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The Conservative Manifesto 2010

For the Future of Britain

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Table of Contents

Foreword - The Four Pillars

The Economy

❖ The Treasury: Building a New Economy

❖ National Development & Sustainability: Planning for a faster, greener

Britain for today and tomorrow

❖ A Working Britain: Business, Skills, and Innovation

❖ Social Security: Benefits and Opportunity

The Society

❖ Political Reform: Efficient, Dutiful, and Local Governance

❖ Fighting Fit: A Healthy Britain

❖ Education: Our Future

❖ Regions: Keeping Britain United

❖ British Sport, Culture, and Media

National Security

❖ Home Office: Security at Home

❖ Justice: An Efficient System

International Security

❖ Foreign Affairs: A Brighter World

❖ Defence: Security Abroad

Conclusion

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Foreword by Leader of the Conservative Party Vincent Monterey

The Four Pillars of Conservative Government

When I assumed my position as Leader of the Conservatives, I found a

party in much the same condition as we find Britain today; facing tragic

circumstances due to irresponsibility, but filled with potential and people who

are committed to a better future. Just as I addressed the challenges facing

the Conservatives head on, I intend to address the challenges of our

country. Our party does not shy away from the inevitable difficulties we will

face in government. Our agenda is centered around one commitment: a

better future for every Briton; an agenda which we will not back away from.

What we offer is not just a set of new faces and fresh policies to

reinvigorate the country; we are offering a completely new philosophy of

governance. We believe that we are all in this together. Within the past

month the Conservative Party has mobilized, embracing the philosophy

which we present to you. Unity has been put before division, sacrifice among

leaders has been enshrined, and personal ambitions set aside. Unanimously,

I was given the honor to serve as Leader of the Conservatives; a testament

to the commitment to unity and self-sacrifice of each and every member of

the party. From this unity and self-sacrifice has emerged the Conservative

plan to reinvigorate Britain under four pillars of new, innovative governance.

We will shackle ourselves to inequality, inefficiency, and continued decline if

we fail to build a solid foundation for our future now.

Building that foundation means beginning with the first pillar of a

Conservative government, the economy. Millions are jobless, with no hope of

finding work in the short term. These same families which are already

struggling face rising inflation as our budget faces a massive deficit. The

social services that we have come to rely on and expect to deliver are

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crushed under government inefficiency and bureaucratic procedures, costing

us hundreds of billions of pounds. Creating effective remedies for these

issues requires flexibility, innovation, and reform. Our ideas are modern and

radical, but balanced and well-measured for the demands of the Britain we

see in crisis today. We believe in an economy based on the power of people;

built from an efficient tax model, decreasing cost of government,

transparent finances, a comprehensive plan for national development, and a

focus on serving the skills necessary to not only meet the demands of the

21st century, but to surpass them.

Our plan for national development is not a government-implemented

solution for everything; we want to go further and help Britons build a better

future for themselves. We can take Britain to new heights by concentrating

on a Working Britain programme, putting those who are unemployed back to

work through provisions for youth, those changing careers, the disabled, and

those lacking networking potential. Working Britain seeks to train and retrain

individuals while matching employers seeking skilled workers with those

workers and meeting the demands of the job market.

We want to increase opportunities for innovation by encouraging and

growing connections down to communities and households, pursuing

innovation at every corner. A solid pillar relies on a solid core; our national

development model relies on new technologies, using the digital age to our

advantage. Modern marvels such as high speed rail, or instant disbursement

of information via the internet open numerous possibilities; we want to put

the man who lost his job, the single mother, the family struggling to make

ends meet, you, at the forefront of building a new economy for Britain.

The second pillar of Conservative government is the society. Central to

our civilization is the concept of society; but in recent years the meaning of

society and government’s role in it has become skewed. We embrace society

as the core of our values and our way of life; but we also understand that

government exists to support society and help make it great - not be the

society. We have our work laid out for us: in order to make our society great

we must embrace political reform. Politicians, and the governments they

form are accountable to you, not the other way around. That is why ensuring

representatives are dutiful and as close to their constituents as possible via

strong political structures is a crucial step in healing the issues we face.

But reform cannot merely address the political system itself; we have

to provide for the health and well-being of our citizens in body, mind, and

pride. We will begin by committing ourselves to the National Health Service;

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we will cut the deficit - not the NHS. We will follow by creating an education

system that raises standards, focuses on training youth for the skills of

tomorrow in core subjects, and supports institutions of higher education in

doing the same. We have the ambition to present Britain as a modern

society to the world as we prepare for the Olympics, embracing government

as a servant of the people, not their ruler.

Our third pillar is security. The single largest threat to our national

well-being is lack of security. The threats we face today are varied,

unpredictable, and difficult to detect. Anything from terrorism to modern

cyber-security attacks can cause social disruption. We propose a swift and

firm response, understanding that the key to a strong economy and a strong

society is an equally strong sense of security. Our focus on social cohesion,

vigilance, and mental health answers threats at home to damper crime. Our

resolve to prevent our youth from getting caught in bad decisions, and to

stop the cycle of violence before it starts, will be fundamental to lowering

crime rates. By creating partnerships between society and government,

people and local officers, and focusing on the total wellness of our citizens,

we meet the challenges of national security.

Carrying out justice in cases where crime cannot be prevented

requires a focus on reducing repeat offences, providing transparency, and

greater efficiency. Through our focus on reducing repeat offenders we can

work with individuals who have made mistakes in their past, helping them

rehabilitate their image and become productive members of society. As we

target goals for dropping crime rates we hope to provide a new level of

transparency to the public regarding the justice system by releasing justice

files on one online database, and setting up a direct police complaints

system on the same database with any relevant justice files necessary at

your disposal. We hope to reduce the bureaucracy of courts by

computerizing processes and records further, transferring case files and

decisions onto a unified database, and thus achieving administrative savings.

The fourth and final pillar of building a modern, innovative Britain

through Conservative governance is our role in international affairs and

security. To construct an effective policy for the future, we must look at the

past and learn from our mistakes; a Conservative government would

establish an inquiry into the Iraq War and investigate the mistakes, if any,

made during the run-up to the invasion, during, and since. We will further

intensify our cooperation with allies in the Middle East in order to support

the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and the reintegration of Iran into the

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family of nations by encouraging it to comply with resolutions of the UNSC.

Fostering relations with nations linked culturally and historically to us via the

Commonwealth of Nations, and emerging countries in Asia will be crucial to

improving our security relationships and expanding trade opportunities. A

Conservative government would actively push for free trade agreements

between the EU and Asian countries, regarding them as fundamentally good

for British people and British businesses.

Most important, however, is addressing our defense needs. A

Conservative government would inject transparency in the defense

procurement process, creating a new agency which would act as the one

stop shop for all defense sales. We will continue modernization plans,

addressing cost overruns directly, and seeking appropriate settlements to

mitigate the damage caused by such overruns. We will abide by the

withdrawal scheme proposed by the current government, and will continue

to work with Afghan security forces to root out Taliban fighters.

Our promise is to act as partners to you while in government, that we

will all be in this together, and we will all work for the future of Britain. Our

vision for Britain is simple; we want everyone to have a fair chance.

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The Treasury: Building a New Economy

The deficit has been soaring, waste and taxes from the previous government has wrecked the

economy and the idea of a recovery from the global financial crisis seems further than ever. Our

economic model is based on investing in and saving for the future of Britain, not massive

borrowing and debt. The Conservative Party's first priority is restoring fiscal stability and

restoring job growth. We want to keep mortgage rates low, spread home ownership, provide

more equal opportunity for all, and create an efficient and lean government.

We want to unite the country behind a bold new vision of a modern British economic model, a

better future for all.

