Miliband cool on working with Clegg

Going into coalition with the Liberal Democrats would be "difficult" for Labour if Nick Clegg was still leader, Ed Miliband said.

Mr Clegg said on Sunday that he would be "open" to working with Labour if the election scheduled for 2015 produces a hung parliament.

But Mr Miliband was much less enthusiastic about the prospect of partnership with Mr Clegg, who he described as an "accomplice" of the Conservatives.

The Labour leader told the Independent: "Clegg's biggest problem is that he will say he is a brake on the Tories, but he is an accomplice.

"He chose not to kill the Health and Social Care Bill - a really bad bill doing damage to the NHS - and to pursue House of Lords reform."

Asked if he could work with the Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Miliband replied: "I would find it difficult to work with him."

The comments came amid revived speculation about the Lib Dem leadership, after Business Secretary Vince Cable said he "wouldn't exclude" a bid for the post in the future.

Mr Cable, a former Labour member, would undoubtedly be a more palatable coalition partner for many in the party than Mr Clegg.

He did not stand in the last Lib Dem leadership contest, believing his age - now 69 - would count against him. But he told the Financial Times in a weekend interview: "The worship of youth has diminished - perhaps generally - in recent years."

Mr Clegg suggested his party would do its "duty" by working with Labour in the same way it was now in partnership with the Conservatives if voters fail to return an overall victor in 2015.