Conservative Manifesto 2024
The 2024 Conservative Manifesto: Five Headline Pledges
| Pledge | Promise | Outcome | Polling Reception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut NHS Waiting Times | Eliminate the 18-week waiting list backlog by the end of Parliament 2029 | Not implemented — Conservatives lost the election. Labour inherited the challenge. | Voters did not believe it: NHS was rated their biggest failure, cited by 51% as a reason not to vote Conservative |
| Reduce Mortgage Payments | Ensure mortgage payments stay lower than under Labour | Not implemented. Interest rate trajectory was independent of government action; voters saw the claim as misleading. | Low credibility: 57% of voters said they did not trust the Conservatives on mortgages after the 2022 mini-budget crash |
| Stop the Boats | Remove all illegal migrants via the Rwanda scheme within 100 days of a new Conservative government | Flagship policy failed before the election — Rwanda scheme never became operational. Over 30,000 Channel crossings in 2023. | Net negative: 48% said Conservatives had failed on immigration. Policy was seen as performative rather than effective. |
| Grow the Economy | Commit to growing the economy faster than inflation by 2030 | Not implemented. The economy stagnated under Sunak; the 2022 Truss mini-budget caused lasting credibility damage. | 42% trusted Labour more on the economy vs 29% for Conservatives at the 2024 election |
| Reduce Debt as % of GDP | National debt falling as a share of the economy by end of Parliament | Not tested. Conservatives lost office. Under Sunak, debt rose to 100% of GDP. | Voters largely disbelieved the fiscal promise given the preceding years of government borrowing |
Full Manifesto Policy Breakdown: What They Promised
| Policy Area | Specific Pledge | Cost / Detail | Voter Reception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax | Cut employee National Insurance by a further 2p (from 10% to 8%), following the 2p cut already delivered in the March 2024 Budget | £10 billion per year. Funded via unspecified public spending reductions. | Net positive: broadly popular, though critics questioned the funding. Only 38% said they believed the Conservatives could afford it. |
| National Service | Mandatory National Service for all 18-year-olds: a choice between a 12-month military placement or 25 days per year community service | Estimated £2.5 billion per year. Critics said the armed forces did not want or request it. | Net negative: 44% opposed, 30% supported. Widely mocked. Even defence commentators rejected it as militarily useless. |
| Housing | Build 1.6 million new homes over the Parliament; reform planning to unlock brownfield sites; introduce a new Renters Reform Bill | Housebuilding had already fallen to a multi-decade low under Conservative governments. The Renters Reform Bill had been repeatedly delayed. | Low credibility: 52% said Conservative housing record made the pledge unconvincing. |
| Immigration | Cap total net migration; pass the Rwanda scheme into law; extend the Illegal Migration Act; reduce student visa dependants | Net migration had reached 900,000 in 2023 under Conservative government — a record high despite repeated promises to cut it. | Destroyed credibility: 64% said the Conservatives had broken previous promises on immigration. |
| NHS | 48-hour GP appointment guarantee; 2 million extra NHS appointments per year; 100 new diagnostic centres | Waiting lists had grown from 4 million to 7.6 million under their tenure. GPs said the 48-hour guarantee was undeliverable. | Net negative: 58% said NHS had deteriorated under the Conservatives. |
| Crime & Justice | Recruit 8,000 more police officers; build 20,000 new prison places; increase criminal courts capacity by 100,000 sitting days | Police numbers had already been cut by 20,000 under Theresa May; partially reversed under Boris Johnson. | Moderate reception. Crime was a genuine voter concern but the pledge lacked credibility given their record. |
| Triple Lock Plus | Introduce a new “Triple Lock Plus” raising the personal allowance for pensioners to ensure they never pay income tax on the state pension | Targeted at pensioners who had been alienated by the preceding government’s fiscal decisions. Cost estimated at £2.4 billion. | Positive among pensioners. Labour criticised it as uncosted. The contrast with the later winter fuel payment cut by Labour became politically important. |
| Education | Introduce Advanced British Standard to replace A-Levels and BTECs; teacher bursaries; Maths to 18 requirement | Major curriculum reform. The ABS had been announced by Sunak as PM but never legislated. | Mixed: teachers broadly positive about reform direction; sceptical of implementation given the party’s record on delivery. |
| Net Zero | Maintain net zero by 2050 but “take a more pragmatic approach”; end the offshore wind ban reversal; slower EV mandate timeline | Attempted to position between Reform UK’s net-zero scepticism and Labour’s green industrial strategy. | Confused messaging. Green voters backed Labour or Greens; sceptics backed Reform UK. |
| Defence | Raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 | UK already met NATO 2% minimum. 2.5% would require significant additional spending. | Broadly popular following Russia-Ukraine war. Labour matched the pledge in their own manifesto. |
Why the Manifesto Failed: Voter Verdict in 2024
The 2024 Conservative manifesto was launched into an environment of profound voter distrust built over 14 years — and accelerated by a series of political crises that no manifesto document could paper over. The polling ahead of the election told a clear story:
The Truss Legacy
The September 2022 mini-budget triggered a sterling crisis and a mortgage rate spike. By the time of the 2024 election, 42% of voters still blamed the Conservatives for higher mortgage costs. No manifesto promise on mortgages could overcome this. Sunak had tried to distance himself from Truss but had served in her Cabinet.
