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Globalisation means that events elsewhere have a direct impact at home. So we will pursue British interests by working with our allies to make the world a safer, fairer place.This means reforming Europe. It means fighting terrorism and stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction. It means modernising our armed forces. And it means using our leading role in the G8, EU, the Commonwealth and UN to promote global action on climate change and poverty.
The new Labour case Domestic interests and international action are entwined more than ever before. Action on drugs, terrorism, people trafficking, AIDS, climate change, poverty, migration and trade all require us to work with other countries and through international organisations. The best defence of our security at home is the spread of liberty and justice overseas. In a third term we will secure Britain's place in the EU and at the heart of international decision-making.We will always uphold the rule of international law...
We have worked closely with the US and other nations to combat the threat of terrorism in Afghanistan and in Iraq. The threat of the proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons - and their use by rogue states or terrorist groups - is a pressing issue for the world today. We have worked with the US to ensure that Libya has given up its WMD, and we will continue with France and Germany to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons. In North Korea we will support the multilateral approach of the Six Parties talks. We will continue to strongly support the peace process between India and Pakistan, and back moves to resolve the long-running dispute over Kashmir.And we will work to put an end to the international network of trade in weapons of mass destruction. Labour has already introduced a strict regime to control the export of conventional weapons, and we led moves for EU-wide measures. We will work actively to secure an international treaty on the arms trade.
We need to be tough on terrorism and its causes. The threat of terrorism and the danger to British citizens is proven, not just by September 11th but by repeated attacks in Europe and around the world. So we cannot sit back and hope that we will be unaffected. It is right that we do everything in our power to disrupt terrorist networks, and to challenge the conditions that help terrorism to breed.
The UN Charter proclaims the universal principles of human rights and democracy. In an uncertain world they are not only right in principle, they are important guarantees of our national security and prosperity too.
There have been major strides forward in recent years: in Indonesia, Afghanistan and many parts of Africa and Latin America, democracy is being extended.
We mourn the loss of life of innocent civilians and coalition forces in the war in Iraq and the subsequent terrorism. But the butchery of Saddam is over and across Iraq, eight million people risked their lives to vote earlier this year.Many people disagreed with the action we took in Iraq.We respect and understand their views. But we should all now unite to support the fledgling democracy in Iraq. British troops should remain in Iraq under a United Nations mandate as long as the democratically elected government there wants them.They will continue to train Iraqi security forces to take responsibility for their own future. international action are entwined more than ever before.
We welcome the wider process of democratic reform across the Middle East, and we will work with our allies to encourage and promote economic and political change.
We strongly support the peace process between Israel and Palestine. Resolution of the conflict is crucial to peace in the region and the wider world.The conference held in London in March 2005 has started the process of helping a democratic government in Palestine build security and prosperity.We will work tirelessly to bring about a peace settlement in which a viable and independent state of Palestine lives alongside a safe and secure Israel.
Britain's armed forces are among the best in the world.They are able to play a key role in advancing our interests and values.We want to keep it that way.
We are immensely proud of the bravery, skill and dedication our armed forces have demonstrated in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, the Balkans and elsewhere across the world.They are a force for good.We will never commit forces to battle unless it is essential; but when they are committed they will have the investment, strategy, training and preparation they need.That is one reason we have given the armed forces the biggest sustained increase in funding since the end of the Cold War. But we also know that modern demands on our armed forces are changing.That is why reform and modernisation are essential. A reduction in the number of infantry battalions, made possible because of the improved security situation in Northern Ireland, has allowed extra resources for the vital support services such as signals, engineers, intelligence and logistics units - the parts of the army most under pressure. This is essential to allow our infantry soldiers to be fully supported when they go into action on our behalf. We will continue with the investment and reform that make our fighting forces the most flexible and effective in the world.
We are also committed to retaining the independent nuclear deterrent and we will continue to work, both bilaterally and through the UN, to urge states not yet party to non-proliferation treaties, notably the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to join...
