Work should provide people with security and fulfilment. But for too many people work is insecure and does not make ends meet.

The Conservatives boast about the recovery of employment, but our labour market is failing. Real terms pay is still lower than before the crash, and jobs are increasingly low skilled and insecure, with the rising proportion of zero hour contracts and agency work.

Labour will take decisive action to clamp down on exploitative practices. A Labour government will invest in enforcement through a new Ministry of Labour, and empower workers and their trade unions, because we are stronger when we stand together.

At the same time as strengthening workers’ rights, we will make work more fulfilling by using public investment to upgrade our economy and create high quality jobs. 

Labour believes education should be free, and we will restore this principle. No one should be put off educating themselves for lack of money or through fear of debt.

There is a real fear that students are being priced out of university education. Last year saw the steepest fall in university applications for 30 years.

Since the Conservatives came to power, university tuition fees have been trebled to over £9,000 a year, and maintenance grants have been abolished and replaced with loans.

The average student now graduates from university, and starts their working life, with debts of £44,000.

Labour will reintroduce maintenance grants for university students and we will abolish university tuition fees.

University tuition is free in many northern European countries, and under a Labour government it will be free in Britain too.

The Conservatives will meet the Nato commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence, and will increase the defence budget by at least 0.5% above inflation in every year of the new parliament if re-elected, Theresa May has announced.

The party was already committed to increasing the budget by 0.5% above inflation for each year to 2020-21 - but it has now extended that commitment for an extra two years.

Mrs May said: “Under my leadership the Conservatives will ensure that the brave men and women of our Armed Forces have the equipment and resources they need to keep our country safe – and that we meet our obligations to the world."

Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith said Labour was also committed to the 2% target and added: "The Tories' hypocrisy on defence knows no bounds. Their cuts have left our forces more under-resourced and underpaid than at any time in the modern era."

BBC political correspondent Chris Mason says the Labour leadership will be angry that its draft manifesto has been leaked - robbing the party of some of the impact that a big setpiece launch would have had.

He said: "What this shows is the extent of the division and acrimony within the Labour Party - that somebody somewhere feels there is some benefit in leaking this document."

Responding to press reports that a draft of the Labour manifesto has been leaked, a senior Conservative campaign source said:

"This is a total shambles. Jeremy Corbyn's plans to unleash chaos on Britain have been revealed. The commitments in this dossier will rack up tens of billions of extra borrowing for our families. Jobs will be lost, families will be hit and our economic security damaged for a generation."

A spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn refused to comment on press reports that a draft of his party's manifesto has been leaked.

He said: "We do not comment on leaks. We will announce our policies in our manifesto, which is our plan to transform Britain for the many, not the few."

The manifesto, which is expected to be finalised on Thursday, will be have to be approved by around 80 Labour figures, a senior party source said, including the shadow cabinet, the national executive committee, the parliamentary committee of the PLP, Welsh and Scottish Labour leaders, members of the national policy forum and trade union representatives.

The Mirror reports that a raft of polices already announced will be confirmed in the manifesto:

• £5bn for school funding 
• 10,000 extra police officers
• £250bn capital investment programme to upgrade British infrastructure  

The Mirror reports that: 

• University tuition fees will be abolished entirely
• Town halls will ordered to build 100,000 new council houses a year under a new Department for Housing
• Planned hikes to the pension age beyond 66 will not go ahead.  
• Thousands of homes will be offered to rough sleepers
• Private rent rises capped at inflation

Mirror report: Read more, external

Two national papers - the Telegraph and Mirror - are reporting details of what they say is a leak of a draft of Labour's election manifesto.

They say policies include:

• Plans to nationalise energy, rail and mail 
• The introduction of a 20:1 pay cap for businesses
• The creation of a new Ministry of Labour with plans to introduce pay bargaining and increased unionisation across the workforce
• Ensuring 60% of the UK's energy comes from renewable sources by 2030  

Labour has refused to comment on the reports.

The Scottish Greens have confirmed they are to field only three candidates in next month's general election.

The party said it would be focusing on trying to get co-convener Patrick Harvie elected in Glasgow North.

It will also have candidates in Falkirk and in the Edinburgh North and Leith seat.

The Greens had 32 candidates in the last election two years ago but failed to win any Scottish seats. They currently have six seats at Holyrood.

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