Conservative Manifesto Launch Election 2017

Theresa May has a clear plan for Brexit and for a better future for

our country. She has the strength and ability needed to see that plan

through. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Prime Minister,

Theresa May. Thank you very much. Today, as we

face this critical election for our country am I launched my manifesto

for Britain's future. A manifesto to see us through Brexit and beyond. A

plan for a stronger, fairer, more prosperous Britain. They plan to

seize the opportunities ahead. And to build a country that our children

and grandchildren are proud to call home. It is a detailed programme for

government. Rooted in the hopes and aspirations of ordinary working

people across the land. But it is more than that. It is a vision for

Britain. A portrait of the kind of country I want this nation to be

after Brexit. As we chart our own way in the world. For at this

defining moment for the United Kingdom, as we embark on this

momentous journey for our nation, we have a chance to step back and ask

ourselves what kind of country we want to build together. I believe

that our United Kingdom can emerge from this period of national change

than ever before. I believe we can than ever before. I believe we can

be a country that stands tall in the world and provides leadership on

some of the greatest challenges of our time. And I believe we can and

must take this opportunity to build a great meritocracy here in Britain.

Let me be clear about what that means. It means making Britain a

country where everyone, whatever background, has the chance to go as

far as their talent and hard work will take them. It means making

Britain were not just for the privileged few but for everyone. A

country where it doesn't matter where you were born, what your

accent sounds like, what God you worship, whether you are a man or

woman, gay or straight, or black or white. A country in which all that

matters is the talent you have and how hard you are prepared to work.

And that is the kind of Britain I want us to build together. Because

as we leave the European Union and set ourselves a new course, we need

to make the most of all the talent in this country. For Britain to

succeed, we need to unleash the ability of every person, harnessed

the creativity of every business, support the ambition and

entrepreneurialism in every sector. We need to embrace what is before

us, believing in Britain and the enduring power of the British

spirit. And we need to look forward not back. Believing that despite our

great heritage, we have an even greater future. And that we can

build that brighter future together. It is no doubt that it will not be

easy. Many will Willis to fail. But, with

discipline and focus effort and hard work and above all a unity of

purpose stretching across this precious union of nations from north

to south and east to west, I believe we can and must go forward together.

To do that we need a new contract between government and people. We

need a government that is strong enough to act and humble enough to

listen. Responsive enough to people's needs and stable enough to

get on with the job and deliver. We need to unite behind a clear plan to

make the most of the opportunities ahead. That is what this manifesto

offers a clear plan to meet the big challenges we face together. A

credible, deliverable programme for government around which the country

can unite. A plan that, unlike the offerings of other parties, is

upfront and honest about the scale of the task we face, what we say in

it we will do and the scale of our ambition is clear. Because it is the

responsibility of leadership to be up front and straight with people

about the challenges ahead about the difficult decisions and trade-offs

that need to be made. And the hard work required to overcome the

obstacles in Norway. That is what this manifesto does. -- with the

obstacles in our way. It identifies the five great challenges that we

face as a country, one, the need for a strong economy, too, responding to

Brexit and a changing world, three, tackling enjoying social division,

fore, responding to an ageing society, and five, facing up to fast

changing technology. It sets out what we will do to address each one.

