More on the manifesto

More on that manifesto launch.

This from Sky's Adam Boulton who writes that the launch was a classic New Labour occasion.

The crowd, including some cabinet ministers, booed and shouted at questions they didn’t like.
Nick Robinson, the BBC’s political editor, had his question interrupted by jeering and Graham Wilson of the Sun was booed just for identifying his newspaper.
Labour did not behave like that in the last three elections when the Sun backed them.

The whole episode has not gone down well.As Adam continues

In truth, Labour has little cash to spend or new initiatives to announce.

This from Nick Robinson

Now, of course, what every Jack, James or Jill - or indeed every Tom, Dick and Harry - knows is that the next government's going to have to do less and spend less. This manifesto, and Gordon Brown, didn't want to tell you any more about that, other than to insist that Labour's plans add up - and to deride the Tory plan written on just four sheets of paper.

On adding up Nick Timmins in the FT looks at the state pension proposals,measures he says, that will between them cost at least £3.5bn

John Rentoul has found the bit of the manifesto which he says may seal the deal so to speak

We will end for good the concept of a life on benefit by offering all those unemployed for more than two years work they must accept.

However the Guardian's Julian Glover describes it as warm, statist mush.

To listen to Gordon Brown this morning was to hear a babble of incoherent assertions, delivered very fast and with striking vigour and confidence, which in no way amount to an intellectual case for power.

Rather a contrast from Peter Mandelson who called it "New Labour-plus, Blair-plus.

Unfortunately even the cover is getting some stick

I may be being unfair, but cover of manifesto looks like 1950s Soviet poster about the exceeding of tractor bldg targets!

says Peter Watt

Tomorrow it the Tories turn-stay tuned