The Tories have very little to say in Tory Manifesto 2017. The whimsical decision to ignore the Fixed Term Parliament Act and call an election was, the Tories claim, driven by the need for a larger parliamentary majority to assist with Brexit negotiations. That claim is a lie: The EU’s negotiators couldn’t care less how large or small the Tories’ majority is.
The manifesto’s opening lines try to set the dishonest tone that the event of Brexit is the cause of the Tories’ plans in their manifesto. Simultaneously, it uses both the threat of Brexit as a pre-excuse for further fleecing of the British public juxtaposed with the imaginary utopia that awaits post-Brexit as an aim worth suffering for. A carrot and stick, where the carrot might not exist and the stick is aimed at the old, the ill, the infirm, the disabled and the poor.
The forward restates the invented narrative that Brexit creates urgency and necessity for the Tories’ objectives. “This election is the most important this country has faced in my lifetime” claims the author. “If we fail, the consequences for Britain and for the economic security of ordinary, working people across this country will be significant. If we succeed, the opportunities ahead of us are great.” That is, the threat of Brexit and the utopian success of Brexit presented in one sentence. “Britain needs a strong and stable government to get the best deal for our country” opines the forward but, as stated above, the EU isn’t interested in the size of the Tory majority and the Tories’ performance so far in Brexit negotiations has been comically and Trump-like inept.
The lie that infests the manifesto is that Brexit requires the Tories to do what they have planned whereas the truth is that the Tories are using the excuse of Brexit as an all purpose false motivation and justification for continuing attacks on the lives of British people.
The bulk of the manifesto is a deluge of waffle. Vacuous platitudes accompany uncommitted vague intent speckled with downright lies. It reads as part cod-sermon, part marketing confidence trickstering. Lines like “rather than pursue an agenda based on a supposed centre ground defined and established by elites in Westminster, we will govern in the interests of the mainstream of the British public” and “we will
run public services in accordance with their values as important local and national
institutions” tumble after one another meaninglessly and acutely dishonestly. “Our starting point is that we should take decisions on the basis of what works” is a particularly malodorous piece of sound bite tripe and is as much use as a jelly hammer hammering a nail made of blancmange.
The waffling seems endless. It descends into a macabre art form, a word salad with unknown ingredients and a bland dry aftertaste. But, within this deluge are many blatant unashamed lies.
Below, I extract a few of the lies in the manifesto and add retorts to each lie.
All lies from the manifesto – in italics – are direct quotes.
“We will not only guarantee but enhance workers’ rights and protections.”
The Tories have systematically removed workers’ rights including rights to effective industrial action and access to industrial tribunals. The Tories’ intent is to severely limit, or render useless, any workers’ rights, currently enabled by membership of the EU, when Britain leaves.
“We are going to need positive, active government that will deal with increased demand for social care, fund and improve our National Health Service.”
We are going to need such action and it is precisely what we won’t get from the Tories who continue to remove social care and who continue to destroy the NHS.
“We also need government to create the right regulatory frameworks that will protect our security and personal privacy.”
The Tories’ Investigatory Powers Act allows secret unregulated warrantless snooping of people’s internet use.
The biggest and most blatant lie is the entire section headed ‘Our Principles.’ The Conservative Party was created to feed the unearned wealth of the elite at the expense of everyone else. This remains its single objective. The only change since the party’s creation is that, today, most of the lucky beneficiaries of the wealth redistribution are fake businesses, financial gangsters and offshore tax-dodgers rather than feudal landowners, though the latter do still benefit. The Tory Party is a front and an enabler for national and international theft, extortion and fraud. “We abhor social division, injustice, unfairness and inequality.” No. Not only do the Tories not care about such problems but they also use them as tools of political manipulation. Not one word of this section describes the Tories.
In ‘The Foundations Of A Strong Economy’ the huge increase in fiscal debt incurred during seven years of Tory rule is whitewashed with “the independent Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that the national debt is finally about to start falling.” Seven years of abject incompetence and mismanagement by Osborne and Hammond is not acknowledged.
“Capitalism and free markets remain the best way to deliver prosperity and economic security, lifting millions of people out of poverty around the world.”
This is demonstrably an inversion of the truth.
“It was a Conservative government that introduced the National Living Wage and as a result, people across the United Kingdom now receive a minimum of £7.50 an hour.”
No, the Tories rebranded the ‘minimum wage’, that they did not introduce, as the ‘living wage,’ which it clearly isn’t. The minimum wage is wholly insufficient and is also ignored by many employers who face no sanction.
