If Labour’s manifesto for the 2024 General Election reads more like a strategic plan for Britain than a political sales brochure, that’s because it is. Labour has used its poll lead well to resist the temptation to pack its manifesto with gimmicks and giveaways, instead setting out a serious programme for the country.
The goal of the programme is achieving Labour’s five national missions; the means to get there is stronger economic growth. The first chapter is devoted to wealth creation, and sets out a distinct departure from the economic philosophy we have been used to under the Conservatives.
Gone is the failed old orthodoxy of leaving the vital task of generating widespread prosperity to the market. In comes the new centrism of a dynamic and strategic state that partners with the private sector to drive stronger, more sustainable economic growth across the country.
Just because there were no big policy surprises on the day the manifesto was launched, does not mean there are no big policies. In fact the manifesto is packed full of major structural reforms to the UK economy.