And in doing so it offers a vision for Britain in the years and decades

ahead, a stronger Britain where everyone has the economic security

they need to and the chance to live a secure and full life. And more

prosperous Britain where each prosperous Britain where each

generation can do better than the last. But, all of this depends on

getting the next five years right. Make no mistake, the central

challenge we face as negotiating the best deal for Britain in Europe. Our

future prosperity, our place in the world, standard of living, the

opportunities we want our children and our children's children, each

and everyone depends on having the strongest possible hand as we enter

the negotiations in order to get the best Brexit deal but families across

the country. If we fail, the consequences for Britain and for the

economic security of ordinary working people will be dire. If we

succeed the opportunities ahead others are great. I have negotiated

but Britain in Europe and I know the best place to start is to be clear

about where you stand on what you want. That is why I have been clear

that we do not seek to forge this issue, to be harping in and half out

the newcomer the British people made their choice, I respect that. -- to

be half in and half out. I respect the view of the other European

leaders who agree. So, we will leave the European Union and take control

of our money, our borders, pig control of our laws. We will forge a

new deep and special partnership with Europe. -- pig control of our

laws. We will strike new deals with old allies and new friends around

the world, as well. We will make the decisions that matter to Britain,

here in Britain. And be a great global trading nation stands tall in

the world once again. If we get Brexit right, we will use this

moment of change to bring a stronger, the more prosperous

Britain here at home. That is the real prize, the gold towards which

we must work. The too many people in Britain today, life is simply much

harder than many seem to think all realise. They are not ideological,

they do not buy into grand visions, they aren't fools by politicians who

promise the earth but claim notes hot choices are required. They make

this choice is every day in the own lives. -- book claim no tough

choices are required. They understand the politicians much do

the same. They do not ask for much, they just want to get on with their

lives and do the best the children and be given the chance. They look

to the government for and support. This party, the conservative and

Unionist party will be that government. For while it is never

true that government has all the answers, government put squarely at

the service of ordinary working people, can and should be a force

for good. A force that steps up and at in the interests of ordinary

working people, that does not ignore the more walk unlike on the other

side, but serves the interests of the mainstream of the British

public. With the right Brexit deal secured, my mainstream government

will deliver for mainstream Britain. All those who work hard and make

this country what it is, people who have the job but don't always have

job security, people that own the home but worry about paying the

mortgage, people that can just about manage, but worry about the cost of

living in getting their children into a good school. That is why the

government I leave that will ensure that every area of this United

Kingdom is able to prosper with a modern industrial strategy to spread

opportunity across the whole country. Why the government I lead

will build a Britain in which work pays, with a higher national living

wage and proper rights and protection at work, whether

government I lead keep taxes low and cap with an energy tariffs to help

families who were working or the hours they can to pay the bills, why

we will help those struggling to afford a home of their own to afford

more affordable homes. It is why the government I lead will build a

Britain with a strong economy to support world-class public services,

with the most ambitious programme of investment in technologies and

building that the NHS has ever seen. Record and fair funding the schools

real technical education for young people and the first-ever proper

plan to pay for and provide social care. Because, strong public

services do not just provide security and enhance opportunity

they are bike tour local and national institutions that Pringles

altogether. -- they are vital local and national institutions. That

Pringles altogether. For injustice is a scar on the soul

of our nation and I will fight it where ever it is found, so for

example, we will introduce the first new mental health Bill the 30 years

to put parity of esteem at the heart of treatment and end the stigma of

mental illness once and for all. But, most important of all, the

government I lead will provide strong and stable leadership to see

us through Brexit and beyond, tackling the long-term challenges we

face and ensuring everyone in our country has the chance to get on in

life. We need that strong and stable leadership now more than ever. For

the next five years will be among the most challenging in our

lifetime, a defining period for our nation, a turning point for Britain

that will determine the kind of country we are and the kind of

future generations that come afterwards will see. That is why now

more than ever put in need strong and stable government, wine now more

than ever Britain need strong leadership to make the most of the

opportunities Brexit will bring, now more than ever Britain needs a clear

plan and the determination and the will to see it through. And it is

why in this election, more than any before it is time to put the old

tribal politics behind us and to come together in the national

interest United in our desire to make a success of Brexit, united in

our desire to get the right result for Britain because every vote from

me and my team in the selection will strengthen my hand in the

negotiations to calm, every vote for me and my team will be a vote to get

on with the job of delivering Brexit and delivering a strong animosity or

future for all. Every vote for me and my team will be a vote for a

stronger, fairer, more prosperous Britain and after all that is passed

that is a vision of the future that can bring us together. So, I offer

myself as your Prime Minister with a resolute determination to get on

with the job of delivering Brexit, optimism that I can get a deal that

works for all and confident in the belief that we have the vision, the

plan and the will to use this moment to build a better Britain, with the

right deal for Britain abroad is taking back control of our borders,

our money and our laws, and a better deal for ordinary working people at

home will stop a modern industrial strategy to spread prosperity around

the country, exploiting the opportunities of technology to

attract the jobs of the future to Britain, relief and family energy

bills and the cost of living, more secure well paid jobs and new

protections for workers, the chance to own a home and more affordable

housing, a good school place every child with more money for schools

every year. A strong economy to fund our NHS and give you the security

you need, a stronger, fairer, more prosperous Britain that works for

everyone not just a privilege you, that is the goal, that is the plan

and now is the time. So, join me on this journey come with me as I lead

Britain, strengthen my hand as I eyed the Britain and stand with me

as I deliver for Britain and with confidence in ourselves and the

unity of purpose in our country let us all go forward to get the.

APPLAUSE APPLAUSE

Thank you. Now, I apologise because I see the media the back of the

room. Laura's thank you Prime Minister, BBC News, you are ditching

much of the manifesto that you in your party stood on just two years

ago. More families, including traditional Tory voters will have to

pay more for elderly care, many families will lose heart mills for

the children at school just a time when people are feeling the pinch.