“In the modern economy many people choose jobs like driving, delivering and coding, that are highly flexible and can be mixed with other employment. These workers are officially classed as self-employed.”
No, people do not choose insecure low-paid zero-hours jobs. These workers are dishonestly classed as self-employed by crooked employers, many of whom donate to the Tory Party.
In the section ‘Stopping Tax Evasion’ the manifesto states that “we have taken vigorous action against tax avoidance.” The political party that has relentlessly aided and abetted the avoidance of billions of tax by the wealthiest, including many who have been directly assisted by prime minister’s husband Phillip May, claims it has tried to stop tax avoidance. Ah, but the Tories’ trick here is the usual deliberate mixing-up of tax avoidance and tax evasion. They praise themselves for “closing the tax gap –
the difference between the amount of tax due and the amount collected – to one of the
lowest in the world,” which is a claim about tax evasion, not tax avoidance. Tax avoidance is so easy under a Tory government that it is also easy to stop tax evasion because the wealthiest don’t need to evade – break the law – because the law allows them to avoid. One of the key aims of any Tory government is to enable the wealthiest to avoid tax at the expense of everyone else.
“Our ambition is that the UK should have the lowest energy costs in Europe, both for
households and businesses.”
Tories gave away gas and electric supply to financial gangsters who fleece the British public. It is a scam and a direct consequence of Tory ideology.
“We will therefore develop the shale industry in Britain. We will only be able to do so if
we maintain public confidence in the process, if we uphold our rigorous environmental protections, and if we ensure the proceeds of the wealth generated by shale energy are shared with the communities affected.”
Rigorous? The Tories have bypassed the law to stop councils from addressing environmental concerns. The only people who will get rich from the shale industry are the usual mob of dodgy offshore financial gangsters.
“We are working through one of the largest-ever investment programmes in our roads
and railways, putting some £40 billion into transport improvements across the United
Kingdom over the rest of this decade.”
The Tories are transferring tens of billions of tax-payers money into the grubby hands of the developers and constructors of HS2, a wholly unnecessary and pointless railway.
“We will focus on creating extra capacity on the railways, which will ease overcrowding, bring new lines and stations, and improve existing routes.”
Tory privatisation of the railways is the cause of the inept and expensive rail service. The Tory government ignored successful publicly owned railway franchises and forced them back into exploitative privatisation. Similar to gas and electric (and water supply) the Tories view public services as just a means to enhance the unearned income of privateer vultures.
“Without business and enterprise, there would be no … public services.”
Can anyone spot the problem with that statement?
“We want to see universities make their full contribution to their local community and economy, sponsoring local schools and being creative about how they can open up opportunities for local people, especially those from ordinary working backgrounds.”
The Tories, with the assistance of their Liberal Democrat lackeys, made it near impossible for students from low-income backgrounds to attend university without incurring tens of thousands of pounds of debt.
“We will continue our strong support for the arts.”
Huge cuts in central government support for councils has caused the closure of many libraries and museums.
“We will continue to take action to improve animal welfare.”
The prime minister stated recently that she is a fan of dogs ripping apart foxes for the entertainment of posh people on horseback.
“We want to ensure our departure [from the EU] is smooth and orderly.”
The Tories have behaved childishly and stupidly so far in all contact with EU negotiators.
“In England, we have given considerable powers to city mayors and combined authorities, while local councils now have greater control of the taxes they collect.”
Yes, Tories are always keen to introduce unnecessary extra layers of administration that bypass localised democracy. Local councils do not have greater control of their finances; they have had their funding cut leading to severe local cuts, except for Tory councils.
“This Conservative government has devolved more power to English local authorities,
closer to local people, than any previous government in over a century.”
The Tories have removed central government funding for local councils forcing councils to make severe cutbacks in necessary services, except for Tory councils.
“Local enterprise partnerships are being empowered to improve local growth and public services.”
Unelected quangos packed full of corporate vultures are replacing democratically elected local government.
“We have explained our approach in the White Paper on the United Kingdom’s Exit from, and a new relationship with, the European Union, during the passage of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act, in the prime minister’s letter to the president of the European Council invoking Article 50, and in the Great Repeal Bill White Paper.”
No, the Tories have not explained anything about their plans for Brexit. It is made up on the hoof, much to the amusement of the EU negotiators.
“We believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside our withdrawal.”
The EU has already stated that this will not happen.
“We shall lead the world in the hard work to end extreme child poverty.”
Seven years of Tory government has caused huge increases in child poverty.
“We will continue to promote democracy, the rule of law, property entitlements, a free and open media, and accountable institutions in countries and societies across the world..”
