Premier seeks Tory MPs’ help to write poll manifesto

Conservative MPs have been asked to submit ideas to No 10 for Theresa May’s first election manifesto, with some of those trying to keep their seats in remain-supporting areas asking for explicit mention of the need to seek a trade deal with the EU.The MPs, in south-west England and Greater London, are also calling for transitional controls to prevent a cliff-edge at the point of Brexit, while others fighting the Liberal Democrats and Labour in marginal seats are pushing for more support for “just about managing” families on housing and childcare.Ben Howlett, Tory MP for Remain-voting Bath, who won his seat from a LibDem in 2015, said he would “clearly like to see a commitment for getting a trade agreement with the EU so we do not end up with a hard car-crash Brexit getting the upper hand”.He spoke in favour of keeping the target of spending 0.7% of national income on foreign aid, which is believed to be under threat; more support for childcare; and mass manufactured housing to solve the housing crisis.Neil Carmichael, Tory MP for Remain-voting Stroud since 2010, who has a majority of 4,886 against Labour, said the most important thing for his constituency was training, skills and jobs for the local area but the tone on Brexit was also important. “The key political thing is to make sure we have good relationship beyond Brexit and those 27 nations states are interested in that,” he said.Another Tory MP who holds a marginal Labour-facing Midlands seat said many colleagues were nervous that May would concentrate too heavily on Brexit and not pay enough attention to keeping on side the moderate centrists who may have voted remain.“We need to keep the 2015 pledges on raising the personal allowance to £12,500 by 2020, free childcare hours and appeal to the just managing families whom May has spoken about,” the MP said. “We have to keep our focus on swing voters in marginal seats and it’s not all about Brexit for them.”This sentiment was echoed by Ryan Shorthouse, the director of liberal conservative thinktank Bright Blue, who said that if May wanted a big majority then “the Conservatives need to gain seats which are currently Labour and have a disproportionate number of voters on modest incomes or from black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds, as well as containing a revived Liberal Democrats in the south of England”.He added: “With the Conservatives squarely behind Brexit, and Ukip now appearing divided and redundant, the target for the PM is the floating voters on modest incomes and in liberal Britain.“The manifesto will not be expansive, mainly because the two main issues – the economic and Brexit plan – are not changing and are clear. But it should have some bolder policies than what the prime minister has proposed to date on supporting those on modest incomes, with fresh and distinctive welfare, housing and childcare policies. To counter Labour’s attacks, the Tories will need to work harder at showing commitment to improving comprehensive schools and the NHS.”On the other side, many on the right of the party will see the revision of the 2015 manifesto as an opportunity to rid the Conservatives of all traces of David Cameron and George Osborne’s “modernising” project. There are a number of Conservative MPs campaigning for an end to the target of spending 0.7% of national income on foreign aid and for deregulation and tax cuts after the UK leaves the EU.So far, May has only revealed elements of her domestic agenda in her “plan for Britain” earlier this year, including more grammar schools, as well as making clear she wants to pursue an active industrial strategy and cap energy bills.