Theresa May has secured a costly £1bn coalition deal with the DUP to ensure a Conservative majority government. The agreement was struck after a series of talks at Downing Street between May and DUP leader Arlene Foster, who has described the "wide-ranging" agreement for a 'confidence and supply' coalition as "good for Northern Ireland and for the UK".
The DUP/Conservative coalition comes in the wake of a failed Conservative bid for majority in the recent General Election. This hung parliament led Theresa May to join forces with Northern Ireland's DUP to cross the 326 seat line needed to hold a majority in Parliament. In the election, the DUP won 10 seats, while the Conservatives took 318.
A three-page document has been released, detailing the working arrangements of the new coalition. It includes commitments for the DUP to support the Conservatives in regards to any and all Brexit negotiations; continued support for the UK's 2 per cent Nato defence budget and adherence to the Good Friday agreement.
Furthermore, the Coalition deal has scrapped some points from the Conservative manifesto - triple-lock pensions will remain in place, dropping plans to introduce means-tested winter fuel payments in the UK.
The UK government has agreed to a capital contribution of £1.5bn in funding to Northern Ireland over the next two years on infrastructure, health and education. This consists of £1bn of new money in addition to £500m of previously announced funds.
Prime Minister Theresa May described the terms set about by the 'confidence and supply' coalition as a "very, very good [deal]" for the UK.
However, the prospect of a DUP/Conservative Coalition has proved divisive in both public and political spheres, due to the DUP's far-right stances on issues such as evolution, gay marriage and abortion.
The DUP launched its manifesto on May 31, with leader Arlene Foster setting out the party's policies. We've now added the DUP policies to our manifesto round up below. See where the Democratic Unionist Party stand on WIRED issues and compare them to the policies proposed by the Conservatives, Lib Dems, Labour and the Greens.
DUP manifesto
The DUP's manifesto for the Westminster election is one of the smaller publications, with 22 pages containing what the party believes in. Unsurprisingly, the party has a large push on the rights of Northern Ireland in the UK political system but in the country it has been responsible for blocking gay marriage and supports laws that block abortion. Here are the party's other views:
Licence fee: The DUP party calls the BBC licence fee a "highly regressive tax" and is in favour of removing it (page 9).
Education: DUP promises: "A digital skills revolution in our schools, colleges and universities to enable young people to become digital citizens, digital workers and digital makers, ready for the modern economy" (page 13).
Broadband and mobile signal: A "comprehensive" broadband plan will be introduced to increase the number of people that have access to high-speed web connections. The manifesto also says it will push telecoms companies to increase 4G signals for smartphones and also invest in 5G technology (page 13).
Crime: "An increased focus on cybercrime" (page 15). It adds it will help to increase the cybersecurity research happening in the country (page 17).
Innovation: The DUP says a Northern Ireland Industrial Strategy should help accelerate innovation and research. It highlights the country's strengths in cybersecurity and advanced engineering (page 10).
Government: It says a "more digital government" will be created in Northern Ireland (page 14).
Conservative Party Manifesto
Theresa May's 2017 manifesto, published on May 18, is shorter than both the Labour and Lib Dem versions. At 88 pages, the document sets out the current government's plans for the next five years. You can access the manifesto here. This is what's included:
Digital charter: A new digital charter will be created to focus on business development and making the UK a safe place to be online. There will be "at least one" new institute of technology (page 77). A regulatory framework will be created to ensure the internet is regulated (page 82). There will also be discussions to create "an international legal framework" about how the internet should be regulated (83).
New products: There will be more spent on research and development. This is to help develop batteries and electric vehicles. This funding will keep the 2.4 per cent GDP as set out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and aims to raise this amount to three per cent in 10 years. (page 19).
Transport: "Almost every car and van" will be zero-emission by 2050 and there will be £600 million to make this possible. The Conservatives say they will invest in more low-emission buses as part of this pledge (page 24).
Cybercrime: There will be a new infrastructure police force created consisting of existing transport police and nuclear staff to "bolster the response to cyber threats" (page 44).
