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AGENDA 2015 CONSULTATION: BRIEFING PAPER

1. Introduction Agenda 2015 is Labour’s National Policy Forum’s (NPF) consultation with members and supporters on the content of the manifesto for the 2015 General Election. Comments are invited by no later than 13/06/2014 and should be submitted via the Your Britain website: http://www.yourbritain.org.uk (for information on submitting individual comments to this website, see - Your Britain: Briefing Paper). The purpose of this briefing paper is to provide an overview of the policy areas open for consultation and to summarise the key areas for discussion in each policy area. As such, it should be used, as a guide to the content of the various policy documents.

2. Overview There are a total of eight policy documents which are available for comment: 1. Stability and Prosperity Policy on the economy from growth and the economic recovery, to public spending, taxation and reducing deficit in a fair way. 2. Work and Business Thinking on how the UK can compete in a global economy, including how we can support business, rights at work, fair pay and the future of pensions. 3. Living Standards and Sustainability Issues affecting the quality of life in Britain, the cost of living and the environment. Key topics include energy, climate change, food, rural affairs and transport. 4. Stronger, Safer Communities How to rebuild communities and create a society in which everyone plays their part including community safety, housing, local government and immigration. 5. Education and Children Childcare plans and thinking on young people’s wellbeing and learning from early years through to further and higher education and apprenticeships. 6. Health and Care Plans for the NHS, health and social care and how we’ll bring about a new focus on whole person care. 7. Better Politics How to build a One Nation politics looking at engagement, equality, civil society and the change the political system needs. 8. Britain’s Global Role Britain’s role within the global community – including foreign policy, international development and defence.

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3. Policy by Policy: A Summary

1. Stability and Prosperity Specific areas covered in the document are:

1) Promoting fair pay 2) Tackling rising bills 3) Establishing a British Investment Bank 4) Strengthening the low-carbon economy 5) Addressing our infrastructure needs 6) Tackling tax avoidance 7) Banking and financial service 8) Business and personal taxation 9) Fair deficit reduction

2. Work and Business Specific areas covered in the document are:

1) Industrial strategy 2) Promoting our universities and science 3) Support for businesses and SMEs 4) Protecting consumers 5) Better workplaces 6) Improving employment rights 7) Skills 8) Social security and jobs 9) Pensions

3. Living Standards and Sustainability Specific areas covered in the document are:

1) Creating better, accountable and more affordable public transport 2) Improving local bus services 3) Creating a fairer rail network 4) Delivering affordable rail travel 5) Building a connected transport system 6) Encouraging safer cycling 7) Reforming the energy market and freezing bills 8) Energy efficiency 9) Water 10) Ensuring long term sustainability 11) Climate change and a low carbon future 12) Supporting rural communities 13) Food safety and standards 14) Animal welfare 15) The natural environment

4. Stronger, Safer Communities Specific areas covered in the document are:

1) Building new homes

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2) Creating a fairer private rented sector 3) Tackling the homelessness crisis 4) Delivering localism to our communities 5) Rebuilding our high streets 6) Empowering communities to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour 7) Policing rooted in local communities 8) Putting victims at the heart of the system 9) Enabling access to justice 10) Building a system that both punishes and reforms 11) Tackling violence against women and girls 12) Promoting integration: communities where everyone plays their part 13) Building an economy that works for working people 14) Setting out fair rules 15) Controlling the pace of change 16) Tackling illegal immigration 17) Supporting arts and the creative industries 18) Protecting community libraries 19) Building Digital Britain 20) Delivering sport in our communities 21) Developing Britain’s tourism industry

5. Education and Children Specific areas covered in the document are:

1) High standards for all in schools and colleges 2) Focusing on teacher quality 3) Transforming vocational education and skills 4) Ensuring strong local support and oversight of schools 5) Better planning for school places 6) Supporting the health and wellbeing of children through healthy schools 7) Apprenticeships and Higher Education 8) Driving up the quantity and quality of apprenticeships 9) Improving access to Higher Education 10) Children and families 11) Supporting the early years 12) Delivering affordable and flexible high quality childcare 13) Supporting vulnerable children

6. Health and Care Specific areas covered in the document are:

1) NHS 2) Whole-person care 3) Bringing healthcare closer to people 4) Making hospitals and services work for patients 5) Tackling the A&E crisis and improving primary care 6) Improving diagnosis and elective care 7) Stronger patient voice and robust inspections 8) The future of social care 9) Ensuring a fair care system 10) Promoting dignity and respect

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11) Supporting carers 12) Public health 13) Tackling health inequalities requires action across government and society 14) Mental health 15) Prioritising mental health in the NHS 16) Breaking the mental health taboo 17) The health and care workforce 18) Tackling the exploitation of care workers

7. Better Politics Specific areas covered in the document are:

1) One Nation politics 2) Rebuilding trust and engagement in our political system 3) Young people and politics 4) Standing up against vested interests and giving people power over their lives 5) Increasing transparency 6) Protecting human rights 7) Political reform 8) Electoral reform 9) Devolution 10) Better Together 11) Empowering local communities 12) Equalities 13) Women 14) Furthering equality for LGBT people 15) Making rights a reality for disabled people 16) BAME Equality

8. Britain’s Global Role Specific areas covered in the document are:

1) The global economy 2) Ensuring global trade benefits all 3) Seizing opportunity in Europe 4) Security 5) Tackling organised crime 6) Regulating the arms trade 7) Mitigating future threats 8) Defence 9) Responding to security and stabilisation needs in Iraq and Afghanistan 10) Enhancing NATO and European defence cooperation 11) Respecting our Armed Forces 12) Diplomacy 13) Adopting a multilateral approach 14) Reforming the EU 15) Protecting human rights 16) Responding to crisis in the Middle East and North Africa 17) International development 18) Leading on overseas development assistance 19) Developing a post-2015 development agenda

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20) Making a Fairer Global Tax System 21) Responding to conflict, disasters and humanitarian crises 22) Tackling climate change and ensuring energy security