50 Labour Achievements - a list compiled by the Trades Unions UNISON and GMB
1. A rising National Minimum Wage - the annual uprating benefits 1 million people a year.
2. The shortest waiting times since NHS records began.
3. Three million more operations carried out each year than in 1997, with more than double the number of heart operations.
4. Over 44,000 more doctors
5. Over 89,000 more nurses
6. Over three quarters of GP practices now offer extended opening hours for at least one evening or weekend session a week.
7. All prescriptions are now free for people being treated for cancer or the effects of cancer, and teenage girls are offered a vaccination against cervical cancer. 
8. The NHS can now guarantee that you will see a cancer specialist within two weeks if your GP suspects you may have cancer. Whatever your condition, you will not have to wait more than 18 weeks from GP referral to the start of hospital treatment - and most waits are much shorter than this.
9. 22 million people are benefiting from real tax cuts to boost their income this year. 10. 12 million pensioners benefiting from increased Winter Fuel Payments 11.900,000 pensioners lifted out of poverty
12. Half a million children lifted out of relative poverty and measures already in train will lift around a further 500,000 children out of poverty.
13. Free TV licences for over-75s
14. The New Deal has helped over 2 million people into work
15. Over 3 million Child Trust Funds have been started
16. Nearly 3,000 Sure Start Children's Centres opened, reaching 2 million children and their families
17. Over 42,400 more teachers and 123,000 more teaching assistants than in 1997
18. There have been approximately 3,700 rebuilt and significantly refurbished schools; including new and improved classrooms, laboratories and kitchens.
19.A free nursery place for every 3 and 4 year old.
20. Doubled the number of registered childcare places to more than 1.5 million, one for every four children under eight years old
21. More young people attending university than ever before
22. More than doubled the number of apprenticeships starts, with figures for 2008/9 showing 234,000 started an apprenticeship this year compared to 75,000 in 1997.
23.ln 1997 more than half of all schools saw less that 30% of their pupils fail to get 5 good GCSEs including English and Maths. Now only 270 schools fail this benchmark and we are guaranteeing that no school should fail this mark after 2011.
24. We have increased school funding to support the delivery of higher standards. Between 1997-98 and 2009-10, total funding per pupil has more than doubled from £3,030 in 1997-98 to £6,350 in 2009-10 in real terms, an increase of 110%
25. The Northern Ireland peace process
26. The UK is now smokefree, with no smoking in most enclosed public places. 27.The UK's greenhouse gas emissions are now 21% below 1990 levels, beating our Kyoto target.
28. Over £20 billion invested in bringing social housing to decent standards
29. Rough sleeping has dropped by two thirds and homelessness is at its lowest level since the early 1980s
30. Free off-peak travel on buses anywhere in England for over-60s and disabled people
31. Since 1997 overall crime is down 36 per cent; domestic burglary is down 54 per cent; vehicle related crime is down 57 per cent; and violent crime is down 41 per cent.
32. A new flexible points-based system to ensure only those economic migrants who have the skills our economy needs can come to work in the UK.
33. Police numbers up by 16,000 since 1997, alongside more than 16,000 Police Community Support Officers
34. Every community now has its own dedicated neighbourhood police team, easily contactable by the people who live in that community and working with them to agree local priorities and deal with people's concerns.
35. Equalised the age of consent and repealed Section 28.
36. Through the introduction of civil partnerships, Labour has for the first time given legal recognition to same-sex partners. Gay couples now have the same inheritance, pension and next-of-kin rights as married couples.
37. More than doubled Britain's overseas aid budget. UK aid helps lift an estimated 3 million people out of poverty every year
38. Cancelled up to 100 per cent of debt for the world's poorest countries
39. Britain now has more offshore wind capacity than any country in the world. Wind last year provided enough electricity to power 2 million homes
40. Launched the £1.5 billion Housing Pledge to speed up the delivery of new affordable housing and embarked on the biggest program of council house building for twenty years
41. Launched the Swimming Challenge Fund to support free swimming for over 60s and under 16s
42. Banned fox hunting.
43. Led the campaign to win the 2012 Olympics for London. Today the programme remains on time and on budget with over 40% of the construction programme completed and all major venues under construction.
44. Free admission to our national museums and galleries.
45. Devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, an elected Mayor and Assembly for London and directly-elected mayors for those cities that want them.
46. Created a new right of pedestrian access to the English coast, so that every family has the opportunity to enjoy the length and breadth of our coastline
47.ln the last 4 years Labour's work overseas has helped over 7 million people in subSaharan Africa access clean water and sanitation
48.ln Europe we signed the Social Chapter and introduced measures including: four weeks' paid holiday; a right to parental leave; extended maternity leave; a new right to request flexible working; and the same protection for part-time workers as fulltime workers.
49. We led efforts to agree a new international convention banning all cluster munitions.
50. We introduced the first ever British Armed Forces and Veterans Day to honour the achievements of our armed forces - both past and present.
Remember the Tories do not really believe in the state taking action like this. Small government which they like really means minimal government action.