As the new Labour government looks forward to an unprecedented third term, ePolitix.com asked key stakeholders to comment on the challenge to government for the next parliament.

Stakeholder Response: General Social Care Council

Lynne Berry, Chief Executive of the GSCC said: "This new Government has a very good opportunity to build on previous work in social care, keeping it high on the political agenda. Further work on the vision for adult social services, development of the children's workforce and decisions on the next groups to register with the General Social Care Council will help to ensure that social care workers are trained and accountable and the public are protected and receive high-quality services.

"We shall look forward to continuing to work with ministers in the departments of health and education and skills. In addition the appointment of a new minister of communities and local government is a positive step and we look forward to working with him to ensure that social care plays its part in promoting social inclusion, well-being and social regeneration."

A spokesperson for the Stroke Association told ePolitix.com: "Stroke is the third biggest killer in the UK and the biggest cause of serious disability. Every year 130,000 people in the UK have a stroke.  It costs the NHS and social services over £2.5 billion a year to treat and care for people who have had a stroke. 

"But you could be forgiven for not knowing that - awareness, research and prioritisation of stroke is lagging dangerously behind the other big killers: cancer and heart disease. For every £1 spent on stroke research, £20 is spent on Heart Disease and £50 is spent on Cancer .  For every 90 stroke physicians in the UK there are 700 cardio physicians.  This is unacceptable when inadequacies in stroke care still persist.

"There have been developments in stroke care in recent years, which The Stroke Association applauds, but progress is much too slow and there is a desperate need for greater investment in stroke services.  Strokes and TIAs are continually being misdiagnosed and ignored; dedicated health professionals are having to decide between stroke unit beds or brain scanners when they need both; and life changing rehabilitation is sparse if present at all.

"With more investment in organisational change the costs to the nation would be reduced: 

• Major investment in stroke prevention - Sustained health awareness campaigns could significantly reduce the incidence of stroke.
• Investment to guarantee that stroke is always treated as a medical emergency as is a Heart Attack - Early intervention and treatment by specialists can improve outcomes for all people who have had a stroke, lessening the severity of disability.
• Investment in hospitals - A properly funded, staffed and equipped stroke unit in every hospital would lead to better outcomes for patients and a reduction in the length of time people stay in hospital, freeing up beds and resources. 
• Investment in care - Access to rehabilitation support, including occupational and speech therapy and physiotherapy, can make all the difference to people's ability to rebuild their lives.  Access to rehabilitation also speeds up discharge from hospital."

Trevor Baird, director of public affairs for MAG said the challenges for the new Labour Government is to: "Fully implement the recently published National Motorcycle Strategy. 

"To build on the co-operative platform developed through the motorcycle community.

"To provide the resources for a sustainable motorcycle strategy with involvement from government to make sure that motorcycling takes its proper place in the transport mainstream as a safe, affordable means of transport.

"The main issues are that: 

• Motorcycling is recognised as a "mainstream" mode of transport.
• Central and local Government to take account of motorcycling in the planning process, when designing and maintaining the road network, when managing traffic and when considering safety.
• Better training to take skills to a higher level
• Improving rider and driver attitudes and behaviour
• Better road infrastructure and smarter traffic management."

Stakeholder Response: Construction Products Association

Chris Bennett, External Affairs Executive, Construction Products Association, commented: "The main challenges for the new Labour Government are to deliver much needed investment in our public services and infrastructure and to maintain the UK’s global competitiveness.

"There is continuing need for investment in the buildings where public services are delivered; schools, hospitals and social housing.  As Tony Blair acknowledged back in 2002, UK citizens do not currently receive public services appropriate to the UK’s status as the world’s fourth largest economy. 

"Our transport, water and energy infrastructures also need massive investment to make them fit for the 21st century.  Poor transport infrastructure has a significant impact on the ability of business to move goods to market and to operate with maximum efficiency and the CBI has estimated this cost at up to £20bn per year.

"To deliver the major construction work that is needed, the construction industry needs reliable, well-planned and well-monitored targets to allow business to plan capacity, develop innovative products and solutions, and achieve maximum cost efficiencies. As a major client, government procurement is vital to industry and must be an exemplar to commercial firms. government procurement policy must be based on best-value rather than lowest cost and take into consideration the whole lifetime cost of buildings and infrastructure.

"The Association will continue to monitor the Government’s delivery of its targets for investment in the built environment through its annual report Achievable Targets.

"The new Government must also ensure that the UK maintains a vibrant, business-friendly economic climate which provides the right environment for industry to prosper and compete in global markets. The competitiveness of UK manufacturing is being eroded by difficult operating conditions, with many firms enduring a 40 per cent annual increase in their energy costs and sharply higher raw material prices as well the costs of complying with new regulations such as the Road Transport Directive. It is therefore crucial that there are no further increases in the burden of taxes and regulation on UK business and that there are regular reviews of all legislation, and in particular environmental legislation, to ensure that it is achieving its intended purpose.  New legislation should include sunset clauses so that legislation remains fresh and relevant. 

