Analysing the Green Party's 2024 Manifesto Through a Policy Design Lens
Leveraging concepts from the Lighthouse Policy Design framework such as the Policy Matrix and Levers, let’s explore some key elements of the Green Party manifesto through the lens of strategic policy development.
What is The Policy Matrix?
The Policy Matrix is a powerful tool for policymakers, enabling them to categorise and select Policy Levers based on the urgency of impact and the method of implementation.
A ‘Policy Lever’ is a tool that policymakers can use to influence outcomes in specific areas. Levers can take various forms, such as regulations, incentives, public awareness campaigns, partnerships, or direct interventions.
The Economy
The Green Party aims to transform the economy through the implementation of a Green New Deal, which focuses on creating green jobs and sustainable industries. Central to their economic strategy is the introduction of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for all citizens.
By mobilising resources for renewable energy and green technologies, the Green Party plans to subsidise green businesses and incentivise sustainable practices through tax reforms. Additionally, educational initiatives will educate the workforce for the burgeoning green job market.
The Greens also propose to use the transfer lever to nationalise the companies that run our railways, water companies, and the big five energy companies. This move is aimed at ensuring these essential services are run in the public interest, improving efficiency, and focusing on sustainable practices.
Risks:
Economic disruption: The transition to green industries may cause short-term job losses in traditional sectors.
Financial sustainability: Funding for UBI and green subsidies requires careful financial planning to avoid budget deficits.
Public acceptance: There might be resistance from industries and individuals affected by the new tax policies.
Implementation challenges: Nationalising major industries could face significant logistical and financial hurdles.
Health
The manifesto promises to increase funding for mental health services and integrate these into primary care. This approach involves subsidising mental health services, regulating their integration into primary care, and educating the public to reduce stigma. Monitoring mechanisms will ensure the effectiveness and quality of these services.
Risks:
Implementation challenges: Integrating mental health services into primary care may face logistical and administrative hurdles.
Funding allocation: Ensuring sustained and adequate funding for mental health services.
Public perception: Overcoming the stigma associated with mental health to ensure public engagement and support.
Education
The Green Party prioritises environmental education in schools and seeks to increase funding for vocational training in green industries. This involves implementing educational programs focused on sustainability, subsidising vocational training, and engaging with educational institutions to update curricula. Innovating in teaching methods and materials is also a key component.
Risks:
Curriculum overload: Risk of overloading students with additional subjects.
Resource allocation: Ensuring sufficient resources and trained personnel for new educational programs.
Institutional resistance: Potential resistance from schools and educators to curriculum changes.
Environment
The Green Party commits to transitioning to a zero-carbon society by 2040. This ambitious goal will be achieved by innovating in new renewable energy technologies, subsidising renewable projects, and regulating the phase-out of fossil fuels.
Collaboration with energy providers and communities will be crucial to promote renewable energy adoption. The plan also includes mobilising investments in public transport, providing subsidies for electric vehicle (EV) purchases, and nudging public behaviour towards using public transport and adopting EVs.
In addition, the Green Party plans to regulate and ban domestic flights for journeys that can be completed in less than three hours by train and make airlines pay VAT on jet fuel, which currently is exempt from VAT. An economy-wide carbon tax will be implemented, applying to all activities that produce carbon dioxide, including airlines. This is designed to further incentivise reductions in carbon emissions across all sectors.
Risks:
Technological feasibility: Ensuring the reliability and scalability of renewable energy technologies and managing the economic implications of transitioning away from fossil fuels.
Infrastructure costs: High costs associated with expanding and maintaining public transport systems, and ensuring the availability and affordability of EVs.
Public adoption: Convincing the public to shift from private petrol/diesel vehicles to public transport and EVs.
Industry resistance: Resistance from the airline industry and others affected by the new carbon taxes and VAT on jet fuel.
Crime and Justice
The Green Party’s manifesto highlights the importance of reforming the criminal justice system to focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. This includes subsidising funding for rehabilitation programs, reducing prison populations, and addressing systemic issues such as racial bias and inequality.
The Green Party plans to regulate to ensure fair treatment, educate to promote understanding and change and engage communities in restorative justice practices. Additionally, the party pledges to subsidise a £2.5bn investment to repair and renew the court system.
Risks:
Resistance: Resistance from traditional law enforcement agencies and the public.
Resource allocation: Ensuring sufficient funding and resources for rehabilitation programs and the court system renewal.
Systemic bias: Overcoming systemic biases and implementing fair treatment effectively.
Summary
From a policy matrix perspective, The Green Party’s manifesto demonstrates an adept use of various policy levers. The regulate and subsidise levers are utilised for immediate impact, such as regulating emissions and subsidising renewable energy projects. The educate and engage levers are applied for longer-term systemic change, aiming to reshape societal behaviours and attitudes towards sustainability and equity.
This strategic combination ensures that urgent issues are addressed promptly while also laying the groundwork for long-term systemic changes. For instance, their goal to achieve zero carbon by 2040 requires both immediate regulatory actions and sustained investments in innovation of technologies and infrastructure.
However, these proposals come with notable risks. Economic disruption may result from the transition to green industries, requiring subsidise and educate levers for worker retraining. Financial sustainability of UBI and green subsidies demands careful planning and monitoring to avoid deficits.
Effective policy implementation will require comprehensive stakeholder engagement. The manifesto’s emphasis on engage, nudge and influence levers indicates a recognition of the need for broad-based consensus and support. Engaging with communities, industries, and other stakeholders will be vital for overcoming resistance and ensuring the smooth adoption of new policies.
In conclusion, the Green Party’s 2024 manifesto presents a bold and comprehensive plan to tackle the interconnected challenges of our time. By leveraging a variety of policy levers, the Green Party aims to foster a sustainable, equitable, and resilient society. However, the successful implementation of these policies will require careful planning, robust stakeholder engagement, and proactive risk management to ensure that the envisioned transformations are realised.