Labour ditches radical reforms as it prepares ‘bombproof’ election manifesto

Continuation Tories

It’s pretty wild to me that such a modest investment is deemed risky with the electorate.

That said, it’s clear the sun, the mail, the express, the telegraph will be looking for the tiniest arguable removed in Labour’s armour. So to my mind, this is more telling of embarrassingly low horizon of national ambitions coupled with a very aggressively right wind media. So, I can also understand the need to appear very very fiscally restrained.

If you can't defeat this unless bucket of tory rejects that were never supposed to advance further than the back bench with policy, and have to build a "bulletproof" manifesto. Then you've no hope.

What policies does he actually have now? And when will he scrap those too?

I actually think the caution is a good thing, overall. Look what happened to Theresa May's poll lead in 2017! Absolutely terrifying prospect that could happen to Labour.

Having said that... dropping the £28bn pledge is too cautious. May got sunk by incautiously launching a new policy during the campaign. Labour's green industrial pledge clearly isn't damaging them in the polls, so why water it down? I don't think it could damage them. People know Labour will spend money and we want them to do it!

In addition, despite Keir Starmer’s previous promises to abolish the Lords in a first term, it is expected to commit only to limited changes. This is likely to mean legislating only for the abolition of the remaining 91 hereditary peers.

Aren't the hereditary peers usually the ones speaking out against bad policy from the Commons? The remaining peers are the like that Boris and others installed.

Starmer is a coward and a dud.

They're getting ready for the Tories to play really dirty I reckon.

Bloody Red Tories.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Shadow cabinet ministers have been given until 8 Februaryto make policy submissions for the manifesto, as Keir Starmer’s party gears up for an election that, according to opinion polls, looks likely to return it to government for the first time since 2010.

The Observer understands that as well as backing away from its £28bn a year commitment on green investment (while sticking to the overall drive to achieve clean energy by 2030), Labour will not seek to legislate on the creation of a new national care service in its first king’s speech.

With its green prosperity plan now being talked down, Labour’s new “flagship” policy is increasingly seen as its new deal for working people, which involves handing workers new rights from their first day of employment, as well as the abolition of zero-hours contracts.

Another bill that is likely to be prioritised will be a “fiscal lock” that will force government to submit all tax and spending plans to the Office for Budget Responsibility for its judgment before pressing ahead.

There are also hopes internally that a big childcare pledge could form part of Labour’s programme in a first term, with the party keen on expanding the number of nurseries attached to primary schools to tackle a huge shortage of places and staff.

However, some in the party are said to be keen to water down the plan, fearful of deterring investment and denting Labour’s pledge to make the UK the fastest-growing economy in the G7 group of developed countries.

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