Admit it…

by Shelley Griffiths

January 2026

You haven’t read any UK political party manifestos and don’t really know what you’re voting for when it comes to most party policies. You vote on instinct if you vote at all. Ask yourself, what do you really know? There’s no shame to admit it; after all politics is woefully boring if you’re privileged enough that it doesn’t affect you too much, like how often your bins get collected, or how you’re pretty healthy and not on any waiting lists for NHS procedures.

Okay, maybe this doesn’t apply to all of you, but there’s enough of you out there to warrant me spending many, many hours reading all the manifestos that are relevant to Wales, UK (as that is where I live) so that you don’t have to! I have done all the hard work and produced summaries that you could read in your lunch break if you wanted it all over with in one hit. The goal of this is that you can finish reading it with a bit more confidence to vote in a way that benefits you, your family and your community.

Annoyingly, the main parties haven’t updated their websites or manifestos since the 2024 general election, so I have tried to update their policies where I know they have changed, and will update this post, or produce a new one as things evolve. As an autistic perfectionist, I have aimed to keep the summaries unbiassed; drawn directly from party manifestos and free from my opinion on them, but as with anyone that has a heart, it’s hard not to be completely without agenda. So, here is my agenda: I would like there to be greater understanding of the consequences of what each individual vote means for the future because we are at the precipice of considerable change now that the public seem to have lost faith in both Labour and Conservatives. What are the options and what would it mean if any of those got into power?

I would recommend that you follow up by reading full party manifestos for all the parties as I can’t squeeze it all in here and still keep it readable in a lunch break. If further reading doesn’t appeal, fear not as I have selected the main points in links to short PDF documents – most no more than two sides of an A4 piece of paper, (printable if you are so inclined) so you can have a balanced picture of what and who and why and be better informed and able to help shape the place we live into a happier, healthier and less scary place to live, for us and future generations. You may not like everything you read, particularly if you currently feel loyal to a party, but take comfort in this: the more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to shift your perspective when presented with information that challenges what you thought to be true.

There is no such thing as a stupid question, so for those new to politics, I’ve included a glossary of terms and some questions that might help understanding what’s what.

What is left-wing, right-wing and centrist politics in the UK and which parties are which? 

Generally speaking, working class people prefer socialist, left wing governance and the upper class, wealthy and ‘elite’ favour more capitalist, right wing power that helps preserve their wealth and keeps historic traditions alive. Left-wing politics generally supports social equality, challenging hierarchies, and advocating for disadvantaged groups, with a focus on social welfare, workers’ rights, and progressive change, contrasting with right-wing focus on tradition and hierarchy; these ideas stem from the French Revolution where “left” supported revolution and “right” supported monarchy. Centrist parties tend to have both left-wing and right wing policies. From left → right:

• SWP (Socialist Workers Party) – Far left
• Your Party (when established) – Left
• Green Party of England & Wales – Left
• SNP (Scottish National Party) – Centre-left (slightly left of Labour) 
• Labour Party – Centre-left (used to be left)
• Plaid Cymru – Centre-left
• Liberal Democrats – Centre
• Conservative Party – Right
• Reform UK – Far right

What is the difference between communism, socialism, capitalism and fascism?

Communism: Common ownership/no private ownership with an ultimate goal to be stateless and moneyless usually with a single authoritarian party controlling the state. In a communist society, whilst nobody should be wealthy, no-one experiences poverty. 

Socialism: Equality, public ownership of utilities and transport systems, co-operation and collective well-being. In a socialist, left-wing society, anybody can be wealthy and own assets, but no-one should be poor.

Capitalism: An economic system where private owners control industry for profit and greater GDP (gross domestic product) and financial growth. In a capitalist, right-wing society, great wealth can be achieved but is often at the expense of the poor. Ways to increase profits by reducing labour costs creates poverty. 

Economic growth is not sustainable on a planet with finite resources. 

Fascism: A far-right, authoritarian regime with extreme nationalism, militarism and a strong dictatorial leader where the nation’s interests are prioritised above individual rights, often suppressing opposition through force and rejecting democracy. Often associated with ‘purification of the nation’ and a ‘master race’ with racist, misogynist and other discriminatory narratives. In a fascist society, unquestioning loyalty to the leader (Duce, Führer) is required. Fascist superiority dehumanises certain peoples so that atrocities become normalised.

