Miliband ‘abandoning principles’

ED Miliband was last night accused of giving up his principles for the promise of a job in a future Labour government after he insisted he would not quit over his flagship green plan being dropped.

The shadow climate secretary was left humiliated when opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer abandoned his key pledge to spend £28billion a year on investments to help the environment.

But speaking for the first time since the U-turn, Mr Miliband said he had not considered quitting his frontbench post, telling Channel 4 News: ‘Absolutely not.’

Despite reports he had argued against Sir Keir Starmer’s move, he added that the new £4.7billiona-year package still met his criteria ‘to move the dial on climate’.

Asked if he wasn’t resigning because he was hoping to be a minister again if Labour won the next Election, he said: ‘I feel in a position of responsibility, which is – I can make a difference. And so the only thing I can do, the only right thing to do, is to fight for the maximum possible ambition.’

Doubts about his future swirled after the move but Labour sources said he was a ‘team player’.

Last night, a Conservative Party source told the Mail: ‘Ed Miliband’s already paper-thin credibility is in tatters now he’s given up on his principles to keep his place in Sir Keir’s inner circle.

‘How can anyone trust a word Labour say when they’re speaking out of both sides of their mouth and flip-flopping on stuff like this that would have a huge financial impact on Britons? Labour doesn’t have a clue what to do, they’ve no plan – and their top team are just yes-men to a flailing windbag, Sir Keir Starmer.’