-- lose hot meals. You're pushing back balancing the books and

immigration proposals might cost billions to the economy. When you

put that altogether would in some voters be quite entitled to conclude

that adds up to quite a bleak picture that you are putting

forward? No, not at all what I'm putting forward is a vision for

opportunity and prosperity across the whole of the country for the

future, I've been clear there are some hard choices but active that is

what strong and stable government and leadership is about, making sure

we are honest with the public about the hard choices, but if you look at

what we're doing for the first time ever we have a proper long-term plan

for social care to ensure that all people have dignity in old age, but

a plan that is further across the generations, yes, ensuring we are

putting more money into our schools and giving every primary school

child a breakfast before they start the school day, to set the school

day off as well. In showing that we're putting more money into our

NHS which is the biggest ever investment in technology and

buildings in our national Health Service. But, you can only do that

if we have a strong economy and having a strong economy is central

to what we as conservatives do implement and to do that we also

need to make sure it we get the Brexit negotiations right, so having

that right leadership to take us in with a strong hand in the

negotiations is so important and that is why I said every vote for me

and my team will strengthen my hand in those Brexit negotiations to get

the best double Britain. -- to get the best deal for Britain. Sky News,

Prime Minister in the manifesto on page 36 you repeat we continue to

believe that note deal is better than a bad deal for the UK, is this

document a mandate but no deal? Are voters who vote for you except in

that a possibility within the five years is that there could be no

deal, and if that not the definition of potential chaos? This is a

manifesto, this manifesto is a mandate and this election I want to

give a mandate to a strong hand in the negotiations to get the best

possible deal by the UK and by that I mean the best possible deal that

everybody the United Kingdom, but to do that we need a strong hand in the

negotiations and that is why as I said, every vote for me and my team

is about that will strengthen my hand in those Brexit negotiations,

we want to get the best double Britain, we want a deal that works

every part of the United Kingdom and that is what we are determined to

do. Did I see Andy Bell? Thank you very much, Andy Bell, Channel five

news. Do you except under your social collapse plan that the

majority of people currently receiving care in their own homes

will end up worse off under your plaid? -- do you except under your

social care plan. Aren't you turning your back a bit on the traditional

Middle England that is put the Conservatives into power because you

think you can find votes elsewhere? This is the first time that we have

seen a proper long-term plan for the sustainability and social care in

this country. We face a great challenge of an ageing population

and it is right that anybody who wants to be Prime Minister faces up

to that challenge and set it out clearly the people. What will we see

we're making, we will see that those we're making, we will see that those

elderly people who've been worried about how they pay the care in the

home will not have to worry about that in the future, they will not

have to pay while they are still alive, they wait to sell the home

while they are living in it, what we also see his that those people who

are worried that the savings, who have done the right thing and say to

the life and worried the savings will dwindle to wretchedly nothing,

we are quadrupling the threshold at which assets will be... What else do

experts see from this? I expect to see action and improvement in the

quality of social care that is available to people, expect people

to be able to stay in their own homes longer, and that will mean

less pressure on the NHS. I think I saw Gary... You said you wanted to

be straight, can I just ask you following on from the previous

question, everyone says there was a cart to getting net migration down,

is it in billions? You said you wanted, throughout the manifesto,

close injustice gaps, is there not a danger you are creating a whole new

one between children of slightly better off parents who may be die of

a heart attack or are treated for a medical condition, and slightly

better of children of someone who has dementia? It looks like they get

very different treatment under a Theresa May government under these

plans. Throughout the manifesto, you give this is a hard time, energy

companies with big names have slightly conned the customers,

housing builders have been building quality houses, you say, do you

think the Conservatives over the years have got to cosy with business

and business has been too greedy? Festival, you put right a few issues

in that question I have to say. LAUGHTER I think that was more than

the one question which most people are asking. Just pick up on the

