Miliband dismisses criticism of leadership as 'noises off' and says coalition is losing the argument
Ed Miliband has insisted he is prepared to make the tough decisions that will see Labour get back into power, as he seeks to counter growing criticism of his leadership.
In an often testy interview on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme that is likely to raise hackles among Miliband's aides about his treatment by John Humphrys, the Labour leader said he was preparing a new direction for the party, which would see it demonstrate that it was best placed to deliver fairness against a background of tough economic conditions.
"The consequence of their [the Conservatives'] failure is that the next Labour government, if it's elected in 2015 will inherit a deficit … Of course we'll carry on spending money but the choices will be much harder [than when the economy was growing] and there will be much less money around," he said.
But Miliband struggled to deliver his message as he was continually pressed on Labour's past record, in particular its spending, and criticism surrounding his leadership. Raising questions over his leadership, Humphrys at one point referred to Robin Cook's quote that he was "too ugly" to be leader, which provoked disdainful laughter from Miliband but is likely to anger his aides.
The Labour leader also shrugged of criticism from his former policy adviser Lord Glasman, who accused him of lacking a strategy and said his "bad start to the year", as Humphrys put it, did not worry him.
"It happens; you get noises off," he said. Referring to the decision to stand against his brother for the Labour leadership, he said: "It was a hard choice for me to stand but I knew I had something to do, not just to say."
He continued: "This coalition government has shown … they are losing the argument. I am determined that not just we can win it, but I can win it."
Miliband denied that Labour's spending while in government had brought about the economic crisis, pointing to the global downturn and said the new direction was not an admission of past failures.
"It's about saying the circumstances are different," he said. "I take our share of responsibility for the financial crisis. I don't believe that we regulated the banks properly but I don't believe the propaganda of our opponents."
He said that the public instinctively moved to the left in good times and entrusted the right with tough decisions in bad times but that Labour was best placed to deliver fairness, even in austerity.
Asked for an example of the new direction he was touting, he pointed to the winter fuel allowance, which he said Labour would not be able to increase, as it had in the past.
Instead, he said he would press energy companies to ensure over-75s were offered the lowest tariffs. Miliband said Labour would make the choices which would help the vulnerable in society whereas the Conservatives wanted to offer tax cuts to banks.
"It's all the more important we take on some of the biggest vested interests in our country," he said.
Miliband was speaking before a speech to the London Citizens organisation on Tuesday in which he will set out three ways to achieve fairness in more austere times:
• Reforming the economy to support long-term wealth creation with rewards fairly shared.
• Tackling vested interests that squeeze the living standards of families across the country.
• Making choices that favour the "hardworking majority".