The UN is crucial to our efforts to build a more secure and more prosperous world.We support the reform of the Security Council so it becomes more representative and has a stronger focus on conflict prevention. We support the recommendation of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel for a Peace-building Commission to assist countries emerging from conflict and to develop mechanisms to enhance conflict prevention.We will press for more radical reform of the UN humanitarian system, so it is better equipped to saves lives.We will also press for reform of the World Bank and IMF to improve transparency, give more say to developing countries and, with the EU better focus their efforts on the poorest countries, particularly in Africa...
In 1997 the Tories had left Britain isolated in Europe, overseas aid had declined and we lacked any coherent vision of our place in the world.With Labour, a strong Britain will force international terrorism into retreat and help spread democracy and freedom around the world.We will be leaders in a reformed Europe, and, with others, make significant progress towards raising a billion people out of extreme poverty.We will fight for a new global agreement on climate change, an arms trade treaty, and a trade deal that makes trade work for the many, not just the few. Our armed forces will continue to be the best in the world.The alternative is to go back to the Tories with their record of cuts in aid and defence and their policies of tearing up the Social Chapter, and marginalising Britain in Europe and the world.
Source: The Labour Party, http://www.labour.org.uk/fileadmin/manifesto_13042005_a3/pdf/manifesto.pdf
...
Obviously the world is more dangerous and we've got to keep up our guard
...
A Conservative Government will strengthen our Armed Forces within NATO by spending £2.7 billion more than Labour on the front line by 2007-08.
Those serving in our Armed Forces are vitally important to us, so we must take care of the people most important to them. A Conservative Government will support service families. They deserve decent homes, good schools for their children, and the chance to spend as much time as possible with their families.
We will make the Army stronger. A Conservative Government will preserve the regiments Labour would abolish and improve the supply and procurement of weaponry.
"We should support our Armed Forces and our foreign policy should serve the British national interest"
We will save warships Mr Blair would scrap. A Conservative Government will support European co-operation on defence but we strongly believe that such co-operation should take place within the framework of NATO.
If a Conservative Government ever has to take the country to war, we will tell the British people why. Mr Blair misrepresented intelligence to make the case for war in Iraq, and failed to plan for the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's downfall. It is nevertheless the case that a democratic Iraq would be a powerful beacon of hope in a troubled part of the world. So we believe that Britain must remain committed to rebuilding Iraq and allowing democracy to take hold. And a Conservative Government will work to achieve peace in the Middle East based on the principle of Israel secure within its borders and a viable Palestinian state.
Source: The Conservative Party, http://www.conservatives.com/pdf/manifesto-uk-2005.pdf
It is often said that foreign affairs is not a determining issue in UK elections.
But on this occasion the conduct of Britain's foreign affairs, particularly in relation to Iraq, goes right to the heart of the Labour Government's credibility.
"Both at home and abroad trust has been eroded, and Britain's reputation diminished. It need not have been so. Britain, as a member of the G8, the Security Council of the United Nations, the European Union, NATO and the Commonwealth, has a unique opportunity to be a force for good in the world. British practice has been one of operating through multilateral institutions - and experience shows that when Britain does this, it provides leadership and influence.
"But Britain was taken to war against Iraq without express UN authority and on a flawed prospectus. The Government built its case on unreliable intelligence, in circumstances of doubtful legality. Who would have thought that Labour would lead the country into a war which has been compared to the fiasco of Suez?
"This must never be allowed to happen again. The work of rebuilding trust and confidence should begin immediately. We can start by committing ourselves to the reforms of the United Nations set out in the High-Level Panel's sagacious report. We can influence the whole of the Middle East by an unwavering commitment to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We can sharpen the focus on assistance for the poorest countries in the world through aid, debt relief and trade. We can pursue the cause of human rights wherever they are abused and neglected.
"We can truly put ourselves at the heart of Europe and at the heart of its reform. We can make sure that British arms exports neither encourage conflict nor assist repression. We can fashion a new relationship with the United States: a partnership of influence, not one of uncritical subordination. We can base foreign policy on liberal values, respect for the rule of law, and human rights.