Person tracking:"We will implement satellite tracking for every foreign national offender subject to an outstanding deportation order or deportation proceedings" (page 44).
Broadband and mobile coverage: Switching between services will be easier and simpler and, by 2020, every home and business will have high-speed broadband. 5G technology will roll out by 2022 and there will be 95 per cent geographic coverage of the UK (page 78).
Safety online: Protections to stop children viewing porn, violence and other extreme content online will be put in place. Tech companies will have to enable the reporting and removing of inappropriate content. The manifesto says: "We will continue to push the internet companies to deliver on their commitments to develop technical tools to identify and remove terrorist propaganda, to help smaller companies build their capabilities and to provide support for civil society organisations to promote alternative and counter-narratives" (page 79).
Social media: New rights will allow people to delete information held about them from social media platforms when they turn 18. There will be a Data Use and Ethics Commission created (page 79). A new law will allow the government to "introduce an industry-wide levy" of social media and tech companies so they pay to "counter internet harms" (page 82).
Gig economy: Jobs, the manifesto says, are becoming increasingly flexible. The Conservatives say they will act to make sure those working in the gig economy are "properly protected" (page 16).
Digital receipts: "We will oblige all digital companies to provide digital receipts, clearer terms and conditions when selling goods and services online and support new digital proofs of identification," the manifesto says (page 78).
Infrastructure: There will be "£740 million of digital infrastructure investment" (page 20). An ultra-deep water port will be created to help the shipping industry (page 22).
Universities: More investment funds will be created for universities (page 20). There will be new institutes of technology in every major city in England that will provide STEM training and technical skills (page 52).
Data: More open data will be released and created. The government's Verify online identification system will be rolled-out (page 81). The HM Land Registry, Ordnance Survey, the Valuation Office Agency, the Hydrographic Office and Geological Survey will be combined to create a giant "geospatial data body within government" (page 82).
Fracking: The party says it will develop the UK's shale gas industry, create legislation for plans to extract the gas, and make a Shale Environmental Regulator. "Non-fracking drilling will be treated as permitted development," the manifesto says (page 23).
Forward planning: There will be a 25-Year Environment Plan created that future governments can use (page 26). Emissions will be reduced by 80 per cent (compared to 1990 levels) by 2050 (page 40).
Lib Dem manifesto
Tim Farron's Liberal Democrat party launched its 2017 manifesto in East London and is the second of the major parties to launch its election commitments. The Lib Dems' manifesto – titled Change Britain's Future – is 97 pages long and can be found here. Here's what is included:
Digital Bill of Rights: A new law will be introduced to "protect people's powers" over their data and preserve net neutrality (page 73).
Surveillance and cyberwar: The party says it will "roll back state surveillance powers" and stop bulk collection of communications data, hacking and internet records. It also says it will let innocent people know when they have been placed under surveillance if it doesn't impact an investigation (page 77). Investing in intelligence service's abilities to "counter cyberattacks" (page 85).
Encryption: "Oppose Conservative attempts to undermine encryption" (page 77).
Broadband: The party says it will start a programme of installing "hyperfast, fibre-optic" broadband across the country (page 36). This includes 2Gbps broadband, fibre connections, and higher speed connections for businesses (page 42). It also goes further by saying that all properties in the UK will have 30Mbps download speed by 2022 and an upload speed of 6Mbps, with an unlimited usage cap (page 64).
Coding: Will be kept on the national curriculum for children (page 42).
New technologies: There will be "supported investment" for energy storage, smart grid technology, hydrogen technologies, offshore wind, and tidal power (page 50).
Mobile signal: "Work with Ofcom to ensure mobile phone companies provide fast and reliable coverage in rural areas" (page 64)
Startups: A 'startup allowance' will be created to aid those starting companies. Scale-ups will be provided with mentors and assistance will be provided from the British Business Bank (page 41).
Innovation centres: New centres for innovation will be created around the country. The Lib Dems says it will "build on the success of Tech City, Tech North and the Cambridge tech cluster with a network across the UK acting as incubators for technology companies". It will also invest in the space industry and provide funding for the Creative Industries Council (page 42).
