Arts Corbyn stated in August 2015, that "every child deserves the chance to learn a musical instrument, act on a stage, and develop their creative imagination" and that a Corbyn-led Labour Party would re-invest in cultural programs and arts education. He also condemned the £82 million cuts that the
Coalition government had made between 2010 and 2015, arguing in favour of "an alternative programme for the arts". In September 2015, Corbyn announced a policy entitled "Arts for Everyone" detailing his plans to expand the arts and creative industries, including proposals to establish a
Cabinet Committee dedicated to the issue, a "National Creative Apprenticeship Service" and guidelines on the minimum standards of artists' pay. Corbyn unveiled his arts policy document at a rally in
Dalston, appearing alongside screenwriter
Frank Cottrell-Boyce and actress
Julie Hesmondhalgh. However, the arts columnist of
The Daily Telegraph,
Rupert Christiansen attacked the proposals as not being properly funded.
Education In July 2015, Corbyn authored an article for
LabourList in which he put the case for creating a "National Education Service", for decent skills, opportunities and "learning from cradle to grave". Comparing the
right to education with the
right to health, the principle on which the NHS was founded in 1946, Corbyn proposed introducing universal
child care, the abolition of
tuition fees and the restoration of maintenance grants and increased funding for adult skills training.
Environment Corbyn's environmental policy, set out in his "Protecting Our Planet" manifesto, involves developing a "resource-efficient,
green economy", creating one million new
green climate jobs, "leading an
end to the era of fossil fuels" and
transitioning to
renewable energy, ending the
Conservative government's policy of
hydraulic fracking,
addressing climate change and
air pollution, conserving
ecosystems and protecting the
welfare of animals. Corbyn's platform has been welcomed by high-profile figures in the
Green Party, including former leader
Caroline Lucas and
Molly Scott Cato and by
The Ecologist magazine. In an interview with the
Financial Times, in August 2015, Corbyn pledged to renationalise the
Big Six energy companies and to also bring the
National Grid into the public sector. In response to the announcement, financial analysts at
Jefferies Group LLC published a report estimating that the cost of such policies could reach £185 billion. On the same day that his energy policies were announced, Corbyn also told
Greenpeace's
Energy Desk website that he would consider re-opening the
South Wales Coalfield, a suggestion that drew some criticism from some environmentalists and from
Yvette Cooper, one of Corbyn's opponents for the leadership, who accused him of making "false promises".
Health Corbyn has long campaigned against the "creeping privatisation" of
NHS services. For example, he has been critical of the
Blair government's use of
private finance initiatives as a source of public sector procurement, particularly its involvement in the construction of NHS hospitals. He has suggested that the
Treasury should
bail out hospitals struggling to pay off debt resulting from PFI deals. Corbyn has also released a policy document on addressing the lack of funding for care and the stigma and discrimination facing those that experience
mental health problems.
Immigration Corbyn has spoken of the socio-economic and cultural benefits of
immigration to the United Kingdom, particularly of
multiculturalism and the high number of immigrant workers employed by the
National Health Service. He also condemned the Labour Party's
2015 election manifesto pledge to reduce levels of immigration as "appalling". Corbyn has accused
David Cameron of using "incendiary language" when he accused a "swarm" of people as the cause of the
Calais migrant crisis and also described the
Home Office's response to the
refugees of the Syrian civil war as "heartless and powerless", during the Sky News debate in September 2015.
Welfare At the Second Reading of the
Welfare Reform and Work Bill in July 2015, Corbyn joined 47 other Labour MPs to oppose the bill, describing it as "rotten and indefensible", whilst the other three candidates abstained. In August 2015, he called on
Iain Duncan Smith to resign as
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions after it emerged that thousands of disabled people had died after being found fit to work by
Work Capability Assessments between 2011 and 2014. At the
Guardian Live leadership hustings, Corbyn condemned the reforms that had taken place since 2010, pledged that he would defend the
welfare state as leader and insisted that politicians should show "a heart" when addressing issues of poverty and homelessness
Unionism In August 2015, when asked by Glasgow's
Herald newspaper if he would describe himself as a
British unionist, Corbyn replied "No, I would describe myself as a socialist. I would prefer the UK to stay together, yes, but I recognise the right of people to take the decision on their own autonomy and independence". He also criticised the decision by
Scottish Labour to work with Conservatives in the
Better Together campaign, and said that he had not actively participated in the referendum campaign. Corbyn also stated his belief that economic inequality exists across the UK, and that Labour should unite people on the basis of a "radical economic strategy". On the subject of forming alliances with the
SNP after the 2020 general election Corbyn was the only leadership candidate who confirmed he would be open to working with the party, saying to
Aaron Bastani of
Novara Media that "If there isn't a Labour majority but a minority and we've got to work with other parties – probably on the basis of a day-to-day arrangement or ... a supply arrangement then do that" == Foreign policy ==