"I believe that only in this way can we maximise Britain's influence, and restore Britain's reputation."
Sir Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary
There were no weapons of mass destruction, there was no serious and current threat, and inspectors were denied the time they needed to finish their job. Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed and it has cost the UK over £3.5 billion. Britain must never again support an illegal military intervention. But by invading Iraq the Government has imposed on us a moral obligation to work towards a stable, secure and free Iraq. We welcome the recent elections. We will seek to strengthen and enlarge Iraqi security forces so that they can assume greater responsibility, include Sunni leaders in the political process, and ensure adequate provision of food, water, sanitation and health care for all the Iraqi people. We will support the transition to a fully democratic and legitimate government, aiming to withdraw British troops by the expiry of the UN mandate at the end of the year; the openended presence of coalition forces is destabilising and fuels the insurgency.
The best way to achieve security and to tackle the threat from terrorism is through international action. Britain must work through the United Nations, as a committed member of the EU, and with the US to promote international law, democracy and respect for human rights. We will work to reform the UN and the EU to make them more responsive to international challenges...
Britain's armed forces protect the country and are a force for good in the world. But with increasing overseas commitments, they are overstretched. The Government should not be cutting the size of the armed forces while at the same time asking them to take on ever more difficult tasks. New equipment continues to arrive late and over-budget, so we will make military procurement more open and competitive. By switching funding from unnecessary programmes, for example by cutting the third tranche of the Eurofighter programme, we will be able to invest more in protecting the welfare of the armed forces, ensuring that they are well-trained and well-equipped. We will seek new ways of sharing the military burden, by working with allies through NATO and the EU. Liberal Democrats will be realistic about what Britain can, and should, take on, and British forces must always be able to deal with emergencies at home, such as terrorism or natural disasters.
We will press for a new round of multilateral arms reduction talks, retaining the UK's current minimum nuclear deterrent for the foreseeable future, until sufficient progress has been made towards the global elimination of such weapons. Arms sales contribute to conflict, so we will establish a cross-party Parliamentary Arms Export Committee to monitor arms exports and scrutinise individual licence applications. We will require arms brokers to register under a code of conduct and revoke the licences of those who break the code. We will support the establishment of an International Arms Trade Treaty...
Source: Liberal Democrats, http://www.libdems.org.uk/party/policy/manifesto.html
Greens are internationalists by nature. We believe our place in the world is made more secure when the world's environmental and social problems are being solved by successful international relations based on global co-operation. These relations must be underpinned by a commitment to real progress on peace, democracy, mutual common security and economic fairness.
The Green Party will implement a truly ethical foreign policy, with real progress on international social justice and equitable sharing of the world's resources. We will work towards the trade policies of economic localisation as the only viable, long-term basis for peace and security.
The war in Iraq illustrates fundamental problems with current British foreign policy, which is increasingly driven by militarism, neo-conservative strategies for armed pre-emptive strikes and a misguided faith in the 'special relationship' with the USA. The UK's continuing need to secure long-term oil and gas supplies only serves to exacerbate this process.
A Green government would not have gone to war in Iraq. Such an act was against international law and lacked the support of the UN. It was a profoundly misjudged act of foreign policy which has killed thousands, reduced Iraq to chaos, and left the UK dangerously exposed to global terrorism and divorced from our partners in the EU. We will seek the withdrawal of UK troops, who should be replaced by UN peacekeepers.
A Green government will rebuild our international reputation and introduce a real ethical foreign policy. This will be based on peaceful diplomacy (e.g. increased use of peacekeepers to help prevent conflict), arms reduction, nuclear disarmament, the reform of international bodies and the promotion of lasting common security through aid, fair trade, environmental sustainability and economic stability.
A genuinely ethical foreign policy will enable us to make substantial savings in defence expenditure in the longer term, which will be diverted to public services such as the NHS. We will therefore reduce UK military spending to the EU average.
