I've just come back from another manifesto launch – that of the Communist party .
While communist is regarded by some as a disparaging term, I should point out that some of the bread and butter issues in the manifesto will resonate with many voters concerned about the outcome of the banks bailout.
The proposals include ending tax avoidance by the rich, levying a windfall tax on super-profits, taxing speculative finance transactions and big business profits, levying a wealth tax on the country's richest 10%, scrapping Trident, bringing troops home and abandoning ID cards.
The Communists make no bones about being the party of the working class, uncompromising in their condemnation of the capitalist system for creating our current deficit woes.
But it's fair to say that the party occupies common ground with many to the left of New Labour when it says: "The big business elephant, having devoured unprecedented sums of public money, is on the rampage, trampling jobs, public services and people's livelihoods."
The Communists are not best pleased with the TUC over its silence on the national insurance contribution row raging between Labour, the Tories and big business. The party is also unimpressed with what it believes is the level of influence unions have had on the Labour manifesto, which was unveiled earlier today.
The Communist party is contesting a nominal six seats to "put the case for socialism and for a revolutionary transformation of society". The party's general secretary, Robert Griffiths, is standing in Cardiff South and Penarth, as is Ben Stevenson in Croydon North.
The party – which has an energy for activism betraying its modest numbers – plans to support leftwing Labour candidates where it can, but draws the line at sending its support out to what it calls "rightwing New Labour candidates".
Members will lend support to leftwing candidates from other parties, such as Dave Nellist, who is standing for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition party in Coventry.
Griffiths was asked what he thought of those who believed the communist party had become irrelevant.
"It's a pretty lively corpse", he replied, pointing that, while sectors of the media have pronounced the party dead, they have also run stories talking up its clout.
Last month, the Mailclaimed the Unite union was "taking strategic direction from the communists on both the BA strike and the overthrow of New Labour".
This so-called plot was based on emails written by Graham Stevenson, a senior Unite official, who is also on the executive of the British Communist party. They can't have it both ways, said Griffiths. Fair point.
