THE leak of Labour’s draft election manifesto, a few days before it was due to be launched, reinforces the image of a divided, disorganised party.

It remains to be seen who leaked the document and why. The smart money is on Labour HQ, which has been at odds with Jeremy Corbyn since he took charge, but it begs the question that if the leader isn’t in control of own his manifesto announcement then how can he convince people he should be in charge of the country?

It would be lazy and wrong, however, to say this document is a repeat of the so-called “longest suicide note in history” of Labour’s 1983 manifesto. It does not repeat pledges, such as unilateral disarmament and widespread re-nationalisation, that led to a party split and handed Margaret Thatcher a majority of 144.

Theresa May might well secure a similarly thumping win next month and Labour could fracture further after June’s poll, but to dismiss the party’s 2017 plan as a 1970s throwback is to ignore that at the heart of Corbyn’s agenda lies a desire to improve the lives of working people, the elderly, students, and the low paid.

With that in mind there is a lot to like about Labour’s plans. Spending an extra £8 billion to tackle the social care crisis, scrapping tuition fees, a ban on zero hours contracts, and a pledge to build at least 100,000 council and housing association houses a year, should in theory win widespread voter support.

The party's opponents will dismiss it as an uncosted wish list. Furthermore, Corbyn’s failure to garner support outside his existing powerbase continues to undermine the Labour message.

If it hopes to claw back support over the next four weeks then Labour must shift the debate from personalities to policy. But facing a Tory leader who refuses to enter open debate and without a strong, unified team to hammer home its message, means Labour will struggle to be heard.