Education, education, education

It came with a warning that other spending departments would have to "cut their cloth", meaning they will be denied extra funding in order to give education priority. Improvements would be met by re-allocating funds within health, justice and enterprise.

Mr McConnell linked his stress on education to his former profession as a maths teacher. While much of the election campaign has stressed Labour's attack on the SNP and independence, he has struggled to get through this more positive message about what he wants to do if he wins a mandate on May 3.

Yesterday was his chance to do so. The stress on education emerged from a review of future trends carried out by the Scottish Executive at Stirling University last May.

The trends highlighted the challenges of globalisation, climate change and an ageing population, and the Labour team considered how they should push them forward in a way that could win support for a third term in power.

The result of their discussions was to push education above all others.

According to the Labour leader, this is the most radical step yet, bigger than the smoking ban or justice reforms: "From top to bottom, from beginning to end, we will make Scottish education the best in the world. If there was ever one thing to do, it is this. This is why I am here."

"I am determined to lift the floor and leave no child behind," said Mr McConnell. "But I want to smash the ceiling too, so no young Scot is held back either.

"There are no half-measures in our blueprint for the future - no half-hearted attempt to muddle through," he said. "We will divert resources to inspire a passion for learning."

While the manifesto has stress on measures to tackle both serious crime and anti-social behaviour, Labour is targeting that message at its traditional heartland supporters.

Implicit in its policy is an admission that the measures of the past four years are not yet working.

Councils and police are to be pressured into using more Asbos, parenting orders and monitoring paedophiles with "naming and shaming" intended to dissuade the one in 500 youths who cause most trouble.

Driving economic growth takes a lower profile, and it is clear from the economy section that much of the manifesto was drawn up with pressure being exerted by Labour's trade union backers.

Several important policies have vague wording, partly through compromise in drawing up the manifesto and also to leave options open.

The door is left open to Scottish Water to become a mutual, and to new nuclear power. The door is further open on the merger of Scotland's police forces.

And, while opposing top-up tuition fees for students, Mr McConnell did not put a limit on the graduate endowment. He would only say "there are no plans" to increase it from its £2100 total at present.

Labour's rivals criticised different aspects of the manifesto, with the SNP highlighting council tax. Greens said the crime policy was "a sticking plaster" and was itself antisocial, and Solidarity described it as "knee-jerk vigilante culture".

LibDems accused Labour of "spin and gimmicks", particularly in its promise of more foreign language teachers and reduced water bills for pensioners.

Highlights of Labour's new Scottish vision
EDUCATION
School-leaving age raised from 16, with education or training required until 18; 100 skills academies for vocational skills; 250 new or refurbished schools; class sizes down; more language and science teachers; school qualifications required in basic skills; discipline tackled through respect and responsibility' programme; parent-school contracts to make responsibilities clear; wrap-around all-day care in primary schools; expand health and education for pre-school; TA programme to boost teenage training; limits removed from university recruitment.

ECONOMY
Full Employment Agency to help 100,000 into work; create 50,000 modern apprenticeships by 2011; funds to invigorate town centres; support for research and development; tourism income up 50% by 2015.

HEALTH
Cut waiting times to 18 weeks; nine week maximum wait to see chiropodist, physiotherapist or psychologist; ban sale of cigarettes to under 18s; vaccinate against cervical cancer; preventive healthcare including health checks for men at 40.

JUSTICE
National payback' scheme to link crimes to communities and swift reparation; community courts and more youth courts; publicity for sex offenders causing most concern; DNA samples of all crime suspects to be kept; councils and others required to use anti-social behaviour powers; more police powers.

ENVIRONMENT
Generate 50% of electricity renewably by 2020; recycle and compost 70% of waste by 2020; tax reductions for going green.

TRANSPORT
Replacement Forth crossing; scrap tolls on Tay Bridge and for some cars on Forth Bridge.

COMMUNITIES ETC
Extend free school meals to 100,000 more children; halve water charges for pensioners in two years as first step to abolition; more help to start on property ladder; older people's volunteering scheme; national youth day.