Labour 'on your side' with fairer policies, says Miliband

[dutchman]

For millions of British families their prospects feel bleaker than for half a century, Labour leader Ed Miliband is to say on the eve of his party's conference in Manchester.

Arguing Labour is "on your side", he will highlight policies for fairer energy bills and pension charges.

Meanwhile, a Conservative Party poll suggests most Labour voters do not view Mr Miliband as prime ministerial.

Labour said the survey showed the Tories were "utterly desperate".

The Labour leadership - and many of the party's activists - head to Manchester in a relatively buoyant mood for the conference starting on Sunday, said BBC political correspondent Chris Mason.

"They are confident Ed Miliband has now won the right to be listened to. And they're more confident than ever that what they see as the coalition's weak spots are being exposed," said our correspondent.

At a Town Hall-style question-and-answer session with voters on Saturday afternoon, Mr Miliband is expected to unveil consumer-friendly policies including a "strict cap" on pension management fees.

"Millions of working people are doing the right thing and putting money aside," he will say.

"The least they expect is for it to be there for them when they retire. But too often people are finding there is much less in the pot than they expected.

"What's been happening is while you were saving, the company which was supposed to be helping you, the company you trusted, has actually been taking thousands of pounds out in hidden fees and charges."

He will also propose a more powerful energy regulator to ensure fairer prices.

"You know what it's like when the envelope hits the doormat with the gas bill or the electricity bill. The companies know you can't choose not to pay it. They are making us pay more than we should."

The Labour Party conference slogan is "Rebuilding Britain".

Mr Miliband will say: "Whoever wins the next election will be faced with a huge deficit. If it is a Labour government we will have to make difficult decisions - we will not be able to reverse all the cuts.

"We will take decisions about priorities like putting jobs ahead of pay rises.

"But don't believe those who say that all politicians are the same, because our decisions will be different. We would always put the interests of millions of working people ahead of tax cuts for millionaires."

The Conservative Party has released the findings of the poll it commissioned from Populus, that surveyed online more than 2,000 voters between 26 and 28 September.

Some 65% of those who said they were Labour supporters thought Mr Miliband's brother David, a former foreign secretary, would be a better leader.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of those questioned thought Mr Miliband did not have what it took to be prime minister in tough economic times, while almost as many (72%) saw him as too weak to be a credible leader.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "This poll shows that Ed Miliband has got serious questions over his leadership.

"He has got a lot of work to do with the British people to persuade them that he is ready to be prime minister."

[rebbonk]

Absent and vacant

Absentee opposition is no opposition

[dutchman]

Labour voters slam 'weak' Ed Miliband and reveal preference for brother David



Labour leader Ed Miliband has received a vote of no confidence from his own party's supporters, with 65 per cent revealing they would prefer his brother David as leader.

A poll by Populus released by the Conservative Party showed many people up and down the country do not have faith in the leader of the opposition to make the step up to prime minister.

With Mr Miliband arriving in Manchester for the start of Labour's annual conference, his position was put into real doubt as many respondents to the survey blasted him as 'weak'.

Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of people in the country do not believe he has what it takes to assume power in Downing Street, with 72 per cent suggesting he is too weak to be taken seriously.

In addition, 51 per cent of voters - regardless of their allegiances - said they would be more likely to vote for Labour if the party had a different figurehead.

This included a large number of swing voters, who have yet to make up their minds over who to support in a general election and could be crucial to its outcome.

Such a poll indicates the Conservatives are hoping to make the next election a straight choice between Mr Miliband and prime minister David Cameron for the role of national leader - a battle they feel they can win.

[rebbonk]

My worst nightmare....