In a month’s time, the nation decides who will govern them until 2020, scary thought or a Gallic shrug of indifference?
I think scary, five years is a long time in the Automotive Industry. So we need to get it right.
Anyone who’s visited The Vote for Policies website and completed it may have been; as I was, shocked that they are not what they thought they were.
I ended up a mongrel, a 25/25/25/25 split of parties, with no idea based on this site who I should vote for; lucky for me then that I’ve already decided.
But for those who haven’t and work in the Automotive Industry, can anything different really be done?
Tony Benn said it in 1974 "Almost everything has been tried at least once" However, here’s a look at what the main parties hold for our trade.
Firstly it must be said, that any party that overtly nails its colours to the mast about Cars, Trucks & Vans will not be brave, but stupid. It is a real political hot potato when so much of it relies on oil and our relationships with Oil Nations; concerns Tax: Income, corporation, RFL and VAT; plays a part in so many livelihoods and relies on European trade alliances. So unsurprisingly the manifesto promises contain a deafening silence as to our trade.
Interestingly whilst the Automotive industry employs over 700,000 people and contributes £4.8b to the economy, it wasn’t mentioned in the leaders’ debate, but the NHS which in contrast employs only 0.5m more and takes money out of the economy seemed to be a top topic!
Conservatives:
The current government, Conservative-led, have already made some commitment, but have also committed to the following which may affect this industry.
Jobs: Aim for full employment where "anyone who wants a job is able to get a job. Create three million apprenticeships to be paid for by benefit cuts. Great news if these can be in this industry, god-knows some new blood is needed to fill the gaps created by growth and natural losses. Ban on zero-hours contracts which stop people getting work elsewhere. Raise the personal allowance - the point at which you start paying income tax - to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020, which means that if you work on minimum wage for 30 hours you will pay no income tax. An income tax cut for 30 million people by 2020.
Tax would start to kick in at £12,500 a year, instead of £10,500. This will cost £5.6bn. The higher tax rate, 40%, would start at £50,000 instead of £41,900, again by 2020, at a cost of £1.6bn.
Business: Lest we forget a signed letter from 103 business leaders saying that the Tories will be good for business. Triple the number of start-up loans to businesses to £75,000
Transport / Automotive: Deliver the biggest programme of investment in roads since the 1970s
Overall: Always going to favour traditionalism and capitalism.
Labour:
Allegedly not the friend of businesses, but as Founded by the trade union movement in 1900 to give workers a voice in Parliament always been interested in Industrial issues, if not always on the side of the corporations.
Jobs: Guarantee a job for under 25s unemployed for over a year and adults unemployed for more than two years. As many young people to go on an apprenticeship as currently go to university by 2025. Create a million new high technology, green jobs by 2025. Ban "exploitative" zero hour contracts. Increase in the minimum wage from £6.50-an-hour to £8-an-hour by 2020. Double the amount of paid paternity leave available to new fathers from two to four weeks and increase statutory paternity pay to £260 a week. Create 80,000 more apprenticeships
Business: No increases in VAT or National Insurance contributions. Devolve £30bn of funding and business rates to England's city and county regions
Transport / Automotive: Nothing linked to our side.
Overall: Born out of workers’ rights over a business, but has made significant steps towards leaving that image behind and moving towards capitalism. Gaining ground.
LibDem:
Their first manifesto after tasting power since 1935, so will be interesting to see if they’ve gained any great ideas that can help our industry.
Jobs: Raise the personal allowance - the point at which you start paying income tax - to £11,000 in April 2016 and then to £12,500 by 2020. Impose an additional 8% rate of corporation tax on UK banks to raise an extra £1bn a year to help pay off the deficit. Push for greater European Union efficiency. An extra £1 an hour for the lowest paid apprentices. A campaign to create a million more jobs. Nick Clegg has said he would not accept Conservative plans to freeze working-age benefits without taxing the rich too. He hasn't said he would block welfare cuts altogether.
Business: tax rises on corporations and expand apprenticeships and develop national colleges for vocational skills
Transport / Automotive: Promote the use of electric cars and public transport
Overall: Main option for a coalition last time but they might not get the choice this time. Some good, some bad – might be a moot point.
UKIP:
The new kids on the block just got serious….well enough to feature politically anyway.
Jobs: Pay a higher rate of JSA if you've been in work and already made tax and National Insurance contributions
Business: Allow firms to offer jobs to British workers first "without the fear of being sued for discrimination". Review all legislation and regulations from the EU and remove those hampering British competitiveness
Transport / Automotive: Oppose toll roads, Ensure speed cameras are not used for profit by councils. Repeal the Climate Change Act 2008
Overall: Can we take them seriously? Who knows, on the face of it all their promises seem based on sound politics rather than the ranting’s of Farage as first thought, but going into a General Election with no form.
Green Party:
Often called Watermelons as they appear green on the outside and are red on the inside, a slur aimed at pointing us towards communism. The Greens began life in the mid-1970s as the Ecology Party. The party in England and Wales has expanded from its core environmentalist message under leader Natalie Bennett, to present itself as a more left-wing alternative to Labour. Can a party committed to the environment be good for the Automotive Industry?
Jobs: Introduce a maximum 35-hour working week whilst increasing the minimum wage to £10 per hour by 2020. Ban "exploitative" zero-hours contracts
Business: Not a lot to say except, The party backs a Citizen's Income, a fixed amount of £72 income a week to be paid to every individual, whether they are in work or not, to be funded by higher taxes on the better off and green levies.
Allow "the current dependence on economic growth to cease, and allow zero or negative growth to be feasible without individual hardship".
Transport / Automotive: Introduce an immediate cut of 10% to public transport fares – trying to force people out of cars. Commit Britain to a "zero carbon" future.
Overall: ??
Who do you think will be best in power for the Automotive Industry and why?