An Efficient Tax Model

Efficient government means efficient taxation. We start creating a

more efficient tax system by doing a full review of Her Majesty's

Treasury and Customs to get recommendations on the taxes causing

the most economic burden, and begin to phase out the complicated

tax code for duties. We also believe that flying abroad should not

cost exorbitant rates, and we would scrap the travel tax for flights.

The Conservative Party realizes people are struggling right now, and

because we are all in this together we need to create equal

opportunities, including in taxation, but to start saving we need to

start contributing without having people go hungry. We would stop

paying tax credits to families with incomes over £100,000, cut government contributions to Child

Trust Funds except to people who fall below the poverty line. The inheritance tax would not be

barred from taking place through trusts, but we would allow for a reduced tax rate on less than

£50,000 in inheritance. The Conservative Party recognizes contributions to our future are vital

and we are ready to make the tough decisions.

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One of the most efficient ways to create new jobs is to reduce the cost of hiring on small and

medium sized businesses while making sure those new to the workforce can find a place.

We will immediately act to cut government waste so we can stop the National Insurance rise on

anyone earning under 35,000. We want to provide a Working Britain jobs programme where all

actively participating businesses hiring workers in the programme will receive a tax credit. We

are all in this together, and we need business to help get the economy on track for our workers.

Job creators and job-seekers will have the tools necessary from across a Conservative

government to establish sustainable jobs - including Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs.

Our youth is vital in this recovery, our recent university graduates are going to secure the

recovery, and we would create a tax break for businesses hiring those who have graduated

from a university within the last 2 years.

That is why if elected we have a clear set of promises for the first year in office.

● We will review HM’s Revenue & Custom; and

● Raise the employer National Insurance threshold; and

● Raise the employee National Insurance threshold; and

● Create thresholds on inheritance tax; and

● Lower taxes on Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME’s); and

● Create a tax credit for businesses participating in the Working Britain Programme

Government: Costs Down and Quality Up

Efficiently spending taxpayer funds is vital to

a successful government and in fixing the

public finance catastrophe we have now.

The Conservative Party believes

modernizing administrative process,

competently and without losing 26 billion

pounds in a single year as the previous

government had, is the best way to provide a

better future for public finances and

ultimately for Britain.

We would begin by freezing public sector

pay for one year, excluding the one million

lowest paid workers. We would cap public

sector pensions above to public sector

earners above £75,000.

The Conservative Party knows that if we’re all in this together, Parliament needs to understand

it too. We would like by example of the sacrifices that must be made and we would cut

Ministers’ pay by 10 per cent, followed by a five year freeze.

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If elected, we will immediately look at where government procurements are coming from, old

contracts are not safe anymore. Efficiency of taxpayer money comes first. We would create a

review of all procurements above £25,000 and have a cost-estimate compared to comparative

market prices of those procurements, if the cost-estimate shows the market-price is lower

departments would automatically have to seek renegotiation or a new supplier to meet market-

price or lower on major supply of goods.

Transparent Finance

The recent economic crisis showed us how dangerous it is

when financial companies get too shadowy and people

are not told in clear terms what they are getting into. Most

people are not barristers, and complicated financial

documents or collection explanations that span tens if not

hundreds of pages is not fair to common people.

We would create a Consumer Protection Act which would

enforce new Transparent Finance rules through an Office

of Consumer Protection.

We would create a Credit Transparency Act which would

allow common-language contracts to act as proxy for

detailed legalese contracts or credit agreements.

We would enforce new rules on lending to require credit be simpler to understand and safer on

the economy.

Political Changes Matter

The Conservative Party, if elected, wants to place a

significant focus on the economic potential of releasing the

burden on the national government to fund local programs.

Naturally, we believe a most efficient government comes

when people can speak to their leaders closely and that is

most true on the local level. We believe that by

empowering local authorities and sharing fiscal

responsibility the national government can decrease the

national debt and deficit. This is outlined in full in our

political reforms, but we plan to directly calculate our

savings in passing on fiscal obligations through local

authorities and give a proportional tax cut in national

income taxes.

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Housing and Public Finance for Equal Opportunity

This economic crisis calls for a new way at

looking at how we get people home ownership

in the long-term. This recession proves one

thing if any, everyone is worse off and the

promise of more distributed home ownership

by the previous government has not only failed,

but their approach has wrecked us. We need to

not only secure those who have managed to

keep their homes, we need not only to give a

fresh start to those seeking to regain their

financial lives and new homes, but we must

also secure the future home-seekers and first-

time home buyers - we cannot let a generation

be lost on the economic ladder because of

continued bad government policy. So, we

propose a better Future of Britain and strong

policies to get people on the home-ownership track.

Our Consumer Protection Act would create a Consumer Services Agency to give free financial

consultancy to consumers before getting into credit agreements.

We would establish a financial safety course that first-time homebuyers and those who have

had foreclosures or undergone major credit losses between 2008 to 2012 can undergo and

receive a credit worthiness guarantee equivalent to one year’s income from the government to

ensure lenders begin lending again.

We would ensure that no-one is forced to sell their home to pay unsecured debts of less than

£25,000.

To get people back on the housing ladder we would begin by raising the stamp duty threshold.

We want to reform the approach to social housing so it becomes a step on the housing ladder

where people get a bit of a push on to the next step, not a pit people cannot climb out of. To do

this we have a series of proposals

● We will create a home-ownership programme giving an option of an equity stake to good

social tenants, this will be transferred over as an addition to their deposits when buying

new homes; and

● create a new ‘right to move’ scheme and introduce a nationwide social home swap

programme done through a social housing forum online, so social tenants can swap their

tenancy to another home or part of the country after applying for the swap due to

economic or justified personal emergencies; and

● respect the tenures and rents of social housing tenants.

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National Development & Sustainability:

Planning for a faster, greener Britain for today and

tomorrow

Economic growth and prosperity rely on stable, cheap, and available sources of energy and a

robust, efficient transport network. Failed government policies have resulted in declines in both

of these areas. Energy costs have reached new peaks. A lack of investment in roads, rails, and

bridges has led to deteriorating infrastructure across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern

Ireland. The results are a poorer business climate, a lowered standard of living, and higher

costs for businesses and families alike. We need sustainable national development to take

Britain into the future.

If elected into government, the Conservatives will immediately begin taking a series of actions to

turn these failures around:

Connecting our Cities with High-Speed Rail

A well-connected nation is one that will thrive. Currently, rail

journeys from London to Scotland and Wales can take as

long as five hours. To combat this, a Conservative

government would see to the construction of a high-speed

link from London and Heathrow Airport to Birmingham,

Manchester, and Leeds. This rail link would form the first

phase of a national high-speed rail network spanning Britain,

bringing the regions closer together. The second phase

would see the north east, Scotland, and Wales connected.

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Helping our Economy Take Off with New Airports

Air traffic movements at airports in the south

east of the country continue to reach new

highs. Heathrow and Gatwick Airports are

operating at nearly 100% capacity. Take-

offs and landings at Heathrow are an

intricately choreographed affair. A single

mistake, accident, or delay at Heathrow can

quickly ripple throughout the whole of

Europe. This is not sustainable. Air travel is

vital to continued economic growth and

recovery. A Conservative government would

begin studies of a third runway at Heathrow

Airport, expansions at other Greater London

airports, or even a new airport for London, weighing the costs and benefits of each option. By

increasing air capacity we increase transportation potential and economic results.

Bringing a Smoother Ride with Private Investment

Privatisation of the railways initiated in the early 1990s. With private operation of rail services,

passengers have seen greater efficiency,

accountability, and lower prices through

increased competition. A Conservative

government would build on these successes

through further reform of the railways. Granting

train operating companies longer, more flexible

franchise agreements will incentivise private

capital investment into the railways, bringing

solutions to overcrowding, better on-time

performance, increased frequency of service,

and more.

