Evaluate The View That The Policies Of The Main Are More Similar Than They Are Dissimilar.

Question 1

1) economic policy

Answer 1

Similarities –>
All support capitalism and business-friendly policies.
Shared focus on:
Reducing debt
Halving inflation
Driving growth

Labour under Starmer = more centrist, fiscally cautious.

Rachel Reeves: “Securonomics” → no major borrowing, fiscal lock.
Dropped £28bn green plan for financial stability.

All 3 parties (2024) pledged to freeze major taxes: income tax, VAT, corporation tax.

Differences –>
Privatisation:
Conservatives & Lib Dems = fully support.
Labour (2024): nationalise railways, create a publically owned energy company- Great British Energy by allocating £8.3B in across the Parliament.

Taxation:
Conservatives: Cut NI from 10% → 8% (2024), pledge 6% by 2027.(Thatcherite tax cutting)
Lib Dems: Tax increases — raise funds through CGT reform, bank levies and tighter checks on tax avoidance.

Spending:
Lib Dems most ambitious: £27B/year extra by 2029, including £9.5B on health.
Also promised to scrap 2-child limit and benefit cap — Labour didn’t.

Question 2

2) Law and order, Unions

Answer 2

Similarities –>
Both Labour and Conservatives:
Strong on law and order
Crackdown on anti-social behaviour
More police:
Tories: meeting their +20,000 pledge from manifesto (2019), +8,000 pledge (2024)
Labour: +13,000 PCSOs
Both oppose recreational drug use:
Labour: “Smell of cannabis ruining lives”
Tories: banned nitrous oxide.
All 3 support rehabilitation to reduce reoffending.

❌Differences–>
The Conservative Partyʼs approach to the unions, striking and protests has also been a lot stronger than the Labour Party or the Lib Demsʼ approach
Sunak introduced the Strikes Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023, which requires minimum services levels in key public sectors and therefore limits the power of strikes.
The Public Order Act 2023 introduced new offenses such as “locking-on” and interfering with national infrastructure (including the roads around Parliament), which are punishable by imprisonment or unlimited fines.
It was enacted in response to the UK government’s concerns over highly disruptive protest tactics employed by groups like Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, but has been criticised for threatening the right to protest in the UK.
By contrast, Starmer has said the Labour Party would respond to public sector strikes by negotiating to find a fair pay deal for workers and that the Labour Party would repeal the the Strikes Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 within 100 days of coming into office.

Question 3

3) Immigration

Answer 3

✅ Similarities

Ukraine:
All support military aid.
UK gave £2.5B (2024)

Starmer visited Zelensky; Lib Dems pledged full support.
Defence spending:
All committed to 2.5% target (above NATO’s 2%).
Labour supports Trident, like Tories.

Brexit:
None back a second referendum now — even Lib Dems accept Brexit.

❌ Differences

Immigration:

Conservatives: very hardline —
Rwanda Act (2024) passed.
£290M upfront, £151K per person over 5 years.

Labour:
Oppose Rwanda plan — inhumane + costly
Want faster processing & returns enforcement unit
Work with France to stop crossings.

Lib Dems:
Oppose Rwanda plan
Focus on fixing asylum system
Less focus on reducing immigration numbers

Question 4

conclusion-

Answer 4

In conclusion, there are some clear differences between the policies of the main parties in relation to nationalisation, immigration policy and policy towards the unions.
These are certainly significant, however they are outweighed by the agreements between the parties on the majority of economic policy, law and order policy and foreign policy.
Overall, therefore, the policies of the main are slightly more similar than they are dissimilar.