{"id":3633,"date":"2019-08-28T13:12:43","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T12:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.headlandconsultancy.com\/international\/?post_type=insight&p=3633"},"modified":"2023-01-18T18:55:18","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T18:55:18","slug":"election-manifestos-whos-writing-them-and-what-happens-next","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/www.headlandconsultancy.com\/international\/insight\/election-manifestos-whos-writing-them-and-what-happens-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Election manifestos: who’s writing them and what happens next"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the 2019 General Election campaign now underway, the political parties are working against the clock to finish their manifestos.<\/p>\n

With the content of the manifesto and the launch itself critical to electoral success, all parties will be keen to learn the lessons of the 2017 General Election: the good and the bad.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, Headland looks at who is writing this year\u2019s manifestos, how the content is being agreed, and the pitfalls each party will be desperate to avoid this time around.<\/p>\n

Labour<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last time out<\/u><\/p>\n

Labour\u2019s 2017 manifesto marked a stark change in direction for the party from the \u2018centre ground\u2019 to the \u2018left\u2019. Despite the document being criticised for \u201ctaking Britain back to the 1970s\u201d, the policies enjoyed widespread public support \u2013 with renationalising the railways, freezing the retirement age and banning zero hours contracts proving the most popular. The \u2018leaked\u2019 radical and giveaway-heavy offer helped boost Labour\u2019s poll rating and the party will have their minds on achieving a similar if not better result this time around.<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s in charge<\/u><\/p>\n

The Labour manifesto is being written by Andrew Fisher, Jeremy Corbyn\u2019s Executive Director for Policy.<\/p>\n

Fisher is supported by his deputies, including Lachlan Stuart (Domestic Policy Adviser), Mary Robertson (Head of Economic Policy), Mike Hatchett (Director of Policy & Briefing), Jennifer Larbie (Head of International Policy) and Mark Simpson (Head of Brexit & Devolved Nations Policy), as well as political advisors to shadow cabinet members.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also input from the National Policy Forum, a body consisting of politicians, party members and trade union officials.<\/p>\n

The process<\/u><\/p>\n

When complete, the manifesto goes to a meeting of the National Policy Forum and shadow cabinet called the \u2018Clause V Meeting\u2019 where it will be discussed and approved, almost certainly without amendment.<\/p>\n

Expect to see<\/u><\/p>\n

A manifesto full of 2017 policies \u2013 spending on the NHS, benefits, homes and renationalisation \u2013 but with a few additions such as structural reform of the City.<\/p>\n

Conservative<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last time out<\/u><\/p>\n

Manifesto writers in CCHQ will be keen to learn from the mistakes of 2017; when the document contained policies that cabinet ministers hadn\u2019t seen swiftly backfired. While radical from a Conservative perspective, the social care policy (\u2018dementia tax\u2019) went down like a cup of cold sick among their core vote. This time around we\u2019ll undoubtedly get a sense that a new leader is in town with Boris Johnson\u2019s vision for greater public spending and big infrastructure projects enabled by Brexit shining through.<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s in charge<\/u><\/p>\n

The Conservative manifesto is being written by two policy experts: Rachel Wolf (a former aide to Michael Gove) and Munira Mirza (Director of No. 10\u2019s Policy Unit).<\/p>\n

The process<\/u><\/p>\n

Unlike the Labour Party, the Conservatives don\u2019t have a formal manifesto-writing process \u2013 instead giving control to the party leader and CCHQ. Despite the recent news that Dominic Cummings won\u2019t be running the party\u2019s election campaign, any manifesto will undoubtedly need to pass the Cummings \u2018sniff test\u2019 before it\u2019s put to the country.<\/p>\n

Expect to see<\/u><\/p>\n

A slimmed down version \u2013 with delivering Brexit by 31 January, 20,000 police officers, more money for hospitals and income tax cuts front and centre.<\/p>\n

Liberal Democrats<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last time out<\/u><\/p>\n

The 2017 manifesto was squarely aimed at Remainers and young voters who the party saw as their route to overturning Brexit. However, the party failed to successfully peel off Conservative and Labour Remainers \u2013 winning just 7.4% of the vote \u2013 because they were squeezed out by Labour\u2019s ambiguous Brexit position. This time around we can expect a firm Remain position and a focus on Conservative Remainers in the south of England.<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s in charge<\/u><\/p>\n

The Liberal Democrat manifesto is drawn up by the Federal Policy Committee in consultation with the party. Policies are then agreed, line-by-line, by the committee and collated by Dick Newby (the party\u2019s leader in the House of Lords) and Jo Swinson.<\/p>\n

The process<\/u><\/p>\n

Newby and Swinson are being supported by Duncan Brack (a former environment aide during the coalition government) and Jeremy Hargreaves (a longstanding and experienced adviser).<\/p>\n

Expect to see<\/u><\/p>\n

A heavy focus on revoking Article 50 and cancelling Brexit.<\/p>\n

Scottish Nationalist Party<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last time out<\/u><\/p>\n

A solid focus on independence alienated a swathe of voters and allowed the Conservatives and Labour to gain a combined 17 seats in Scotland.<\/p>\n

Who\u2019s in charge<\/u><\/p>\n

Colin McAllister, Nicola Sturgeon\u2019s Head of Policy, is holding the pen on the SNP\u2019s manifesto.<\/p>\n

McAllister is supported by Derek Mackay (the Scottish Government\u2019s Finance Secretary) and Elizabeth Lloyd (Sturgeon\u2019s Chief of Staff) who are responsible for involving ministers and special advisors in the manifesto-writing process.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also input from Ian Blackford (the party\u2019s leader in the House of Commons) \u2013 but it\u2019s not clear how much of a role he will have given he\u2019s not in the \u2018inner circle\u2019.<\/p>\n

The process<\/u><\/p>\n

While this is a Westminster election, it\u2019s clear the SNP manifesto is being written by those at the centre of power in Holyrood.<\/p>\n

Expect to see<\/u><\/p>\n

A second referendum for Scottish independence at the heart of the manifesto.<\/p>\n

What happens next<\/strong><\/p>\n

History shows us that election manifestos are usually published in quick succession of one another. In 2017 Labour were the first to \u2018launch\u2019 (although it was leaked initially), followed by the Liberal Democrats the next day and the Conservatives a day later. A similar pattern was true in 2015. With Labour\u2019s Clause V meeting on 16 November, expect to see all parties\u2019 pitches the week of 18 November. In the meantime, the scramble to agree final policy positions continues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the 2019 General Election campaign now underway, the political parties are working against the clock to finish their manifestos. With the content of the manifesto and the launch itself critical to electoral success, all parties will be keen to learn the lessons of the 2017 General Election: the good and the bad. With this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3645,"menu_order":0,"template":"","services":[29],"sectors":[],"class_list":["post-3633","insight","type-insight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","services-public-affairs-and-policy"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nElection manifestos: who's writing them and what happens next - Headland International<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Election manifestos: who's writing them and what happens next - Headland International\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the 2019 General Election campaign now underway, the political parties are working against the clock to finish their manifestos. 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