John McTernan: Labour’s draft manifesto is just appalling

With Labour’s draft manifesto out in the open today, politicos and pundits are beginning to cast judgment on whether it offers an innovative set of policies that could transform Britain or if it’s really a socialist disaster just waiting to happen.

Alas, Tony Blair’s former director of political operations falls into the latter category. Speaking on the Coffee House shots podcast, John McTernan has branded the draft manifesto — which promises higher tax for 80k earners, the scrapping of current strike laws and the nationalisation of the Royal Mail — another ‘suicide note’ in Labour’s history:

‘It looks like the shortest suicide note in history. Famously, the 1983 Labour manifesto was nicknamed the longest suicide note in history — and this is just an appalling manifesto — unfunded pledges, promises to spend, promises to tax. They’ve taken the slogan from New Labour (the many not the few), they could have taken the policies if they wanted to be popular.

But I don’t think this is about popularity. This is about the manifesto for Corbyn’s leadership election after Labour’s defeat in the general election.’

Well, you can’t please everyone…