Building for our Future

We can do even more to improve our railways through targeted government

investment in critical areas. A combination of government funds and

contributions from property developers can fund the development of new or

improved transport corridors. Examples include Crossrail links in London, and

the complete electrification of the railway network.

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Using New Energy to Invigorate our Economy

Cheap, clean energy is at the heart and soul

of a strong, healthy economic engine. A

Conservative government will encourage the

use of all available energy resources to

diversify our energy sources and let the

British people prosper. This will result in

lower energy costs as diversifies energy from

a mix of sources including traditional,

nuclear, and new renewable energy sources

over time, allowing us to meet our energy

goals. These goals include 25% of energy

consumption met by renewable sources as

we aim towards energy independence.

Pushing our National Electric Grid into the 21st Century

A decade into the 21st century, our

homes and businesses are still using

the same 20th century technology to

generate and transmit electricity. A

Conservative government will push for

the modernisation of the electrical grid.

This would involve the installations of

smart meters in homes and businesses

to better manage supply and demand

of electricity. This will be coupled with a

networked national grid, which will

allow power companies to respond

faster to outages and improve reliability

across Britain. We will also see the

construction of an offshore electrical

grid to take advantage of a boom in

offshore wind and tidal energy projects.

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Breathing New Life into our Cities

Many areas across the country, particularly in cities, are sorely in need of attention. Abandoned

buildings, decaying flats, deserted shops and businesses. We

must make the regeneration of neglected areas a top priority. A

Conservative government will oversee the creation of wide

ranging public private partnerships, through our Development

and Investment Act, to begin rebuilding Britain through a series

of joint ventures with the private sector, where businesses can

invest capital into an investment fund that will provide a

percentage of returns from tax revenue capture in zones

specifically developed by the fund. This saves taxpayers money

by reducing the amount of government funds spent on

infrastructure and development projects while encouraging

businesses to get involved with government coordinated development projects to give them a

competitive edge. The mixed-use developments created as part of this programme will employ

modern planning techniques, be funded by the private sector, and will bring the efficiency and

know-how of business into government-directed development, reducing uncontrolled sprawl,

making more efficient use of land, and protecting greenfields from wasteful low-density

development.

Putting Britain in Front of the New Digital Wave

The internet is deeply

woven into the fabric of

everyday life in Britain.

With the rise of

smartphones, notebook

computers, and more

powerful internet

devices in business, the

need for faster internet

speeds has grown to

levels unforeseen just

10 years ago. The

Digital Britain report laid

the foundation and

need for better broadband; the government has since let the report's recommendations

languish. A Conservative government would immediately lay out a plan to reach 90% of British

households with a 100Mbit fibre broadband network within ten years. The potential in fibre-

based internet is near limitless, and the technology improves with each passing day. Tests have

shown speeds can be pushed even higher. Universal broadband would give Britain a

commanding edge in the global technology market and give our businesses higher ground to

compete with their counterparts in other countries. Improving our internet connectivity is vital to

competing on a global scale in this connected age, and we will deliver.

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A Working Britain: Business, Innovation, and Skills

With an ongoing recession and unemployment skyrocketing it is time we put business and

people at the forefront of our goals. That is why the Conservative Government would create

a department for Business, Innovation, and Skills. It is time we tackle unemployment and

prepare Britain for the decade ahead.

We would invite the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses,

the Institute of Directors and the British Chambers of Commerce to present us with an

economic proposal that ensures a return to real growth and improves the lives of those who

have elected us to do so. We cannot simply stand idly by whilst unemployment is on the rise

and we must turn to those best placed to help resolve the issue - British business and the

British people.

Tackling Unemployment

The epitome of Labour’s inefficient government comes from their

multiple failed unemployment schemes all aimed at doing what a

single Work Programme should be doing - putting people back to

work and costing the taxpayer less money. The goal is clear, we

would repeal and remove the multiple failed unemployment schemes

and create the Working Britain programme which will bring those

with barriers to working such as minor disabilities who still find

themselves able-bodied onto the frontline.

● We will scrap Failing Unemployment Schemes for a Single Work Programme

● Partner with private industry and volunteer organisations to provide people with sustainable

work and reward participating organisations in exchange for their contribution to resolving the

unemployment crisis

● Provide post-academic Service Academies to teach people the skills they need to fill the jobs

businesses in Britain and around the world need filled.

● Create Network Clubs where local people and businesses can attend regularly to make new

contacts and find new local opportunities.

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Restoring Business Opportunity As we face an economic slowdown and volatility increases

banks are beginning to become more hesitant in their

lending. Fixing this will be at the core of restoring growth

and employment. We would introduce a government

grant which backs business lending at a banking level

with government finance. The grant, estimated at a pilot

figure of £100 million, would help stimulate lending in the

banking industry and give the assurance to the bank that

they will not lose money should a business fail in the

short-term. This would be managed and coordinated by

the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with

the criteria for qualifying businesses set in a Restoration of Confidence Act.

We would also create an Entrepreneurship and Innovation Act that provides funding to British-based

businesses involved in the technology sectors or creating a product which has not entered into the

market before, as determined by the Patents Office. To give emphasis to our commitment to small

businesses and innovation we would create an extra grant for businesses with less than 50 employees

involved in the export and domestic provision of high-tech services, technology and software

production, or energy.

Helping the disabled find their place

The Conservatives believe everyone has a contribution to make.

That is why under our government we will make sure that those

with minor disabilities can find work and our able to support

themselves. This will be accomplished through a scheme called

“Everybody In!” part of the Working Britain programme in which

companies, whatever size, are invited place their name on a

national register certifying that they are willing to employ those

with minor disabilities and take steps to make sure they have equal

opportunities. This will allow Working Britain to host job fairs where

companies come together to help the disabled find their place in

the workforce. There are many of these people who have an incredible amount to offer and tapping

into their talents can only make Britain greater.

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Social Security: Benefits and Opportunity

To secure the future of Britain we must begin addressing the ineffective

bureaucracy created by Labour, creating more efficient benefits programs,

and making sure people who pay in also get paid out.

Benefits has always been a tricky place to reform there is a lot of red tape

and so for this reason the system has remained largely unchanged since the

post-war era. The Conservatives are taking scissors to this bureaucratic red

tape and for the first time since the Great War taking a look at the benefits

system and adapting it to become more efficient for all of us.

Welfare Reform

While the welfare system is not nearly as

complicated as its pension counterpart,

some changes are certainly in order to

combat abuse and most importantly make

the system fair for everyone. We propose

a welfare reorganization which will keep

core benefits intact, and make those who

use the system accountable. This

restructuring will come in the form of two

pieces of legislation. The first is the

Welfare Claims Restructuring Act and the

second will authorize money-saving

measures with respect to the welfare system. The case for this reform comes in two parts.

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Cuts must be made

The UK has hit hard times there is no doubt about that. Consequently, we can not allow ourselves to

continue the disastrous spending plan adopted by Labour over the past 13 years. We must act

responsibly so that we can continue to operate our social services effectively and to return to stability

as a country. It will not be easy. However it is this party’s pledge that welfare, as well as other social

services will be affected as little as possible. For the Tories, welfare is not numbers on a balance

sheet, it is the people that are truly in need being unable to support their families during the most

vulnerable of times that deserve help, but we must keep our finances sustainable to continue helping.

Britons must come first

We are living in a time where people are encountering hard times as a result of the financial crisis of

2008. Each day these same people, mothers, fathers, and the everyday Briton are forced to make

tough decisions as they try to make ends meet. Many who didn’t before are now having to claim

benefits. Of course this puts stress on the system but it is not impossible to deal with. We must also

add the thousands who have flocked from other parts of Europe in need of help. While we don’t want

to turn away people in need away, without the proper reforms we will be crushed by the strain on our

benefits system and the massive national debt. We want to offer financial freedom

An Efficient Benefits System

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Welfare Claims Restructuring Act

The act makes some big changes when it comes to the way claims are processed. It’s main aims are

to make sure our citizens are a priority for receiving benefits, makes claims easier and to prevent

fraud.

