The Green Party of England and Wales has pledged to introduce a maximum pay ratio, a £15 per hour minimum wage, and promises to increase personal taxes for higher earners to raise around £60bn per year.
Currently polling around 6% of the general election vote, the Greens pledge to keep the current 8% rate for employees’ national insurance contributions, but extend it so it applies to income above the Upper Earnings Limit.
Income over the UEL of £50,268 per year currently only attracts a 2% rate of employee NICs. Somebody earning £65,000 a year would pay £883 extra per year – the Greens say this would affect around 10% of workers.
Election manifestos
Conservative manifesto includes further national insurance cut
In their general election manifesto, the Greens have pledged to repeal “anti-union” legislation and replace it with a Charter of Workers’ Rights that would include a legal obligation for employers to recognise trade unions.
Other proposals include introducing a maximum 10:1 pay ratio for all private and public sector organisations; a £15 an hour national minimum wage for all ages, with the costs to small businesses offset by a reduction to national insurance payments; and a move to a four-day working week.
A Green government would also equalise employment rights for all workers from their first day of employment, including those working in the gig economy and on zero-hours contacts.
A wealth tax would be levied on individual taxpayers with assets above £10 million at 1% and assets above £1bn at 2% annually. The Green Party estimates less than 1% of households would pay this tax.
Co-leader Carla Denyer, the Greens’ candidate for Bristol Central, said: “Things can only get worse under Labour unless we dramatically change our tax system to raise money from those with the broadest shoulders.
“Young people, in particular, know just how broken Britain’s frontline services are. The economy is not working for them. They have been priced out of the housing market and are struggling to fund their education.
“Now is the moment to be ambitious – not unrealistic – but ambitious. To be clear about the kind of country we want to live in, about how broken our public services are and the action that’s needed to fix them.”
The Green Party manifesto says it would also equate the rate of pension tax relief with the basic rate of income tax, such that everybody would only get 20% tax relief, and reform inheritance tax to close loopholes used by the “super-rich”.
They would also introduce a carbon tax on businesses, starting at £120 per tonne emitted, rising to £500 per tonne over 10 years.
Labour and the Conservatives would rather hide their plans for cuts to public services than confront the need for a fairer tax system that asks those with the broadest shoulders to pay more” – Adrian Ramsay, Green Party co-leader
The money raised, together with borrowing, would be used for “game-changing” transformation in health, housing, transport and the green economy.
On the NHS and social care, the Green Party manifesto says it would provide an immediate boost to NHS staff pay and introduce high wages and a career structure for the care workforce.
A £2 billion pay uplift would be made available for teachers, and university tuition fees would be removed.
On immigration, the manifesto promises to end minimum income requirements for spouses of those holding work visas, and allow people seeking asylum to work while their application is being decided.
Green Party co-leader and candidate for Waveney Valley, Adrian Ramsay, said: “There is a conspiracy of silence between the main Westminster parties at this election.
“Labour and the Conservatives would rather hide their plans for cuts to public services than confront the need for a fairer tax system that asks those with the broadest shoulders to pay more – including the very wealthiest in society, who have grown even wealthier over the last 14 years.
“If people are to have access to an NHS dentist or a GP appointment, if we are to create warm secure homes for all and fund the green transition to tackle the climate crisis and create the jobs of tomorrow, we must be honest today.”
The party, whose only MP Caroline Lucas is standing down, added that it would not increase corporation tax, but would advocate for windfall taxes where there is evidence that market distortions are creating risk-free additional profits.
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