General election 2019: Final focus on key issues for voters

Houses of Parliament graphic

The clock is ticking towards decision time - Wednesday is the last full day of campaigning before voters go to the polls in the general election.

But what remain the key battlegrounds in December 2019 - especially for those still undecided?

BBC Wales' correspondents take one last look at some of the policies that could make all the difference come Thursday.

Crime and punishment?

Crime:

All parties would increase police officer numbers - putting them back to roughly where we were in 2010 - give or take.

Lots of talk too of investing in youth services, from the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems and Plaid, to prevent them being drawn into a life of crime.

While the Conservatives focus on tougher sentencing policies, particularly for the more serious crimes, Labour, Lib Dems and Plaid look at the other end of the scale and want to reduce the numbers going to prison for less serious offences, by doing away with short sentences.

Conservatives would ramp up stop and search, Labour and Lib Dems would curb it.

Drug use:

A fair bit of consensus here - Labour and Plaid talk of harm reduction rather than criminalising drug use, likewise the Lib Dems wouldn't jail those caught with drugs for personal use.

The Conservatives aren't that specific here, but say they'd reduce drug deaths and break the links between addiction and crime.

Getting over austerity

Benefits system:

A necessary part of the belt-tightening caused by the financial crash or proof the poorest have borne the burden of ideologically-motivated austerity?

Welfare reform has split British politics.

The UK government spends £10bn a year on benefits in Wales, about half of which goes towards the state pension.

Conservative-led governments have tried to simultaneously cut the bill and modernise a fiendishly complex system.

Universal Credit was their answer. It replaces six benefits with a single monthly payment. If the Tories win, it will roll on.

But their manifesto implicitly acknowledges criticism of the policy, promising to "do more to make sure that UC works for the most vulnerable".

It also promises to reduce reassessments for disabled people and end a freeze on benefits - both of which have been attacked from the left for being cruel.

Scrap Universal Credit?

Labour says the problems are so bad that tweaking things isn't enough.

Universal Credit would be scrapped by Labour, but their manifesto isn't entirely clear on what will replace it or what would happen to the more than 130,000 people in Wales already receiving it.

It's possible Labour would eventually introduce a similar system - albeit a more generous and, Labour would say, more compassionate one.

Plaid Cymru's answer is to devolve a whole set of benefits.

They accuse the Tories of dragging more people into poverty and Labour's Welsh Government of failing to protect the vulnerable.

But as a recent inquiry by assembly members pointed out, devolving powers doesn't necessarily mean people will be better off.

In their coalition with the Tories, the Liberal Democrats helped launch the era of austerity, but they blame the Conservatives for the design of Universal Credit.

There's very little mention of Universal Credit in their manifesto, beyond promises to reform the way it works.

The Brexit Party, meanwhile, says Universal Credit should be reviewed - an offer pitched at Labour's Leave-voting heartlands.

NHS cash conundrum

Priorities:

Countless opinion polls show health and the NHS to be towards the top of the list people's priorities in any election so even though health is devolved - meaning the Welsh Government is in charge of it here - and nobody standing in this election will end up in charge of the Welsh NHS - it is inescapable as an issue.

Whoever forms the next UK government will have to decide on how much money to give the NHS in England.

The more money Westminster allocates to the NHS, and other public services such as schools and councils, in England - the more money will come to the Welsh Government's coffers.

Analysis by BBC Wales suggests there's a substantial difference in the degree Wales would benefit as a result of the UK manifesto commitments of the main parties.

But ultimately it'll be up to the Welsh Government how exactly to spend the extra cash.

The NHS has also featured prominently in the campaign as politicians want to try to convince people it would be safer in their hands.

They want voters to trust them and distrust their opponents.

That's why pictures of children lying on hospital floors or debates about any impact of future trade deals on NHS resonate.

But the truth is the NHS is under a huge amount of pressure in all four nations of the UK and performance on targets to varying degrees have deteriorated in each over the course of the past 10 years or so.

Getty Images

A lecture on education?

Higher education focus:

Though education is devolved, in many ways this UK election will have a significant impact on universities in Wales.

Brexit is the big issue for higher education, and especially what replaces European funding and schemes such as Erasmus+.

