Ed tries to answer the Miliband dollar question

The former environment secretary, who is running against his brother David for leadership of the party, spoke to activists at the Westbury Centre in Westlea Road.

The Warwick and Leamington constituency party has already declared its support for Ed Miliband, seen as having more grassroots and union support than his brother, who was Foreign Secretary until May.

He outlined the reasons he thought Labour had lost the election, saying the party had become too “presidential”.

He said: “We became managers and technocrats rather than people who were seen like we were going to change society.”

And Mr Miliband said it was a “trap” to believe the only way Labour could win was by moving to the right.

He added: “If we don’t move on, if we don’t show a willingness to change and take the best bits from New Labour I don’t think we’ll win.

“We need to understand the way politics has changed and the way the political battleground has changed.”

Mr Miliband said the party had not lost its wealthier supporters, but its less affluent ones. He added he would campaign not just for a minimum wage, but a ‘living’ wage of £7-an-hour.

He said he would support a ‘graduate tax’ instead of tuition fees. He joked that Labour should not treat unions like embarrassing relatives in the attic, but that unions should not behave like embarrassing relatives.

Questions from members included bringing back clause four, listening to party members, the NHS and fair admissions to schools.

Mr Miliband pledged to introduce a policy review process that involved the whole party, and not to become detached from normal life. He said he would start changes to education with early years then move on to schools.

Most members went away happy, but Charanjit Singh Khehra, of Gaveston Road, was not pleased with the answer to his question about immigration. However he praised Mr Miliband’s demeanour and rapport with the audience.

Former Warwick Univer-sity student Christopher Christmas said: “He understands the importance of the need to win people back to the party and gave a good account of himself.”