To avoid another disastrous campaign launch, this general election the Tories have confirmed they will be limiting themselves to a short manifesto. Using less paper is their first environmental policy commitment…

Boris has trailed most of his main pledges over the last few months – not least with the Queen’s Speech setting out most of his stall. Guido hears the Tories will once again sideline tax cuts for middle classes (as they had planned to do in the November 6 budget that never was). The pledge to increase the 40p threshold, made by Boris during his leadership election, will now appear as a mere ‘aspiration’.

The Tories are also exploring policies to slap down the power of the supreme court following the prorogation ruling and are considering a ‘national conversation about our democracy’, that will consult on the role of the Supreme Court, in addition to other constitutional issues like the boundary review. Departments and MPs have now submitted their proposals and it’s up to a small team at CCHQ working with No. 10 to sift through them and put together the Christmas wish list that will win over the public. This will not be a manifesto that drops without buy-in…