Miliband tries to add to coalition pain

The Labour leader, right, said local election results showed voters resented the Lib Dems propping up the Conservatives.

However the Doncaster North MP has also been forced to defend his own party’s performance, as it failed to make the gains it had hoped in the South while being trounced in Scotland by the SNP.

Mr Miliban hailed Labour’s election performance, denying he was disappointed with the results.

He said: “Liberal Democrat Ministers must hear that they had a real message from the electorate from their former voters. You should change course, you should have the courage of convictions you went before the electorate with a year ago.

“Frankly, if I was in your position and didn’t get that change in direction, then I wouldn’t stay in this Government.”

There are rumours of a leadership challenge to Mr Miliband after Labour failed to win a majority in Wales, lost to the Scottish National Party north of the border and struggled to make the sweeping gains hoped for in town halls, particularly in the South.