LOCAL MANIFESTO
Under UKIP policies the A&E department at Bishop Auckland General Hospital would NOT have been closed and the siting of Consett Academy would be up to the local community.
Local Democracy
Independence for local decision-making
- Let local people call a binding referendum on any major local issue, such as planning schemes.Referendums to save the A&E at BAGH and to site Consett Academy
- Dismantle regional government and return powers to county and borough councils.
- Reform the ‘cabinet’ system of local government for greater representation and transparency.
THE ECONOMY: Tax, Budget & Regulation
- Save up to £120bn a year by leaving the EU. No British jobs or trade will be lost
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Take tax off the minimum wage by raising the tax threshold to £11,500
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Reduce everyone’s taxes with a 31% flat tax
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Abolish the ‘tax on jobs’: phase out employers’ NI contributions over five years
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Axe Britain’s gigantic quango mountain and public sector non-jobs to reduce UK national debt
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Release businesses from 120,000 EU laws
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Replace VAT with a ‘Local Sales Tax’ to help councils and local businesses
THE ECONOMY: Jobs, Enterprise & Skills
Create one million new skilled jobs with public and private investment in a five-point public works programme to provide defence equipment, nuclear power stations, flood and coastal protection, transport infrastructure including high-speed rail lines, and new prisons
Abolish costly EU schemes such as carbon capping, emissions trading, and landfill taxes
Amend the UK Takeover Code to prevent foreign interests from gaining control of strategic British companies
HEALTH and SOCIAL CARE
Independence for local providers
Save hospital services, manage hospitals locally, and make decision makers responsible to local people. BAGH decides for itself whether to close A&E
Improve services for the elderly and remove unnecessary bureaucracy.
Create more residential home places and resist increases in home care charges.
End the practice of forcing the elderly to sell their house to pay for a spouse’s residential home care.
IMMIGRATION
Independence for Britain to take back control
Introduce proper border controls so we know who is in the country at all times.
Freeze permanent immigration, including from the EU, for 5 years to let the authorities catch up with the backlog of cases.
Ensure that our own UK government determines who can stay, not the European Union.
Deport all illegal immigrants; give work permits only for those with skills that our economy needs.
LOCAL TAXES
Independence for local councils over finances
Slash council tax by 40%.
Since Council Tax forms less than a quarter of councils’ budgets, our war on waste and bureaucracy cutting council spending by just 10% is enough to give the public a 40% reduction in Council Tax.
Give local councils majority control over their finances by letting them keep local business rates and by replacing VAT with a simpler Local Sales Tax, with a proportion going direct to local councils.
CRIME
Independence for local policing
Elect police chiefs and make police forces accountable to local authorities for policing priorities.
Leave our police free to arrest criminals instead of filling in forms, and retain local police stations.
Ensure stricter sentencing and zero tolerance of antisocial behaviour and petty crime.
Urgently build enough prisons and make sure those who are a danger to the public stay locked up
TRANSPORT
Independence for local decision-makers
Improve local control and management of public transport – rail and bus.
Rule out satellite vehicle pricing and oppose privatisation of parking facilities.
Oppose new speed cameras which do not cut accidents, and use traffi calming measures instead.
HOUSING
Independence for local planning
Genuine independence for local planning - no more overriding by remote appeal bodies.
Restore proper controls on immigration to ease the demand for housing.
Crack down on nuisance
Improve services for the elderly and remove unnecessary bureaucracy.
Create more residential home places and resist increases in home care charges.
End the practice of forcing the elderly to sell their house to pay for a spouse’s residential home care.
EDUCATION
Independence for headteachers
Give independence to headteachers over teaching, examinations and discipline.
Scrap useless paperwork and trust teachers to do their jobs; oppose the closures of special schools.
Encourage competitive school sports, playing fields and school trips.
ENERGY and ENVIRONMENT
Independence for British energy supplies
Protect the Green Belt and use central brown field sites for future developments.
Build nuclear and hydroelectric power plants to make Britain cleaner and self-sufficient in renewable energy.
Keep recycling local - stop damaging the environment by sending waste to China for recycling.
