Brian Cox says Ed Miliband wouldn't be allowed to use 1997 New Labour D:Ream anthem: 'I can't quite see a clear direction'

Former keyboard player said he didn't think that today's Labour party had a "clear direction" - but he'd pick Miliband over Blair

Brian Cox, TV physicist

(BBC)

Brian Cox has said he wouldn't let Labour leader Ed Miliband use D:Ream as his election campaign tune "Things Can Only Get Better".

The science professor and TV presenter, who played the keyboard in the Nineties band, has said he wouldn't let Miliband use the song. He contrasted the wave of enthusiasm that Labour had under Tony Blair with Miliband's lukewarm support.

"I'd probably say no to Labour using the song - there are immense pros and cons to all the parties and I can't quite see a clear direction," Cox told The Evening Standard.

"It's very different now than in '97. In '97, it was obvious that everybody supported Blair. But now I think it's complicated, it's a muddy political climate. I'm sort of apolitical intentionally, because I'm rather a single-issue person, so it's definitely not clear-cut."

When asked by the newspaper to pick between Tony Blair and Ed Miliband, Cox said: "In 1997, I would have said Tony, but I think Tony made some mistakes. So now I'd say Ed because Tony cocked up."

The Conservative party fell foul of the band Keane during the 2010 election for using one of their songs without permission. They said they were "horrified" the party had been using their song Everybody's Changing during their manifesto launch. Drummer Richard Hughes said he would not be voting for them.