Red Ed: I want five more years

Whatever the result, the Labour leader plans to cling on to power

ED Miliband has told friends he wants another five years as Labour leader.

He is understood to want to ‘do a Kinnock’ and stay in charge of his party for a another full parliamentary term.

His mentor Neil Kinnock did not stand down in 1987 despite a heavy defeat at the hands of Margaret Thatcher.

The then Labour leader resigned only after taking his party to a second loss, to John Major, five years later.

Mr Miliband believes he is building a longterm vision for Britain that deserves to be given more time to succeed.

He has made it known he will not go quietly and has told friends that his personal sacrifices – including tearing apart his family by standing against his brother David – have earned him the right to a second chance.

A Shadow Cabinet source told the Mail last year: ‘There’s lots of talk about who should replace Ed if we lose, but it all misses one big point – he has got no intention of going.

‘Ed believes he’s given up too much – including his relationship with his own brother – just to quit after one election defeat. He’s letting it be known he wants to continue.’

But other frontbenchers are horrified at the suggestion Mr Miliband would stick around to potentially lead his party to another defeat.

‘Has no intention of going’

One told The Guardian: ‘Ed really cannot stay on if he loses – that really would not work.’ Another said: ‘He has to go if we lose.’

It emerged last week that Lord Kinnock is a regular source of ‘wisdom and advice’ for Mr Miliband. His son Stephen Kinnock, who is standing as a Labour candidate in Wales, said his father was an ‘important’ source of advice to the party leader.

On Tuesday, Lord Kinnock said that if Mr Miliband fails to win he does not need to resign. ‘Oh, I don’t think the question arises,’ he told the New Statesman. ‘It doesn’t arise for a lot of reasons – the political situation, the attitude in the Labour Party – it’s simply not a question.’

Despite a difficult relationship between the Miliband brothers, David – whom Ed beat to the party leadership in 2010 – posted a supportive message from his charity in the US yesterday, writing: ‘If you are British and can get to a polling station, please vote, and please vote #Labour #Ed4PM.’

David Cameron has questioned the legitimacy of any Labour government propped up by Scottish Nationalists, especially if Mr Miliband were to come second in terms of seats.

The Labour leader has insisted he will not form a coalition with the SNP and has also ruled out any ‘deals’ with Nicola Sturgeon’s party.

But, if Mr Miliband does enter Downing Street, he could be forced to rely on the SNP on a vote-by-vote basis. Ed Balls and other Labour figures are said to be wary of any such post-election co-operation, fearing it could hit Labour’s chances in England for a generation. Last month, the Shadow Chancellor ruled out any SNP pact that would put Scotland ahead of England – insisting it would be a ‘betrayal of the English vote’.

Mr Balls said he was ‘unequivocal’ that he would not allow Nicola Sturgeon’s party to dictate a deal at England’s expense.

Labour has also been accused of being too close to the unions. Mail analysis during the campaign found no fewer than 51 per cent of new candidates in winnable seats are linked to the Unite union, led by the hardLeft Len McCluskey.

Despite leading his party at a time when the Coalition was having to implement unpopular cuts, Mr Miliband failed to take advantage. Economic i mprovements made it increasingly difficult for him to open a clear lead in the polls.

After he forgot to mention the deficit in a conference speech last year, some MPs called for former home secretary Alan Johnson to take over.