● Create a single form which will replace applications for each individual benefit, this reduces

paperwork, simplifies the process and keeps claimants accountable Benefits will be organised

as follows: Children and Care (Child Benefit, Carer’s and Maternity, Child Tax Credit, Disability Living Allowance)

Income and Employment (Working Tax Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Employment and Support)

Housing (Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit)

● Make sure British citizens come first when claiming benefits

● Place limits on what benefits EU nationals and others can claim

Employment Act

● Reduce Jobseeker’s Allowance to incentivize employment

● Suspends minimum wage for 16-17 year olds to encourage businesses to hire youth

● Allows the split of maternity leave between mother and father so that they can spend time

with families

● Tax-break for business that employ disabled

A Simpler Pension

Britain is notorious for

having one of the most

complicated pension

systems in the world. The

proposed act, the Pension

Act, aims to simplify our

pensions system by

creating one government

pension. Based on your

National Insurance

Contribution the philosophy

is simple, if you put in you

get out. People have

worked hard all their lives,

they shouldn’t have to work

just as hard to claim their investment when they retire. That is why this landmark legislation cuts the

red tape and streamlines the system to make it easier for you to have a comfortable retirement. The

best part is that you will be able to claim State pension in addition to personal and work-based

pension so you don’t have to struggle to make ends meet after you stop working.

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Political Reform: Efficient, Dutiful, and Local Governance

We live in the era of computers, mobile phones, and instant communication and disbursement

of information. The need for a Transparent Government is more vocal than ever. The

Conservative and Unionist Party believe in a new system of authority where the public will be

made aware of what is going on within the Government and its Departments. We believe that

freedom of information on non-classified subjects and on topics that do not fall under the Official

Secrets Act is a vital part of every free people with dreams of modern day politics. In this spirit if

we are elected:

The Department of Political Reform

We want to show how serious and how much we care about this field of politics, so we will be

creating a new Department of Political Reform to enforce a series of measures to make

government more efficient, dutiful, and

local.

We will submit an Act that will deal

with the expenses scandal and

through this we shall create an

Independent Agency to value and

approve the MP's costs.

We also want to sort out lobbying

problems. We are going to introduce

new rules to stop central government bodies using public money to hire lobbyists to lobby other

government bodies. Members and senior civil servants alike.

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We will also believe it is time to conduct a full review on Parliament, on the boundaries for the

number of MPs, on Member’s Salaries, and member supplements to pay staff and other

expenses.

We will require public bodies to publish online the job titles of every member of staff and the

salaries and expenses of senior officials paid more than the lowest salary permissible

in Pay Band 1 of the Senior Civil Service pay scale, and organograms that include all

positions in those bodies.

We will review the Ministerial Code to make it evident that any former Minister or Secretary of

State who breaks the rules on appointments will be forced to relinquish his or leave a part of his

Ministerial pensions.

Getting the Job Done

To meet the ambitious promises we have given above

we have the following plans to empower the Department

of Political Reform.

A Public Accountability Act to set clear standards for public officials:

● We will require senior civil servants and Members of Parliament to publish online details

of expense claims and meetings with lobbyists; and

● set clear rules for expenses which can be claimed and those which cannot; and

● give police the investigative prerogative to those who violate the Public Accountability

Act and set levels of criminal charges dependent on the level of violation of the public

confidence and the cost of the corruption; and

● forbid the use of taxpayer funds to meet with lobbyists or to lobby between government

departments without an official government contract being procured, approved, and

reported on consultancy; and

● address party funding guidelines through an independent commission.

A Transparency Act to make government more open for

all:

● We will require senior civil servants and Members of

Parliament to publish online details of expense claims and

meetings with lobbyists; and

● publishing in full government contracts for goods and

services worth over £25,000; and

● increase the accountability of EU spending by publishing details of every UK project that

receives over £25,000 of EU funds; and

● allow for easier declassification, requests for declassification, and research of

declassified files through modern platforms and a single government website.

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Local Governance and the Frontline

We will empower local authorities to create a local plan of development every 5 years based on

a 10 year timeline of how they would like their community to develop. This includes allowing the

use of buildings according to any purpose allowed in the local plan per area. We would give a

duty to local planning and other public authorities to cooperate with one another.

We believe that part of political reform is taking away the power from regional bodies and

bringing it closer to local authorities so local people have more say. We want to allow local

authorities the right to give directives to local clinics and provide special funding to their local

clinics in coordination with the Health Department. For Education we want to give local

authorities the right to apply for the implementation of pilot programs in their local schools,

which if shown to improve standardized scores will be recommended to the Department of

Education in an annual report of pilot successful pilot programs.

By giving local authorities the right to be more flexible in how they provide frontline services the

demands of local people are met better than ever as people are closer to their representatives,

government is downsized, and the integrity of the Union is preserved as well.

The Local Communities Empowerment Act would:

● Give councillors the power to vote on large salary packaged for unelected council

officials.

● Have local authorities create local development plans every 5 years for a 10 year

development outlook.

● Give local authorities the powers provided to regional assemblies to bring government

closer to local people.

● Allow local authorities to provide additional funding to their local NHS facilities and to

request for pilot programs to be made.

● Allow local authorities to pilot new education programs and report improved results to

the Department of Education for consideration in national implementation.

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Fighting Fit: A Healthy Britain

The NHS cannot continue in the state that it is in at the moment. It has been mismanaged for

the past 13 years, and now it is time that something worthwhile is done about it. Labour have

had 13 years to make a difference, and they have failed. We are the only party who can deal

with the issues of the NHS and health in general in a fair and correct manner - and this is how

we will do it.

Tackling Cancer

Britain has the worst cancer survival rate in the EU. If everyone paid £2 extra over the next two

years we would have £250 million to train cancer treatment staff and get new equipment to

erase this record. This will be known as the Cancer Fund.

We will create a Tobacco Prevention Act to place images such as lung damage on tobacco

related products to discourage people from smoking, especially young teens.

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Doctors & Nurses

GPs must be frank but not invective with children about the health effects of obesity and help

them to build and execute a plan towards healthy living.

It's no secret that A & E's continue to get swamped and consequently waiting times are on the

rise. We will look into extending the scope of the walk-in centre and run pilot programs at

selected A & E's and GP surgeries that are aimed at reducing waiting lists. Rather than have a

huge policy rolled out only to find that it hasn't worked as well as we thought, and turned out to

be a waste of money, we will pilot the policies first in selected areas to gage the effectiveness

and cost, and then if it is has been successful and cost-effective, will start to roll out the policy.

● We will look into creating a Matron-style job for hospital wards.

● As a temporary measure we would look at hiring Doctors and Nurses from abroad to

help out while there is a shortage of staff and whilst we are training new doctors and

nurses and building new hospitals that are needed.

● Any person working in the NHS, or being trained/hired to work in the NHS must be fluent

in English.

Red Tape

This party if elected, will look at de-

bureaucratizing the NHS, and making sure

that managerial jobs are held by those

with medical knowledge, rather than over-

glorified pen-pushers. Any savings made

will be re-invested in the front-line. This

can be done through a Standards of

Health Employment Act which will set

certain minimum criteria in medical

knowledge or sciences among

administrators. If we expect people to

manage medical workplaces they should have an idea of what their employees have to cope

with and how to set a workplace environment appropriate to the needs of the medical

professionals they manage to provide the best patient care.

Health related Quangos will also be looked at, and if their purpose is either out-dated or simply

unnecessary, they will be cut or culled.

What Else We Will Do

● We will also look at ending health tourism to stop abuse of our system from happening.

● Any non-essential plastic surgery - i.e, boob jobs for no other reason than personal

vanity, will not be free on the NHS any more.

