Labour Manifesto Finalised But Left-Wing Angry About Leadership's Policy Vetos

The Labour Party finalised its manifesto for the 2024 general election at its 'Clause V' meeting today, but the party's left flank is dissatisfied over the leadership exercising veto power over certain policies.

Dozens of stakeholders arrived at 10am on Friday for the crunch meeting. On arrival, they handed in their electronic devices and were given numbered copies of the manifesto.

Sources described the meeting, which ended at around 4.30pm after two hours of reading time and four-and-a-half hours spent poring over each section of the document, as "positive".

A Labour spokesperson said: “Today’s meeting has endorsed Labour’s manifesto. On 4 July, the British people will have the chance to vote for change – to stop the chaos, turn the page and start to rebuild our country.”

But PolitiscHome understands that Unite the Union – a key Labour affiliate – did not endorse the Labour manifesto due to its stances on fire and rehire, and on oil and gas licenses.

Others from the Labour left were also angry that the leadership used a veto power over policies it did not approve of, with the chair requiring "consensus in every stakeholder department" before putting amendments to a vote, sources say.

The policies advocated by the left included the introduction of free school meals for all primary school children and the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap, both of which are seen by left activists as key drivers of child poverty.

Labour is currently committed to expanding breakfast clubs, but the party nationally has not backed the policy that would extend free school meals further. London mayor Sadiq Khan was re-elected last month on the pledge, which is also backed by campaign group Momentum.

Before the 'Clause V' meeting, Kim Johnson, the