Labour ‘must cut the schoolboy errors’

Labour will not win the general election unless it cuts out “schoolboy errors” such as Ed Miliband posing with a copy of The Sun newspaper, the party’s former campaigns chief warned.

By The Newsroom

Published 16th Jun 2014, 05:50 BST

Mr Miliband apologised for causing offence after the publicity stunt for the tabloid’s World Cup special edition sparked outrage among party members in Liverpool and the resignation of a local councillor.

Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram and city mayor Joe Anderson were among those who accused him of failing to take account of continued anger over The Sun’s coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

Former cabinet minister Tom Watson, who quit as election co-ordinator last year, said the episode had done “a lot of damage to our base”.

Lord Prescott said he would have refused to be pictured with the paper – especially when inquests into the 96 Liverpool fans at Hillsborough are taking place.