The UK is now the second most popular place in the world to make films and high-end TV.
That’s a direct result of Conservatives taking action: there have been 1 million new jobs since 2010
and the economic value of the creative industries has doubled.
We provided an unprecedented £1.57 billion support package during Covid.
whilst also making the most of the opportunities of AI and its applications for creativity in the future.
As well as standing behind the creative sector we have also stood behind our pubs and hospitality businesses, prioritising them for Business Rates relief
and freezing alcohol duty.
But, in parts of the country, hospitality and particularly our nighttime economy is in decline.
In Wales, Labour have hiked taxes on business by axing tax relief.
In London, despite the high profile hiring of a ‘Night Czar’ by the Labour Mayor, over 3,000 pubs, bars and nightclubs have closed in the capital since March 2020.
and how to make our towns and cities great places to go out.
The BBC should represent the perspectives of the entire nation with diversity of thought, accuracy and impartiality as its guiding principles.
The Conservative Party is a strong defender of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
We were proud to deliver the Freedom of Speech Act to protect free speech and open debate in our universities.
In recent years, each part of the UK has worked together to tackle shared challenges.
The United Kingdom is a unique and uniquely successful Union, enabling each constituent part to grow and thrive.
As the Conservative and Unionist Party, we are committed to supporting our Union and continuing to deliver for people across the UK.
During the 25th anniversary year of devolution, we celebrate the progress which has been made and the relationships which have been built.
We are focused on working together to deliver for people across the UK, including maintaining meaningful intergovernmental relations.
Since the initial devolution settlements, significant further powers have been devolved to Holyrood, Cardiff Bay and Stormont.
We believe governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland now have the right balance of powers to deliver for people there.
As powers have been transferred, it has become more important than ever that the devolved governments are held responsible for their performance.
We support greater accountability within the devolved parliaments and centralisation within Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure decisions are made as close to the communities they serve as possible.
Devolved governments should be focused on utilising the powers they have to deliver on people’s priorities and we will continue to oppose attempts to distract from these with constitutional wrangling.
Intra-UK trade is worth £190 billion, and to boost this, we have legislated to guarantee unfettered access for goods from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK
and will establish a new Intertrade UK body to promote trade within the United Kingdom.
The UK Internal Market Act ensures businesses can sell goods and provide services freely across the UK.
Delivering for people right across the country requires joint working between the UK and devolved governments as well as local partners.
Our focus on delivery and working with local partners to do so, has paid dividends in recent years, providing:
over £3 billion of investment in levelling up in Scotland;
over £2.5 billion to level up Wales; and
over £1 billion for levelling up projects in Northern Ireland.
The UK Government has a duty to citizens right across the country.
Over the course of the last Parliament we have been building stronger relationships with local authorities and community groups in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to help us deliver for people there.
We are committed to continuing to fund projects across the UK directly and will:
These schemes improve communities and support infrastructure as well as sports and cultural activities across the UK, sitting alongside our backing for events such as the Hay Festival, the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe and the UK and Ireland Euro 2028 tournament.
delivering jobs and investment from the Cromarty Firth to Port Talbot,
and establish an Enhanced Investment Zone in Northern Ireland.
Ten years on from the 2014 independence referendum, the SNP remain focused on the constitution while Scotland has moved on.
They are distracted from the day job, with falling educational standards, rising drug deaths and long-delayed ferries.
The Conservatives and Unionists will continue to oppose this – the 2014 vote was decisive.
Instead, we will focus on what really matters to people.
We are also boosting Scotland’s economy through mechanisms such as our City and Growth Deals, dedicated British Business Bank fund and support for Scottish exports.
Our new Intertrade UK body will promote trade within the United Kingdom, with 61% of Scotland’s exports going to the rest of the UK in 2021.
and work to achieve a significant tariff reduction in India through free trade agreement discussions.
Scottish businesses will also continue to benefit from measures including tax reliefs for creative industries, support for small businesses and entrepreneurs and the Global Britian Investment Fund.
We will prioritise our energy security.
We have already put the Energy Security Investment Mechanism into legislation, ensuring the energy profits levy will end when oil and gas prices fall below a threshold.
We will bring legislate to require annual oil and gas licensing rounds and maintain investment allowances for the oil and gas sector
while supporting renewable technologies.