06 June 2024 , 18:15
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The Mirror can today reveal key details from Labour's General Election manifesto on Palestine, immigration and benefits.
The closely-guarded document, which will be presented to senior figures at a crunch meeting on Friday, sets out Labour's offer to voters as Keir Starmer seeks to win the keys to No10.
The long-awaited manifesto has been kept tightly under wraps for months but the full document is expected to be released with fanfare next week. The Mirror understands that Labour will bring forward recognition of a Palestinian state and commit to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
In a sign of fears at anger among voters over Gaza, the manifesto is expected to commit to formal recognition of Palestinian statehood during the peace process, rather than as part of a final peace deal. It is also expected to say there would not be a veto for neighbouring countries but it is unclear how it would work.
Labour will unveil its policy offer next week (Getty Images)The manifesto, which is expected to be fewer than 30 pages, will make no mention of scrapping the two-child benefit cap, in a blow to campaign groups and left-wing MPs. The austerity-era policy, introduced by David Cameron, restricts benefit payments families can receive to the first two children in most households and has been blamed for driving families into poverty.
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Some figures believe the leadership wants to scrap the policy over the next Parliament but it is not mentioned in the document.
Labour's manifesto is also not expected to include a pledge to axe controversial voter ID requirements, brought in by the Tories. The party's metro mayors, including London's Sadiq Khan and Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham previously branded the move a “brazen assault on our democracy”.
But military ID cards will be rolled out after a backlash in the wake of the local elections in May, where veterans weren't able to use their ID cards at polling stations.
Workers' rights reforms hammered out with trade union leaders at a showdown last month are expected to form a key plank of the manifesto. Despite pressure from business leaders, the document is understood to contain commitments to banning fire and rehire as well as scrapping exploitative zero hours contracts.
The manifesto is expected to go heavy on security, policing and defence. Labour are due to make a commitment to bring down immigration but there is not expected to include a specific target.
The manifesto, which will be published next week, is understood be organised around Mr Starmer's five missions for Government, which he unveiled last year. These include commitments to the NHS, policing, housebuilding, opportunities in education and establishing Great British Energy, a publicly owned clean energy company.