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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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UK’s Labour Party Stung by Early Leak of Election Platform

Britain's opposition Labour Party faced embarrassment Thursday after a draft of its platform for next month's election was leaked days before its scheduled release.

LONDON (AP) — Britain's opposition Labour Party faced embarrassment Thursday after a draft of its platform for next month's election was leaked days before its scheduled release.

In a further mishap, a car carrying Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn struck a television cameraman outside a party meeting.

The draft election manifesto says that if elected Labour will re-nationalize Britain's railways and post office, abolish university tuition fees, ban "zero hours" employment contracts, build more social housing and reverse cuts to welfare benefits.

The party says the pledges will be paid for out of taxation and redirected revenue.

The governing Conservatives said the policies show Labour has an outdated left-wing economic vision.

The party had planned to publish the document next week before the June 8 election. The unveiling of the parties' manifestoes — containing solid promises on which they can be held to account — is a centerpiece of every British election.

Labour election coordinator Andrew Gwynne said the leaked document was not the final manifesto but "a draft of policy ideas."

Corbyn pulled out of a campaign appearance Thursday morning after the leak. Later, a car carrying Corbyn appeared to hit the foot of a television cameraman outside a meeting of party officials in central London.

The cameraman was treated by paramedics before being taken away in an ambulance. Police said his injuries were "non-life-threatening or life-changing."

The car was an official vehicle driven by Metropolitan Police protection officers, and the force said there would be an internal investigation into the incident.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Categories / Government, International, Politics

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