● We will start the process of creating patient privacy laws that allow those who do not

wish to be in mixed wards to opt-out

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Education: Our Common Future

The British economy is a demanding place. Employers expect new recruits from university or

training programmes to be the best and the brightest. But years of failed educational policies

has left them wanting. Our students today are unchallenged, without discipline, and on a course

for misery and failure. Our educational institutes and teachers on the front line suffer from lack

of help and resources from the government. We MUST turn back the downward forces exerted

on our legacy of educational excellence. A Conservative government has a plan to do just that.

Preparing our Youth for a Skills Economy

Redundant government work and training schemes have proven ineffective over time. We are

on track for creating a lost generation of youth without skills and deeply mired in joblessness.

The government’s ideas are not working. A Conservative government would redirect funding

from these failed programmes

to a proven system:

Apprenticeships.

Apprenticeships will give our

youth the skills they need

through direct, on the job

training. We will create

500,000 apprenticeship

positions over the next three

years, and give stipends to

small, medium, and minority-

owned enterprises for hiring

them.

We also believe in focusing on

the STEM (Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning route to have our youth become skilled to

the high-technology demands of the Future of Britain. This is why we will create a STEM

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focused curriculum with specialization in STEM learning as an option for our youth before they

even reach university. We want to prepare our youth for their future, and this is how we prepare

Our Common Future.

Supporting Institutions of Higher Education

Colleges and Universities are key parts of

higher education and skills training in

Britain. But they are weighed down by

Byzantine rules and regulations

implemented by the government. A

Conservative government would cut through

the layers of bureaucracy to give institutions

gasping for air the freedom they need to

give our youth the education they need in

today’s skills economy. We must also

respect that institutions know best about

what’s in their best interests by rolling back

direct state control over higher education.

Raising the Standards in Education

The education system in a

developed country such as

Britain should be producing the

best and brightest students

possible. To achieve this, a

rigorous national curriculum is

necessary. A Conservative

government will focus the

primary curriculum on Maths,

Science, and Technology

disciplines to prepare our

children for a future that will

rely on those fields. We will

seek input on exams from

universities and academics to

make them more challenging. Schools will be given the freedom to administer rigorous foreign

exams, and students will be given the ability to take GCSEs in more areas.

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Enabling Access to Better Education

Our schools system can benefit from an approach

similar to the free market. By lowering the barriers of

entry to the education sector, we will encourage good

education providers to establish new academy schools

and compete with local public schools for performance-

based incentives. Education is tightly linked to poverty –

that is why we must renew our focus on traditionally

neglected areas with lower incomes. We can do this by

providing more funds per students to schools located in

disadvantaged areas. But we must make responsibility

and efficiency a priority, so if schools continue to

underperform we would re-assess their administrations and transfer successful administrators

into under-performing schools while granting rewards to successful administrations.

Training for Tomorrow

Our proposed Service Academies would be a task led by the Department of Business,

Innovation, and Skills with recommendations and input from the best-methods teaching model

we hope to apply to the

Department of Education. If

elected, the Conservative Party

will initiate Service Academies for

adult education to allow those

switching careers or looking to

train for their first career to have a

go-to location as streamlined as a

University yet more career-

focused in picking your

specialization, being told how long

the training will take, and being

matched with specific jobs.

Service Academies will be training

in vocational careers, and provide

a general services path with

specializations of curriculum as specified by businesses in what they need their workers to know

before starting in their jobs. We will partner with business to not only develop a curriculum of

skills they are looking for workers to have, but also to take graduating Service Academy

students.

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The Regional Focus: Putting Britain Together

Our regions are the most important parts of the Union. Over the last 10 years, the disconnect between

Westminster, Stormont, Holyrood, and Cardiff has been large and long. A Conservative Government

shall lead for all the people, and work with the regional governments to help make a Better Britain for

all. A Conservative government will abide by the referendums given to Scotland and Wales on

devolution, and keep the assembly in Northern Ireland stronger than ever.

Northern Ireland - Keeping It Stable and Safe

Under this current and previous

governments, Northern Ireland has been a

region of instability with domestic terrorist

attacks and recessions. During Question

Time, the Government has said the same

platitudes over and over. “Committed to

working closely to … driving Irish

Republican terrorism out of the UK.” “Free

the citizens of Northern Ireland from the

spectre of terror.” “Ensure that terrorists

are being brought to justice as quickly as

possible.” “Proposals … to prevent people

turning to terrorism.” These are all actual

quotes from members of the Cabinet.

Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the attacks in March and the attempt in August have not been

brought to justice, nor have any proposals have been brought forward. A Conservative Government

does have a way forward and we will accomplish this through our Regional Reforms Act.

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● We will Support the Assembly in Stormont.

We support the devolution of powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly in Stormont. This allows the

Parliament to work on issues that pertain to the UK. ● End Double-Jobbing.

Ending double-jobbing is where citizens may only serve in either Stormont or Westminster, not both.

This will ensure their full attention to serving their constituents in either the Assembly or Parliament. ● Work with the intelligence agencies to make sure that the CIRA is eradicated.

The Continuity Irish Republican Army has been a scourge on Northern Ireland. Should we be elected,

we promise to do all in our power to eliminate the CIRA.

Scotland and Wales - Keeping The Union Stable

Scotland and Wales are two of the most important parts of the Union. In an

ever-changing world, their devolved powers have grown. As such, as the

world around us change, so should the relationship of the UK Parliament

with the Parliament in Holyrood and the Assembly in Cardiff. The

Conservative Government has a way forward, which we will accomplish through our

Regional Reforms Act.

● End Double-Jobbing.

Double-jobbing is where citizens serve in both their Assembly and

Westminster. Getting rid of this practice will ensure their full attention to

serving their constituents in either the Assembly or Parliament. ● Accept and Implement the Findings of the Calman Commission.

With the Calman Commission submitting their report, we accept that their findings are valid, and

should we be elected, we will introduce bills to implement them. ● Invest More In Our Regions

In Government, we will invest equally and equitably

within the regions. All of the parts of our United Kingdom

have great opportunities for growth, whether it is

research, construction, technology, or something

completely different. Investing in our regions will help

support the development of our great Union.

We believe Scotland should see a significant increase in service jobs, and this means a top-notch education.

Wales has the potential to become a world-class high-

tech manufacturer, and this means a top notch

education. If we are elected we would invest in our

regional local authorities and empower them to provide and pilot our best-methods programs. We

would invest in and empower local authorities through our political reforms to target education goals

to take full advantage of the rich potential and history in each region.

Conclusion

As our country changes, so should our relationships with the regions of our Country. A Conservative

Government will govern for all citizens of the Union, not just ones from certain regions. Scotland,

Wales, England, and Northern Ireland are the backbones of the Union. With these regional policies

combined with our planned local governance reforms, this will bring governance closer to people than

it ever has been while keeping our Union strong, preserving regional bodies, but bringing government

closer than ever to keep the discussion on devolution being one of government evolution.

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British Sport, Culture, and Media

Our heritage is a proud one spanning millennia now. The United Kingdom as we know it has existed for

hundreds of years, and all of our nations have an individual rich cultural history that make being British

a truly unique opportunity to express oneself in various cultures. We must make sure our youth are

aware of our rich history, and we commit ourselves to that effort. Because now, unlike any other

opportunity we have had in modern times we will get to share British culture with the world.

Our efforts of efficiency and people first extends to our media outlets. We have a plan to ensure

license fees are cut and the BBC stays an independent source of news. The future of government is not

as a media entity, the future of government is as an undivided servant to the people of Britain.

A Sporting Culture

During the next term of Parliament,

London will host the Olympic Games &

Paralympic Games in 2012, this will

make London the only city in the

World to have held the modern

Olympic Games on three occasions.