The prime minister visited Turkey a few weeks ago to assist with an arms deal; President Erdogan is eroding democracy and jailing judges, opposition politicians, teachers and journalists.
“We will place the BBC World Service and the British Council on a secure footing.”
The Tory government removed dedicated funding for the BBC World Service leading to cuts in quality.
“We will ensure Britain remains a place of sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers.”
It is astonishing that the Tories make that statement. The prime minster, when home secretary, was responsible for the disgusting ‘Go Home’ vans that drove around racially mixed areas of London.
“We will make sure our councils get the help they need to deal with people as they
arrive, and establish schemes to help individuals, charities, faith groups, churches and
businesses to provide housing and other support for refugees.”
The Tories have used disreputable incompetent G4S to manage immigrants’ housing.
“We will improve the co-ordination of government services to veterans, including housing, employment and mental health services.”
Thousands of injured ex-servicemen and women have been made destitute and homeless due to vicious cuts in welfare provision enacted by the Tories.
“Collective faith in our democratic institutions and our justice system has declined in the past two decades.”
The Tory government challenged a High Court decision that there should be a debate on Brexit in parliament. The Home Secretary refused to criticise far-right newspapers for their description of the High Court judges as “enemies of the people.”
“It is the purpose of this Conservative Party to re-establish faith in our democratic and legal institutions.”
The Tories are steadily removing access to justice via restrictions on legal aid and by the imposition of court costs for a defendant even if found innocent.
“We will review the honours system to make sure it commands public confidence, rewards genuine public service and that recipients uphold the integrity of the honours bestowed.”
The Tories knighted their odious and dishonest election campaign manager Lynton Crosby.
“To ensure that the pain and suffering of the Hillsborough families over the last twenty years is not repeated, we will introduce an independent public advocate, who will act for bereaved families after a public disaster and support them at public inquests.”
The Tories have never supported the Hillsborough families.
“We will strengthen Britain’s response to white collar crime by incorporating the Serious Fraud Office into the National Crime Agency, improving intelligence sharing and bolstering the investigation of serious fraud, money laundering and financial crime.”
The Serous Fraud Office has been consistently undermined and obstructed in its pursuit of corporate wrongdoing by arrangements between such wrongdoers and the Tory government.
“We will reform the entry requirements, training, management and career paths of prison officers.”
At many prisons experienced well-trained prison officers have been replaced by untrained low-paid staff employed by fake security companies such as G4S.
“We have done much in recent years to break down longstanding divisions in our country.”
The Tories have not done that apart from increasing the percentage of the population who are suffering.
“We must redouble our efforts to ensure that everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from, can have a world-class education.”
Via removal of grants and imposition of tuition fees the Tories have made it very difficult for someone from a low-income background to attend university or to do ‘A’ levels full-time.
“Thanks to our school reforms – such as the establishment of free schools and academies, and changes to ensure a rigorous curriculum – there are more good and outstanding schools today than ever before.”
Class sizes have increased to unmanageable levels, drastic cuts to school budgets have caused cancellation of some courses; meanwhile dodgy characters who “own” academies and free schools are raking in it for themselves in a racket.
“We appreciate that it is hard for schools receiving a higher level of funding to make cuts in order to pay for increases elsewhere, so while we will make funding fairer over the course of the parliament, we will make sure that no school has its budget cut as a result of the new formula.”
The recent redistribution of school funding has caused serious budget holes and the cancellation of courses.
“We will increase the overall schools budget by £4 billion by 2022, representing more than a real terms increase for every year of the parliament.”
How much of that will be swallowed by the gaping mouths of disreputable “free schools” and “academies?”
“We will ensure that teaching assistants can become qualified teachers and healthcare assistants can become nurses via a degree apprenticeship route, in addition to other routes.”
An easy translation is that two jobs that require years of training will be reduced in quality.
“We will build on the proud Conservative record in supporting those with disabilities,
including the landmark Disability Discrimination Act of 1995.”
People with disabilities are being made homeless, destitute and are dying because of benefit sanctions and ‘fit for work’ tests, while the Tories laugh in their faces.
“We will continue to ensure a sustainable welfare system, with help targeted at
those who need it most.”
Bedroom tax, benefit caps including a rape clause for a third child, ‘fit-for-work’ tests, removal of care funding, removal of cars for disabled people and housing benefit removal have caused destitution, debt, homelessness and death.
“We will legislate to give unemployed disabled claimants or those with a health condition personalised and tailored employment support.”
Translation: Even if you are severely disabled or about to die from a terminal illness, you will still have to find a job.
