Ed Miliband: Parliament 'too middle class'

Ed Miliband has branded Parliament "too middle class" and hinted that Labour will put up more working class candidates at the next election.

In an interview with parliamentary magazine The House, Mr Miliband said: "What you are going to see from us this year, as we select our candidates now the boundaries are settled, as we target those 100 or so seats for the general election, is a party reaching out to all parts of the country but also a party that's going to get people from all backgrounds.

"I want more people who are military and ex-military, like Dan Jarvis, in the party. People from all class backgrounds because frankly I think Parliament is too middle class and doesn't have that diversity that it needs to have."

The party leader has put some of the party's lost popularity over the last decade down to disaffection among poorer voters.

He also warned David Cameron not to duck out of television debates in the run-up to the 2015 election, following a lukewarm response by the Prime Minister to suggestions they should be repeated.

The Labour leader appeared to leave the door open to Ukip leader Nigel Farage taking part. He said: "I sort of think let's get the Prime Minister to the TV debates first.

"He seems to be sending out slightly mixed messages about the TV debates. Look, I just want to do the debates. I want the debate to happen wherever and whenever they can happen."