Miliband says leadership contenders are “perfectly entitled” to criticise him

Ed Miliband says he takes “full responsibility” for Labour’s defeat in May, and that as part of the debate around the party’s future, leadership candidates are “perfectly entitled” to criticise his record.

Speaking on BBC 5 Live this morning, Miliband said (quote via Politics Home):

“I lost the election, Labour lost the election. I took full responsibility for that. People will have their advice, their criticisms and their views and they are perfectly entitled to do that. I think my party is having a debate about its future direction and it’s right that it does.”

This follows on from John Woodcock’s warning earlier this week that any candidates representing a “Continuity Miliband” agenda will “consign Labour to another defeat”.

However, at a leadership hustings earlier today, Andy Burnham praised Ed Miliband and said of his leadership: “We don’t disown all that, as some have suggested, we build on that.”

While he is happy for his time as leader to be a point of debate in the leadership contest, Miliband is not simply retreating into the background of British politics. He today reiterated that he “will keep speaking out about the issues that I care about”. The Doncaster MP also promised to “work loyally” for whoever is elected leader in September.