A Green government will act to reduce arms sales worldwide by ending subsidies and credits for UK arms exports, closing the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) and the Export Credit Guarantee Department, and disbanding the service units that presently demonstrate British defence equipment. We will join Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands in negotiating a legally binding, international Arms Trade Treaty to regulate arms transfers according to recognised standards of human rights and humanitarian law.
We will also decommission the UK's nuclear weapons and rule out future use of chemical, biological or environmental weapons, including depleted uranium shells...
The current structure of the UN Security Council, with permanent seats for France, the UK, the US, Russia and China, is made undemocratic and often impotent by the right to veto. We will work to reform the United Nations by abolishing all permanent seats on the Security Council and introducing decisionmaking by majority vote.
We will also work to reform and democratise the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, ensuring that their work prioritises conflict prevention and eradication of poverty and disease, and enhances environmental sustainability...
Source: Green Party,
http://manifesto.greenparty.org.uk/site/downloads/
file1290GreenPartyManifesto2005.pdf
This year Norway will celebrate 100 years of Independence.
Norway is roughly the same size as Scotland. But it is one of the richest countries in the world. It has first class public services. It gives more aid to developing countries than any other nation. And it has invested its vast oil revenues in a fund for the future that is now worth £85 billion.
If Norway can do it, why can't Scotland?
Independence would give Scotland the freedom as a nation that we value for ourselves as individuals. The freedom to make our own decisions. To take the action that will get our economy growing...
To invest, not squander, our oil wealth. To get rid of nuclear weapons and save our proud infantry regiments. And to speak with our own voice in the world...
Independence will give Scotland the freedom to speak with our own voice in the world and take our place at the top tables of the European Union and the United Nations.
An SNP government will always uphold the rule of international law. We believe that the war in Iraq was illegal and we will always oppose wars waged without international legal authority. We will ensure that Scotland makes her contribution towards international peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.
We will join the world community where necessary to preserve peace and security.
We will preserve our historic regiments and strategic airforce bases as part of our Scottish Defence Services. We will establish a Scottish Centre for Reconciliation and Conflict Resolution, to promote peaceful alternatives to armed conflict.
We support the Make Poverty History campaign to help the poorest in our world.
We will contribute the UN target of 0.7% of national income to international development.
And we will support the reform of international trade organisations to create a more level playing field between rich and poor nations.
We believe that Scotland is ready to take her place in the world.
Source: Scottish National Party, http://www.snp.org/homepagelatest/policy/snp_page.2005-04-18.1079583278
Under New Labour, Tony Blair has dragged the UK into a disastrous and unjustified war in Iraq; the UK has been closely aligned with a right-wing Republican US President and the idea of an "ethical foreign policy" has been completely abandoned.
Plaid Cymru the Party of Wales will
The Bush/Blair "war against terrorism" is misconceived. Although of course there is a need to protect ourselves against possible terrorist attacks, it is important also to strike at the roots of terrorism. These are often about the injustices suffered by the poor of the world. Unless basic injustices are tackled in a serious way, there will be a further build-up in tension, terrorism, and conflict. Policies for justice are therefore also policies for peace...
The capacity of the United Nations for peace-keeping and conflict prevention should be strengthened.
We reiterate our opposition to all weapons of mass destruction, including the UK's nuclear weapons and we will not support such expenditure. We would reduce arms expenditure and establish a Ministry for Peace to lead a drive to tackle the causes of war. The UK government should play an active role in pushing for the adoption of a legally binding international Arms Trade Treaty by 2006.
Plaid Cymru the Party of Wales, opposed US/UK military action in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are now leading the campaign to impeach Tony Blair for the way he twisted the truth to justify the war in Iraq...
Source: Plaid Cymru, http://www.plaidcymru.org/ManifestoPlaidCymru2005.pdf
To fund the proposals we are making in this manifesto, Respect proposes the following
Source: Respect, http://www.respectcoalition.org/pdf/f325.pdf
© 2005 The Acronym Institute.