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| Ed Miliband: 'I can absolutely be prime minister' | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Ed Miliband "absolutely" sees a prime minister when he looks in the mirror in the morning, he has told the BBC. | |
| In an interview with BBC political editor Nick Robinson, the Labour leader admitted his "mettle had been tested" by reports some Labour figures thought he should step down. | |
| But he denied his leadership was a problem and said: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." | |
| The Conservatives said Mr Miliband had not learned from "Labour's mistakes". | |
| In a wide-ranging interview ahead of a speech at the University of London on Thursday, Mr Miliband said he was "not in the whingeing business" and that the pressure in his job was expected. | |
| He added that "disunited parties are parties that the public worry about" and that the Labour Party would "go forward... united". | He added that "disunited parties are parties that the public worry about" and that the Labour Party would "go forward... united". |
| The BBC's Nick Robinson says the address will inevitably be termed as a "fight-back". | The BBC's Nick Robinson says the address will inevitably be termed as a "fight-back". |
| 'Failure to learn' | |
| In Thursday's speech, Mr Miliband will say that Labour's economic plans will be delivered through "big reform" rather than "big spending". | |
| "We will be the wealth creators, not just the wealth distributors; the devolvers of power, not the centralisers, and the reformers of the state, not the defenders of it." | "We will be the wealth creators, not just the wealth distributors; the devolvers of power, not the centralisers, and the reformers of the state, not the defenders of it." |
| A major theme will be the "zero-zero economy", which he said was about "people asking why they are on zero-hours contracts while those at the top get away with zero tax". | A major theme will be the "zero-zero economy", which he said was about "people asking why they are on zero-hours contracts while those at the top get away with zero tax". |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| BBC political editor Nick Robinson | BBC political editor Nick Robinson |
| Forget all the headlines. Forget all the talk. | Forget all the headlines. Forget all the talk. |
| Ed Miliband's staying exactly where he is. Indeed, he told me today that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". | Ed Miliband's staying exactly where he is. Indeed, he told me today that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". |
| Read more on Nick's blog | Read more on Nick's blog |
| Asked why the Labour Party was struggling, Mr Miliband said many people were "deeply sceptical about mainstream politics and whether it can solve their problems". | Asked why the Labour Party was struggling, Mr Miliband said many people were "deeply sceptical about mainstream politics and whether it can solve their problems". |
| He agreed that "of course" he had people to convince in light of a recent poll indicating that 73% of people said they could not see him as prime minister. | He agreed that "of course" he had people to convince in light of a recent poll indicating that 73% of people said they could not see him as prime minister. |
| But he said he had never thought of quitting and would spend "less time in Westminster and more time in the country, more time... taking my case to the British people". | But he said he had never thought of quitting and would spend "less time in Westminster and more time in the country, more time... taking my case to the British people". |
| He said it was "absolutely not" too late to change public opinion of him, and that the Labour Party had a "duty" and "responsibility" to win the 2015 general election. | He said it was "absolutely not" too late to change public opinion of him, and that the Labour Party had a "duty" and "responsibility" to win the 2015 general election. |
| Competing visions | Competing visions |
| Asked what qualities a prime minister needs, the Labour leader said: "You've got to be in touch with what people are feeling throughout the country". | Asked what qualities a prime minister needs, the Labour leader said: "You've got to be in touch with what people are feeling throughout the country". |
| "You can't be somebody that represents just a few people in society, which I believe that our prime minister, the current prime minister, is". | "You can't be somebody that represents just a few people in society, which I believe that our prime minister, the current prime minister, is". |
| And he said a prime minister had to be "willing to fight" even the "powerful forces" in society, such as "energy companies or banks". | And he said a prime minister had to be "willing to fight" even the "powerful forces" in society, such as "energy companies or banks". |
| But Mr Miliband also acknowledged a "harder electoral battleground" due to the rise of UKIP and the ongoing fallout of the independence referendum in Scotland. | But Mr Miliband also acknowledged a "harder electoral battleground" due to the rise of UKIP and the ongoing fallout of the independence referendum in Scotland. |
| Pressed as to whether Labour had been complacent about a UKIP threat, Mr Miliband said: "I don't see it that way." | Pressed as to whether Labour had been complacent about a UKIP threat, Mr Miliband said: "I don't see it that way." |
| He said voters were sceptical about politicians and accused Nigel Farage's party of wanting to "cut services even more than the Conservatives". | He said voters were sceptical about politicians and accused Nigel Farage's party of wanting to "cut services even more than the Conservatives". |
| In contrast to Labour, he said, UKIP offered "a vision of the past." | In contrast to Labour, he said, UKIP offered "a vision of the past." |
| Mr Miliband said he thought his party could "bear down on low skilled immigration, in a number of ways", but he would not sign up to promises for a cap or limit. | Mr Miliband said he thought his party could "bear down on low skilled immigration, in a number of ways", but he would not sign up to promises for a cap or limit. |
| He said that "instead of making promises we can't keep" a Labour government would introduce "practical policies that will make a difference". | He said that "instead of making promises we can't keep" a Labour government would introduce "practical policies that will make a difference". |
| "We can stop employers undercutting the minimum wage, recruiting just from abroad; we can say you should learn English if you're in a public-facing job; we can have longer controls on new countries coming into the EU." | "We can stop employers undercutting the minimum wage, recruiting just from abroad; we can say you should learn English if you're in a public-facing job; we can have longer controls on new countries coming into the EU." |
| Mr Miliband said: "My fundamental belief is this is an unfair, unequal, and unjust country that works for only a few people at the top." | Mr Miliband said: "My fundamental belief is this is an unfair, unequal, and unjust country that works for only a few people at the top." |
| "I want to change Britain so it works for everyday people. That's what I'm about, that's why I stood for leader, that's what my policy agenda is about, that's what I'm going to fight for in the election." | "I want to change Britain so it works for everyday people. That's what I'm about, that's why I stood for leader, that's what my policy agenda is about, that's what I'm going to fight for in the election." |
| Conservative chairman Grant Shapps said of the Labour leader: : "Ed Miliband's 10th relaunch does not cover up his failure to learn the lessons from Labour's mistakes. | Conservative chairman Grant Shapps said of the Labour leader: : "Ed Miliband's 10th relaunch does not cover up his failure to learn the lessons from Labour's mistakes. |
| "He has opposed everything we've done to turn our country around, he's failed to put forward an economic plan to secure Britain's future". | "He has opposed everything we've done to turn our country around, he's failed to put forward an economic plan to secure Britain's future". |
| He suggested that "all he offers is more of the same failed ideas that got us into a mess in the first place - more spending, more borrowing and more taxes. That is why he is simply not up to the job." | He suggested that "all he offers is more of the same failed ideas that got us into a mess in the first place - more spending, more borrowing and more taxes. That is why he is simply not up to the job." |
| "Voters will view this latest effort with the same lack of enthusiasm that Ed Miliband's own colleagues view his leadership." | "Voters will view this latest effort with the same lack of enthusiasm that Ed Miliband's own colleagues view his leadership." |