immigration issue, I think it is right that we want to bring net

migration to sustainable levels, in the tens of thousands, because of

the impact that that uncontrolled migration has on people,

particularly at the lower end of the income scale because it can hold

down people's wages, it can mean a displacement of jobs, it puts

pressure also on public services. What we are saying is that yes we

want to increase the skilled charge, but that is because then that money

can be put into ensuring that people here are being trained up to be able

to take the jobs, I want to see people here having the skills to

take on these jobs while we still have a system that brings the

brightest and the best into the United Kingdom, and that is exactly

what we will be doing. In terms of the question of business I think, we

absolutely, clearly, said Al in the manifesto the key thing that we want

to do the business which is to ensure that we have that strong

economy and we want to be the best place for businesses to be set up,

to grow, and to provide those jobs and investment here in the United

Kingdom, but we do believe in responsible business. I think if you

talk to business people they will also say that it is better to have

an engaged workforce that is a content workforce that increases and

improved productivity, and that is why think it is right to say that we

need to ensure that workers have proper protections, but we do also

want to insure that we set that economic framework in which business

creates jobs. Since 2010, two .9 million jobs have been created, we

see employment at record levels, employment higher now than it has

been since records began and unemployment lower than it has been

since the mid-19 70s. That is what a strong economy can do and to build

on that the future. Is the area? Prime Minister, and you trying to

redefine what it means to be a conservative? And your critics on

social care who say your child implementer to tax, what would be

your reason? -- who say you are trying to implement a death tax.

This is a real challenge to implement a proper plan on social

care, it's been blocked by governments are too long, we are

prepared to stand up to that challenge and put forward this plan

which, as I say, will protect higher level of assets than is currently

protected for individuals, it will take away the worry from people

about how they will pay for the care whether the savings would be

depleted to virtually nothing and I think it will lead to an improvement

in social care. What we believe in is, yes, insuring we are providing a

system that provides people with dignity in their old age, but doing

it in a way that is the across the generations. I think the Guardian is

here. There's a microphone coming to you. Hello. You are going to means

test the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, replace the triple lock

guarantee on the basic state pension with a less generous double lock,

and wealthy pensioners will have to pay more for the clay include links

the at home... -- more for the care including care at home. Are you

being honest with pensioners that they have to bear more of the costs

of the best society you are talking about? If you access look at the

manifesto when we set out what we're doing in relation to the pensions

triple lock we make the point that that was introduced at the time when

there was a significant disparity in relationship to pensioner's incomes

now what we see as a result of the changes that have been made, an

increase of ?1250 a year and some older people worry about axe to the

is now a disparaging for the younger generation and would they be better

off in the future? Pensions will continue to go up, we will have a

double lock, which will ensure the pensions will go up either at the

rate of average earnings or inflation, which ever is housed of

pensioners will continue to be protected against rising prices. But

it is important that we ensure that changes that come in are changes

that are fair across the generations. Tom? Prime Minister,

from The Sun, you are taking money off which pensioners and giving it

support young families, you delight in using the power of big government

to beat up on UL issuing traditional right wing Tory dogma like

libertarianism, do you accept you are moving to the political centre

ground and are you proud of your new monkey, a red Tory? -- your new

moniker and red Tory? The Conservative Party has always been

on the central ground, we believe in managing the economy, spending tax

payers money responsibly, encouraging business to create

high-paid jobs, we went to see a good school place for every child so

that young people get the best possible start in life, we want to

ensure we get the economy to bond the support in public services do

the NHS and other services, these are all good principles underpinning

conservativism and continued to. Crucially, we want to give people

opportunity and inchoate aspiration, we want people to know that in

Britain on debt a Conservative government how far you go in life

depends on you, your talents and your hard work, not where you came

from. APPLAUSE

I think, did ICJ should? From the mail -- did ICJ said?

