The Conservatives pledged to build the “Big Society”. Labour would ensure a “future fair for all”. The Lib Dems, meanwhile, guaranteed “change that works for you”.
Sound familiar? These were the pitches made by these parties in their election manifestos five years ago. Containing both specific policies and overall aspirations, manifestos form the bedrock of a party’s message to voters, to be relentlessly hammered home on the doorstep and social media alike during an election campaign. And despite high profile U-turns, manifestos are a good guide to a party’s likely legislative programme.
The Guardian’s policy guide interactive from 2010 provides a comprehensive picture of what the main three parties - as they were then - were promising. This time around, things have changed: Ukip, the SNP and the Green party are all expected to make electoral gains, and Labour and the Conservatives are predicted to struggle to gain enough seats for an overall majority. The manifestos of the smaller parties will face greater scrutiny.
Some details have emerged already. Labour have pledged not to raise VAT if elected in May, and plan to reduce university tuition fees from £9,000 to £6,000 a year. The Conservatives have pledged an extra £8bn in funding for the NHS, and health services available seven days a week. The Greens would renationalise the railways and energy companies, and introduce a higher rate of tax for those earning over £100,000. Ukip would abolish inheritance tax, repeal the Human Rights Act and leave the European Union.
In 2010, the parties launched their manifestos in mid-April. Labour have hinted theirs could come a little earlier this time.
With this in mind, we’re stealing a march on the official launches and hope to find out what key policy pledges would help swing your vote. Perhaps you’re keen for Labour to commit to a bold policy of housebuilding. Maybe you’d be more inclined to vote Conservative if they pledged certain tax cuts.
Whatever your manifesto idea, we want to hear from you. List your key policies - and which party you think should include them in their manifesto - via the form below. From these, we’ll colleage the ideas and put them to a reader vote (democracy in action) to build readers’ manifestos for each party.
You can submit your policy priorities via the form below.
