Theresa May is no Robert Peel. In 1834 Sir Robert produced the blueprint for all subsequent manifestos. The Tory leader’s Tamworth manifesto declared: “I feel it incumbent upon me to enter into a full declaration of my views on public policy, as full and unreserved as I can make it.”

The present Conservative leader will unveil her party’s manifesto “late and saying as little as possible”, according to one of her loyal campaigners. While Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn will make his much-leaked manifesto into an honest document on Tuesday, the Tories are coy about when they will get round to it.

Once again Labour has gone for policy-making by committee. The 51 pages of the confidential draft contain policies on everything from contaminated blood to unpaid