19 July 2023 , 15:43
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Keir Starmer will this weekend gather with Labour officials behind closed doors to begin thrashing out key ideas for the party's next manifesto.
Kicking off on Friday, the crunch three-day meeting in Nottingham will be attended by Shadow Cabinet Ministers, union representatives, and party staff.
It comes as the party grapples with a bruising row over the controversial decision to keep the Tories' two-child limit on benefits, with Labour MPs expressing their anger.
But morale in the party, which continues to enjoy a double-digit lead in the polls, could be boosted on Friday if Rishi Sunak is dealt a major blow with three by-election defeats.
Draft documents circulated to those attending the National Policy Forum - the first to be held since 2015 - say it will "inform Labour's policy proposals ahead of the next election".
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Keir Starmer and members of the Shadow Cabinet will gather with party officials over the weekend (PA)Those present will be "laying the groundwork for a bold, practical and winning manifesto" and important policy shifts could be hammered out at the private event.
But it makes clear the party's economic rules set out by Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves are "non-negotiable" and will mean Labour "will not borrow to fund day-to-day spending".
Here's what we know about Labour's policy plans for the next election.
Keir Starmer's five missions
Labour officials drew up an emergency manifesto last year amid the months of Tory turmoil and Liz Truss's disastrous 49-day term in office. "There were moments in 2023 when it looked like they collapse at any time", a senior party source said.
But with the prospect of a snap general election now appearing to be firmly off the cards, Mr Starmer has spent the last six months touring the country setting out his five missions for a Labour government.
The Labour leader has previously said they will form the "backbone" of the party's manifesto.
They include securing the highest sustained growth in the G7, making Britain's streets safe, building an NHS fit for the future, making Britain a clean energy superpower, and breaking down barriers to opportunity at every stage.
Alongside Mr Starmer the Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson laid out the final of the five missions in a speech last week, promising to smash the "class ceiling" holding state school children back.
Some critics have suggested the missions are a bit vague and offer little concrete detail about Labour's plans. But Mr Starmer's aides insist they show voters the direction of travel and give a sense of the Labour leader's vision for the country.
The work of the National Policy Forum is expected to put a bit more meat on the bones of Labour's blueprint for Government.
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So how does the National Policy Forum work?
The NPF is a key policy development forum in the Labour Party and dozens of officials including Shadow Cabinet Ministers and members of the party's ruling body - the National Executive Committee (NEC) - are invited to attend.
Labour's leadership has already put forward draft policies and statements in an 86-page document bringing together announcements already made by the Shadow Cabinet and the five missions.
They include the party's plans to create Great British energy - a publicly-owned power company - passing a Clean Air Act, and ending the 'non-dom' tax status.
It also vows to repeal the Tories' anti-strike laws, 13,000 more neighbourhood police officers, bringing railways into public ownership as contracts expire and banning MPs' second jobs.
Others include votes for 16 and 17 year-olds, training 10,000 new nurses and midwives each year, fully-funded breakfast clubs for all primary schools, and ending no-fault evictions.
During the 2022 Labour conference Mr Starmer promised to create publicly owned power company, Great British Energy (PA)The party has also recommended those present accept dozens of amendments in a 122-page document, which includes issues such as ending the "punitive" benefits sanctions regime.
Another amendment makes clear Labour will scrap the Tories' "unworkable and unethical" Rwanda deportation scheme - currently subject to a legal challenge - for asylum seekers.
But unions and representatives are able to submit up to five amendments each to be debated at the three-day event before a final NPF report is agreed on Sunday.
Guidelines sent to those attending say: "This should be agreed by consensus wherever possible, but with mechanisms in place for a fair and democratic resolution of policy differences where necessary
What could the key debates be?
One major issue that could be a source of tension at the three-day gathering is free school meals for all children in primary schools - a policy The Mirror is campaigning for.
Labour has resisted the demand from unions and a host of local leaders - including the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham - to make it an election manifesto promise.
Party officials are instead focused on more breakfast clubs for school children but the idea of free school meals for all, especially vulnerable kids, will no doubt be debated this weekend.
Another major faultline is the controversial issue of the Tories' two-child benefit limit . Only last month Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Jonathan Ashworth called the policy "heinous".
But over the weekend Mr Starmer provoked a major row in the party, saying he would not scrap the austerity-era measure if Labour wins power at the next election.
Facing a backlash from Labour MPs he has sought to calm tensions - warning Labour cannot make "unfunded" pledges - but expect him to be challenged again over the weekend.
One major issue that could be a source of tension at the three-day gathering is free school meals (Humphrey Nemar.)Left-wing groups are also understood to be pushing amendments on rent controls in response to the cost-of-living crisis and proportional representation at national elections.
The party may also come under pressure to commit to repealing legislation that allows intelligence gathering agencies to commit specific crimes as part of operations.
Dubbed the spy-cops bill , some unions are hoping to force a debate over the weekend.
There could also be calls for the party to repeal other pieces of contentious Tory legislation, including Voter ID laws and the Public Order Bill that crackdowns on protests.
Ultimately, however, it depends which issues are selected for debate in Nottingham over the weekend and all will have to obey the Shadow Chancellor's fiscal rules.
What has Keir Starmer said about the next manifesto?
The Labour leader has already described his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn's blueprint for Government as "history" with the party preparing a "slim" and "focused" programme.
He said last year the party was now "starting from scratch", adding: "The slate is wiped clean".
But In recent months he has faced intense criticism for junking some key policy commitments he has previously committed to during the 2020 leadership campaign.
Keir Starmer has already described his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn's manifesto as 'history' (AFP via Getty Images)During the leadership contest Mr Starmer vowed to and "end the national scandal of spiralling student debt". But in May he said: "We are likely to move on from that commitment because we find ourselves in a different financial situation".
Mr Starmer has also ditched plans for "common ownership" of key public utilities such as energy, water and mail - with the exception of rail - while also indicating in an interview he was not looking at hiking tax for the top 5% of earners.
In recent weeks the party has watered down its £28 billion a year climate pledge to invest in green technologies with Shadow Chancellor Ms Reeves saying last month it would not be reached until the "second half of the first Parliament" if Labour wins power.
A commitment to abolish the Universal Credit system is also off the cards, with the party instead promising to the reform the regime with details set out ahead of the next general election.
Will everything agreed end up in the manifesto?
Not necessarily. Everything agreed at the National Policy Forum will go forward to a vote at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool in October.
But even then there is no guarantee they will make it into the party's election manifesto.
The draft document being circulated to those attending the meeting states the National Policy Policy forum is "laying the groundwork for a bold, practical and winning manifesto".
It says it will "inform Labour's policy proposals ahead of the next general election".
When Rishi Sunak finally decides to call the election - widely expected in 2024 - Labour officials will attend what is known as the 'Clause V' meeting and a final manifesto will be signed off.
Mr Starmer's team will also be keen to hold back some eye-catching policy announcements for the weeks before the country heads to the polls.
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