We used to be a two-party-politics nation. What happened? 

Following many years of austerity (cuts on public spending) from both Labour and Conservative leadership, a cost of living crisis, the disastrous effects of Thatcher’s capitalism in the 90s, leaving the EU in 2020 and the gap between the wealthy and the poor growing ever wider, the public have lost faith in the previously popular parties. Labour’s ongoing pro-Zionist support of the Israeli genocide against Palestinians have cost them many supporters. With the emergence and increased popularity of parties such as Reform UK and the Green Party both gaining majority ratings in the polls, the choices now seem to be between six main parties each appealing to different voters. 

When it looks like an existing government is going to lose power and there isn’t a clear lead, parties tend to form alliances to secure power. 

What if there isn’t a party that meets all my requirements to vote for them? 

It is unlikely that any one party will exactly match your ethics and beliefs for how we should govern our nation. Where a party is truly democratic and listens to its members, it is easier to shape policy with proposed motions however the best way to decide is to pick the party that resonates most with your ideas and not get too caught up on policies that aren’t ideal if they are few and do not affect you directly. Consider the consequences of what your future will look like if you vote for a party based on just one or two policies that you like when the other policies may end up harming you.

Keep in mind smear campaigns and propaganda designed to brainwash you into voting from a place of fear. If you ‘follow the money’ with newspapers, propaganda and fake news, it becomes easier to see who will benefit from misleading you. Millions of pounds are currently being spent on turning us against each other and apportioning blame for the current crisis on anyone but the ones that should be held accountable. While we are fighting each other, we are not considering what we need to thrive and improve our lives. It is time to focus on solutions rather than apportioning blame. 

Also worth noting is that parties often make promises they do not keep. Labour, Conservatives (Tories), Lib Dems and even Plaid Cymru have a history of doing this and have destroyed faith in their credibility because of it, but newer parties that have never held office are also in danger of underestimating what they can achieve with their lack of experience in governing.  

What is proportional voting and do I need to vote tactically to keep a party out of power? 

A new system for voting in the Senedd is called a ‘closed proportional list system’ and means that every vote in the next election counts so there is no longer any need to vote tactically for a party if they are not your first choice. Wales is being split into 16 areas and each will have six seats. If a party wins 50% of the votes, it will be awarded three out of the six seats. It means to get a seat only requires 13 – 16% of the votes so if you want your chosen party to get at least one seat, you need to vote for a candidate, either affiliated to a party or independent.

What is the ECHR?

The European Convention for Human Rights was created after WWII to prevent atrocities and protect individuals from state power by guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms. It includes the right to life, liberty, fair trials, free expression, assembly, privacy, and freedom from torture and slavery. It entitles people to due process and fair legal processes, so if the UK were to leave the ECHR, people (including ALL British Nationals) could lose the right to challenge the system, protest publicly or have their human rights protected.  Both Reform UK and the Conservatives have said they would leave the ECHR. 

What is the difference between Anti-Zionist and Anti-semitic?

Zionism is a movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish nation in Palestine by an Israeli government. Semitism is all things Jewish and relates to Semitic peoples with Jewish, Hebrew, Arab and Aramaic languages and cultures, but to be antisemitic is to be hostile against Jews in particular, wherever they are from in the world. To be anti-Zionist is to be opposed to the Israeli government and relates to the genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza. Anti-Zionists are often accused of being antisemitic but the two are very different and should not be confused. It is possible to be Jewish and anti-Zionist.

Here it is then:

A brief summary of each party with links to printable PDF summaries of policies and relevant information:

