Conservative Manifesto Breakdown 2019

Careers, Employment, Hiring, News / 09 December 2019

With the 2019 General Election a matter of days away, we thought it would be useful to take a look at each of the main parties manifestos, specifically with regards to the potential impacts each party could have on jobseekers and employers if elected.We’ll start with the Conservative Manifesto. Do note, we’re not going to provide any costing analysis, as you can already find this on the Institute for Fiscal Studies website. If you want to check the validity of the claims made in the Conservative Manifesto, then we also recommend taking a look at the Fullfact manifesto fact check.

Without further ado then, here are the most relevant points for jobseekers and employers from the Conservative party Manifesto. We’d also encourage you to read the full manifesto to get a better picture of the party’s policies.

Get Brexit Done

Overview

The nagging thought of Brexit has been wailing in the nation’s consciousness for three years now, with little to no progress being made with regards to leaving or remaining. The Tories are quite clear they want Brexit to happen, aiming to make sure they can push Boris Johnson’s deal through parliament and leave the EU as soon as possible.

According to the manifesto, this also means they want to take Britain out of the Single Market and the Customs Union, while also ending the UK’s participation in the European Court of Human Rights.

What it could mean for Jobseekers

Ending participation in ECHR could mean weakened worker’s rights.
Harder for UK workers to work in the EU, or for EU based companies
Economic impacts of higher trade tariffs could lead to less hiring, more firing.

What it could mean for Employers

Certainty on leaving the EU if the Conservatives get elected, which at least means businesses can make plans for the future.
Leaving the customs union and single market could hit trade hard until new terms are negotiated.
Costs could rise for importing/exporting,
Hiring European talent could become more difficult.

We Will Focus on Your Priorities

Overview

The party claims they want to increase the amount of NHS staff and improve social care. Additional funding for schools and higher salaries for teachers would be a priority, as would arts education investment. The national living wage would also increase to two-thirds of the national average.

Additionally, the Conservatives want to increase the cap on national insurance contributions, which would mean we all pay less into the benefits system. Helping disabled people get the right benefits and get back into work is also apparently a priority. An ‘Australian points style immigration system’ will be implemented, and there will be an end to freedom of movement from and to the EU.

What it could mean for Jobseekers

More opportunities to work in health and social care, if the commitments are to be believed, although there might not be as many new jobs in healthcare as they claim.
Teachers could see a higher starting salary, and there could be additional jobs for arts teachers.
A potential National living wage increase, although exact amounts may be negligible.
Cap of national insurance threshold would mean short term financial gains for workers, but less investment in public services that could affect jobseekers, like benefits and job searching support.
EU nationals are only able to access housing benefits etc after 5 years, which could make it very tough for European jobseekers.

What it could mean for Employers

‘Start-up’ visas could be good for attracting new business to the UK.
EU talent could be put off from moving to the UK due to freedom of movement restrictions.
Potentially better access to a talented disabled workforce, which would also encourage workplace diversity.
Schools could have a wider talent pool to choose from as higher salaries should attract more teachers to the profession.
Harder access to EU nationals would reduce the amount of potential global talent on offer.

We Will Unleash Britain’s Potential

Overview

Keeping tabs on government spending while investing in infrastructure is the main thrust in this section. This means a cap of 3% of GDP for public service investment. The party will also prioritise the environment in the next budget, they say, and invest in rural areas as well as cities.

Investment in technical education courses for young people, and a national skills fund, would be set up to no doubt try and tackle the current skills shortage. Transport wise, increased investment in rail hubs and a third Heathrow runway are on the cards. A Conservative government also wants to give discounts to small retail businesses.

What it could mean for Jobseekers

Increased investment in smaller towns and rural areas could create more job opportunities
It may be possible to get upskilling help and learn new skills, especially for younger jobseekers, which could be beneficial when starting a career.
More jobs in aviation and transport, given the Heathrow expansion.
Discounts to retail businesses could create more job opportunities in this sector.
Investment in upskilling could make it easier to switch careers or move into new sectors.

What it could mean for Employers

More business opportunities in smaller communities, and potential for increased business for smaller, local organisations
Tax cuts for small retail businesses, music and arts venues, and cinemas beneficial for the small high street businesses of the UK.
Export support could help smaller businesses deal with the increased difficulty of exporting to the EU and paying WTO tariffs after Brexit.
Lots of potential benefits for smaller and start-up companies, but larger companies may not see any real gains from these changes.

We Will Strengthen Britain in the World

Overview

This part of the manifesto is mainly concerned with the armed forces and international relations, but there are some areas of interest here: Employers would qualify for reduced national insurance contributions if they employ ex-service personnel, and veterans would also be guaranteed an interview if they apply for a public sector job.

Investment in offshore wind farming and helping energy-intensive industries move to low carbon would also be implemented. Increased trade with the Commonwealth and free trade agreements would be prioritised as well.

What it could mean for Jobseekers

Guaranteed interviews for public sector jobs for veterans, and incentive for private sector companies to hire ex-service personnel.
Potential for more jobs in the defence industry in general.
Increased investment in green energy could create new opportunities for roles in this sector.

What it could mean for Employers

Free trade agreements could be beneficial for import/export-focused businesses, but there’s no way to know what they will entail at this stage.
Discounted national insurance payments for employing veterans means employers could access skilled individuals while making savings.
Defence industry businesses could gain from increased defence spending and development.
Green energy investment could create new opportunities for startups, research companies, and green energy sector companies.
Opening of ‘Freeports’ could help mitigate the impacts of Brexit and encourage more free trade, but again, it’s not that clear what this would actually entail in reality.

Manifesto Summary

Overall then, nothing groundbreaking, and the manifesto does perhaps raise more questions than it answers. If everything is taken at face value, which is admittedly quite difficult given the Conservative party disinformation campaign and Mr Johnson’s pseudologia fantastica, then the key takeaway is this: A Conservative government could help jobseekers to some extent, by increasing skill training opportunities, helping those with disabilities get into work, and potentially creating more jobs in the green and defence sectors in particular.

Conversely, the reduced National Insurance contributions could mean that there’s less support available when you’re looking for a job.

For employers, the main benefits will probably be seen by smaller, more locally-focused businesses. Those that operate in the green and defence sectors could also make gains from the alleged significant investment in these areas, and nationwide upskilling may potentially ease the skills gap that we’re currently facing. Imports and exports might well face serious problems given Brexit however, and it’s anyone’s guess as to how much increased Commonwealth trade will alleviate this. The certainty of leaving the EU under a Conservative government will at least finally free up businesses to attempt to provision properly for these issues, if nothing else.