BBC NEWS | In Depth | Party policies at a glance

BBC NEWS | In Depth | Party policies at a glance

Here is a guide showing where the UK's three main parties stand on 11 key issues - it will be updated as new policies are announced.


LABOUR
Conference
in-depth


CONSERVATIVE
Conference
in-depth


LIB DEMS
Conference
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TAX/ ECONOMY

Labour: Takes credit for low mortgage rates, more jobs; would reform the "unsustainable" council tax; say spending plans affordable without tax rises; tax reliefs for "hard working families".

Conservatives: Would prevent "Labour third term tax rises"; will use £4bn to cut taxes although not saying which yet - however say inheritance tax, council tax and stamp duty are unfair.

Liberal Democrat: Would replace council tax with a local income tax; new 50% tax rate on earnings over £100,000 a year; no new business regulations without impact assessment.

EDUCATION

Labour: Parents able to select specialist school; 200 new City Academies; new powers against disruptive pupils; university top-up fees up to £3,000, with £3,000 help for poorest students.

Conservative: 600,000 new school places to boost choice; allow good schools to expand and new ones created; heads able to expel disruptive pupils; no student fees - new loans instead.

Liberal Democrat: Cut class sizes for youngest children; ensure all children are taught by a qualified teacher in each subject; abolish "unnecessary tests"; scrap university fees.

PENSIONS

Labour: Use benefits savings to design system with basic state pension at core; state pension age stays same; lump sums/higher payments for those working longer; special help for poorest.

Conservative: Restore link between state pension and earnings by replacing New Deal; fund free long-term residential care via three-year state sponsored insurance scheme.

Liberal Democrat: Boost basic state pension by £25 a week and restore pensions-earnings link for over-75s; link pension to residency not national insurance payments; free long-term personal care.

CRIME

Labour: Dedicated policing teams for every area; record police numbers already; plans total of 25,000 community support officers; 1,300 more prison places; double cash for drug treatment.

Conservative: 40,000 extra police; 10-fold rise in drug rehab places; addicts to choose rehab or prison; end some early releases; 20,000 more prison places; judges to set min and max sentences.
Liberal Democrat: 10,000 extra police; tackle drug dealers rather than cannabis users; out-of-hours school courses against yob culture; local communities decide sentences for low level criminals.
HEALTH

Labour: Patients able to choose their NHS hospital; waiting times down to 18 weeks; 100 new hospital schemes; 2,700 GMP premises to be improved; no "cut price" hospital cleaning contracts

Conservative: Patients able to choose hospital or take 50% of NHS operation price to go private; cleaner hospitals; Whitehall targets scrapped; dentists paid differently to help keep them in NHS.

Liberal Democrat: Earmark NI contributions solely for the NHS; local investment to be set by locally elected people; healthy cookery lessons in schools to help prevent obesity.
EUROPE

Labour: Want adoption of proposed EU constitution after referendum; support joining the single currency if five economic tests show it is in UK interests; UK should be at "heart" of Europe.

Conservative: Oppose EU constitution and would hold early vote; would let other nations integrate while UK gets powers back over fishing and quits social chapter; oppose adopting euro.

Liberal Democrat: Would work towards the right conditions for joining the euro and then call referendum; back EU constitution, saying it will make clear the limits on Brussels powers.
IRAQ/ DEFENCE

Labour: Stand by Iraq war - even if weapons intelligence was wrong, Saddam flouted UN resolutions; extra £3.7bn on defence over three years to modernise armed forces, shedding 20,000 posts.

Conservative: Still back Iraq war but say Tony Blair lied over the intelligence; pledge £2.7bn more on front line defence than Labour over the next 3 years, saving historic regiments.
Liberal Democrat: Opposed Iraq war and demand Blair reveal when he promised to commit UK forces; would start phased withdrawal of troops after Iraqi polls; worry troop cuts will affect peacekeeping.
TRANSPORT

Labour: Spending in 2015 to be 60% up on 1997; rail reorganisation so ministers set strategy and Network Rail owns all track; road building but car sharing lanes/road use charge plans too.

Conservative: Expand roads/speed up repairs; remove speed cameras which only make money; give best rail firms longer contracts; use retailers to fund improving train stations.
Liberal Democrat: High-speed rail link through central England; no major new roads unless absolute benefits; more congestion charges; free off-peak local travel for pensioners/disabled people.
ENVIRONMENT

Labour: Signed up to Kyoto and 60% target for cutting greenhouse emissions by 2050; tax incentives for fuel efficient cars; backing research into hydrogen powered vehicles.

Conservative: "Better leadership" on Kyoto targets; make fly-tipping arrestable offence; push tidal, wave and offshore wind power; use taxes to make greenest fuels cheaper; protect green fields.
Liberal Democrat: Lead by example by meeting Kyoto targets; ensure 20% of UK electricity is from renewable sources by 2020; get 60% of household waste recycled by 2010.
FAMILIES

Labour: "Universal, affordable and flexible" childcare for parents of all 3 to 14 year-olds; a Sure Start children's centre in every area; faster child custody hearings with access orders better enforced.

Conservative: Due to unveil childcare policies soon - would continue Sure Start centres but give parents more choice; presumption in favour of shared parenting when couples separate.
Liberal Democrat: Establish Early Years Centres, giving parenting advice, play areas and pre-school education; child's interests to come first in custody cases - no presumption in favour of mothers.
ASYLUM/ IMMIGRATION

Labour: Will reduce asylum numbers by tougher rules on settlement and more deportations; electronic register of all crossing borders; skills-based points system for permanent immigrants.
Conservative: Annual quotas for refugees and other migrants entering Britain; would create offshore asylum processing centres; pull Britain out of UN refugee convention.
Liberal Democrat: Back common EU asylum policy with fair sharing of asylum settlement; allow asylum seekers to work so don't rely on benefits; quota for immigrant workers from outside EU.


Labour website
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Conservative website
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Liberal Democrats party website
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