Sir Keir Starmer, centre, looks-on as Labour Party deputy leader Angela Rayner speaks during the launch of Labour’s general election manifesto
The think-tank said it was difficult to predict if this target is feasible as there are a lot of competing factors at play, but commented that the pledge to create 40,000 new appointments “represent a small but noticeable increase in activity” and that it would “need to see more details on Labour’s overall health spending plans for the next parliament” to make a full judgement.
The Conservatives have managed to recruit over 20,000 police officers since 2018 – bringing the overall levels back in line with where they were in 2010 – which suggests that boosting the numbers is possible.The pledge effectively matches one previously made by the Conservatives – to build 300,000 homes a year – but this has not been hit in recent years.
With the Conservative government having struggled to build enough homes during its time in power, largely due to local opposition to new developments, Labour faces an acute challenge in building the homes Britain needs.The plans were mostly welcomed by education unions, but doubts remain about how the teachers would be recruited and whether the pay and working conditions could lead to retention issues.