Would you expect those in your party and the House of Lords, and can I

ask, the theme of the day, do you consider yourself a Thatcherite? On

the question of the single market, what we want is a comprehensive free

trade agreement with the European Union which is about having good, as

tariff free and frictionless access to the single market but you can't

be a member of the single market without effectively still being a

member of the European Union. The British people have been clear that

we should leave the European Union. We will be leaving the EU and

negotiating the best deal we can. We will still cooperate with the

European Union on many issues and on trade, we want that competence of

free trade agreement that will be good for businesses here in the

United Kingdom and good for jobs and ordinary working families here in

the United Kingdom. Margaret Thatcher was a conservative, I'm a

conservative, this is a Conservative manifesto. I think I saw Ben. You

are elected in 2010 and 2015 on reducing immigration by the

thousands, you are Home Secretary between 2010 and 2016 and you didn't

meet that pledge, why should you believe it today? I was working on

this for six years as Home Secretary. The figures are starting

to come down again. There is no single thing you can do in relation

to the net migration figures that will make all the difference. You

need to work at this issue constantly. We need rules where we

have not had the opportunity to use them before. I have explained why I

think it is important that migration should be at sustainable levels

because uncontrolled immigration has an impact on people and public

services and also on people, particularly at the lower end of the

income scale. Suppressing wages and sometimes displacing jobs. That is

why it is important we maintain that commitment and continue to work on

it. I handed just went up at the back. Louise Adamson. I wanted to

ask what this manifesto says about you personally and you'll political

philosophy? I think it tells me that I'm a good conservative. And it

tells you that I believe in ensuring we have a strong economy and we have

good public services and opportunities for all. That is

crucial, I want to see Britain as a global Britain standing tall in the

world, trading around the world and taking our place in the world but

also a Britain where people in this country know how far they go depends

on them and their hard work and talents. Was that Paul I saw

somewhere? Prime Minister, Halifax voted 55%

leave and like many seats, Labour seats you are targeting in this

election, if you win the seats, those new MPs and voters will want

to hold your feet to the fire to get a firm Brexit? If that is the case,

isn't David Cameron deluded to think that the greater the majority, the

greater the chance of a soft exit? Iden took about soft or hard Brexit,

I want the right deal for Britain. That is what we are going to do. I

don't know if we can get a microphone upfront here. You have

been asked repeatedly in the campaign about taxes on higher

earners and you have always answered wait for the manifesto, the

manifesto doesn't really have any detail about what taxes they might

face or if they will face increases in national insurance. You are

asking higher earners to vote for you without knowing what kind of

attack rates -- tax rates they might be paying, what do you say to them

now the manifesto is out? To earners across the board, when they vote at

the election, they have a clear choice. The clear choice is between

a Conservative Party that has always been and always will be a low tax

party and in government is to reduce taxes on businesses and working

families and a Labour Party whose national instinct is to increase

taxes. What we saw from the Labour manifesto this week, with costing

that didn't seem to be worth the paper it was written on, is that

ordinary working families will pay the price of labour. They will get

lower wages and higher taxes and fewer jobs. Ordinary working people

will pay the price of labour. My last question here. Picking up on

Jason Groves's questions, it is occasionally said it is difficult to

define what is meant by May is. But it says you reject the cold of self

individualism and regard rigid dogma and ideology dangerous, that's as

like a rejection of Thatcherism, is it rejection and are you personally

rejecting the comparisons between you and Margaret Thatcher? There is

no May is. I know you like to write about it. There is good solid

conservatism. Which puts the interests of the country and

ordinary working people at the heart of everything we do in government.

Thank you.