Conservative Manifesto 2017

19 May 2017


The Conservative party has published their manifesto. Pledges to affect employers include:

  • A general statement to ‘simplify the tax system’. “A good tax system is not just about the headline rates of tax, but about its simplicity”

  • The level of VAT will not be increased

  • Corporation Tax will still fall to seventeen per cent by 2020

  • Longer term reforms to the business rates system will take place

  • Maintaining the triple lock pension guarantee until 2020, then replace it with a double lock - meaning pensions will rise in line with earnings or inflation, whichever is highest

  • Tougher punishments for those caught mismanaging pension schemes

  • Giving the Pensions Regulator new powers to issue punitive fines for those found to have wilfully left a pension scheme under-resourced and, if necessary, powers similar to those held by the Insolvency Service to disqualify the relevant company directors

  • A new criminal offence to be considered for company directors who deliberately or recklessly put at risk a pension scheme's ability to meet its obligations

  • An objective to reduce annual net migration to the tens of thousands. Overseas student numbers will remain in the immigration statistics

  • The Immigration Skills Charge levied on companies employing migrant workers will be doubled to £2,000 a year by the end of the parliament

  • Listed companies will have to publish the ratio of executive pay to the broader UK workforce

  • To act on the findings of the audit of racial disparity across public services

  • To improve take-up of shared parental leave and help companies provide more flexible work environments that help mothers and fathers to share parenting

  • Helping those who have been caring for a child or children for a number of years or supporting an elderly relative

  • A referendum on Scottish independence cannot take place until the Brexit process has played out and it should not take place unless there is public consent for it to happen.

Further details can be found in the Conservative party manifesto 2017.

 


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