text: Ed Miliband's poor leadership has been mocked by a Labour candidate, who said it was like having 'a manager of a football team that you don't rate, but you still support the team'. Paul Gilbert even joked that he hoped his 'off-piste' comment would not 'find it's way back' to the Labour leadership, because he stands little hope of winning in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. He also blasted Labour's 'entirely unsatisfactory' policy on tuition fees and told voters at a university hustings: 'I don't like where we are.' Scroll down for video . Labour candidate Paul Gilbert mocked Ed Miliband and then joked that he hoped his 'off-piste' comment would not 'find it's way back' to the Labour leadership . Mr Miliband has faced repeated criticism and off-the-record briefing about his leadership among Labour ranks, but most have seen the sense of keeping quiet about their misgivings during the election campaign. But Mr Gilbert felt no such reservations as he appeared at a hustings event with four other candidates. The 52-year-old lawyer was asked for his comments on higher eduction funding by a member of the audience at the packed event at the University of Gloucestershire. He said: 'If I can go off-piste a little, as somebody who has a very realistic idea of what the maths will be in this constituency, maybe what I say isn't going to find it's way back to Mr Miliband and his friends.' He added: 'Now one of the things which has brought me to politics at this very late stage you might think is the wish to make a difference. Now I am a Labour man and I will stand by my party, thick and thin. 'It's a bit like having a manager of a football team that you don't rate, but you still support the team, sometimes. 'What we have to do is work out how we can make the difference best, and from my point of view you're better on the inside making a difference than being on the outside grumbling about it.' To laughter from the audience, he was mocked by one of his fellow candidates for his 'glowing endorsement' for Labour's leader. Ed Miliband, pictured giving a speech in Stockton-on-Tees today, has promised to cut tuition fees from up to £9,000 to £6,000 if he is elected on May 7 . Ed Miliband has revealed his childhood dream was to become a London bus conductor. The Labour leader said a fascination with the ticket machines on the old-style vehicles had made him want the job. Mr Miliband made the admission during a visit to Stockton-on-Tees, where he was asked by a young boy in the audience, Nelson Driscoll, what he wanted to be when he was seven years old. He replied: 'I wanted to be a bus conductor. I tell you why, because on the London buses there used to be these things where you used to turn around the ticket machine. I was particularly fascinated by that.' Mr Miliband is not the only party leader to have dreamed of being on the buses. Conservative former prime minister Sir John Major once failed a test to become a bus conductor. The seat of Cheltenham is held by the Lib Dem Martin Horwood, who secured a majority of 4,920 over the Conservatives in 2010. But the constituency is seen as crucial to Tory hopes of winning an overall majority in the Commons. However, five years ago Labour secured just 5 per cent of the vote. Mr Miliband has promised to cut tuition fees from up to £9,000 to £6,000 if he is elected on May 7. Critics have argued the only people to benefit from the reductions will be wealthy graduates, because most people would never pay back the full amount during their working lifetime. But Mr Gilbert appeared to suggest the party should have gone further in reducing the cost of gaining a degree. He said: 'You know that in the Labour manifesto the fees will come down to £6,000 - it still feels entirely unsatisfactory.' He added: 'But it seems to me with two daughters who are 22 and 20, and they have been saddled with debt as the gentleman in the audience mentioned earlier. 'I find it really silly and really ridiculous that we have not worked this one through sufficiently well. 'We have choices. We have choices for all sorts of things, but we choose to spend the money on other things, and I wish we didn't, I wish we really didn't.' He finished his criticism of his party by adding: 'I don't like where we are, I wish it was different, but I hope we can see it differently going forward.'
target: Paul Gilbert jokes he hopes 'off-piste' remark will not get back to Miliband .
  Labour candidate in Cheltenham also blasts party's policy on tuition fees .
  Says Miliband vow to cut from £9,000 to £6,000 is 'entirely unsatisfactory'