Head of Policy James Allen examines what today's 2015 Conservative manifesto launch contains for sport and recreation.
Well, it’s Tuesday so it must be another manifesto launch day. Today, it’s the turn of the Conservative Party to lay out their electoral pitch and to attempt to control the airwaves.
Just like the launch of Labour’s plans yesterday, sport is not on the first page (or the second, or the third) but there are some interesting proposals in here for our members. We’re also very pleased that this is the second day in a row where many of the ideas in our own To-do List for the next government are reflected in the proposals of the major parties.
The headline pledges for the manifesto focus on support through each life stage. Unsurprisingly, the document majors on economic competence and tax, delivering investment in the NHS, job creation and support in retirement.
The most eye-catching and political announcements today relate to new ‘right to buy’ proposals for tenants – so keep an eye out for the forthcoming row around that.
Given the centrality of the NHS and its future funding to the election campaign, it’s no surprise that this features prominently in the Conservative manifesto.
What is missing is a very clear link between plans for increasing rates of physical activity and delivering a healthier and happier population, which also places less of a burden on the future health service.
There are many interesting proposals here around making the NHS more personalised and responsive and to provide more choice.
There is a specific pledge to “reduce childhood obesity” (welcome, of course) but precious little on how activity levels amongst children can be raised and sustained to deliver this.
We’ve been focusing on the role of our sector in promoting good mental health recently and support calls across all parties to finally put mental health on a parity with physical health.
Again, we’d like to see more detail here but a specific recognition of the role of activity in mental health would have been welcome – as would a greater emphasis on the role that remaining physically and mentally active plays in the prevention, delay, treatment and management of long-term conditions including dementia.
Before moving on to talk about the sport and recreation specific proposals today, there are a few other points of note:
- An extension of community rights to bid for and purchase community assets, including sports clubs. We feel these existing rights have more potential, and have already called for this in our To-do List
- A new programme of ‘pocket parks’ in urban areas to promote recreation – this sounds like great news and much of our work around the outdoors in the last year has sought to persuade government of the need for this to focus on urban as well as rural assets. We also hope that this can form part of a future outdoor strategy from government
- An interesting idea that I have to confess I’d heard little about so far is to create a “UK Blue Belt” (similar to protections afforded by green belt status) to protect important marine habitats
- A potential resurrection of the Big Society – and new proposals around volunteering. We’re obviously very interested in anything that can help a sector which depends so heavily on volunteers at every level.
Finally, then what’s in here specifically for our sector?
- First up, there’s a strong endorsement for the huge success of London 2012 as having “demonstrated the best of our country” (which we would of course agree with!)
- In terms of delivery a legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the manifesto points to the familiar roll call of top class sporting events coming up in the UK including the Rugby World Cup, the IPC World Championships and the Cricket World Cup. There’s a clear acknowledgement of the vital role that these events play. Incidentally, this is why we’ve already called for the next government to consider a Major Events Bill and to keep the UK the home of world class events
- There is a commitment to extending the primary school sport premium (already announced) to 2020 at £150m a year
- There is a clear aspiration for two hours a week of high class sport and PE in all schools
- A commitment to improve community facilities – including working with local authorities as well as the FA and Premier League on investment in new pitches
- There is a pledge to “recognise” sport’s benefit to health (with prevention of diabetes specifically mentioned)
- Finally, there is a clear commitment to ensuring that 25% of NGB board members are women by 2017 and to “increase participation in sport by women and girls”.
So, nothing to disagree with there. There are plenty of gaps to fill in – and whoever is in government after the election we will be working hard to fill those.
There was unlikely to be any more detail than this in today’s manifesto launch, but at least there seems to be some positive intent to work with.
