UK: Labour Manifesto Launch Penciled In For 13 June

Guido Fawkes reported earlier that according to its sources, the main opposition centre-left Labour party is looking to launch its election manifesto on Thursday 13 June. The right-leaning blog also reports that PM Rishi Sunak's Conservatives are looking to launch their manifesto between Monday 10 and Wednesday 12 June. 

• Given the sizeable lead for Labour in opinion polling ahead of the 4 July election, there is likely to be more market focus on the content of its manifesto than the governing Conservatives, who look to be heading for opposition after 14 years in Downing St. Politico reports that "Labour officials are expecting few surprises as much of the party’s platform has already been spelt out through its National Policy Forum. However, items agreed in the NPF could be tweaked, excluded or watered down."
• While Sir Keir Starmer has been keen to stress his efforts to drag Labour back to the political centre ground, observers will be closely monitoring the manifesto for any sizeable tax or spending pledges ahead of the election. 
• Given Labour's lead, the party may not see it as advantageous to outline all of its policies ahead of the vote. A thinner manifesto light on detail would give Starmer and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves more lee-way when it comes to tax and spending plans post-election should Labour win.