Decisions on tuition fees and student finance are taken by the Welsh Government but in this area any dramatic reforms in England are likely to prompt changes in Wales too.

If tuition fees are scrapped, as some parties are promising, it would have a direct impact on thousands of Welsh students who study in English universities.

And practically and politically it would be difficult for Welsh institutions to keep charging £9,000 if higher education cost less or was even free over the border.

Business crunch time

Brexit:

Brexit is the main issue facing business in Wales.

61% of Welsh exports go to the European Union, with 14% being sold to the USA and almost 17% to the rest of the world.

The major parties are offering clearly different approaches to Brexit.

There's the current deal, a renegotiation, another referendum, leaving without a deal or revoking Article 50 and not leaving the EU at all.

Organising how we leave the EU is only one part of the Brexit process.

The future trading relationship, which still has to be negotiated, is crucial for Welsh business.

It's not just about tariffs, there are other barriers to trade such as regulations - which companies will want to be kept to a minimum in order to keep sales and movement of goods flowing as smoothly as possible.

Brexit supporters campaigned on the opportunities for trading with the rest of the world after leaving the EU.

But there have been concerns over what a US trade deal may mean, including for food standards and NHS drug prices.

What's agreed in one trade deal will likely have an impact on what can be agreed in others.

The parties are also offering different approaches to immigration if freedom of movement from the EU comes to an end.

Companies have been concerned that any changes shouldn't hamper the flexibility they want to allow people to come to Wales to tackle skill shortages.

Follow the money

Build, invest - or both?

Increased public spending has been a theme that's run through the parties' promises.

Where they differ is on the levels of spending and on what - capital spending on infrastructure - or day-to-day spending on services.

They also would adopt varying levels of borrowing.

What the parties are not doing is arguing that austerity should continue.

Investing in green industries is proposed by parties as a way of reducing our carbon use, combating climate change and trying to kick-start sluggish economic growth at the same time.

What they mean in detail ranges from insulating homes, encouraging electric vehicles, innovative ways of using technology to reduce carbon use and planting millions of trees.

PA Media

The new fee will come into effect on 1 April

We're all watching

Licence fee pledges:

Funding for the arts and culture are devolved issues, but responsibility for broadcasting is retained by Westminster.

There is a consensus among the party manifestos that free TV licences should continue to be provided for the over-75s, reversing a decision announced by the BBC in June 2019.

The Brexit Party takes this further, stating it would phase out the licence fee altogether. Some of the most notable interventions in media policy have come on the campaign trail, rather than in party manifestos.

Boris Johnson questioned how much longer the TV licence fee could be "justified", while Conservative sources briefed some journalists that "if we are re-elected, we will have to review Channel 4's Public Service Broadcasting obligations".

Reuters

Our green future?

Brexit's environmental impact:

What happens with Brexit will impact the Welsh environment in all sorts of ways.

But let's focus on one of the key issues - funding for farmers, who manage more than 80% of our landscape.

EU subsidies make up a large part of their incomes at the moment.

There have already been a series of Welsh Government consultations on proposed new payment schemes.

But the big unknown is how much money will be handed over from Westminster to Wales to make them work if we leave.

During the election campaign the Conservatives have pledged to guarantee funding at the same level as now until 2024, Labour and the Brexit Party say they'll also maintain subsidies and grants for farmers.

The Lib Dems and Green Party want to cancel Brexit, but say they favour reducing payments to larger farms to give more money for supporting the environment.

Plaid Cymru also want to stay in the EU, but say direct subsidy payments must be maintained if we leave.

The parties are talking much more about green issues in general at this election.

Perhaps the area that will have the biggest impact on Wales is how quickly they want to end the UK's contribution to global warming by reaching effectively a 100% cut in greenhouse gas emissions.

Want to know more about all the UK parties' policies for Election 2019? We've pulled together this guide:

If you cannot see this interactive click or tap here.

This guide is a concise version of the main pledges from each party's manifesto.

The issue areas in the guide are based on those highlighted in Ipsos Mori's Issues Index, which measures the issues the public believe to be the most important facing the country.

More information on how the issues and parties were selected is in our methodology.

Related topics

More on this story