There will be no better time to show

the World just how proud we are to be

British. We want the whole of the UK

to feel part of these games and we will

work together with LOCOG and

Councils throughout the UK on how

we can make the Olympics come to

you, the people. In 2014 The

Commonwealth Games returns to

Scotland for the first time since 1986, and will be held in Glasgow, This will be the largest multi-

sport event to come to Scotland and it will be Scotland's time to shine on the big stage once

again.

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● We will provide free tickets for schools, community heroes and servicemen and

servicewomen for both sporting events.

● We will create a school sports competition where elite athletes from each school in that

respective county compete in finals against each other. Funding for this will be provided

by The National Lottery.

● A Conservative Government will hold discussions with the FA's from Northern Ireland,

Scotland & Wales in regards to stadia and facilities, we hope that the FA's can come

together and provide a joint bid to host a future European Championships.

● We will pledge to keep museums free of charge.

We will make it law that any projects that are funded by National Lottery funding are worthy of

the funding and not "art" projects, and the like, that do not benefit the community.

Independent Media

When all analogue TVs have

been converted to digital ones

the BBC Licence Fee will be cut

so the Government will simply

continue to fund the news

broadcasts, BBC Parliament

and the BBC News Channel.

The BBC itself will be

responsible for obtaining its own

funding for other programmes

and channels. How they wish to

do this will be up to them,

whether that be by selling more

merchandise, i.e. - shows on

DVD, etc., or by making the

BBC a subscription based service, in which viewers will be able to purchase "channel

packages" or pay to watch individual TV series/episodes. If the BBC opt for this option, then

their TV channels will be scrambled. The Government will liaise with the BBC throughout this

process.

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Home Office: Security at Home

In the modern world, the security of our people requires a much wider and diverse approach in

dealing with threats domestically and abroad, which can take form in many different ways. As

the criminals and terrorists begin to become more sophisticated in their use of technology and

tactics, we must to, and only the Conservative Party is working for the future in creating policies

dealing with the hugely digitalising and communications-friendly world. There is also still a huge

need for improving human safety precautions taken, with our intelligence agencies more vital

than ever.

Protecting the UK against terrorism

With the terror threat rising by

day, as more and more hostile

forces appear, we need to be

able to deal with this in an

efficient, yet careful manner.

From Al Qa’ida to the IRA, the

Conservative Party is dedicated

to introducing radical new ways

of dealing with all forms of terror

threat, with increases in both

personal and digital tactics being

employed. Not only will we focus

on stopping terrorist attacks, but

we will go back to the root of the

problem, and stop the spread of

radicalization in the first place.

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High-tech Security

As internet based communications become even more widespread, our intelligence agencies

will now focus huge parts of their budget on this area, which until this point, has been hugely

mismanaged. Message tracking will be improved, without any breaches to personal privacy, but

through enhanced filtering and threat detection techniques, we will aim to use the resources

available more usefully.

Because cyber-security initiatives have been ineffective in the past, it has become clear that the

area needs special attention. The party will establish the Office of Cyber Security and

Intelligence, OCS, a cross-service agency consisting of members from GCHQ, MI5, and MI6

specializing in monitoring global internet traffic with the aim of preventing terrorism networks

from originating and operating on the internet, collecting, internet-based intelligence and

thwarting attacks by foreign states or groups who aim to steal information or disrupt systems.

International Cooperation

Working with, not against, other nations in cooperatively dealing with international terrorist

threats, by openly sharing information which could help save lives. The UK will encourage open

debate in the EU Security Council on ways we can work together for the long term benefit of all

our nations. This will mean inviting our partners in the E.U Security Council and N.A.T.O to join

us in creating a comprehensive information-sharing system to alert one another of terrorist plots.

The Social Element

Cultural cohesion and more focus on assimilation can help our society function better as we

grow to understand each other in a way previously unprecedented. Each council will be required

to hold regular sessions with their local residents where they can discuss any religious or

cultural differences they may face.

Schools and other organizations will be given the resources to educate students about the

different cultures and religions that make this country great. We cannot allow schools to be the

only actors though, we must acknowledge that is the responsibility of members of different

34

culture and ethnic groups to inform others of everything their traditions have to offer. The less

our schools have to do and the more our people choose to do, we will begin to discover

everything that different people have to offer. If these cultural groups spread the word, it will be

easier for everyone to accept what makes them unique.

This will not only make for a more collaborative and productive nation, but will stop the spread of

extremist views which often occur due to segregation. Talking about the problems we face will

go a long way towards solving them.

Immigration

The UK Border Agency has been ineffective. This has been primarily due to having

to balance two separate arms of immigration regulation, visas/casework and day-

to-day border security. In order to

keep our borders more secure, we

pledge to restructure the Border

Agency and create two divisions,

which will each manage one aspect of

immigration. This will be done through

our Safe Borders Act.

The first of these will be UK Visas and

Immigration which will manage the

visa system and casework.

The second of these will be the Border Force whose job it is to police and protect

the border. In this capacity, it shall have the powers to:

● Check the immigration status of those arriving and departing the UK;

and

● search baggage; and

● patrol the coastline; and

● to protect and collect customs revenues for trade; and

● to alert police and security services to people attempting to enter or

leave the country

Crime

Reducing knife, gun and gang crime

Too many lives are ruined every single day by gang and knife crime. Gang members carry out

half of all shootings in the capital and 22% of all serious violence. This is not only hugely

dangerous to the potential victims of these crimes, but getting into these sorts of activities at a

young age will destroy whatever hope that young person had in the future, and too many people

35

do not receive sufficient support from the government in order to stay in education and get a

proper job, and therefore resort to methods such as these. We are dedicated to stopping crime

rates from the root, for the benefit of all members of society. To do this we will use the following

policies

Firm Policing

Serious cracking down on offences such as

possession of illegal firearms, with intent to use, sell or

transfer. Harsher punishments, with a view to potential

life imprisonment for serious offences, which will be

more widely known about, as police make regular visits

to all local schools in the borough and inform them of

the serious repercussions of their actions, will cut down

rates of crime in youngsters massively.

Mental Well Being

A report will be published regarding the link between mental

disorders, warning signs for parents and other early detection

methods which can indicate that a person will commit a violent crime

in the future.

This shall also be extremely publicised, as hospitals can inform

parents about any possible resultants from a young person’s mental

disorder, while parents themselves will be given access to a wide

range of helplines and councillors who they can talk do with queries

or concerns.

We recognize that the mental well being of others in our society is a matter of personal safety

and security to themselves and those around them. We also understand that when someone is

suffering from a mental illness they and their family deserve the support they need to cope so as

to not pose a danger to themselves or others.

Teaching our Youth the Right Path

A brand new advertising campaign will be launched entitled

‘Life isn’t Reversible – Drop the Knife’ based on a hugely

successful local campaign in Tameside, and will depict two

scenarios; one where a person stabs another and ends up in

jail for life, while another turns back the clock and shows the

person’s life if he had just dropped the knife. We want our

young people to know that all their actions have

consequences, and to make the best decisions in life for

their future.

Justice: An Efficient System

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It is not fair. Over the last 13 years, this country has seen huge increases against personal

crime levels. Over the last 13 years, prison population has risen to all-time record highs of over

80,000. Over the last 13 years, reoffending rates have skyrocketed to nearly half of all prison

sentences. The Conservatives can fix this.

The justice system needs major reform, which is less about bureaucratic mess it has turned

into, and more about actually you. A huge percentage of the population now longer feel safe

under the current policing system, and are mistreated and abused by the justice system. Follow

up rates to cases are under 65%, with most becoming bogged down in a bundle of paperwork,

and eventually forgotten all about. We won’t forget about you.

