Michael Howard promised to "battle for Britain," as he unveiled the first full manifesto of the general election campaign yesterday.

The papers focus on the brevity of the 32-page document, with some approving and others criticising the idea as policy light.

"I want people to read our manifesto, it may be an unrealistic thing to say, but I want them to," the Tory chief said.

The absence of an image of the Conservative leader on the front of the book also attracts comment.

"This is our manifesto. It doesn't have a picture of me on the cover. It doesn't have anyone's picture on the cover," Howard said.

"On the cover are the simple longings of the British people – people who feel forgotten and ignored.

"They don't ask for much. They long for hospitals that are clean."

The cover instead boasts the Tories' 11-word election slogan of "cleaner hospitals, school discipline, lower taxes, more police, controlled immigration and accountability".

Meanwhile, the Mail reveals that Howard has worn a pair of gold cufflinks given to him by pensioner Margaret Dixon, whose case against the NHS he took up, on every day of the campaign.