The Conservatives launched their manifesto today, hoping their promises on taxes, housing and pensions will win over voters.
Among the headline figures, Rishi Sunak’s party is offering a further 2p cut to national insurance in the manifesto, and to protect pensioners from having to pay tax on their state pensions.
Turning to immigration, Mr Sunak said at the manifesto launch his party would aim to “halve” migration.
The party pledges a binding cap on legal migration as the main election offer to control the number of people coming to the country.
The Conservatives would also call for an international summit in order to rewrite international immigration rules for the modern age, in a move aimed at placating Tory critics of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Meanwhile, the party also promises to deliver 1.6 million new homes if elected by speeding up planning on brownfield land in inner cities and “scrapping defective EU laws”.
Here, KentOnline’s political editor gives his verdict on the manifesto, in particular looking at the pledges around immigration and asylum-seekers.
It has been dubbed the kitchen sink manifesto - with the Conservatives languishing in the polls, it was a case of now or never for the Prime Minister who has had a lamentable campaign so far.
His task was to do enough that would satisfy the party members and activists but could also attract the interest of those who are still undecided and could yet play a big part in the eventual outcome.
There was a sense of déjà vu around some of the announcements, notably on the issue that affects Kent more than any other part of the country; the continuing stream of small boats and dinghies crossing the English channel.
The PM had the tricky job of appearing to be firm at the same time as being careful not to characterise all would-be migrants as opportunistic economic migrants..
There was nothing new in terms of policy but he said that if voters backed him in the election on July the 4th then flights to Rwanda would begin within days.
The vexed issue of housing and the need for many more affordable homes was addressed with an announcement that stamp duty would be cut for some first time buyers; the manifesto also pledges to scrap the main rate of self-employed National Insurance, something that will please the large number of small businesses in the county.
It was a manifesto that reflected the Conservative dilemma of a pitch to two different audiences and the desperation to move away from the nightmare of his failure to stay for the D-Day commemorations.
For many that will remain the defining event of the campaign and the point at which voters decided that it just might be time for a change, whatever else might emerge.
