NationalWorld manifesto: our five-point plan for the general election - from sewage to Brexit

As I’ve been reporting across the country over the last year ahead of the general election, one of the most consistent themes I’ve found has been apathy. The feeling that politicians are not representing voters, and they’re not talking about the issues that matter.

So to combat that NationalWorld is launching its own manifesto. This is comprised of five important policies that we think the main parties are missing, but will make a big difference to voters’ lives. We cover everything from banks to Brexit and sewage to students. 

Hopefully we can start a lively debate - have your say on the NationalWorld manifesto by emailing [email protected].

1. Hold a public inquiry into Brexit

The UK economy has been trapped in a low-growth cycle for years, which has led to crumbling public services and higher government debt. Low productivity and the pandemic have been named as causes, however neither Rishi Sunak or Keir Starmer is keen to mention the B word - Brexit.

Various experts from the esteemed Office for Budget Responsibility to bank Goldman Sachs have estimated that leaving the EU has taken a whopping 5% off the UK’s GDP (which measures the overall size of the economy). While all sorts of businesses across the country, from farmers to restaurants, have hit out at the impact of new post-Brexit import checks.

The problems with leaving the EU are going to become more acute later in the year, when Britons will be required to provide biometric details at border control to enter Europe - which everyone thinks is going to cause huge delays. We need to have an honest conversation about Brexit, and how to tackle the disastrous situation we’re in - especially with more and more people showing Bregret.

2. A windfall tax on banks’ record profits

Polls show voters across the country want more investment in ailing public services, with record NHS waiting lists in England and overcrowded prisons. One way to bring more money into the exchequer is through a windfall tax on banks’ excess profits, which have hit record levels due to high interest rates.

In the last year, HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest announced a combined £44 billion of pre-tax profits, which is four times higher than in 2020. The campaign group Positive Money estimates that a windfall tax on banks’, similar to that on energy companies, could raise £14 billion a year.

There’s nothing radical about this kind of policy, even Margaret Thatcher believed that banks should bear the burden of fairer taxes when they’ve profited from higher rates.

3. Free university places for doctors, nurses and teachers

One of the key issues currently blighting the public sector is staffing crises, which are particularly acute in healthcare and education. The NHS is losing doctors and nurses abroad as their pay-packets are hit with sky-high student fees, coupled with vicious interest. 

There are also teacher shortages across the country, which the government has been trying to fill by offering cash bonuses. We’ve come up with a different, more radical idea - which is to offer a certain number of free university places to people studying medicine and teaching.

There is currently an NHS bursary scheme, however this does not go far enough. We believe the government should fund the required number of places for doctors, nurses and teachers each year - which require people to stay and work in the UK for at least 10 years. People could be prioritised for these places based on means testing and academic aptitude. Somebody has to put their money where their mouth is to fund our public services.

4. Nationalise the water companies to tackle the sewage crisis

The sewage scandal is a national disgrace, and the government has shown absolutely no sign of getting a grip on it. Our rivers and seas are too often polluted by water companies who have shown complete disregard for our waterways.

To make matters worse, companies such as Thames Water have threatened to put bills up dramatically to pay for their own mistakes. All the while paying out huge dividends to shareholders. And there’s a chance that the government will have to bail out Thames Water to prevent its collapse. I

t’s clear that privatisation has failed when it comes to water companies, as it’s impossible for them to provide any competition with each other. Where possible, in cases like Thames Water, the government should bring water companies back under public ownership, and prioritise British citizens as opposed to shareholders.

5. Bring in Ofsted-style MP regulator and ban second jobs

Unless an MP is found guilty of a crime or commits a serious misdemeanour, the only time they are held to account is at a general election. And even then, people frequently vote down party lines as opposed to judging the performance of an MP. Nadine Dorries lived outside her constituency, didn’t have a constituency office and didn’t carry out surgeries, all the while writing books and appearing on TV shows. There was absolutely nothing to stop her from doing this. 

Marco Longhi recently boasted about not providing support for asylum seekers in his constituency. MPs should help their constituents no matter their political views. They should be judged by an Ofsted-style inspector, with three bad grades in a row leading to a recall petition and potential by-election. I’m sure that would encourage them to work hard. MPs’ second jobs also need to be banned once and for all to stop private businesses to influencing law making and governance.

Ralph Blackburn is NationalWorld’s politics editor based in Westminster, where he gets special access to Parliament, MPs and government briefings. If you liked this article you can follow Ralph on X (Twitter) here and sign up to his free weekly newsletter Politics Uncovered, which brings you the latest analysis and gossip from Westminster every Sunday morning.