Fact check: The Conservative Party manifesto
Full Fact via Election Check 24
The Conservative manifesto published on Tuesday included a package of welfare reforms the party claimed “will save taxpayers £12 billion a year”.
But the Institute for Fiscal Studies has challenged that figure, saying: “The policies that have been spelt out are not up to the challenge of saving £12 billion a year.
Some have already been announced and included in the official fiscal forecasts; others are unlikely to deliver sizeable savings on the timescale that the Conservatives claim.”
Small boats
The manifesto also claimed that last year small boat arrivals to the UK “fell by a third”.
That’s true when comparing 2023 with 2022, but more recent provisional figures show that so far this year small boat arrivals are up 48% compared with the same period last year.
And on debt, the manifesto claimed “debt as a share of GDP is forecast to start falling next year”.
Office for Budget Responsibility figures show that this is true of overall debt, which is forecast to begin falling as a percentage of GDP in 2025/26.
But the same can’t be said for underlying debt, which is what the government’s fiscal target to get debt falling as a percentage of GDP within five years is based on.
Under this measure, debt is only forecast to begin falling as a percentage of GDP in 2028/29.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
Manifestos usually aren’t worth the read as as soon as a party gets into power (or retains power in the Conservative case) most if not all the pledges never see the light of day. It’s one of the reasons why politicians are not trusted any more by the.general public. The current Tory manifesto was always going to be full of crap because they are in a desperate position.
.,so who in your very humble opinion will be the ones to deal with the cost of living,the illegal migrants,the health service in Wales etc.in the best and fairest way to all concerned . Don’t be shy ,just let everyone know the answer!
It’s about time it was a criminal offence for politicians to mislead the public in any way
This would clean up politics overnight, or until they allow their slimy spin doctors find a way around it