Reducing repeat offences and improving

rehabilitation

A huge issue in the way we deal with criminals in this

country is the lack of actually rehabilitating them, instead of

just secluding them for a short time, before letting them go

so they can do it all over again. Our role as a government

should firstly and primarily be about your safety, and with

personal theft rising by 25%, combined with 4% and 5%

increases to burglary and robberies at knifepoint

respectively, the Labour government clearly is not doing

the job well. Over half of criminals have already been

through the criminal justice system, and not only does this

hugely affect crime rates, it is also a huge burden on the

economy, with re-offending costing you the taxpayer £9.5-

£13B every year.

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● We will totally reform the current rehabilitation system by opening the market to selected

private rehabilitation institutions, which shall receive monetary rewards for reduced

reoffending rates, on a ‘Payment by Results’ method.

● This shall also increase competition between different institutions and real incentives

towards fixing this issue, whilst diversifying the market enough to give specialist

rehabilitation to each criminal, focused to helping their specific needs.

● Extend statutory rehabilitation rights to the 45,000 short sentenced offenders released

from prison every year, who have the highest reoffending rates yet receive no

supervision after release under the current system.

● Extend the prison service to outside of the walls of the institution, with help offered to

everyone who is released from prison to help them get their life back on track.

Creating a Transparent Justice System

In such a modern society, the public should be able to

have a clear understanding of the actions taken by their

government, and how it will affect them. This issue is

especially relevant in the justice system, where cases

can get embroiled in paperwork for far too long and

police follow up rates are at massive lows. You should

be able to see what we are doing to combat issues such

as these, and what effect they are having. Under the

Conservatives you can finally be confident in the justice

system again.

We want the scales of justice to fall in favour of people first.

● We will release huge amounts of data, previously held by the government, which will

allow the public to clearly see our progress both as a department and as a country.

These include quarterly local reoffending rates, how long cases take in criminal, civil or

family courts, and most importantly, how crimes were dealt with and whether the

offenders went to court.

● A new complaint system will be set in place, where any and all issues with any part of

the justice system, from the police to the courts, will always receive a clear response

partnered with a report of the case, and the option to directly contact the Justice

Secretary if they feel they want to discuss it further.

● The system now longer functions in a way that is aimed at helping the victim, and that is

a main priority of our government. Less paperwork involved in submitting issues to the

police will allow more personal care given to each individual case, allowing actual

progress to be made.

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Making the justice system more efficient

As technology moves forward and the economy

is at its worst point for over a decade, the

Ministry of Justice is committed to advancing

the systems we use to modernise it, making it

cheaper and more efficient. The old methods of

transferring papers and physical appearances in

court are both prime examples of the extra

administrative efforts, time and efficiency being

wasted, while they can also be easily exploited

due to the sheer volume of paper transactions

made regularly.

We will introduce digital technology into the justice system which enables us to:

● Work with criminal justice agencies around the world, to deal with cases with

international implications more effectively, and manage the logistical aspects

involved better.

● Allow courts, police and lawyers to transfer the huge amount of required

information electronically, making it much easier and quicker for issues to be

settled and hugely increases the efficiency of the whole system.

● Allow parties in court to use electronic devices such as laptops instead of the

cluttered paperwork necessary, making trials more organised as well as making

sure no pieces of evidence or lines or argument are missed or overlooked.

We will introduce video technology into the justice system which enables us to:

● Allow prisoners who are not in a fit condition to travel or have other issues

affecting their ability to show up in court can use video links to take part in the

court proceedings, reducing the constants delays faced in situations such as

these.

● Creating ‘live links’ to all police stations in the country, so officers can give

evidence directly from the station via video links, therefore not disrupting their

entire schedule.

● For all offenders, in prison, video conferencing can be used for them to

communicate between their representatives, visitors and prison staff, which can

also increase prison safety levels with less physical interactions. For offenders

out of prison who cannot for either geographical and physical reasons cannot

regularly attend their check-ups, they can use video links to attend the meeting

without actually being there.

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Foreign Affairs: A Brighter World

As the world changes we must stay vigilant of all corners. We must recognize our position in the

world and how we can help make it brighter for all, and in turn make it brighter for all Britons.

The Conservative Party believes in a Britain First Foreign Policy, and to put Britain First we

recognize that also means we can and should put people around the world into our hearts and

minds. We believe Britain should not only be a leader in the world abroad, but we have a clear

plan to do so.

The U.N: A Reformed World

When in the position as Secretary General, Kofi Annan suggested that the UNSC expand with

new permanent members roles. The Conservative Party supports this proposal, we would like to

see invitations to Japan, India, Germany & Brazil as special-status permanent members

restricted from veto powers until a unanimous vote can be arrived at. The U.N systems and

institutions deserve wider support, and this is the purpose of including these powers, while also

consolidating inefficient programmes and creating closer ties between major powers. We would

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take a leading role in these reforms of The U.N. The World is changing, and The U.N. needs to

change with the times also, or else it could be left behind. The Conservative Party if elected to

British government plans to lead the U.N forward.

As a continuously evolving and ever-prominent institution it is vital Britain lead at the United

Nations. There is simply no other forum where British leadership beckons more and has as

much potential as in the institutions of the United Nations. The Conservative Party recognizes

this, and this is why we will lead in reforms.

The E.U: Giving Britain a Voice

The Conservative Party proposed legislation where the nation will get the chance on an in/out

referendum for Europe.

Unlike the Labour Government, who said they would hold a

Referendum on The Lisbon Treaty, only to go back on their word and

push through the Treaty in legislation we stick to our promises. A

Conservative Government will deliver on that promise.

We value our relationships with our fellow E.U. members very highly,

but as we see more and more power get taken out of our hands and

fall into the hands of Brussels Bureaucrats, it's time that we say enough is enough.

If the E.U was being run properly, we would not have any worries, and we will take up matters

such as border control, immigration, red tape which gets in the way of progress etc. with E.U

colleagues such as German Chancellor, Angela Merkel to see if there is any common ground on

these issues.

Should the UK decide to opt out of the E.U we will negotiate alternatives with our E.U.

colleagues:-

● Cutting off all ties with the E.U isn't an option, this would have a detrimental effect on

The British Economy.

● Leave the E.U. but continue to trade, British exports would still be subject to E.U export

tariffs and would still have to meet EU production standards. But we would also be free

to establish bi-lateral trade agreements with fast-growing export markets through the

World Trade Organisation.

● We follow Norway & Switzerland, who have access to the single market but are not

bound by E.U laws on the likes of Agriculture & Fisheries.

These are three out of a number of options which we will discuss before any decision is made,

but these are clear paths forward depending on the people’s choice in the referendum.

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The Commonwealth: A Closer Family

A Conservative Party would support, promote, improve and

strengthen links and relationships between Commonwealth

Family Nations, at a time where the global economy is

facing a tough financial battle.

Historically, India, Australia, Singapore and Canada were

leading UK trading partners but since the European single

market these trading relationships have declined, well we

can turn that around, the Commonwealth can also

strengthen with trade arrangements with nations that aren't

part of the Commonwealth, i.e. Germany, China & USA.

The Commonwealth Business Council & Commonwealth Business Forum will play a key role in

helping produce business deals which will help Commonwealth Nations in the long run.

Middle-East

The Middle East has gained increased presence in

international affairs, being close to Europe and

being the location of our most recent wars there

are both proud friends and lurking enemies in the

Middle East. We will ensure to strengthen those

relationships for security purposes with those who

we call friends to root out those who would target

us as enemies.

The Conservative Party welcomed Israel's decision

to withdraw Israeli troops from the West Bank &

Gaza Strip, and also the ceasefires that came with it. We hope that this is the first step of many

needed on the way to finding a peaceful solution to the problems in the middle-east.

Iran

A Conservative Government feels it is necessary for Iran to comply with the United Nations and

allow an inspection of its facilities to proceed immediately.