• Labour Party – currently in power in Westminster; used to be a left-wing party created in 1900 to represent working people, trade unionists and socialists but previous leader Tony Blair and current leader Keir Starmer have taken the party to a more Centrist position, some would even say right-wing with increasing support coming from hedge fund managers and entrepreneurs. Click here to read a summary on them and their policies.
• Conservative Party – right-winged party also known as the Tories supporting a capitalist society favouring private enterprise, privatisation, low taxation and reduced state control over industries. It supports a strong military presence and commitment to NATO. Click here to read a summary on them and their policies.
• Reform UK – a far right party favouring strict immigration control, with reduced rights for people in order to prioritise nationalist traditional values. Drastic tax cuts, scrapping net zero targets to endorse and promote fossil fuel and aviation expansion. It supports intensive expansion of the military, police force and detention centres and wishes to leave the ECHR. Click here to read a summary on them and their policies.
• Green Party of England & Wales – a left-leaning social justice party focussed on progressive change and radical transformation, pushing for peace, environmentalism and equality. Click here to read a summary on them and their policies.
• Plaid Cymru – centre-left party of Wales, a nationalist party focussed on independence and promoting the Welsh language. With many policies advocating de-centralised socialism and anti-war policies, they are often considered left-leaning and a voice of the people of Wales. Click here to read a summary on them and their policies.
• Liberal Democrats – centrist party however previous alliance with the Tories (Conservative Party) has given them a reputation to lean towards the right despite their focus on building a fair, free and open society by balancing liberty, community and advocating for internationalism and environmentalism. Click here to read a summary on them and their policies.
• Your Party (when fully established) is a left-wing socialist party led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zara Sultana who both defected from Labour, saying that Labour is no longer a socialist party that serves the people. As they have yet to create a manifesto and have its members decide their policies, I have not created a link with more details.
• SWP (Socialist Workers Party) – a far left socialist party that works closely with trade unions, running campaigns to overthrow capitalism through working class action. As they are not typically a major election force, I haven’t created a link to more details on their policies.
• SNP (Scottish National Party) – a centre-left Scottish nationalist party pushing for independence and devolvement from Westminster. With policies like free university tuition and equality and fairness for all they are considered progressive and often left-leaning. As this particular guide is focussing on Welsh politics, I haven’t done a link to a summary of their policies.

Global Influences

The UK is closely allied with many countries and influenced by current affairs and conflicts around the world, but for this version of this report, these are the main ones you should be aware of. 

Europe

In 2020 the UK voted to leave the European Union for reasons such as increased sovereignty and improvements fiscally. Since Brexit however, it is claimed that the UK is now up to £90 billion a year worse off, with reports that the UK economy is now £140 billion smaller than it was before leaving the EU. Non-London households across the UK are now £2000 a year worse off, adding to the cost of living crisis. 

A campaign was led by Nigel Farage that included touring the UK with a large red bus, stating on the side of it that £350 million a week savings would go to the NHS instead of Europe, however it is now well known that not only were these figures incorrect, but that the NHS has not seen any of the ‘savings’. 

Deals the UK had with France to send back immigrants arriving on boats are no longer valid since leaving the EU. Critics claim that UK immigration issues and the extensive backlog of processing claims (resulting in asylum seekers and refugees being housed in hotels) are critical because of Brexit. 

After the vote to leave the EU, a lucrative trade deal could not be found and many called for a referendum to vote again as a decent deal was not forthcoming but this was denied to UK voters despite many petitions. Many are saying that the campaign leaders, namely Nigel Farage, Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Theresa May (Conservatives and now Reform) should be held accountable for the misinformation spread to encourage people to vote to leave and the incompetence of being able to broker a good trade deal for when we left the EU. 

United States of America 

President Donald Trump, a Republican (with right-wing political leanings similar to our Conservative Party/Reform UK here) was voted in for a second term in America after promising to help with the cost of living crisis, lower bills and remove immigrants straining the system. 

Known for posting on social media many times a day, his views are controversial, and often anti-Democrat (their equivalent to Labour/left-winged politics here) and anti-‘AntiFa’ (AntiFa stands for anti-fascist, so to be anti-anti-fascist is to be pro-fascist?). 

Trump is often accused of being a dangerous narcissist, using wealth and power to manipulate public opinion with propaganda that dehumanises certain races and demography in order to make their suffering acceptable. With the constriction of concentration camps and non-white people being regularly ‘disappeared’ without due process, this has caused global concern for human rights in America. His most recent attack on Venezuela is against international law, with many calling for sanctions against the US. 

Having several convictions, the Presidential felon has a large following of people that believe he will ‘Make America Great Again’ (MAGA) and any evidence that he is failing at this, or news that he regularly breaks the law with his use of privately run mercenary unit ‘ICE’ and military to further his agenda, is largely overlooked. There are accusations that he was one of Epstein’s fellow pedophiles, and that regular ‘sensational’ political moves are staged to distract the public from the truth. 

