of an industrial strategy, from infrastructure commitments to supporting the Catapult programme.
“Right now, however, amidst all the electoral clutter business wants to see how the political parties are going to promote the investment, growth and jobs we badly need. This manifesto has a number of measures which would be negative for investment whilst adding yet more burdens to businesses, especially larger ones.”
Terry Scuoler, chief executive, EEF
“The Liberal Democrat Party rightly places planning for the economy of the future at the heart of its manifesto, with a clear focus on spurring innovation and entrepreneurship, and on delivering a world-class education for our children to equip them with the skills to succeed.
“Solving the UK’s housing shortage is vital for workers and firms alike. For Britain’s businesses, it’s a problem that affects them on a daily basis, denting productivity and making it difficult for many to move home and bring their skills to new jobs. We have long called for a quiet revolution in the way business and politicians think about, provide and deliver housing, so firms will welcome ideas on helping first-time buyers and homeowners up the housing ladder.
“However, as we chart a new course in our relationship with Europe, it’s all the more important that the United Kingdom remains a highly attractive country in which to invest and create jobs. Reversing cuts to Corporation Tax and not getting behind Heathrow’s expansion will limit the country’s ability to remain internationally competitive.”
Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general, CBI