“And we will take action to support victims of domestic violence to leave abusive partners, reviewing the funding for refuges and ensuring that victims who have lifetime tenancies and flee violence are able to secure a new lifetime tenancy automatically.”
Severe central government funding has caused many refuges to be closed by councils.
“We will continue to combat homelessness and rough sleeping including through
full implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act.”
Rough sleeping and homelessness continue to rise steeply as a direct result of vicious cuts to welfare, low wages and unavailability of housing, all of which are consequences of Tory policy.
“We have capped the cost of credit for expensive payday lenders.”
Such ‘lenders,’ or loan sharks, prey on those most in need, are virtually unregulated and most are donors to the Tory party. The so-called ‘cap’ is a piss in the ocean.
“We will review rail ticketing, removing complexity and perverse pricing, and introduce a passenger ombudsman to stand up for the interests of rail users suffering a poor deal.”
Private rail operators exist to simultaneously exploit passengers and to exploit tax-payers, the latter via government hand-outs, while the ‘owners’ rake in the unearned ‘profits. It was designed as a scam and the Tories fully support it.
“The next Conservative government will continue the difficult but necessary work of
restoring our public finances while still ensuring that we are investing for the future.”
Economically, the last seven years of Tory government has been a disaster,but they continue to lie about it.
“No-one will have to sell their home in their lifetime to pay for care.”
‘In their lifetime.’ That s a very important caveat.
“The Conservative Party believes in the founding principles of the NHS.”
Before its creation and ever since its creation, Tories have been wholly opposed to the NHS. The last two Health Secretaries, Langsley and Hunt, are employees of private healthcare vultures and are intent on destroying the NHS.
“Second, that care should be based on clinical need, not the ability to pay.”
The NHS is paid for via taxation.
“The next Conservative government will hold fast to these principles by providing the NHS with the resources it needs and holding it accountable for delivering exceptional care to patients wherever and whenever they need it.”
That s a blatant statement of exactly the opposite of what the Tories intend to do, what they are doing and what they have been doing for the last seven years.
“We will increase NHS spending by a minimum of £8 billion in real terms over the
next five years.”
In an interview on TV, Damian Green admitted that this statement is a blatant lie; the £8 billion is just re-assigning funds already allocated to the NHS.
“We will ensure that the NHS and social care system have the nurses, midwives,
doctors, carers and other health professionals that it needs.”
Nurses bursaries have been removed leading instantly to a huge fall in applicants to the nursing profession. Funding for carers continues to be cut viciously to the point at which the carers are unable to do their jobs.
“Last year we announced an increase in the number of students in medical
training of 1,500 a year; we will continue this investment, doing something the NHS has never done before, and train the doctors our hospitals and surgeries need.”
‘Medical training.’ This means basic training for low-paid staff that is well short of the expertise required by a nurse, carer, paramedic or doctor.
“We will continue to help the NHS on its journey to being the safest healthcare system
in the world.”
No. The Tories are destroying the NHS. The Tories view the US healthcare system introduced by Donald Trump as the goal.
“We shall continue to support school sport, delivering on our commitment to double support for sports in primary schools.”
Sport in schools has been cut dramatically due to huge cuts in central government funding for schools.
“At a time when the internet is changing the way people obtain their news, we also
need to take steps to protect the reliability and objectivity of information that is
essential to our democracy and a free and independent press.”
The ‘free and independent’ press owned by Tory donors and multi-million pound tax-dodgers, Rothermere, Desmond, Lebedev, Murdoch and the Barclay brothers.
“Employment is at a record high and we will continue to strive for full employment.”
Employment in zero-hours jobs, sub-minimum wage jobs, fake ‘self-employed’ jobs.
“A new Conservative government will stick to the plan that has delivered stability and certainty.”
That is the certainty of removing care for elderly and disabled, the certainty of huge increases in homelessness due to benefit cuts and sanctions, the certainty of savage reductions to school budgets leading to severe cuts in education, the certainty of increasing wait times for operations at hospitals, the certainty of exploitative employers abusing zero-hours contracts that leads to many working people needing to use payday loans and foodbanks, the certainty of public library closures, the certainty of shambolic privatised rail services, the certainty of the removal of access to justice due to cuts to legal aid, the certainty of ex-soldiers becoming destitute and the certainty of cuts to police numbers leading to a breakdown in police morale that was expressed publicly this week when hapless Home Secretary Amber Rudd addressed the police federation. Meanwhile, the wealthiest have become exponentially wealthier due to tax cuts for the richest and due to the refusal of the Tories to address multi-billion pound tax avoidance, the latter enabled by the prime minister’s husband Phillip May. That is what is certain.
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