"A third major challenge facing the government is an inefficient planning system which often hinders rather than helps industry’s attempts to improve productivity and address important environmental considerations. The government must ensure that planning decisions are reached more quickly and give greater attention to the benefits of business investment and improved competitiveness."

Stakeholder Response: Help the Aged

Commenting on the re-election of the Labour government, Mervyn Kohler, head of public affairs at Help the Aged said:

"The election campaign was made most notable by the unwillingness of the main political parties to engage effectively on some of the biggest issues facing older people – especially the looming pensions crisis. Lack of meaningful debate around key topics such as this may well have contributed to the general sense of apathy felt by the electorate towards politicians. 

"Throughout the campaign, the party leaders failed to address head-on how they would deal with pensioner poverty, the battle against ageism and the need to ensure older people can remain fully active citizens now and in the future. 

"Both Labour and Conservative parties adopted a sticking plaster approach to council tax. Help the Aged believes that the individual policies in this controversial area require a much more coherent and radical approach, embracing far-reaching reform to make the system more related to pensioners’ ability to pay.

"That said, Help the Aged welcomes the high-profile appointment of David Blunkett to the cabinet post of secretary of state for work and pensions. His clear brief is to kick-start a cross-party national debate on pensions in advance of the Turner report which will be published in the autumn.  This review of policy comes not before time and requires imaginative thinking rather than fudges and quick fixes."

Stakeholder Response: British Retail Consortium

Dr Kevin Hawkins, BRC Director General, said: "Retailers are currently facing the most difficult set of trading conditions in living memory. Consumer confidence is weak, price competition is fierce, retailers’ cost base is inflating and profit margins are under pressure. While a speedy reduction in interest rates is essential to reverse the downward trend in consumer confidence, we expect many of the present trends to continue.

"In these circumstances, the key to maintaining and improving profitability is higher productivity and more innovation. So retailers are looking for a regulatory framework, which helps retailers deliver these goals. The government has already promised to lighten the burden of regulation and we now expect it to deliver. Specifically, we want to see rapid progress in implementing both the Hampton report and the BRTF report "Less is More" which the chancellor announced with his last Budget.

"We look forward to maintaining and extending our constructive dialogue with Ministers and civil servants to deliver policies and regulatory changes which will help our members improve their productivity, encourage them to invest and create more jobs.

"The BRC outlined its policy priorities at the start of the campaign and we will work constructively with all Government departments and agencies to deliver them: 

• National Minimum Wage - to prevent further above-inflation increases. 
• Commercial Leases- to get more flexibility on assignment and subletting whether by voluntary action or Government intervention. 
• Retail Crime - to toughen the penalties and reverse the trend towards violence  
• Nutrition and Obesity- to achieve a sensible approach to tackling the growing imbalance between energy input and output.  
• Europe - to assist the Government to achieve a successful UK presidency, particularly in kick-starting the Lisbon Agenda and achieving radical change in the Brussels regulatory culture.

Stakeholder Response: The NHS Confederation

Dr Gill Morgan, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, says: "We welcome Patricia Hewitt as the new secretary of state for health and we look forward to developing a close working relationship with her to ensure that she can keep her finger on the pulse of the health service.

"Our poll of NHS chief executives is unequivocal – NHS funding is set to grow by £41.5 billion between 2002 and 2008 which means that we are halfway through an extremely welcome period of investment in this country’s health and health services.

"This extra investment is already paying dividends – for example, the number of patients on waiting lists and the amount of time they have to spend on those waiting lists has been dramatically reduced – but it must be maintained because people are living longer, the cost of new drugs and technology is increasing and the care that we provide for NHS patients needs to keep pace with rising public expectations.

"Some of this can be dealt with by improving working practices and productivity. The investment in new staff contracts, modern facilities and information systems will help frontline clinical staff and managers but delivering a world class health service requires a long-term vision, approach and investment to deal with the backlog create by many years of neglect. Long-term transformation is delivered by sustained commitment and not by a cycle of ‘boom and bust’.

"We are already looking ahead to the 2006 government spending review, which will determine the amount of money allocated to the NHS after 2008, and believe the health service can make a strong case for continued investment."

Dr Morgan says that the poll also contains a second important message.

"Chief executives are clear that improving the long-term public health of the population through better integration of primary, secondary and social care must be a key priority of the Labour government’s third term of office.

"It is only by tackling the causes of ill health, and improving the general health and wellbeing of the public, that we can reduce the burden on our acute hospitals."

An NHS confederation poll of NHS chief executives revealed that sustaining improvements in patient care must be the top priority for new Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt but points out that this will require continued financial investment in health services beyond 2008. 

The NHS leaders were asked what their number one priority would be in the wake of the General Election, if they were in Patricia Hewitt’s job.

They have delivered a message that continued investment beyond 2008 will be needed to maintain current levels of service and to deliver much-needed improvements in areas that have not yet benefited from the recent increases in funding.

Stakeholder Response: The Federation of Small Businesses

The FSB told ePolitix.com they had written to the Prime Minister to urge him not to waste any time in delivering on Labour’s key commitments to small businesses.

