Member News
By Tony Grew - 25th September 2010
Ed Miliband has won the Labour leadership by a wafer-thin majority.
His election was announced at a special leadership conference in Manchester this afternoon.
He pipped his brother David to the top job after second, third and fourth preferences were counted, winning 50.65 per cent to his brother's 49.35 per cent.
Labour party members, MPs and MEPs and members of afilliated trade unions were all eligble to vote.
Ed Miliband only became an MP five years ago and served as energy and climate change secretary under Gordon Brown.
He pledged to unite the party he joined at the age of 17 and "take it forward together".
"We lost the election and we lost it badly, " he said.
"My message to the country is this: I know we lost trust, I know we lost touch, I know we need to change.
"Today a new generation has taken charge of Labour, a new generation that understands the call to change."
Miliband also paid tribute to Harriet Harman for leading the party during the leadership campaign.
Diane Abbott was eliminated in the first round of voting followed by Andy Burnham and Ed Balls.
The younger of the Miliband brothers said it is an "amazing honour" to be selected to lead the party and pledged to repay the trust put in him by Labour and union members.
He praised the "outstanding" other candidates, calling Ed Balls "intelligent and strong" and predicted Tory ministers would be "quaking in their boots" at the thought of facing Balls across the dispatch box.
Andy Burnham reached people that thought Labour had forgotten them, while Diane Abbott had "spoken distinctive truths" to the party.
Miliband said it was important her voice is "heard in future".
The new leader also praised Gordon Brown and called Harman "the best deputy anyone could hope for".
He said Labour has lost touch and a new generation is now taking control of the party.
Miliband said Labour must inspire voters with its own vision of a 'big society', but said he would support the coalition government when they "do the right thing".
His warmest words were for his brother who he said he loves and respects".
He said David had taught him the "most important lesson", that Labour must reach out but also become a "serious party of government again".
The new leader will address the Labour party conference on Tuesday afternoon.
He paid tribute to his partner Justine during his victory speech, but she did not join him on stage.
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