What to expect as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launches party’s manifesto

The Labour manifesto hailed by Jeremy Corbyn as the most radical in the UK’s history is ready for its official unveiling.

With the Labour leader in Birmingham on Thursday morning to release the document detailing his vision if the party wins the December 12 election, here is a look at what pledges to expect:

NHS

Labour has pledged to outspend the Tories in the key battleground by spending an extra £26 billion to rebuild “crumbling” hospitals and improve patient care.

A boost of an annual average of 4.3% in real-terms investment over the next four years has been promised to take the total Department of Health budget to £178 billion in 2023-24.

Dental check-ups and prescriptions would also become free for everyone in England.

Brexit

Within three months a new deal with Brussels would be brokered, one that would see the UK remaining in the customs union and having access to the single market.

Then, within six months of electoral victory, the deal would be put to the public in a referendum along with the option to remain in the EU.

Wages

The minimum wage would rise to £10-an-hour for everyone, including under-18s.

This plan forms part of Labour’s war on poverty and its pledge to end the gender pay gap by 2030.

Scotland

More than £70 billion of investment would head north of the border.

Opposition to another independence referendum is almost certain, though Mr Corbyn has not ruled out one taking place if there is the support in Scotland.

Utilities

There is likely to be the commitment to bring the rail network back into public ownership as current franchises expire.

Bringing other utilities such as energy supply networks back into public control is also expected, as is the reversal of the privatisation of Royal Mail.

Local authorities would be given the power to bring bus services back into public control.

Broadband

Every home and business would get free full-fibre internet by 2030 as Labour brings part of BT into public ownership to create a nationalised “British broadband service”.

Taxation

The top 5% of earners would pay more to fund public services, though the details are not yet clear.

Labour would shut down “tax tricks” by going after multinational corporations with a tax on their sales, workforce and operations as a share of their global activity.

Education

Every adult would be entitled to six years of free study as part of its “cradle-to-grave” national education service, which would scrap university tuition fees and boost technical training.

Class sizes would be cut for five to seven-year-olds, 30 hours of free childcare would be given to all two to four-year-olds and new Sure Start children’s centres would be opened.

Housing

Labour is pledging to end the housing crisis by building 150,000 council and social homes a year in England within half a decade.

Some £75 billion of borrowing would be spent in five years to construct council and affordable housing in a massive boost from current building rates.

Working week

A 32-hour working week would be introduced within 10 years with no loss to workers’ pay. Labour expects this would be paid for by a boost to productivity.

Immigration

Freedom of movement would continue if Remain won another referendum under Labour. But, if Leave won again, restrictions could be imposed.

Mr Corbyn said he would not commit to “arbitrary” targets as he highlighted the necessity of migrant workers to the economy, particularly the NHS.

Environment

The climate crisis has been at the forefront of Labour’s thinking in most of its pledges as it tries to make the economy carbon neutral by an as-yet unknown year.

But as part of its “green industrial revolution” it has also pledged 320,000 climate apprenticeships and billions in spending to upgrade every home to be energy efficient.