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George Osborne has continued his revenge bid against Theresa May by branding the Tory manifesto "the most disastrous in recent history".

The former MP has stepped up his war against the Prime Minister who sacked him in the pages of the Evening Standard.

He has already slammed Mrs May's net migration target as "economically illiterate" and branded Brexit a "historic mistake" since becoming the London paper's editor.

But an editorial today went further - saying Brexit negotiations "could not have got off to a worse start", in part because of "high-handed British arrogance".

And it said the Conservative election campaign had "meandered from an abortive attempt to launch a personality cult around Mrs May to the self-inflicted wound of the most disastrous manifesto in recent history and - after the atrocity in Manchester - shrill attacks on Mr Corbyn's appeasement of terrorism".

(Image: PA)

The damning judgment came as the paper revealed that no Cabinet minister had identified an industrial sector which should take fewer overseas workers.

It came as Mrs May committed to her target to cut net migration below 100,000 a year despite critics saying it is unachievable.

Mr Osborne confirmed in a BBC interview at the weekend that he has been taking a hands-on approach to editorials since taking up his post at the Standard.

However, he said headlines were "a team effort".

Since his arrival, the paper has also blasted the Conservative manifesto for "badly thought-through" plans on social care.

The new editorial states: "When Theresa May announced she was calling an election, the pretext she gave was that Brexit was the single most important issue facing the country - and that she needed a stronger mandate to negotiate on Britain's behalf. She was right about the importance of the issue, although we suspect the allure of a potential landslide was the real reason for the election.

(Image: Reuters)

"What is certain is that the way we conduct these European negotiations will determine our relations with our near neighbours and allies for decades. Here we could not have got off to a worse start. High-handed British arrogance and low leaks from the Europeans have poisoned the dialogue before it's even started."

It was a matter of "dismay" that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was lumping Britain in with Donald Trump's America as a country which can no longer be relied upon, said the editorial.

What do the general election manifestos say about... Immigration

Housing

Benefits

Legalising cannabis

Denouncing the conduct of the election so far for the parties' failure to confront the issues raised by Brexit , the editorial said: "It's not too late to get back to the issues that count.

"Let's be told how immigration is going to be reduced - not the blank responses this paper got from Cabinet ministers today. Let's hear how we are going to try to keep tariff-free access to our largest export markets. Let's debate how we are going to change the global view that thinks Britain is turning its back on the world.

"We have had no answers from Labour or the Conservatives. In other words, treat the public like grown ups, and allow them a chance to give the mandate the government claims to seek."