The Immigration Failure
Net migration reached 906,000 in 2023 — the highest ever recorded — under a Conservative government that had repeatedly promised to bring it down to “tens of thousands” since 2010. By 2024, 64% of voters said the Conservatives could not be trusted on immigration. The Rwanda policy became symbolic of failure rather than competence.
Leadership Exhaustion
Between 2019 and 2024, the Conservatives had five Prime Ministers: Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak (who replaced Truss), and briefly Theresa May’s successor arrangements. Voters cited “chaos and instability” as a primary reason for switching. 61% said it was time for a change regardless of which party they voted for.
| Issue | % Who Said Conservatives Had Failed | % Who Said Labour Would Do Better |
|---|---|---|
| NHS and healthcare | 58% | 62% |
| Cost of living | 55% | 54% |
| Immigration | 64% | 41% |
| Economic management | 49% | 42% |
| Housing | 52% | 55% |
| Leadership stability | 71% | 47% |
Kemi Badenoch and the Road to 2029
| Policy Direction | Badenoch Position (2025-26) | Polling Support |
|---|---|---|
| Net Zero / Energy | Scrap 2030 clean power target; slower EV mandate; oppose onshore wind in England | Splits electorate. Popular with Conservative and Reform voters; unpopular with Lib Dem and Labour switchers. |
| Immigration | Annual cap on net migration; fast-track deportations; cut student visa route | Popular: 58% support lower immigration. But credibility gap remains from 14 years of failure. |
| State Size | Cut public spending; reduce welfare dependency; roll back regulatory state | Divides public. In economic difficulty, voters tend to want protection rather than smaller state. |
| Woke Agenda | Push back on diversity and inclusion programmes; free speech in universities; gender critical legal definition | Popular with Conservative base. Risks alienating liberal voters the party needs for a majority. |
| Defence | Accelerate to 2.5% GDP defence spending; tougher line on Russia and China | Broadly popular cross-party. One of Badenoch’s strongest ground. |
| Economy | Pro-growth deregulation; cut corporation tax for investment; oppose Labour’s employer NI rise | Mixed: business community positive; voters sceptical given Truss legacy. |
Badenoch’s approval rating stands at −15 net in May 2026 — significantly better than Keir Starmer’s −44. The Conservatives poll at 19% nationally, second to Reform UK’s 28% but ahead of Labour at 18%. The 2029 election remains genuinely open, with the party needing to decide whether to compete directly with Reform on the right or occupy a broader, more moderate ground.
For the full current polling picture including Badenoch’s personal ratings, see the leader approval tracker. For the current voting intention data including the three-way race between Reform, Conservatives and Labour, see our poll of polls.
