Labour launches election manifesto
Updated on 12 April 2010
Labour will launch its general election manifesto this morning in Birmingham, with pledges not to raise income tax and force all migrant workers applying for public sector jobs to pass an English language test.
Labour is the first of the parties to unveil its election manifesto, as the general election campaign enters its second week.
With a title "A Future Fair for All", the manifesto promises enw rights and entitlements for parents, patients and citizens.
The party will also claim it will build on the reforms introduced during its 13 years of government.
The manifesto is expected to pledge not to raise income tax rates, following Mr Brown's confirmation to Channel 4 News last week that the basic rate would remain at 20p in the pound.
However reports suggest there will be no commitment not to change the level of VAT.
The manifesto is also likely to contain no big new spending pledges.
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Migrant workers would have to pass English language tests if they want to work in the public sector, including nurses, community support officers, social workers and call centre staff.
At present, such an English language requirement only covers doctors from outside the European Union, teachers and police officers.
Among other measures included in the manifesto are a pledge to make it easier to sack failing police chiefs and allow underperforming police forces to be taken over by more successful forces.
Parents would also be able to change the leadership of a school through ballots, and a third of secondary schools in England would be merged or put under the leadership of new "superheads", under Labour's plans.
Public jobs would be offered to anyone over 25 who has been unemployed for two years or more and everyone under 25 unemployed for 10 months or more.
If the job is turned down they will lose benefits such as jobseeker's allowance.
There is also expected to be an increase in the minimum wage and a promise to increase paternity leave to four weeks.
Labour also released on YouTube its election broadcast titled "The Road Ahead", featuring the actor Sean Pertwee.
Speaking to GMTV ahead of Labour's manifesto launch, climate change secretary Ed Miliband said: "We know there is not going to be lots more money around so we are protecting spending in key areas like schools, health and policing.
"But how do we get most value for money? For example, we want the best schools to do more. In my constituency we have a school that wasn't doing so well taken over by a school that is excellent. It made a big difference and we would like to see more of that."
The Conservatives will launch their election manifesto tomorrow.
Reports have suggested it could include a promise to offer a petrol price "stabiliser", which would mean a cut in government duty when oil prices were high - paid for rises in duty when global oil prices fell.
Party leader David Cameron is visiting Reading and west London today to meet business leaders have publically backed the Tories' pledge to part-reverse Labour's planned national insurance rise.
The proposal, which will be paid for by £6bn of immediate efficiency savings, is expected to form the centrepiece of the party's manifesto.
The Liberal Democrats will launch their manifesto on Wednesday.
Mr Clegg said Labour's plans were just repeats of old pledges: "They promised fairness and new politics in 1997, they promised fairness and new politics in 2001, they promised fairness and new politics in the last election, 2005. They're doing it again".
"If they haven't managed to do it in 13 years, why on earth would anyone believe they're going to do it this time?"
