What has Labour done for you?

Do you remember what things were like in 1997 before a Labour government? Three historic terms of Labour has transformed Britain for the better: better public services, greater social equality, cleaner environment, healthier people, and a fairer and more just society.

Of course, there is always more to be done. But we should not forget what Labour has achieved in the last ten years, and what would be at risk under a Conservative government...

HEALTH

When Tony Blair said "24 hours to save the NHS" he meant it. Years of neglect under the Conservatives had left crumbling, WW2 era hospitals and people dying on waiting lists up to 18 months long.

Labour has tripled the investment in the NHS, transforming it into a world-class health service and ensuring its future is secure for decades to come.

80,000 more nurses
35,000 more doctors, including 5,300 extra family GPs
4,500 more dentists
Labour brought back Matrons to our hospitals - now more than 5,530 in England
Record numbers of operations performed on the NHS
The largest hospital building programme since the NHS began: 149 new hospitals built or in the pipeline
We introduced NHS Direct to offer free advice on health
Maximum waiting times cut to just 18 weeks from referral to treatment
Deaths from heart disease down 40%, cancer mortality down 17%
Nurses pay increased by 58%

CRIME

We said we would be "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" and we meant it. Under the Conservative government, more police officers were leaving the force than were being recruited.

Since 1997, police numbers are up and crime is down. Labour introduced Safer Neighbourhood Teams, ASBOs and Community Support Officers. Year on year reductions in crime show that our policies are working to make our communities safer.

Overall crime is down 32% since 1997 according to independent statistics
14,000 more police officers on the streets, up 11% since 1997
A Safer Neighbourhood Team for every area in England & Wales
Police pay up 27% in real terms
PCSOs and special constables on patrol to complement the work of ordinary officers
Successful convictions up 40% between 2002 and 2006
Re-offending rates are down: 11% for adults and 17% for juvenile offenders between 2000 and 2005
ASBOs and Dispersal Orders introduced to improve communities

PENSIONERS

Older people are among those who have benefitted the most from Labour's social and economic policies. In 1997 millions of pensioners were having to scrape by on just £69 per week.

Labour now guarantees every pensioner a minimum income of £124 per week, or £189 for couples.

We now have:

One million pensioners lifted out of poverty since 1997
Tax free personal allowances for pensioners now at least £9,030
Pension Credit to guarantee a weekly income of at least £124 or £189 for couples
Free bus travel nationwide for the over 60s
Free NHS prescriptions and eye sight tests for the over 60s
From 2009, everyone over 60 will have free access to local swimming pools
Free television licences for the over 75s
The tax-free Winter Fuel Payment to every pensioner household. Now worth £250 for the over 60s, or £400 for the over 80s
1.4 million pensioner households benefitting from the Warm Front scheme, which provides central heating installation, insulation and energy saving advice

ENVIRONMENT

Environmental science has improved dramatically since the late 1990s, and we now have a much better understanding of the situation.

Our policies have kept up with the science, and the UK is now seen as a world leader in terms of national commitment to tackling global environmental problems.

We signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. We are on track to more than double our targets: that's a 23.6% cut in our 1990 emissions level by 2012
Our Climate Change Bill is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, and will legally commit the UK to reducing CO2 emissions by at least 60% by 2050
By 2016 all new homes built will be zero-carbon. By 2019 all new non-domestic buildings will also be zero-carbon
Old style light bulbs will be withdrawn from sale from 2008
The Climate Change Levy saves 6 millon tonnes of CO2 per year, and is encouraging businesses to be greener
Changes to Vehicle Excise Duty mean that sales of low-emission cars now outstrips gas guzzlers
The UK inow has the cleanest beaches, rivers, drinking water and air than at any time since before the industrial revolution

EDUCATION

"Education, eduction, education". That was our priority for government, and we have built a strong record since 1997. In 1997 45% of pupils achieved at least 5 good GCSEs. In 2007, it was 60%.

Labour has doubled investment in education, to help us achieve better exam results and record numbers in further and higher education.

36,000 more teachers than in 1997
172,00 more classroom assistants
1,100 new schools built or old schools rebuilt
Funding per pupil has doubled since 1997
We built 2,300 Sure Start children's centres to provide childcare, early learning education, play facilities, parental advice and support for working families
More university students recieving a non-repayable grant than at any other time in history
One third of all new students get a full grant for tuition and maintenance, and another third get a partial grant
Teachers' pay increased by more than 40%
Record numbers in further and higher education
More students receiving a university grant than at any other time in history

ECONOMY

We all remember the dreadful economic mess of the early 1990s. The Conservative government gave us interest rates at 15%, 3 million unemployed, record numbers of homes reposessed and 'Black Monday'.

As soon as Labour entered government in 1997, we devolved monetary policy to the experts in the Bank of England, we launched the New Deal to get people back into work and we created Tax Credits to make work pay. Since then we have enjoyed one of the longest periods of economic growth since the second world war:

The lowest basic rate of income tax in 75 years
Fewer working days lost due to industrial action than under the previous government
Independence for the Bank of England to set interest rates and control inflation
The National Minimum Wage now guarantees an income for the low-paid. Since we introduced it in 1999, we have increased it by 59%
Three million extra jobs created since 1997

TRANSPORT

Investment in railways now 2.5 times higher than in 1997
1600 more train journeys. Train delays cut by 17%
Free bus travel for pensioners and disabled people

FAMILIES

Helping families to manage the demands of working and raising children is one of our proudest records. We introduced free child care for 3 and 4 year olds for the first time.

Eliminating child poverty is one of Labour's key targets by 2011 - we have made good progress so far.

Child Poverty halved from 3.6 million in 1998 to 1.6 million
Child Benefit increased by 26% since 1997
Families with children now on average £,1800 a year better off - the poorest families are nearly £4,500 per year better off
Child Trust Funds introduced by Labour, to give children future financial security
Free milk, fruit and vegetables for schoolchildren and healthy school meals for all.
Paid maternity leave increased to 52 weeks
Paid paternity leave for the first time