Tax triple lock, NHS and 'no pantomime': Key takeaways from Labour's manifesto launch

Sir Keir Starmer insisted he would not run a "circus" government after 14 years of "Conservative chaos", as he launched his plans to "rebuild Britain".

The Labour leader set out his party's General Election manifesto in Manchester today, which offers a pledge to "get the NHS back on its feet", increase chances for people to get on the housing ladder and a tax triple lock.

His manifesto did not contain any surprise announcements beyond what Labour has already set out on the campaign trail so far - and he made it clear this was a conscious effort.

"I'm not going to do what Rishi Sunak did, which is to offer things that he can't deliver because they're unfunded," he said. "People have had too much of that, they're fed up.

"This is a serious plan, carefully thought through - it's not about rabbits out the hat, it's not about pantomime.

"I'm running as a candidate to be prime minister, not a candidate to run the circus".

He insisted his offer is a “manifesto for wealth creation, a plan to change Britain”, but warned there would be "no quick fix" if he's handed the keys to Number 10 on July 5.

Here, ITV News looks at the key moments and policies of the manifesto launch.

Tax triple lock

Labour has made it clear for some weeks that economic growth is at the heart of its plans, as it continues to pitch itself as the party for business and working people.

The party had already trailed that there would be no increases to income tax, VAT and national insurance and it would cap corporation tax at its current 25% rate.

However, Sir Keir cautioned there was no “magic wand” and the problems an incoming Labour administration would inherit will not “disappear overnight” - but insisted there would be no return to austerity.

One of the ways he pledged to fund his plans would be by raising £7 billion in taxes. This would be partly raised by closing loopholes for non-domiciled people and cracking down on tax avoidance schemes.

He would also impose VAT and business rates on private schools, as well as closing a carried interest loophole and increasing stamp duty on purchases of residential property by non-UK residents by 1%.

But leading economic think tank, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), cast doubt on Labour's spending plans.

“This is a manifesto that promises a dizzying number of reviews and strategies to tackle some of the challenges facing the country. That is better than a shopping list of half-baked policy announcements.

"But delivering genuine change will almost certainly also require putting actual resources on the table. And Labour's manifesto offers no indication that there is a plan for where the money would come from to finance this."

Other experts also said the lack of any promises not to increase capital gains tax (CGT) has fuelled speculation that it may be in line for a hike if Labour wins the election, in what would be a blow to entrepreneurs.

Concerns have also been raised around the scrapping of the tax exemption on private schools, with some warning it could lead parents to take children out of private education, putting pressure on already stretched state schools.

However, the IF calculated that the private school pledge alone would raise about £1.6 billion a year.

NHS

On a day when new data shows the waiting list for routine hospital treatments has increased to 7.57 million in England, Sir Keir pledged to “get the NHS back on its feet”.

“We have saved the NHS before, and the next Labour government will do so again," he vowed, by cutting waiting times, creating thousands of extra appointments and reforming dentistry.

He pledged he would pay for it via the pledge to crack down on tax avoidance and non-dom loopholes.

Labour had already announced plans to create an extra 40,000 appointments every week during evenings and weekends, as well as a return to meeting NHS targets, with patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral for consultant-led treatment.

On GPs, Labour promised to train thousands more and will guarantee a face-to-face appointment for all patients who want one.

It promises to deliver a “modern appointment booking system” to end the 8am scramble for appointments seen currently and will incentivise GPs to see the same patients to promote continuity of care.

More pharmacists will be given the chance to prescribe, while opticians and others will be able to make direct referrals to specialist services or tests. People may also be able to self-refer where appropriate.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said "any plans that prioritise clearing the backlogs of care will be welcomed by health leaders" - but raised concerns around the pledge to provide tens of thousands of extra appointments a week.

“While the ambitions to provide 40,000 appointments a week and return to meeting performance standards are laudable, the NHS still has around 100,000 vacancies with staff already often working beyond their set hours," he said.

“Added to that, crumbling estates are holding back NHS productivity. Promises to cut waiting lists and hit performance targets cannot be made on the back of asking hardworking staff to do more and without more capital investment."

Climate heckler

Just moments after Sir Keir took to the podium, he was heckled by a climate protester holding up a banner reading "youth deserve better".

As the demonstrator was swiftly removed from the audience, she is heard shouting "we need better".

A climate change protester interrupted the Labour leader

Sir Keir replied: “Thank you very much. We gave up on being a party of protest five years ago, we want to be a party in power.”

“That’s not in the script, but that is part of the change," he added.

The activist was from Green New Deal Rising, who say Labour's green plans are a betrayal of young people and "don't touch the sides".

The group have been critical of Labour's decision to massively reduce its £28 billion per year pledge for environmental projects in a major U-turn for the party that caused much upset in February.

Sir Keir at the time blamed it on the Tories' "reckless" plans to "max out on the government credit card", meaning they had to shrink ambitions.

D-Day dig?

On one of the pages of the manifesto, a large picture of Sir Keir and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the D-Day commemorations in Normandy is included - in what could be seen as a pointed image at the prime minister.

The picture was taken at the 80th anniversary of the landings, attended by US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron among others, which Mr Sunak left early to attend an ITV interview to great backlash.

Mr Sunak's decision to leave early has been dubbed an own goal and is considered the greatest gaffe of the election campaign so far, with the PM admitting he made a "mistake" and asking veterans and the public for forgiveness.

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