The new image 'Cross my heart' logo mystifies Labour MPs
By Andrew Sparrow

Labour Party

NEW Labour, new logo. First there was the Red Flag, then the Red Rose. Now there is the multicoloured squiggle.

New Labour, new logo

Just as Tony Blair has transformed his party almost beyond recognition, Labour has come up with an emblem to leave Keir Hardie clueless as to its meaning. It is loosely based on the famous Aids red ribbon. There is a cross with a heart on top and an orange splodge on the inside. Labour MPs were mystified as to what any of it had to do with the march of socialism.

 Party headquarters assumed that its significance was obvious. A spokesman said: "It represents the individual voting Labour with their head and their heart. The head represents the dedication to policies that improve the quality of life, policies such as the national minimum wage and New Deal. The heart stands for our enduring belief in fairness and equality. The cross symbolises the importance of voting, and voting Labour."

 Labour stressed that the heart on a cross would not replace the Red Rose as the official symbol - that will appear on the ballot paper. The new logo, which was designed in-house, appears on party merchandise, such as cups, mugs and umbrellas.