Reform announces a ‘Contract’ with the voter – Comments from NFB
Reform leader, Nigel Farage has announced ‘Our Contract With You,’ the Reform parties draft document is seeking comments for finalisation later in the year. Mirroring business strategy, the contact seeks to ‘run the nation ‘like a lean, efficient business with motivated employees and happy customers.’
Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the NFB, said: “Reform have clearly reshaped a political debate and a contact with the voters is an innovative approach. As Reform are accepting comment, we urge them to look at the NFB’s industry shaped manifesto which will help them understand how business would like government to be efficient and lean.
The UK is desperate for a better debate about policy in practice and we will be testing Reform’s commitment to this with our own submission to their manifesto.”
Specific construction and housebuilding policy does not feature heavily in the draft ‘contract’ but there is a clear dividing line between Reform’s approach and all other parties.
- Director’s to be accountable for illegal workers
- Scrap VAT on energy bills and environmental levies, which lowering fuel duty by 20 pence
- Cut Stamp Duty Land Tax to 0% below £750k, 2% from 750k to £1.5m and 4% over £1.5m
- Abolish IR35 rules
- Lift minimum profit threshold to £100k, reduce Corporation Tax Rate from 25% to 20%, then 15% by year 5
- Lift VAT threshold to £120,000
- Create SME Enterprise Zones
- Fast track new housing on Brownfield sites and for infrastructure projects
- Review Section 106
- Scrap 2018 tax changes for landlords
- Abolish Renters’ (Reform) Bill in favour of monitoring and enforcement
- Scrap Net Zero
- Fast track clean nuclear energy, increase UK lithium mining and encourage clean burning fuel
- Increase Technical and Apprenticeship courses, with a focus on construction
- Incentivise new construction technology
- Introduce a National Water Grid
- Scrap HS2 and accelerate already announced transport infrastructure, particularly in the north
Rico Wojtulewicz, NFB’s Head of Policy and Market Insight, said: “On the surface, there are sensible suggestions; however, some of the policies put forward follow the old failed, politically expedient approaches we are currently fighting against, such as Brownfield first. There is also a major issue regarding net zero before industry has spent billions readying itself, so scrapping it may cause financial black holes for British businesses.
As a draft document, it did offer a strong insight into Reforms direction and of course lifting VAT thresholds, cutting Stamp Duty and reducing business related taxes are sensible but we will be interested to see whether NFB’s comments to the Reform ‘Contract’ team will be embraced as recommendations from the UK’s most expert constructors, or end up ignored as they pose a challenge to a political vision.”
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