Taxing the rich and a 4-day work week: Why the Green Party’s manifesto is trending on TikTok
The UK General Election is quite literally right around the corner. With one of the most important political events only a few days away, it’s important we do our girlie diligence and take a look at some of the parties’ policies. And with practically 90 per cent of the media’s attention being taken up with pics of Keir Starmer at the football and articles about how there’s no way Rishi Sunak knew about his Tory mates who like to place a bet or two, I thought it’d be rather productive to focus on some different news that’s been all over my TikTok FYP this week: the Green Party manifesto.
First things first, let’s take a quick moment to acknowledge the fact that the Green Party recently caught the eyes of 20-somethings everywhere after we all realised that the party’s logo and theme were giving the same energy as the album of the summer, aka, Miss Charli XCX’s Brat. Now, that’s clever marketing.
@kappakappatae @Charli XCX you have officially changed lime green forever. POP ALBUM OF THE CENTRY BABY. #brat #charlixcxbrat #charlixcx #imsojulia
♬ 360 - Charli xcx
Okay, now back to business. The Green Party recently released its manifesto and several people have been delving into the specifics on TikTok. While the Green Party is currently predicted to win only 6 per cent of the vote, they’re still an important political player.
There’s a lot to unpack so bare with me, but I’ll do my best to work my way through the most important elements. I’m going to put on my Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC) hat and get all political on your ass.
Key takeaways from the Green Party’s manifesto
Work
First up is the Green Party’s plans for workers and workers’ rights. Two of the main takeaways include increasing the minimum wage to £15 per hour irrespective of age and ensuring that companies are legally required to guarantee that the highest-paid worker in a company is paid no more than ten times the amount of the lowest-paid worker.
The party also wants to introduce a four-day work week, a concept that’s been floating around for a few years now, with even some companies embracing the new model. British think tank, Autonomy Research, conducted the world’s largest four-day working week trial to date over the span of a few months in 2022, comprising 61 companies and around 2,900 workers in the UK.
The results were overwhelmingly positive. Before and after data showed that 39 per cent of employees were less stressed, and 71 per cent had reduced levels of burnout at the end of the trial. Likewise, levels of anxiety, fatigue and sleep issues decreased, while mental and physical health both improved.
Personally, I’m all here for a four-day work week—just saying.
NHS
One of the biggest aspects of the Green Party’s manifesto is their plan to spend approximately £50 billion per year on health and social care. Moreover, they have sworn to increase NHS frontline workers’ salaries including doctors, dentists and nurses, if they’re elected.
In response to questions raised regarding how the funds will be collected, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay stated: “Greens believe passionately in the NHS and we are the only party to be honest with the public that it’s going to cost money to nurse the NHS back to health after 14 years of Conservative damage. Not just by shifting a small pot around, but by asking the very richest in our society to pay a modest amount more in tax to fund the investment we need to nurse the NHS back to health. With the political will and a fairer, greener tax system we can offer real hope and real change for the NHS we all treasure.”
Tax
Moving swiftly on to my fave subject of course: taxes! So, a lot of the Green Party’s plans involve increasing taxes on the wealthy. Specifically, their aim would be to introduce a Wealth Tax of 1 per cent annually on assets above £10 million and of 2 per cent on assets above £1 billion.
Immigration and LGBTQIA+ rights
One of the reasons why the Green Party resonates with a lot of young people is down to the way the party leaders talk about immigration and the rights of queer, trans, and non-binary individuals in the UK.
@thegreenparty 🤝 "Our policy is about making our immigration system fairer and more humane." Carla Denyer calmly makes the positive case for migration on last night's BBC Election Debate. #UKPolitics #UKGovernment #GreenPolitics #Migration #GeneralElection #Immigration #RefugeesWelcome
♬ original sound - The Green Party
A great example of this is Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer recently insisting that “pushing for greater trans equality and trans rights in society” does not “threaten [her] rights as a woman,” as reported by PinkNews.
The party’s official stance regarding migration has remained the same for some time now, with their policy stating: “The Green Party seeks to establish a system that recognises that all migrants are treated as citizens in waiting and therefore supports and encourages them to put down roots in their new home.”
I should also note that the Green Party, if elected, would scrap the currently very controversial Public Order Act—a piece of legislation that some consider to be directly infringing upon the public’s right to protest.
Voting
And finally, my favourite: letting 16-year-olds vote. I’ve always been in favour of lowering the voting age to 16, so this is a personal yes from me.
So, there we have it. Party manifestos tend to be incredibly overwhelming and usually pretty lacking in aesthetic appeal, but it’s incredibly important we do our homework. Not long now until the big day, so stay informed babes!