Conservative vs. Labour: Manifesto Comparison 2024
| Issue | Conservative 2024 Promise | Labour 2024 Promise | What Happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immigration | Rwanda scheme; net migration cap | No Rwanda; reform asylum system; reduce visa reliance | Labour scrapped Rwanda; migration fell from 906k but remains high |
| Tax | 2p NI cut; Triple Lock Plus for pensioners | No income tax, NI or VAT rises on working people | Labour froze thresholds (stealth tax); raised employer NI; winter fuel cut |
| NHS | 48-hour GP guarantee; 2m extra appointments | NHS waiting list halved within 5 years; 40k extra appointments/week | Waiting list remains above 7m; NHS reform ongoing |
| Housing | 1.6m new homes | 1.5m new homes; planning reform | Labour legislated planning reform; both targets aspirational |
| Defence | 2.5% GDP by 2030 | 2.5% GDP “as soon as possible” | Both parties support increase; spending rising but below 2.5% target |
| Economy | Grow faster than inflation; debt falling | Stability rules; no income tax rises; fiscal responsibility | Labour ran £40bn borrowing Budget in October 2024; growth remains sluggish |
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the main Conservative 2024 manifesto pledges?
The 2024 Conservative manifesto “Our Plan for Change” centred on five headline pledges: cut NHS waiting times, reduce mortgage payments, stop the boats via the Rwanda scheme, grow the economy faster than inflation, and reduce debt as a share of GDP. Additional significant promises included a 2p National Insurance cut, mandatory National Service for 18-year-olds, 1.6 million new homes, and Triple Lock Plus protecting pensioners from paying income tax on the state pension. The manifesto was launched by Rishi Sunak on 11 June 2024.
Why did voters reject the Conservative manifesto in 2024?
The Conservative manifesto was rejected because it was launched by a party that had governed for 14 years and presided over the 2022 mini-budget crash, NHS waiting list growth from 4 million to 7.6 million, record net migration of 906,000, and five Prime Ministers in five years. Voters did not believe the party could deliver what it promised given its track record. 71% cited leadership chaos and instability as a reason not to vote Conservative. 64% said the party had broken previous promises on immigration. No manifesto document could overcome this accumulated distrust.
What was the National Service pledge and why was it mocked?
The Conservative manifesto proposed mandatory National Service for all 18-year-olds: a choice between a 12-month military placement or a 25-day-per-year community service role. The policy cost £2.5 billion per year and was immediately criticised by defence experts who said the armed forces had not requested it and had no capacity to handle 350,000 new recruits annually. 44% of voters opposed it in polling, with only 30% in favour. It was widely seen as a desperate attempt to generate headlines rather than a serious defence policy, and became a symbol of the campaign’s poor judgment.
Did the Conservatives deliver anything from the 2024 manifesto?
No. The Conservatives lost the July 2024 general election and have been in opposition since July 2024. None of the manifesto pledges were implemented. The manifesto is best understood as a statement of opposition intent rather than a governing programme. Compare this to the Labour manifesto, many elements of which have at least partially progressed since July 2024 despite the governing controversy.
How did the Conservative manifesto compare to Labour’s on key issues?
On tax: Conservatives promised a 2p NI cut; Labour promised no income tax, NI or VAT rise (though later raised employer NI). On NHS: both promised fewer waiting lists; neither has achieved the target. On housing: Conservatives promised 1.6m homes, Labour 1.5m — both aspirational. On immigration: Conservatives promised Rwanda and net migration cap; Labour scrapped Rwanda but migration remains high. On defence: both committed to 2.5% of GDP. The irony is that several Labour Budget decisions — the winter fuel cut, employer NI rise — have been more damaging politically than anything in either manifesto.
How has Kemi Badenoch moved on from the 2024 manifesto?
Kemi Badenoch explicitly rejected the National Service pledge immediately after winning the Conservative leadership in November 2024. Her policy direction differs from the Sunak manifesto on: net zero (more sceptical, opposing 2030 clean power target); deregulation (more aggressively pro-market); and tone — more combative cultural conservatism opposing what she calls woke institutions. She maintains the 2024 core positions on immigration restriction, defence spending, and fiscal credibility while repositioning the party for a 2029 contest against both Reform UK on the right and Labour in the centre.
Related: Explore Party Policies
Labour Manifesto 2024
Labour won on a platform of stability and change. Two years in — how are they delivering? Full pledge tracker with polling reception.
View Labour tracker →Reform UK Policies
Reform UK’s “Contract with the People” — their alternative government programme and polling reception for key positions.
View Reform UK →Conservative Party Polling
Current Conservative voting intention, Badenoch approval ratings, and full polling history since the 2024 defeat.
View Conservative polling →