A leaked copy of the British Labour Party’s manifesto reveals a number of policy changes that could be implemented in the U.K. if the party wins the upcoming general election on June 8. The document, first obtained Wednesday by the Daily Telegraph, contains information regarding the Labour Party’s proposals for Brexit, along with the party’s stance on national defense, tuition fees, and nuclear weapons, among other issues. While the manifesto still awaits signatures from dozens of party members, it is expected to receive final approval on Thursday.
A spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Labour Party, told the Daily Express his team does not comment on leaks. He said the party would announce their policies alongside the manifesto’s formal release. According to the BBC’s Chris Mason, “the publication of a manifesto is meant to be a huge set-piece moment for any party,” one is that is typically “choreographed” and “published with fanfare.” The premature release of the Labour Party’s manifesto “[tells its] own story about the divisions and lack of discipline within” the party, Mason said.
Recent polls show the conservative Tory Party is due for a landslide victory in the upcoming election, with nearly double the votes of the Labour Party. Corbyn, a fringe candidate prior to his election in September 2015, is poorly regarded within his own party. In June 2016, Parliament’s Labour Party members passed a vote of no confidence in Corbyn after around two-thirds of his Shadow Cabinet resigned. Despite this opposition, Corbyn was reelected as the party’s leader in September 2016 by an even larger margin.
Full Article: British Labour Party Manifesto Leaked Prior to General Election – The Atlantic.