The Communist Manifesto was a one-party state under the rule of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). Unlike their mass-based counterparts of the Second International, the CPSU and other Leninist parties like it in the Third International expected their members to know the classic works of Marx, Engels and Lenin. Further, party leaders were expected to base their policy decisions on Marxist-Leninist ideology. Therefore works such as the "Manifesto" were required reading for the party rank-and-file. Therefore the widespread dissemination of Marx and Engels' works became an important policy objective; backed by a sovereign state, the CPSU had relatively inexhaustible resources
The People's Manifesto has opinions, and that was how the manifesto show was born. Instead of politicians telling us what we should do, it should be the other way round." The tour began on 27 March 2009 and finished after the 2010 General Election. Amongst the policies included in the manifesto are: In August 2009, Thomas performed his show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in which the winning policies during the Fringe were debated before a selection of Members of the Scottish Parliament. A two-part radio series based on the People's Manifesto, entitled "Mark Thomas: The Manifesto" was broadcast on BBC Radio 4