Labour's enabling, empowering manifesto - 8 in the morning, February 5th

8am By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

* Labour’s election and manifesto co-ordinators Douglas Alexander and Ed Miliband say Labour will provide an enabling government, “empowering people and a society where we grow together, not apart.”

* Gordon Brown will fly to Northern Ireland today to try to secure a promising deal, brokered last night.

* Harriet Harman announced yesterday that those MPs who refuse to repay demanded expenses will have their salaries docked.

* Alastair Campbell will “coach” Gordon Brown for his hour-long TV inteview with Piers Morgan a week on Sunday.

* “Lies, damned lies and Tory statistics”: Andy McSmith on a bad week or the Conservatives.

* The Tories could win up to 30 seats more than anticipated, writes Andrew Sparrow.

* Michael White asks: is Labour ready for opposition?

* Boris Johnson is to cut London’s police force, reports the Guardian.

Alex Smith

Alex is the founder and CEO of The Cares Family. He was editor and first director of LabourList in 2009-2010, during which time he established the site as the number one Labour blog, and later an aide to Ed Miliband.

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