If Iran does indeed have a nuclear programme, it needs to be abandoned. The World needs to

think more about bringing an end to the development of nuclear weaponry, not creating it.

Iraq

A Conservative Government will create an independent enquiry into the Iraq War at the earliest.

We must find what mistakes were made without jeopardizing ongoing national security

operations. We would find a qualified retired intelligence officer to lead the investigation and be

given access to all necessary classified files. If mistakes were made people deserve to know,

and as a government we need to know to ensure they do not happen again.

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Asia

Asia is full of economic opportunity and potential,

to take advantage of this we recognize that either

going through the E.U or by ourselves closer

economic ties with an ever-expanding Asian

market is vital. Fostering friendships and allowing

for interdependence in Asia while leading through

territorial disagreements will allow Britain to

position itself to also lead during trade

negotiations. Countries such as China, India,

Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan are

all opportunities waiting to be opened to British

goods to improve our economy.

The Conservative Party would lead in creating free trade agreements with countries like South

Korea where British sectors can find a market of nearly £500 million by current estimates,

focusing on specific economic sectors for free trade such as:

● Legal and financial services; and

● Pharmaceuticals; and

● Advanced engineering and manufacturing; and

● Energy production; and

● High-technology and software design

Free trade agreements throughout Asia is good for British people and British business, in these

hard global economic times if elected the Conservative Party will make sure to do what is good

for British people and business.

Foreign Aid: Aid Given Where Aid is Deserved

Within the first month in office we would undertake a

complete review into foreign aid requests and into the civil

service process to recommending foreign aid grants. This

review will help build deeper relationships and create new

found relationships.

The Conservative Party by all means, supports the right to aid

requests from nations, where it's people are struggling

against disease, hunger and poverty.

In 2010, it is heart breaking to think that there are millions of people around the World who are

still suffering. We will not turn our backs on those people, in some cases, those in dire need of

our help are not receiving aid due to corrupt officials and regimes, and this simply to be brought

to an end.

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Defence: Security Abroad

At the same time Britain has been at war, we have witnessed neglect of our national defence

budget and general confusion by the Government at to what the role of our armed forces are.

Immediately upon entering government, we would begin a Strategic Defence Review to

examine the threats Britain faces in the 21st Century, our military’s requirements to respond to

those threats, and how best to meet those requirements. Additionally, procurement is a mess in

Britain. A Conservative Government would undertake a complete review of how defence

procurement is handled, so that you, as taxpayers, continue to get the best value for your

money.

Armed Forces

We would increase investment in the Armed Forces Reserve by GBP2.0 billion over 10 years

after a review is completed.

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Ensure that pay and allowances are aligned with regular forces. To that end, we would moved

Reservists and regulars into a single pay and allowance system so that reservists would receive

the same pay and allowances as their regular counterparts for each day that they work at home

or deployed on operations. Reservists would continue to receive a "bounty" (to be renamed the

Reservist Annual Allowance).

Reservists will receive the same occupational health and medical rehabilitation services as their

regular counterparts for injuries received from operations or while performing official reserve

duties.

Incentivise employers to support reservists by ensuring National Insurance Contributions are

paid for by the MOD while a reservist is serving on operations or official duties. Additional

financial support for small and medium businesses by providing a discount on national

insurance contributions for any temporary staff that need to be employed as a result of a

reservist being in active service with the Armed Forces Reserve.

Introduce a Employer/Reservist Management Scheme within the Armed Forces Reserve to

provide advance notification to employers of deployment orders for reservists. Minimum notice

of 3 months will be required for all deployments exceeding 6 months and 2 months will be

required for anything less. This will enable employers to better plan for absences and recruit

temporary staff if necessary.

We would introduce a Reservist-Friendly kitemark to identify and recognise employers that

provide reservists with policies that recognise their special commitment.

Increase the Territorial Army to 35,000, Royal Navy Reserve to 5,000 and Royal Air Force

Reserve to 4,000.

A New Defence Programme

DESO would be run along the same lines as the Foreign Military Sales program of the United

States. A new Act of Parliament would be

required in order to create the new Agency,

outline it's powers and responsibilities and

define how it is able to act within the defence

engagement field.

DESO would be a one stop shop for all defence

sales queries to include purchase and

maintenance of equipment, provision of

training, capability building, construction of

defence infrastructure to all overseas partners. So rather than having our allies speak to multiple

defence contractors to build a specific capability, they would just speak to DESO outlining the

capabilities they require and DESO would do the rest of the work in identifying suitable

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contractors and putting together a cohesive and sensible package fulfilling customer

requirements and outlining costs. This would be put before the customer to agree or negotiate

before an order is placed.

Once an order has been placed, DESO acts as the customers agent with all matters with the

defence industry. DESO will accept equipment on behalf of customer should they wish to do so

and work with them to carry out to carry out pre-acceptance checks.

While DESO would act as agent for foreign governments to acquire contracts through our

authorization, it is also there to act as an independent, impartial arbiter in disputes seeking to

balance our reputation as a country that can be relied upon as a supplier, while protecting the

interests of the British Defence Industry.

The Ministry of Defence would loan out DE&S Personnel to UK Trade and Investment teams

overseas to act as SPOCs in each foreign country with a view to target defence related orders.

MOD personnel would have a better idea of the UK Defence Industry, projects, capabilities and

equipment that it can support so that a targeted campaign can provide a maximum return.

Have a stated government aim of doubling defence exports within 10 years. We have the

capability to deliver world class pieces of equipment and capability, we just need to target our

resources better and wider to ensure maximum success

Procurement Plans

CVF - The Future Carrier should remain

a STOVL platform. We should not

switch to a CATOBAR platform as the

cost of modifying the design at this

stage where the design is finalised and

they are preparing to cut the steel (in

July 2009) would be cost prohibitive.

We must commit to the construction

and retention of both aircraft carriers to

allow the Royal Navy to retain the

capability of having an aircraft carrier

available for operations at all times.

Type 45 - Cost overruns have

hampered this project and the MOD will

need to speak with BAE Systems to identify where these overruns are happening and produce

plans to mitigate them. We will commit to a total of 6 ships and while the option for 2 additional

ships would be nice, the cost would be prohibitive given our other project commitments.

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Future Surface Combatant - This project is still at the preliminary stages of planning, however,

we should commit to a minimum of 14 ships, 8 of which are land attack versions armed with

TLAM (Tomohawk Cruise Missiles) and CAMM; and 6 general purpose warships that have

CAMM but are fitted for, but not with TLAM Cruise Missiles.

Astute Class Submarine - This project is running over budget and very late. We should continue

to commit to a total of 7 ships but identify (as with the Type 45 Destroyer) why these projects

have cost so much more and taken so much longer than originally planned. We have the

potential to order an additional boat to reduce unit cost and provide the Royal Navy with a

significant additional capability.

MARS - These are ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. These vessels are urgently required to

replace aging tankers and stores ships. These ships should be built by the lowest priced

shipbuilder.

Conclusion

A Conservative Government would finish the jobs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon entering

government, if our commanders on the ground agree and Iraq is still prepared to take over its

own security, we will abide by Labour’s withdrawal. In Afghanistan, we will work with local

Afghan forces to continue rooting out Taliban and terrorist fighters, and continue our role in

preparing the Afghans to handle their own security.

Finally, our Military Covenant must be honoured. To this end, we will maximise rest and

recuperation leave, increase operational allowances, and provide university and further

education scholarships to the children of men and women killed in action, backdated to 1990. A

Conservative Government will look into the feasibility of dedicated military wards in those

hospitals treating veterans returning from combat, as well as establishing a commission on

mental health and suicide of veterans.

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Conclusion

Here we have outlined a vision. We hope this General Election this vision

resonates with you and you vote Conservative. We hope you have arrived at one

strong conclusion today, that for Britain and for you the decision is simple. A

Conservative Future; For the Future of Britain.