Arthur Scargill used the skills of Ken Loach in 1997

Loach, director of Kes and My Name is Joe, made a similar broadcast for Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party in 1997.

The film is expected to focus on what the Socialist Alliance perceives as Labour's failures, such as part-privatisation of air traffic control, the public-private partnership for London's tube network and investment in public services.

Ken Loach is one of Britain's most acclaimed directors and has been nominated six times for the Palme D'Or at Cannes and has won the jury prize twice at the prestigious film festival.

'Delighted'

A spokesman for the Socialist Alliance told BBC News Online: "We are delighted that Ken has decided to make the film for us - he has been a supporter of the Socialist Alliance since last year's Greater London Authority elections."

He said the finished broadcast would be of a "very high standard".

Neil Kinnock hired director Hugh Hudson in 1987

"We are in early stages of developing the film but its themes will reflect some of Labour's failures," he said.

The party has the right to broadcast a party political film because it is putting forward more than 100 canidates in the election.

It is not the first time that a respected film-maker has made a political broadcast.

In 1987 Chariots of Fire director Hugh Hudson directed a broadcast for the Neil Kinnock-led Labour Party.

The broadcast showed Kinnock and his wife Glenys walking on a coastal path with the sound provided by a recent speech by the former Labour leader.

More recently the Labour Party has used Planet 24, the production company behind The Big Breakfast, to make its political broadcasts.