The General Election Manifestos

Date posted: 26th June 2024

Ahead of the 2024 General Election, we have looked at the main party manifestos for the key policies for blind and partially sighted voters. 

We have selected three key policies for each UK-wide party and used the exact wording direct from their manifestos. There are also links to the manifestos so you can read them for yourself. Most parties have accessible versions available if you need more information. 

 

Conservatives 

• Make this country the most accessible place in the world for people with disabilities to live, work and thrive. 
• Improve support for people who have guide or assistance dogs 
• Give councils the power to ban pavement parking, provided they engage with businesses and residents to ensure they are not adversely affected. 

Read the manifesto here. 

Labour 

• Support disabled people to work by improving employment support and access to reasonable adjustments. 
• Tackle the Access to Work backlog and make sure people can try out a job without fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out. 
• More care delivered in local communities to spot problems earlier. 

Read the manifesto here.

 

Liberal Democrats 

• Tackling the disability employment gap by implementing a targeted strategy to support disabled people into work, with specialist disability employment support. 
• Raising employers’ awareness of the Access to Work scheme and simplifying and speeding up the application process. 

• Improving accessibility at stations through the Access for All programme. 

Read the manifesto here.

 

Reform 

• Personal Independence Payment and Work Capability Assessment should be face to face.   We will require independent medical assessments to prove eligibility for payments. Those registered with severe disabilities or serious long-term illnesses would be exempt from regular checks. 
• NHS Patients will receive a voucher for private treatment if they can’t see a GP within 3 days.  For a consultant it would be 3 weeks. For an operation, 9 weeks. Services will always be free  at the point of use. 

Read the manifesto here.

 

Green Party 

• Raise disability benefits by 5%  
• Stop the unfair tests people are asked to do to get Personal Independence Payment, known as PIP. 
• Mandatory for councils to provide free transport for 16–18-year-old pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. 

Read the manifesto here.

 

Ask Your Candidates to Fight for Blind and Partially Sighted People 

Whilst the party manifestos cover many issues, from defence to the economy to the NHS, TPT has published a manifesto, Eyes on Equality, that speaks to the top priorities for a new Government over its first 100 days, first year and first term to address the issues faced by blind and partially sighted voters.  

Eyes on Equality also sets out 10 Parliamentary Bills that should be introduced to tackle the issues of concern to blind and partially sighted people across health, transport, built environment, employment and education. 

You can the candidates asking for your vote to put blind and partially sighted people at the top of their agenda by writing direct to them using our simple e-action.