Even those sympathetic to the ideas in the Tory manifesto see they are not pub-ready

James Forsyth reviews the week in politics

‘But has it cut through?’ This is the concern that nags at the Tories after every announcement. They know that they are winning the day-to-day battle in the media but they worry about whether this is making any difference in the country. They fret that the campaign, so far, is a piece of political drama for the political class and that the electorate are tuning it out.

Those who return from the election frontlines to Conservative Campaign Head-quarters bring back the message that the voters are disillusioned. In the words of one shadow Cabinet member, they are ‘swimming against an incredibly strong current of anti-politics feeling’. If people don’t believe what politicians say anymore, then they will reach for the remote control when anyone with a rosette pops up on television. It is hard to win a political battle if your enemy is the ‘mute’ button.