Carol Undy, the FSB’s National Chairman, put pen to paper to Tony Blair after the dust settled on Labour’s third election victory.

In the letter she said she looked forward to working with the newly elected government to achieve a stable economy in which small firms can grow, prosper and create jobs and wealth.

But Carol also underlined the need for speedy implementation of key manifesto pledges and argued that the UK’s 4million enterprises deserve a government spokesman at Minister of State level within the DTI.

Carol Undy wrote: "You pledged to simplify family friendly laws; promote better regulations in the EU; improve access to procurement; invest in roads and raise the standard of service and reliability of railways.

"We also believe you have a mandate to cut the number of inspectorates and raise the quality of apprenticeships and vocational education.

"My members were also pleased to note that Labour looks forward to action from the banking industry to remove delays in processing cheques and other payments and if necessary will legislate to ensure this early in the next Parliament. Speedy action on the above policies will help the UK’s 4million small firms."

She also warned against increasing taxes. "Increases in national insurance contributions, which are little more than a tax on jobs, must be avoided at all costs this time around."

Carol Undy added: "We have historically had a very constructive relationship with your Minister for Small Business. We would now like to see this position elevated to Minister of State level."

Stakeholder Response: Forum of Private Business

The Forum of Private Business said Labour's taxation and 'family friendly' policies had angered many bosses who are becoming increasingly sceptical about Labour.

"The next five years are going to be extremely tough for small businesses if Labour decides to keep increasing national insurance contributions, the minimum wage and fuel duty,' said the FPB's Chief Executive Nick Goulding. "Red tape and an extension to maternity rights are making it harder for businesses to be flexible and respond to market and consumer demand. If Labour believes in creating a business environment, as it says it does, it must reduce taxation and regulation. "

Goulding said Labour must use its third term to improve skills training.

"The shortage of vocational skills relevant to the workplace is of critical concern,' he said. "Business owners are telling us that too many young people are arriving in the workplace from school, college and university who cannot spell or count to a competent level. Labour is right to focus attention on improving skills, but again the proof is in the pudding. Employers will not be patient in waiting for Labour to deliver more young people with vocation skills."

Goulding said the FPB has made plain, in its own election manifesto, that businesses need policies that support growth, enterprise and productivity. 

"The new government needs to give control to businesses, enabling management decisions to be made quickly and easily. Furthermore, it must provide small businesses with a flexible trading structure, which can adapt relatively quickly and easily to changing business needs. These two basic principles will ensure a number of small businesses in the UK will go on to become large businesses of the future. It should not be forgotten that there are four million small to medium-sized businesses in the UK, providing more than 12 million jobs, employing 58 per cent of private sector workers and contributing 52.4 per cent of the UK's GDP."

"National Insurance Contributions: The new government must look closely at the impact of increases in National Insurance Contributions and their effect on the cost of employment.

"VAT: the new government must consider implementing a reduced rate for labour intensive services.

"Capital gains tax: Needs to be reviewed downwards. Business owners often depend on the transferring of their business for

their pension, the current rules lead to a depleted retirement fund for owners of small business.

"Fuel Duty: The new government must abandon rises in fuel duty if small business are to remain competitive.

"Business rates: The current level of business rate impacts disproportionately on small businesses. Small business rates relief thresholds should be raised so more businesses can qualified.

"Integrate National Insurance and PAYE: Administering two parallel sets of regulation increases the red tape burden; integrating the two would lead to significant savings in time and money for small businesses.

"Liability insurance: Employers' liability compulsory Insurance has increased by as much as 400 per cent in some sectors. Given such increases, the imposition of insurance premium tax should be either abolished or significantly reduced.

"The right to self-employment: Making self-certification of employment status easier would alleviate many of the concerns surrounding IR35 and 19 per cent non-corporate contributions. This would create certainty in the minds of the tax payer and the exchequer regarding contributions."

Stakeholder Response: Governetz

A spokesperson for Governetz told epolitix.com: "Tony Blair’s majority may have taken a dive but it appears that his enthusiasm for reform of the public sector and civil service is undiminished.

"Reading the runes of his Cabinet appointments suggests that, while he may struggle to push through controversial measures such as the introduction of ID cards, the Prime Minister thinks that public service reforms will be more popular.

"David Milliband, a former Number 10 policy wonk and Manifesto architect is to become the first Local Government Minister with Cabinet rank, signifying an advance of the regionalisation agenda and that Labour is ready to come to grips with the thorny question of Council Tax reform/replacement.

"John Hutton’s new role as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will encompass reforms of public services and the civil service – in effect a Public Service Reform enforcer.

"Civil service efficiency targets and relocating staff away from London are likely to be more popular with restive Labour backbenchers than touchstone issues such as privatization, outsourcing or radical schemes such as foundation hospitals.

"Savings will help to plug Gordon Brown’s fiscal ‘black hole’ and, in addition, there is strong speculation that civil service moderniser Gus O’Donnell, Permanent Secretary at the Treasury with Brown and architect of the merger of the Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise, will take over from Sir Andrew Turnbull as Cabinet Secretary."