Labour’s headline pitch is “Trust us, we can secure the recovery”. But with public spending cuts round the corner, new ideas need to be affordable. Labour’s manifesto tries to be straight on spending, with no big new spending commitments and earmarked cuts in regeneration. The most compelling theme is fairness, with new plans to extend the minimum wage and constrain top pay. But inevitably, after 13 years in office, there’s a familiar feel to this manifesto – and the pain of public spending cuts is masked by the public service reform plans.
Dermot Finch
Labour’s manifesto is a fair balance between ‘tough choices’ and some new pledges. Good news about crackdown on punitive lending rates by those preying on the most vulnerable borrowers in poorest neighbourhoods. GP opening time extensions will also go down well locally, as will connecting the ‘community payback’ of those convicted of crimes with the wishes of local residents.
Chris Leslie
One thing that could not be said about Labour’s manifesto is that it is short on ideas – even in a context in which there is less money to spend, the party has produced a document containing some substantial new policies. It actually marks a departure from the last three Labour manifestos, in particular in the area of economic policy. In recognition of the fact that the old growth model collapsed and at any rate contained substantial downsides (too much reliance on finance being the most significant) – the manifesto commits Labour to an active and interventionist industrial policy and much more decisive action to shape the UK’s relationship with globalization. Related to this, there is a welcome pledge to create one million skilled jobs – an implicit recognition that although Labour’s employment record prior to 2008 was strong, too many of the jobs that were created were low paid and low skilled, with too little opportunity for progression.
On public services the party recognises that with less money to spend further improvements in outcomes will have to come from reform – with opportunities for citizens to hold poorly performing schools, hospitals and police forces to account. The pledges on politics take us back to that long lost promise on electoral reform – too little too late no doubt for some, but welcome nevertheless.
Rick Muir, ippr
This election is about real change. Labour’s manifesto shows that it is still the party of real change – a new economy based on investment and sustainable growth, public services lasered in on individual needs, and a more active democracy. You are always going to be open to the question of ‘why haven’t you done this before?’ when you’ve been in government for 13 years. We just have to take that on the chin. Far more telling, is the question of whether David Cameron is really a new Conservative. He hasn’t changed his party. So on what basis can he claim to be the real change we need?
Anthony Painter, writer and Labour blogger
This manifesto is full of exciting new ideas the Co-operative party has been campaigning for including the remutualisation of Northern Rock, mutual housing and Sure Start centres and new opportunities for mutuality in education, health and local government. It is a perfect reflection of how Labour and the Co-operative party can lead the way to economic recovery based on our shared values.
Michael Stephenson, general secretary of the Co-operative party