The last of the despised killer bendy-buses is off the streets of London and Guido understands that the first new Routemaster will be on the streets next week. Boris actually promised in his manifesto to put the new bus on the road before the end of his first term. There was much scepticism that the cleaner-greener and, according to the experts, most advanced bus in the world, would see the light of day before Boris has to face the voters next year.

It’s an electric bus (it uses a small diesel engine to generate electricity, when it is needed) and is twice as economical as a conventional double decker at 11.6 miles to the gallon compared to the killer bendies 4.5 miles to the gallon. Boris buses following on from Boris bikes are visible signs of success. Cameron, who promised so much in his manifesto, might be a little discomforted by such an eye-catching public service advance.

CCHQ’s opposition research operation really should have spotted this and used it to rebut Labour’s demented attack on the Housing Benefit “final solution” (© Polly). LibDem blogger Peter Black highlights this manifesto commitment

‘Housing Benefit will be reformed so we do not subsidise people to live in private sector accommodation on rents working families couldn’t afford’

Eminently reasonable in policy terms, £20,000 a year in rent is of course way beyond what the majority of us can afford. The quote is taken from the Labour Party manifesto, written by one Ed Miliband…

James Purnell when he was at the DWP said he wanted to ensure “people on benefits do not end up getting subsidies for rents that those who work could never afford”. Last week Ed piously called on LibDems to block the implementation of a policy he advocated in the Labour Party manifesto, claiming, “That is not what they came into politics for. I hope they will vote with their consciences.”

The barefaced hypocrisy is breathtaking.

UPDATE : Tim Montgomerie scolds Guido for missing that the Tory Press Office tweeted the Miliband quote on Friday and Sayeeda used it later on Any Questions. Nevertheless Guido contends that if CCHQ had been on the ball it would have been deployed at PMQs which is where it was really needed.

For Dave and the Cambridge-blue clad Conservative Future kids it was a new dawn yesterday under clear blue skies for their manifesto. However they weren’t up early enough to beat the manifesto launch for Age UK, the new name for the combined Age Concern and Help the Aged. The oldies had earlier this week projected their manifesto demands on Battersea power station, beating the Tories to the political use of the iconic London building. Intergenerational power struggles…

Click on Image for Guido’s manifesto

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