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New Labour’s record:
The contract delivered
Our country is changing for
the better, because we fulfilled
the promises of our 1997 and
2001 manifestos. Here is what
has changed.
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Prosperity for all
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Britain now has a stable, growing economy with the lowest inflation
since the 1960s.
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Since 1997, two million more people are in work, and the UK has the
lowest unemployment for 30 years.Tax credits and the minimum wage
are ensuring that work pays for everyone.
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Because of this we are saving £5 billion a year on the costs of unemployment
– that’s £84 for every citizen in Britain – money that is being
invested in frontline services such as schools and hospitals.
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There are over one million more homeowners, saving on average nearly
£4,000 a year, thanks to the lowest mortgage rates for 40 years.
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Since 1997, average incomes have increased by 19 per cent and the
income of a typical family has increased by 17 per cent, with living standards
rising in double digits for every part of the income spectrum.
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There are 300,000 more businesses, providing jobs and increased
prosperity.
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There are two million fewer children and nearly two million fewer
pensioners living in absolute poverty.
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World-class public services
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Investment in public services is up – an extra £1,000 per pupil per
year in real terms since 1997, and spending on the NHS has more
than doubled to £69 billion.There are over 28,000 more teachers and
105,000 extra teaching assistants and support staff. The National
Health Service now has 79,000 more nurses and over 27,000 more
doctors. And public servants – from nurses to police officers – are better
rewarded for their work.
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Our ten-year-old pupils are ranked third best in the world in literacy
and are the fastest improving in numeracy.
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Since the introduction of free entry, visits to our national museums
and galleries have risen by 75 per cent.
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Deaths from heart disease are down by 27 per cent and cancer deaths
are down by 12 per cent.
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A modern welfare state
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Thanks to our New Deal, long-term youth unemployment has been
virtually eradicated, with over half a million young people helped
into work.
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By October 2005, families with children will be on average £1,400 a
year better off as a result of our tax and benefit measures compared to
1997.
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Thanks to our reforms pensioner households are on average £1,500 a
year better off, rising to £2,000 for the poorest third.
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Maternity leave has increased to 26 weeks and maternity pay has
almost doubled.
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There are 1.2 million more older people in employment.The employment
rate for people aged between 50 and pension age has increased
by over five percentage points to 70 per cent.
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Strong and safe communities
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Crime has fallen by 30 per cent overall, with almost five million fewer
crimes a year than in 1997.
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There are record numbers of police, nearly 13,000 more, assisted by
4,600 new Community Support Officers.
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New powers to tackle anti-social behaviour have been introduced, with
nearly 4,000 Anti-Social Behaviour Orders issued so far and nearly
66,000 fixed penalty notices.
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We have halved the time from arrest to sentencing for persistent
young offenders.
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More than 80 per cent of initial decisions on asylum claims are now
processed in two months.
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Britain strong in the world
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Britain’s interests are at the heart of an enlarged European Union, with
economic reform putting jobs first.
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Our international aid budget for the world’s poorest countries has
more than doubled.
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We have successfully pressed for the restarting of world trade talks
which will focus on the needs of developing countries.
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Our strong, effective and responsive armed forces are ensuring the
defence of Britain’s interests.
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We introduced greenhouse-gas trading to cut pollution – the first
country to do so – reducing emissions by 9.8 million tonnes in the first
two years.
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