Accusations that he ignores amendments in the Magna Carta, and comparisons of his leadership to Nazi Germany 1930s has led some to suggest that America is turning into Gilead (Margaret Atwood’s ‘Handmaid’s Tale’) where women’s rights are being eroded and even that child marriage is being encouraged to raise the dwindling birth rate with a far right narrative that is deeply discriminatory. 

Trump believes that Europe is facing grave issues due to immigration and therefore increased crime and has vowed to intervene, along with many other claims pertaining to other Nations where he has tried to influence outcomes of political and conflict issues to varying degrees of success or unwelcomeness. 

Elon Musk, originally from South Africa and now domiciled in America is the world’s first trillionaire. He has been funding far-right rallies and what he believes is the much needed ‘purification’ of Britain. Once a firm friend of Trump, they had a public falling out but Elon has not stepped back from trying to influence global affairs and has become ever more bold in displaying his Nazi sympathies. 

Nigel Farage and Reform UK have said they would like to mirror many of Trump’s policies, like copying their private healthcare models and limiting human rights for immigrants in order to remove them. 

Russia/Ukraine

Russia’s Putin invaded Ukraine in 2014, occupying Crimea and annexing it from Ukraine, targeting both military and people’s homes. More than 2 million people became refugees. Fighting still continues with support for Russia and Ukraine being a complicated matter for Europe and America with NATO politics making it even more complex. 

Israel/Palestine 

There has been a decades long conflict between Zionist Israelis and Palestinians over land, identity and the right to self-determination. Partition by the UN in 1947, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and occupation of territories going back to 1967 when Israel captured the West bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza strip and other territories have all influenced the current conflict, with an attack by Hamas, Palestinian militants in 2023 on Israel killing 1200 civilians triggered the declaration of war and the mass genocide of Palestinians including civilians. Ceasefires have not lasted and globally the public have been lobbying their governments to condemn the actions of both Hamas and Israel and stop selling arms to either of them. Labour suggest a two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state coexisting alongside Israel. The Green Party condemn Israel’s actions but want to keep diplomatic relations going and Your Party founder Zara Sultana wants to cut all ties with Israel and try them for war crimes. 

Keir Starmer proscribed protest activists ‘Palestinian Action’ as a terrorist group. The media have been filming and airing the many arrests of OAPs and peaceful protesters holding placards who now face up to 14 years in prison for terrorism. Both Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are known as committed Zionists  and Israeli apologists which has not helped Labour maintain British popularity. 

US-China Rivalry 

Trade restrictions, export controls and military posturing (around Taiwan) is influencing global trade and export deals, and not just with China but with many Nations unhappy about the tariffs Trump is imposing in his bid to make America great again. 

Shifting Alliances and ‘Ego-Politics’ 

International affairs are being influenced by the rise of ‘ego-politics’ and instability while predominantly old white men erode democracy and global human rights. Some say this is the beast of Patriarchal control thrashing in its dying throes but with time restraints like climate change and fragile authoritarians posturing while having nuclear power, many fear what we are heading towards. 

Climate Change 

Rising global temperatures are leading to more extreme weather (heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires), melting ice, rising sea levels and ocean acidification which disrupts eco systems. The crisis threatens food and water security, impacts human health, displacing entire communities and increases extinction risks for all species, including our own. 

Heavy dependence on animal agriculture as a food source has led to vast deforestation, gigantic deadzones in the ocean (due to cattle slurry getting into our rivers and seas) and an unsustainable water and land use that is contributing to global warming and pollution. 

Climate migrants seeking food and water security will increase and conflict over land that is farmable will also influence what happens around the world and here in the UK when food imports start to fail and storms and floods destroy our own crops. 

Aviation and fossil fuels such as oil and gas are a lead contributing factor in the crisis, but because so much money is made from aviation, oil and gas moguls who have the finances to influence politics and deny the climate crisis, politicians that accept money from these billionaires then create policies that reflect their contributions regardless of whether it threatens long term land, food and water security. 

Poverty 

The cost of living crisis is a global issue, not just here in the UK. With the gap widening between the excessively wealthy and the poor, the threat of civil wars, austerity rebellion and economic migrants seeking a better life will all influence what plays out here in the UK. 

Pandemics/Covid

We all learned the hard way in 2020 that pandemics overseas find their way to us and influence how we need to govern our communities. 

If you would like to print out or download global influences, click here.