LABOUR’S high command has sought to downplay the “shambolic” leak of its draft manifesto, which pledges to nationalise Britain’s key industries and reverse years of austerity.

Andrew Gwynne, the party’s national campaigns co-ordinator, denied the document was the party's full manifesto but admitted the leak was “not ideal,” noting how at least people were talking about Labour.

“Leaks happen; they probably always will,” he declared. “It gives us the opportunity to talk about the kind of Britain we want to see, run for the many not the few.”

He told Good Morning Britain: "The point is today the whole of the Shadow Cabinet, the executive committee and other stakeholders are meeting to go through what will become our manifesto.

"This document that has appeared in the newspapers today isn't a manifesto. It's a draft of policy ideas that have been collated from various members of the shadow cabinet, their teams and other stakeholders." He insisted the manifesto launch would go ahead next week as planned.

However, the leaking of the draft just days before the official launch appears to be a wilful act of sabotage and will for many underline the dysfunctional nature of Labour under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

A blame game seemed to have quickly begun with sources close to Mr Corbyn blaming some within Labour’s HQ of being behind the leak to undermine the leader.

Matt Zarb-Cousin, a former spokesman for Mr Corbyn, who retains close links with him, tweeted: “Hearing the whole manifesto has been leaked by Labour HQ. Helpful of them to continue their tradition of undermining the leadership.”

Commenting on the leak, Ben Page of polling company Ipsos MORI said: “People have made up their minds about Jeremy Corbyn and it's unlikely this will sway them either way; it's only in the last few days before the election they really do switch on."

The 43-page document sets out plans to take the energy industry, railways, buses and the Royal Mail back under public control.

It commits Labour to scrapping tuition fees, boosting workers' rights and reversing a series of benefits cuts, including the so-called bedroom tax.

Labour is due to finalise its manifesto at a meeting today but the unprecedented leak of the draft policy document is a blow to the party's campaign strategy and will undermine what is meant to be a political party’s key campaign moment – the showpiece unveiling of its programme for government.

A Conservative spokesman 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 and will put Brexit negotiations at risk. Jobs will be lost, families will be hit and our economic security damaged for a generation if Jeremy Corbyn and the coalition of chaos are ever let anywhere near the keys to Downing Street.”

John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "This manifesto is a toxic mix of nationalisations, interventions and monumental tax hikes.

“A 1970s-style agenda would be a disaster for the country and the parties should instead be offering up policies that get the economy in shape to compete in the global marketplace. That means tax cuts for individuals and businesses to leave more money in the pockets of those who earned it, and cutting out wasteful spending so that resources go towards essential services."

According to the leaked document:

*railways will be renationalised as each private franchise expires, with fares frozen and guards put back on driver-only trains;

*publicly owned bus companies will be established;

*the Royal Mail will be returned to public ownership following the coalition government's "historic mistake" of selling it off and

*the return of energy “back into public ownership" by setting up a rival to the existing Big Six private firms;

To pay for the policy pledges, Labour has already announced plans to hike corporation tax to 26 per cent by 2022, bringing in an extra £20 billion for the Exchequer, and indicated that people earning more than £80,000 will face tax rises.

But the draft manifesto indicates a further levy on firms "with high numbers of staff on very high pay".

Labour has insisted that its policy prospectus will be fully costed and the document vows to eliminate the deficit and balance the budget by the end of the next parliament.

Mr Corbyn's effort to win support from voters who backed Brexit could be hampered by the manifesto's measures on the EU and immigration.

The leaked document ruled out setting a target for cutting net migration, something Theresa May has committed to despite so far failing to hit the Conservatives' "tens of thousands" ambition.

It says Labour believes in "fair rules and reasonable management" of migration but rules out "making false promises on immigration numbers".

Mr Corbyn has insisted "Britain is leaving the European Union" but the draft manifesto rules out the prospect of breaking away from Brussels without a deal.

The Labour leader has highlighted the importance of tackling the housing crisis, and the draft document commits councils to build 100,000 new homes, while private landlords will only be allowed to raise rents in line with inflation.

In an effort to bridge party divides over Trident, the manifesto commits Labour to the nuclear deterrent, but in a nod to Mr Corbyn's opposition to the weapons it says "any prime minister should be extremely cautious about ordering the use of weapons of mass destruction which would result in the indiscriminate killing of millions of innocent civilians".

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn 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."

But Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said Mr Corbyn was “essentially a pacifist,” who would undermine Britain’s defences.

A senior Labour source made clear the final version of the party’s pitch to voters will be have to be approved by around 80 Labour figures, 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 meeting in London is also expected to help define the "attitude" of the party to issues in the election that will not be covered by the manifesto, according to the Labour Party rulebook.