Labour's new logo causes confusion

It could be a paragliding stick man, a voter with a skipping rope or even a walking love heart. Labour proved its reputation to be all things to all people yesterday by unveiling its new logo to a chorus of confusion.

It could be a paragliding stick man, a voter with a skipping rope or even a walking love heart. Labour proved its reputation to be all things to all people yesterday by unveiling its new logo to a chorus of confusion.

The squiggle, aka the logo formerly known as New Labour, is to feature on party merchandise to try to raise much-needed funds ahead of the general election.

The motif, which is claimed to be inspired by the red Aids ribbon, will be emblazoned on cappuccino cups, latte mugs, T-shirts, cuff-links, and even a golfing umbrella.

A far cry from the fluttering Red Flag symbol of the early 1980s, its pink, red, orange and black colouring is intended to offer a refreshing new look for Labour in the new millennium.

A Labour 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. The heart stands for our enduring belief in fairness and equality. Then there is the cross that symbolises the importance of voting and voting Labour."