Miliband Focused On Labour Majority

29 January 2015, 15:25

Ed Miliband has insisted his only focus in the election is winning a majority in Westminster, rather than doing a deal with the SNP to get into Number 10.

He said there was a "fight on'' between his party and David Cameron's Conservatives to determine who would be the prime minister after May's general election.

He said votes in Scotland - where polls suggest Labour could lose dozens of seats to the SNP - would have an "important impact'' on the outcome of the election.

But Mr Miliband, who was campaigning in Glasgow, said the only way people could be sure of removing Mr Cameron from Downing Street was to vote for him.

The Labour leader said: "If you want change and you want this Tory government out, the only way to make that happen is to vote Labour.

"A vote for any other party is a risk you don't see the end of a Tory government.

"I do want to make that absolutely clear to people, because the Scottish people have shown time after time their desire to get rid of David Cameron and his government, and there is only one way to do it.''

Labour won 41 seats north of the border at the last general election and with polls currently pointing to a hung parliament, Mr Miliband said he is "determined'' to retain all of those.

But his party trails Nicola Sturgeon's SNP in polls north of the border and the nationalists could hold the balance of power if no party secures an overall majority.

Mr Miliband said: "The question on the ballot paper, actually I think Nicola Sturgeon said this yesterday, is who is going to be prime minister, is it going to be David Cameron or is it going to be Ed Miliband?

"She herself said that is the question facing the electorate.

"If that is the question facing the electorate, and if people want to get rid of David Cameron and a Tory government, then the right thing to do is to vote Labour at the general election.''

He added: "We are determined to win all the seats we hold, that is absolutely right.

"Is there a fight on? Of course there is a fight on. There is a fight on right across the United Kingdom in this general election. Scotland will have an important impact on this general election.''

Mr Miliband, who was campaigning with new Scottish leader Jim Murphy and shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran, insisted his party was "doing the work on the ground'' to succeed in May.

He said: "There are only two outcomes from this general election, a Conservative government or a Labour government, and I'm confident the people of Scotland don't want to see a re-elected Conservative government and want a Labour government.''

When asked if he would do a deal with the SNP if Labour fails to secure an overall majority, Mr Miliband said: "I have only one focus, which is a majority Labour government.

"I'm going to put before the British people a manifesto, there will be a separate and distinct Scottish manifesto, which I think is important, and then I will say to people 'I want you to elect a majority Labour government'.

"That is what I think the country needs and that where all of my focus is, that is what all of my energy is on.''

Pressed again on the possibility of any deal with the nationalists, he said: "I couldn't be clearer - I think Jim (Murphy) has said we don't need, we don't want and we're not planning for that, and that is my position too.''