1. Party responses to austerity in the context of the 2015 General election Conservative Labour Lib Dems SNP Plaid Cymru UKIP Party Neo-liberalism Balance the budget; Balance the budget; Balance the budget; Prioritise benefits Cut business rates for Balance the budget; N/A £12 billion welfare cuts; Cap structural welfare Prioritise benefits for for the elderly small and medium Restrict child Cut household benefit spending; the elderly; sized businesses benefit to two caps; Prioritise benefits for Increase tax credit children; Increase tax credit; the elderly; Cut benefit caps; Prioritise benefits for the Increase tax credit Increase tax credit; elderly Cut business rates for small businesses Individualism Privatisation in various N/A Encourage further N/A N/A Encourage the use N/A sectors private sector of private health investment in various services; sectors Stimulate private energy investment N/A Scrap the bedroom Increase benefit cap for Scrap the bedroom Scrap the bedroom Reform the Introduce a maximum tax; two years; tax; tax bedroom tax 35-hour working Reform the bedroom Back increase of at week tax least the cost of living in benefits Social Create 3 million Increase access to Expand Continue free N/A N/A university Investment apprenticeships childcare; apprenticeships; university education tuition fees Apprenticeship for Develop national in Scotland every school leaver colleges for vocational who gets the grades skills Predistribution Increase minimum wage Increase minimum Retain the triple lock on Increase minimum Living wage for all No tax on minimum Create jobs that pay wage; pensions wage; employees by 2020 wage at least a living wage; Retain the triple lock Retain the triple Provide 500,000 on pensions; lock on pensions social homes for rent Control on rent and and protect the by 2020 and control utility prices winter fuel rent levels allowance
1. Party responses to austerity in the context of the 2015 General election Conservative Labour Lib Dems SNP Plaid Cymru UKIP Party Neo-liberalism Balance the budget; £12 billion welfare cuts; Cut household benefit caps; Increase tax credit; Prioritise benefits for the elderly Balance the budget; Cap structural welfare spending; Prioritise benefits for the elderly; Increase tax credit Balance the budget; Prioritise benefits for the elderly; Increase tax credit Prioritise benefits for the elderly Cut business rates for small and medium sized businesses Balance the budget; Restrict child benefit to two children; Cut benefit caps; Increase tax credit; Cut business rates for small businesses N/A Individualism Privatisation in various sectors N/A Encourage further private sector investment in various sectors N/A N/A Encourage the use of private health services; Stimulate private energy investment N/A N/A Scrap the bedroom tax; Increase benefit cap for two years; Reform the bedroom tax Scrap the bedroom tax; Back increase of at least the cost of living in benefits Scrap the bedroom tax Reform the bedroom tax Introduce a maximum 35-hour working week Social Investment Create 3 million apprenticeships Increase access to childcare; Apprenticeship for every school leaver who gets the grades Expand apprenticeships; Develop national colleges for vocational skills Continue free university education in Scotland N/A N/A university tuition fees Predistribution Increase minimum wage Increase minimum wage; Retain the triple lock on pensions; Control on rent and utility prices Retain the triple lock on pensions Increase minimum wage; Retain the triple lock on pensions and protect the winter fuel allowance Living wage for all employees by 2020 No tax on minimum wage Create jobs that pay at least a living wage; Provide 500,000 social homes for rent by 2020 and control rent levels
UK-background-paper.docx