Gig economy: The party says it will "modernise employment rights" to make them work for those working in gig jobs.
Transport: Ultra-low-emission zones will be introduced in 10 cities and towns, diesel cars and small vans will be banned from sale by 2025. Transport taxes will be changed to ensure electric vehicles are cheaper (page 49). The party will also "encourage the swift take-up" of driverless cars (page 64).
Energy: Farron's party will introduce a new law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent in 2040 and promises the net greenhouse gas emissions to be zero per cent 10 years later (page 49).
Fracking: It will oppose fracking (page 50).
Funding and research: The Lib Dems' manifesto is against leaving the European Union and one of the areas it says it will fight for is the academic grants that come from the EU. This includes protecting the science budget and raising it alongside inflation (page 42). The party also says it will "fight" against medical research cuts and promote "further development of open access academic journals" (page 19).
Labour Manifesto
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn launched his party's manifesto at an event in Bradford on Tuesday May 16. The Labour manifesto is 124-pages long, in A5 format, and is available in full here. Here are the key points, including the page numbers they're on:
Online abuse: Tech companies will be "obliged" to protect children online and tackle abuse. Things people have shared online before they were 18 should be easy to remove, the party says (page 96).
Broadband: Labour has pledged to deliver "universal superfast broadband" by 2022. It says will improve 4G coverage across the country and create "uninterrupted" 5G coverage. "On day one we will instruct the National Infrastructure Commission to report on how to roll out 'ultrafast' (300Mbps) across the UK within the next decade" (page 10).
Surveillance and cybersecurity: "Investigatory powers must always be both proportionate and necessary," Labour says. If it wins the general election, it will "reintroduce effective judicial oversight" of surveillance powers (page 77). A cybersecurity charter will be introduced for companies working with the Ministry of Defence (page 120).
Libraries: Will be "updated with Wi-Fi and computers" (page 88).
Fracking: A ban on the controversial fracking process is proposed. Instead, renewable energy – including tidal lagoons – will be favoured (page 21).
Air quality: Labour says it will create a CleanAir Act to deal with air pollution (page 93).
Funding: A 'science innovation fund' will be created to protect the environment (page 94).
Gig economy: As part of a Ministry of Labour, there will be a commission to look at how the law "struggles to keep up with the ever-changing" forms of employment. This could revolve around Uber, Deliveroo and other companies. Trade union suggestions could also provide changes to how the companies work (page 51). Regulations around taxi legislation will also be reformed – this, it is said, will allow for regulations to change and "ensure a level playing field between operators" (page 92).
'Transport arc': the Science Vale transport arc running through South Oxfordshire will be built to connect Oxford, Cambridge, and Milton Keynes (page 91).
Creatives: There's a "value gap" between people who make creative content, the manifesto says, and the digital services that profit from it. "We will work with all sides to review the way that innovators and artists are rewarded for their work in the digital age"(page 96).
Ticket touts: The party will introduce an "anti-bot legislation" to stop touts bulk buying tickets (page 99).
Startups: A new 'Digital Ambassador' will be appointed to work with technology companies to attract startups and scaleups to the UK (page 15).
Green Party manifesto
Of the major parties, the Green's have been the last to publish their manifesto. The document is also the smallest of all those published, standing at 26 pages it can be read in full here.
Universal basic income: The party has suggested introducing a universal basic income, whereby everyone would get paid a basic wage that's equal (page 5).
Startups: Provide "community credit" and green investment for those looking to create their own companies (page 5).
Fines: Car companies who "cheated the emissions testing regime" will be hit by a "one-off" fine for doing so (page 7).
Protection: The Green Party says it will create an "Environmental Protection Act" to protect the environment and enhance biodiversity. A Clean Air Act will be created to expand the UK's clean air zone (page 7).
Fracking: Will be replaced as will coal power stations and subsidies to fossil fuel creation. These will be replaced by more investment in renewable energy (page 7).
Climate change: "Strengthen the global deal on climate change, including by delivering climate justice and promoting ecologically sustainable development so that poorer countries can cope with the impacts of climate change" (page 19).
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
