Party manifestos

Most of us have never even seen a party manifesto, let alone taken the time to sit down and actually read one. But we are aware of what manifestos are-documents issued by political parties at election time, laying out the party’s values and principles and the policies it would like to implement if elected to office. Because manifestos are the official statements of each party’s policies and political outlook, they play a key role in anchoring political debate at election time. For example, in the run-up to the calling of a general election-unless, of course, it is an unexpected snap election, catching us all by surprise-there is speculation as to what parties are planning to include in their manifestos (or platforms, as they are also called). Will there be any big surprises? Will there be any major policy announcements in the manifestos? Will any party’s manifesto signal a major shift in party direction?