Miliband: No lurch to the left
By politics.co.uk staff
Labour will not turn radically to the left under Ed Miliband’s leadership, he has insisted.
Concerns about the direction of the party were raised when it was revealed he secured the position due to his overwhelming support from union members.
Asked whether he deserved the tag ‘Red Ed’ on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, he replied: “I think these labels don’t help, that’s not the way I would see my leadership. It’s not about some lurch to the left, absolutely not.”
He insisted strikes were always “a last resort” but refused to comment on various individual industrial disputes.
He accepted that some public sector jobs would have gone under Labour spending plans before the election and confirmed he would pick and choose his battles with the coalition.
“I am not going to oppose every cut the government comes up with,” he said.
Under Mr Miliband’s plans, the banks would pay for more of the deficit via a levy.
The new Labour leader made a firm point about his direction when he granted the Sunday Telegraph his first interview this morning.
Concerning the future of his elder brother David, who narrowly lost the vote, Mr Miliband said: “I think he needs time to think about the contribution he can make. I think he can make a very big contribution to British politics.”
Mr Miliband will deliver his keynote speech to the Labour conference on Tuesday.
