Jack Straw responds to Ed Miliband's critics: 'People think he has panda eyes and strange lips'

Mr Straw stepped forward to 'defend' the Labour leader

The former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has offered a somewhat questionable defence of Labour leader Ed Miliband after Ukip came closer to snatching a seat usually considered safe by the party.

Ukip’s thundering success in the by election threatened to reignite questions surrounding Mr Miliband’s ability to lead, particularly in light of Labour’s performance in the Heywood and Middleton by-election.

And after securing victory in Clacton, Nigel Farage hailed the vote "the best night in Ukip's history" as he warned the Tories and Labour: "We're after you - you have underestimated us."

Step forward Mr Straw, who responded to Mr Miliband’s critics with the bizarre statement: "I know people say he's got panda eyes and strange lips”, before hastily adding: “Well I could make the same remarks in different ways about Mr Clegg or Mr Cameron.”

Speaking to Sky News, the Blackburn MP went on: "I think (Mr Miliband) is a leader of the country and I think he has shown that he has got real leadership qualities in the last four years since he became leader.

"All I can say is that I was knocking on doors all yesterday afternoon and evening in this by-election and nobody - I had plenty of scepticism about politics, about why people were not coming out to vote - nobody, not one person, told me that their concern was about Mr Miliband."