The British Red Cross has published its first-ever election manifesto, calling on the party that forms the next government to support policies that ensure everyone gets the help they need in a crisis.

Last year the Red Cross decided to add an advocacy role to its traditional role of providing aid in emergencies, and the manifesto is one of the products of this change of direction.

Saving lives, changing lives: a call to action includes policy support for the following demands:

• An annual ‘Preparedness Week’ to improve the ability of people and organisations to respond to local risks and emergencies
• Making first aid tuition part of the national curriculum in primary and secondary schools
• Providing a care and a support system that promotes independence and living at home
• An asylum system that gives asylum seekers the right to work, access to healthcare and support until removal

British Red Cross chief executive Sir Nick Young said:  “We are calling on all political parties to engage with our work.  What we ultimately want to press upon them is that this is an opportunity to reinstate humanitarian values firmly within the heart of democracy. 

"These values are not just a vague concept, they can save lives.”