General Election 2017 Round-up

Theresa May’s big announcement on extension of workers’ rights continued to have the desired effect yesterday, with the story dominating headlines throughout the day and spilling over into this morning’s papers. In addition to announcements about worker representatives on company boards and extending rights to unpaid leave for those looking after relatives, the PM also unveiled plans to force companies to report on ‘racial pay disparities’. The announcement came late in the day and added a 12^th point to the 11-point plan for workers’ rights that she unveiled yesterday morning. 
 
Jeremy Corbyn will add to the growing list of industries targeted by Labour for nationalisation today when he launches his party’s manifesto. According to the BBC, Labour plan to announce the creation of new public bodies to run the sewage and water system in England if they are elected on 8^th June. The party will say it can reduce bills by up to £100 (about 25%) per household by ending the practice of paying out dividends to shareholders. The fresh announcement follows the revelation in a leaked manifesto document last week that Labour also plan to nationalise the Royal Mail and electricity networks.
 
Meanwhile, Tim Farron will try to set the Liberal Democrats up as the party of entrepreneurs later when he announces a new entrepreneur’s allowance for budding company founders. Mr Farron will be launching his party’s plans for business today and has said ‘while the Conservatives focus on giving tax cuts to giant corporations, our focus is on small businesses seeking to grow’. The new allowance would give founders £100 (£2,600) a week to help with living costs. The Lib Dems are also expected to announce a review of business rates and an extension of the British Business Bank to help firms access finance.
 
Elsewhere, Nicola Sturgeon looked keen to re-shape some of the SNP’s election messaging yesterday, emphasising a demand for Scotland to have a top seat at the Brexit negotiating table after the election. Ahead of a campaign visit, Ms Sturgeon said that a vote for her party would provide a ‘clear democratic mandate to demand a place for Scotland at the top table, with our continuing place in the single market a fundamental pillar of the UK’s negotiating remit’. The comments have been taken by some as an indication that Scotland’s First Minister is keen to play down the SNP’s emphasis on independence.

Election round-up kindly provided by the IoD.

Interesting policy

The Liberal Democrats have announced they would introduce a 5p charge on disposable coffee cups.

Currently 2.5 billion disposable cups are thrown away every year in the UK – around 7 million every day - and fewer than 1 in 400 are recycled.

The policy would build on the success of the charge on plastic bags introduced by the Liberal Democrats in government, which has seen a 85% reduction in plastic bag use since it was brought in.

Money raised from 5p coffee cup charge would go to charitable causes chosen locally, as with the plastic bag charge, with the encouragement to support environmental charities. The plastic bag charge raised at least £29.2 million in England alone during the first six months of the policy being introduced.

Alongside this measure, the Liberal Democrats will increase recycling and have promised to pass a "Zero Waste Act" which will include a legally-binding recycling target of 70% in England.