Michael Howard's picture is not on the cover, but the Conservative election manifesto unmistakably reflects the Tory leader's strategy. It identifies the grievances that many groups of voters share and promises action to deal with them. It is something less than a programme for government, however - despite some important themes.

In launching the manifesto yesterday, the Tory leader contrasted his record of action with Labour's talk that fails to deliver. And he continued to focus on the issues that market research shows to be worrying groups of voters - health-service squalor, unruly youth, crime and immigration.