Public Can't See Miliband As PM – Poll

A major voters poll has found the public can't see Ed Miliband as the next Prime Minister, despite his party being the most popular.

According to The Times annual pre-conference Populus poll, 63% of the public cannot see Miliband as Prime Minister despite the Labour holding the voter's lead at 38% of the polled vote. The Conservatives are four points behind with 34% while the Liberal Democrats are on 12%.

The poll also found that 49% of Labour supporters held this view, with 22% "strongly" agreeing the Ed Miliband was an unlikely PM.

The labour leader Ed Miliband has told a major union conference he "value's the link" between them and his party.

The vote comes as a second blow on consecutive days for the Labour Leader, who during a keynote speech at the Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference on Monday, was heckled by union members.

Mr Miliband used his speech to say he would resist any attempt to break the historical links between his party and the TUC members, despite facing criticism over his comments on this year's public sector strikes.

In June, a wave of public sector unions went on strike over austerity cuts made by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition. However, Mr Miliband, who was championed by the union's during his campaign for the Labour leadership in 2010, upset the congress members at the time saying: "these strikes are wrong at a time when negotiations are going on".

It was his first address to the country's unions since his controversial remarks, during which he attempted to strengthen the links between himself and the union movement.

"The three million trade union levy payers – working men and women – are a huge asset to our party," Mr Miliband said. "They should never, ever, feel like passive or unwanted members of our movement. I want them to feel part of it. Proud of it."

During Monday's conference, a number of delegates shouted "shame" as the Labour leader spoke about his refusal to back the strike action, but he won applause for criticising Chancellor George Osborne's mooted end for the 50p income tax rate for top earners.

(DW/CD)