07 June 2024 , 09:27
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Keir Starmer and his top team thrashed out the final details of Labour's General Election manifesto at a top secret meeting on Friday.
Dozens of party officials, Shadow Cabinet Ministers, and union General Secretaries, gathered in London to hammer out the document. Details are supposed to kept under wraps until Thursday when Mr Starmer is expected to publish the manifesto - three weeks before the country heads to the polls.
But the Mirror got hold of key details from the document ahead of the meeting, including a pledge to recognise Palestinian statehood as part of peace talks. There is no mention of axing the unpopular two-child benefit limit, which some hoped Labour would scrap.
The manifesto will essentially form Labour's blueprint for government - setting out the party's key details on areas such as the NHS, education, tax, and immigration. Here The Mirror looks at how the meeting works and what could be in the manifesto.
What is the 'Clause V' meeting?
In Labour circles, the marathon manifesto session is known as the 'Clause V' meeting and is used to sign off the final manifesto. The Labour leader was expected to chair the session and bring together 70-80 senior figures from across the movement.
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One Labour source attending the meeting told The Mirror it will be "in person only at a mystery location for security". Phones and electronic devices had to be handed over at the start of the meeting - in an attempt to avoid leaks.
Alice Perry, a former member of the Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC), said security was "extremely tight" at the meetings she attended in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Writing on the Labour List website last week she said at one meeting participants "received numbered copies of the draft manifesto".
In 2017 - the day before the Clause V meeting - Jeremy Corbyn's entire draft manifesto was leaked to the press.
What happened at the meeting?
Those present were given two hours to read the document before the discussion kicks off. A Labour source expected "little deviation" from the National Policy Forum policies that were thrashed out last summer.
But they added: "We can expect there to be a bit of a stand off between the unions and the leadership over bulking up the New Deal for workers, we've seen quite a few attempts to water it down from LOTO (Leader of the Opposition's Office) so it will be a big test of the union's power."
Keir Starmer joined dozens of Labour Party officials to hammer out the document (Getty Images)Jeremy Corbyn's former policy chief Andrew Fisher also said it would be unlikely there will be any "substantial revision" of the manifesto. He said people will know the "balance of forces in the room and ultimately the Shadow Cabinet aren't going to split and will act as one". He also highlighted Mr Starmer's "massive majority" on the National Executive Committee (NEC) - the party's governing body.
When will the manifesto be launched?
Labour officials have pencilled in Thursday 13 June for the launch of the party's General Election manifesto at a yet undisclosed location. It will be one of key moments of the election campaign, giving Mr Starmer a crucial chance to set out his policies for government to the public - some of whom may be paying attention for the first time.
The Conservatives are expected to launch their manifesto on Tuesday, while the Liberal Democrats did so on Monday morning.
What could be in the manifesto?
Expect the bulk of the manifesto to focus on Mr Starmer's previously announced five "missions" for government and his first six steps - unveiled just a few weeks ago.
The promises include sorting the economy, cutting NHS waiting times, tackling anti-social behaviour, setting up publicly owned Great British Energy, and recruiting 6,500 new teachers.
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There will also be the previously announced committments to end the tax perks enjoyed by private schools, taking the railways back into public ownership, and free breakfasts clubs in every primary school in England.
Labour's First Steps for change pledge card unveiled a few weeks ago (Getty Images)One person attending the meeting said they weren't expecting any "massive" surprises with the document being a much slimmer one than in 2019.
Architect of Mr Corbyn's manifesto Mr Fisher also said that beyond the workers' rights package and public ownership of rail, "nobody is expecting there to be any big eye-catching policy". He added: "In a sense it's Rishi Sunak who is having to act as the insurgent and do the big policy announcements like the National Service... they have got to try and grab people's attention and change the polls. "Whereas Labour are actually quite happy gliding along".