Labour has a battle bus for women and it is actually pink

Labour is using a pink 'battle bus' in its nationwide tour aimed at wooing the nine million women who did not vote in the last general election.

As the Independent on Sunday reported earlier this month, Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman and women and equalities spokesperson Gloria De Piero will be joined by other female shadow cabinet ministers on the tour, which a source said would be "interactive".

They want to tap into a network of female activists, campaigners and candidates to speak to women voters who are, figures show, increasingly turned off the ballot box.

Ms Harman is also planning to launch a “women’s manifesto” to coincide with her tour, which will go to all regions of England as well as Wales and Scotland.

Now the battle bus has been unveiled in all its glory. Two things to note: it is pink and actually a van.

At a briefing in Westminster, Harriet Harman rejected suggestions that the colour was "patronising" and said it had been picked by a "a collective".

"Is it not magenta or something?" she said. "We wanted to mark that this was something different. We wanted it to look conspicuous and therefore a white van was not going to do the job."

So far the reaction has been tempered, to say the least...

We have a suggestion: maybe the Labour Party should just stay away from vans altogether...

More: Labour remains in turmoil after Emily Thornberry and 'White Van Dan'