On the subject of heroic failures...

Responding to questions on the Andrew Marr show about "waves of strikes" in the coming year and whether he would support the TUC's upcoming demonstration on March 26, Mr Miliband shook his head, strongly implying he will not join the critical demo.

Mr Miliband also condemned the idea of strikes on the day of the royal wedding - before going on to completely reject TUC policy of co-ordinated industrial action to oppose the cuts.

"What we are not going to do under my leadership is go back to the heroic failures of the 1980s which set the party back," he said.

"Industrial action is not the way you change governments. You do it through the ballot box."

The strong comments will not impress trade union affiliates to the Labour Party whose members were crucial to securing Mr Miliband's leadership election victory.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow called on Mr Miliband "to wake up and recognise that away from the warm environment of the Westminster village, Con-Dem attacks on jobs, services and standards of living are hitting our members right now.

"We don't have the luxury of waiting for the next general election. We have no choice but to stand and fight these attacks that are lined up against our members and it's down to Miliband to show whose side he is really on."

After a bounce in the polls and a new sense of momentum following the Oldham East by-election victory for Labour, Mr Miliband did attempt to draw a line under the failures of Gordon Brown's leadership, rubbishing the former prime minister's claim to have abolished "boom and bust."

However, Mr Miliband defended the level of state expenditure sanctioned by Mr Brown in government and rejected claims that it was excessive public spending that caused the recession.

But he also suggested that the previous Labour government should have "acknowledged earlier ... that eventually there would have to be cuts."

LRC joint secretary Andrew Fisher welcomed the Labour leader's comments on the banks but said "a huge vacuum at the heart of Labour's economic policy" still existed.

"He still embraces cuts to public services, yet doesn't say what he would target and what he would protect," he said.

"Until Labour is firmly on the side of those fighting the cuts and privatisation it will fail to build the necessary coalition to force from power this coalition government."

johnm@peoples-press.com