Labour to unveil general election campaign slogan 'it's time for real change'

Labour will today unveil its election message: “It’s time for real change," which will be emblazoned on its campaign bus.

The party’s leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell will reveal the bus in Liverpool as a tour of north-west England gets under way.

Mr McDonnell is set to promise that "power is coming home" to communities outside of the south-east if Labour wins at the polls.

Making his first speech of the election campaign, he will outline plans to "put power into the hands of communities" with a pledge to make investment decisions less focused on London and the home counties under a Mr Corbyn-led government.

Mr Corbyn plans to host a rally in Manchester in the evening and will travel on the bus as the party targets "dozens" of marginal constituencies in the coming five weeks.

During his speech in Merseyside, Mr McDonnell will tell supporters that he wants to bring about "an irreversible shift in the balance of power and wealth in favour of working people".

He is expected to add: "That means change means investment on a scale never seen before in this country and certainly never seen before in the North and outside of London and the South East."

The decision by Mr Corbyn's right-hand man to focus his debut campaign speech on empowering regions outside the South follows his announcement in the summer that he would move part of the Treasury out of Whitehall.

He wants to base the team in charge of Labour's national transformation fund - a £250 billion unit responsible for overhauling Britain's creaking transport system and other infrastructure - in the north of England.

The shadow cabinet minister has committed to holding ministerial meetings outside of Westminster if he secures the keys to Number 11 in the General Election next month.

Mr McDonnell, speaking in the city of his birth, is expected to say: "Power is coming home, back to the people.

"We can only deliver the real change we need by putting power into the hands of communities, of the people who know their local area best."

On his plans to shift the "powerful section" of the Treasury to an undeclared part of the North, he is set to say: "But it's not just about spending more, it's about how it's spent, with decision-making devolved down to local communities.

"Labour's Treasury ministers will meet outside of London and will have a ministerial office in the North. The centre of gravity of political gravity is shifting away from London."

Mr McDonnell is also due to announce the addition of £100 billion to Labour's proposal for a social transformation fund, providing a £150 billion pot to be spent over the next five years.

The fund will be used to "upgrade and expand our schools, hospitals, care homes and council houses".

A further £250 billion of investment, according to Labour aides, will be spent across the country through the green transformation fund.

The spending will also be overseen by the Treasury team that is to be based in the North.