The UK Independence Party (UKIP) has published its manifesto for the 2015 General Election, detailing very few specific technology policies, but revealing how the party’s immigration and energy policies might impact the industry as a whole.
Should UKIP emerge victorious on May 7, it would withdraw from the EU, close the loopholes that allow multi-national technology companies to avoid corporate tax in the UK and implement an “Australian-style” points system for skilled workers, limited to 50,000 migrants per year.
Such a policy could potentially limit the potential pool of talent for IT companies, but UKIP also promised it would increase the number of vocational courses for those at school and would abolish tuition fees for some technical degrees.
Who are you backing in the 2015 General Election?
UKIP would abandon many climate change policies employed by previous governments, including the 2008 Climate Change Act, and withdraw from the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme. Only renewable energy the party deems to be “competitively” priced would be pursued with more investment in fossil fuels, potentially changing the way data centres are powered.
The manifesto also promises funding and support for SMBs and make it easier for smaller companies to get government contracts.
Not much was mentioned about the role of state surveillance other than that a UKIP government would give the authorities as much support as they need to combat terrorism, but police would be forced to delete the biometric data of UK citizens not convicted of a crime but not a foreign person who is arrested but not charged. “Atos-style” work capability assessments would be abandoned in favour of GP tests.
There was no commitment made on broadband and mobile coverage, but UKIP did say it would review the licence fee with a view to reducing it. This could have an impact on rollout as the current government is “top-slicing” the licence fee to help fund broadband coverage.
Do you know all about public sector IT – the triumph and the tragedy? Take our quiz!
Investor appeasement? Apple unveils huge $110 billion share buyback program, as sales of iPhone decline…
Tesla retreats from pioneering gigacasting manufacturing process, amid cost cutting and challenges at EV giant
No skynet please. After the US, UK and France pledge human only control of nuclear…
Microsoft's AI investments continue in south east Asia, after investments in Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, as…
New chapter for LastPass as it becomes an independent company to focus on cybersecurity, after…
US FCC seeks to ban Chinese telecom firms at centre of national security concerns from…