Ed Miliband said Labour needed to accept the mistakes of the past
Ed Miliband has begun work as Labour leader with a vow to defend what he calls the “squeezed” middle class.
Mr Miliband won the leadership after beating brother David in a dramatic vote ahead of the party’s conference.
Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he said a “new generation was entrusted with transforming our party”.
Mr Miliband also said Labour would now aim to “set out an alternative” but would support the coalition government “when it is right” on making cuts.
His victory comes as the Labour party conference starts in Manchester.
The former energy secretary, who will be interviewed on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show later, wrote in the Telegraph: “My aim is to show that our party is on the side of the squeezed middle in our country and everyone who has worked hard and wants to get on.
“My aim is to return our party to power. This is a tough challenge. It is a long journey. But our party has made the first step in electing a leader from a new generation.”
Mr Miliband pledged not to oppose every government cut, saying public services would need to learn to do more with less, and there was a suggestion he wanted to replace tuition fees.
“We must never again lose touch with the mainstream of our country”
Ed Miliband Labour leader
He added: “As well as setting out an alternative when the government gets it wrong, we will support it when it is right.”
Referring to the leadership result, Mr Miliband said: “A new generation was entrusted with transforming our party and making sure that, once again, we stand up for the interests of families across Britain.
“We have a lot of ground to make up if we are to rebuild the broad coalition of support that swept us to power in 1997.”
He said the party needed to accept it made mistakes in government and show it had changed, adding: “We must never again lose touch with the mainstream of our country.”
Mr Miliband won the leadership by just over 1% from his brother after second, third and fourth preference votes came into play.
How Ed Miliband wonRound 1: David Miliband 37.78%, Ed Miliband 34.33% Diane Abbott eliminatedRound 2: David Miliband 38.89%, Ed Miliband 37.47%. Andy Burnham eliminatedRound 3: David Miliband 42.72%, Ed Miliband 41.26%, Ed Balls eliminatedRound 4: David Miliband 49.35%, Ed Miliband 50.65%. Ed Miliband wins
Ed Balls was third, Andy Burnham fourth and Diane Abbott last in the ballot of MPs, members and trade unionists.
Prime Minister David Cameron called Mr Miliband from his Chequers country retreat to congratulate him on his victory.
Mr Miliband, 40, replaces acting leader Harriet Harman in the contest triggered by the resignation of Gordon Brown.
He has immediate questions of personnel as well as policy to address, chiefly whether his defeated older brother – whom he does not mention in his Sunday Telegraph article – will be willing to take a job on his front bench.
Analysis
By Michael Crick, political editor, BBC Newsnight
An MP in the Ed Miliband campaign tells me they had predicted exactly the parliamentary Labour party section vote, and quite closely the union and affiliates’ section vote, but they were disappointed with the members’ section vote, as their figures had shown them winning among ordinary party members.
This might explain why several senior Ed Miliband supporters I’ve bumped into have been looking pretty glum.
Not to have a majority of your MPs, or party members, and to depend on union votes, leaves Ed Miliband in a very exposed position.
Ironically, he’ll have to spend much of the next few weeks distancing himself from the unions and showing he’s not in their pocket.
After the result, David Miliband told BBC News: “This is Ed’s day, it’s a big day for the Miliband family, not quite the day for the Miliband family that I would have wanted – the Miliband D family, rather than the Miliband E – but that’s the way things go.”
However, BBC Newsnight’s political editor Michael Crick says a source in the Ed Miliband camp said the brothers held several secret meetings during the week, once it became clear Ed would win.
Our correspondent adds that the source says David will be offered the job of shadow chancellor, although the Ed Milliband team are not very confident he will accept it.
The new leader will not be short of advice from colleagues.
In the Independent on Sunday, shadow Home Secretary Alan Johnson warned him not to move to the left.
Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said Mr Miliband should not rely solely on attacking the coalition, but focus on policies for the next election.
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