Green Party co-leaders, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer, shared plans to boost health and social care spending and improve benefit levels.
As would be expected, the Manifesto had an emphasis on green transformation. It also proposed bringing water, rail and energy companies into national ownership and radical plans to increase the stock of affordable, secure and energy efficient housing. To pay for its ambitious agenda, the Party proposed to increase tax for the wealthiest.
There were some specific disability policies:
- Restoring the value of disability benefits, with an immediate uplift of 5%.
- Reforming intrusive eligibility tests for PIP and the unfair targeting of carers and Disabled people on benefits.
- Making it mandatory for councils to provide free transport for 16–18-year-old pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
Other policy promises, relevant to Disabled people and carers were:
- Introduction of free personal care along the lines successfully brought in by the Scottish Government, to ensure dignity in old age and for Disabled people.
- An Increase in pay rates and the introduction of a career structure, to rebuild the care workforce.
- An End to the ‘bedroom tax.’
- An increase to Universal Credit and legacy benefits by £40 a week.
Amongst other policies there was a specific push for a commitment to human rights which encompasses equalities, justice and civil liberties, but no mention of implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into law.
Watching the launch Dan White policy and campaigns officer at DR UK said: “It was refreshing and hopeful to see and read policy promises with a specific disability focus.”
“Whilst we know the Green Party will not be the next UK Government, it was positive to note the recognition of Disability inequality and meaningful actions needed to tackle deep rooted systemic injustice.”
“Keir Starmer launches the Labour manifesto today and wait to see if the party under his stewardship will be equally as policy-progressive.”
Read about our policies and asks for a general election in the Disabled peoples manifesto.