Labour governments’ achievements
Between 1997 and 2010 Labour was continuously in government. Here are Labour’s top 50 achievements during those years.
- Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s.
- Low mortgage rates.
- Introduced the National Minimum Wage and raised it to £5.52.
- Over 14,000 more police in England and Wales.
- Cut overall crime by 32 per cent.
- Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.
- Young people achieving some of the best ever results at 14, 16, and 18.
- Funding for every pupil in England has doubled.
- Employment is at its highest level ever.
- Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries.
- 85,000 more nurses.
- 32,000 more doctors.
- Brought back matrons to hospital wards.
- Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament.
- Devolved power to the Welsh Assembly.
- Dads now get paternity leave of 2 weeks for the first time.
- NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice.
- Gift aid was worth £828 million to charities last year.
- Restored city-wide government to London.
- Record number of students in higher education.
- Child benefit up 26 per cent since 1997.
- Delivered 2,200 Sure Start Children’s Centres.
- Introduced the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
- £200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & up to £300 for over-80s.
- On course to exceed our Kyoto target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Restored devolved government to Northern Ireland.
- Over 36,000 more teachers in England and 274,000 more support staff and teaching assistants.
- All full time workers now have a right to 24 days paid holiday.
- A million pensioners lifted out of poverty.
- 600,000 children lifted out of relative poverty.
- Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents.
- Scrapped Section 28 and introduced Civil Partnerships.
- Brought over 1 million social homes up to standard.
- Inpatient waiting lists down by over half a million since 1997.
- Banned fox hunting.
- Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since before the industrial revolution.
- Free TV licences for over-75s.
- Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals.
- Free breast cancer screening for all women aged between 50-70.
- Free off peak local bus travel for over-60s.
- New Deal – helped over 1.8 million people into work.
- Over 3 million child trust funds have been started.
- Free eye test for over 60s.
- More than doubled the number of apprenticeships.
- Free entry to national museums and galleries.
- Overseas aid budget more than doubled.
- Heart disease deaths down by 150,000 and cancer deaths down by 50,000.
- Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent.
- Free nursery places for every three and four-year-olds.
- Free fruit for most four to six-year-olds at school.