Ed Miliband attempted to lure back Ukip voters yesterday, saying he understood concerns about eastern European migrants and care workers ‘who don’t speak English’. The Labour leader acknowledged immigration ‘has been changing communities fast’ and that voters want politicians to ‘do something about it’. His speech came hours after Tony Blair, speaking in an interview, urged him not to give in to ‘nasty and unpleasant’ rhetoric from Ukip. Ed Miliband said he understands voters' fears over immigration - but has ruled out giving voters an in-out EU referendum despite growing pressure from backbenchers in the wake of last week's European elections . Nigel Farage's success in the European and local elections has increased pressure on all three Westminster party leaders. Labour's Ed Miliband today refused to overhaul his party's immigration policy - or offer voters a say on leaving the EU, despite UKIP's success . At the risk of further alienating . disillusioned Labour supporters who transferred their vote to the . anti-EU party, Mr Blair called the rise of Ukip a ‘regressive and . reactionary’ movement. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme . about the march of Eurosceptic parties across Europe: ‘We are . confronted by what I think are these very reactionary forces. We have to . confront them, expose them and take them on … these parties have no . actual solutions to the problem of the 21st century.’ He added: ‘By all means have rules . and controls, but the idea that the problems of Britain are about . immigrants is a backward and regressive step. I think we should contend . every inch of that argument.’ But yesterday Mr Miliband was at pains to claim that people who worry about immigration are not prejudiced. He described former die-hard Labour . voters who have turned to Nigel Farage’s party as ‘people who work hard . to provide for their family, people who love our country, but feel left . behind’. Tony Blair this morning urged Ed Miliband to 'stand up, to lead' by tackling Nigel Farage on Europe and immigration. He said the Conservatives had not achieved anything by offering voters an in-out poll by 2017 . He told an audience in Thurrock, . Essex – a seat Labour is hoping to win back next year – that many people . there had talked to him about ‘immigration and the changes [they] have . seen’ in the area. He said: ‘Builders from eastern . Europe, care workers from overseas who sometimes don’t speak fluent . English. Big changes are happening to this community … that are . reflected across the country.’ Ed Miliband declined a challenge to describe his leadership in a word, replying: ‘One Nation’. He was asked to use one word after accusations from within the Labour Party that he is ‘too wordy and academic’. But Mr Miliband, who shook his head and tutted after being asked the question, said: ‘I’ll give you two – One Nation.’ He then used 111 words to explain what he meant by the phrase. Aides said he was not ‘unable’ to define himself in one word, but ‘chose not to’. The One Nation slogan was adopted in 2012 as Mr Miliband sought to rebrand his leadership. But his image has been attacked in recent weeks. One shadow cabinet member told a newspaper: ‘It’s not just that people think he is weird. They think he’s a joke, and that’s even more dangerous.’ Mr Miliband said the decline of the . docks in the area had left communities without a decent wage and fearful . about their children’s job prospects. He added: ‘Over the last decades, . there were big changes happening in our country, and fewer and fewer . working people thought that anyone in politics was getting those . changes, that anyone in politics could do something about it.’ Although senior Labour figures have . advised Mr Miliband to do more to address concerns about immigration, he . offered no new policies on the issue. His current proposal is to better . enforce the minimum wage so firms cannot undercut local people with . cheap labour from abroad, and improve controls at borders. Instead he stressed Britain would be . better off in the EU, and that creating secure jobs, building more . housing and the cost of living were his priorities for the next . election. When accused by a Labour member, . during the question and answer session, of ‘lurching to the Right’, he . said: ‘It’s not right-wing for us to talk about immigration … We have . got … to talk about immigration in a progressive way.’ But Mr Miliband insisted voters . should not accept Ukip’s ‘easy answers’ and said Mr Farage’s party . wanted to blame all the UK’s problems on ‘Europe and foreigners’. Yesterday John Kent, former leader of . Thurrock council – where Labour lost overall control in last week’s . elections – said the party had made a ‘fundamental mistake’ by not . offering an EU referendum. But Mr Blair – whose government . opened the doors to eight eastern European countries in 2004 – urged Mr . Miliband against offering one, saying: ‘I’d advise him to stay firm.’
Labour leader 'understands concern about non-English speaking workers'
Tells supporters he won't introduce cap on immigration that he cannot keep .
Comes after Blair urged Miliband to 'stand up' to Nigel Farage .
But Miliband says Labour Government did not do enough on immigration .
Says understands concern over Polish builders 'who don't speak English'
Ed Miliband attempted to lure back Ukip voters yesterday, saying he understood concerns about eastern European migrants and care workers ‘who don’t speak English’. The Labour leader acknowledged immigration ‘has been changing communities fast’ and that voters want politicians to ‘do something about it’. His speech came hours after Tony Blair, speaking in an interview, urged him not to give in to ‘nasty and unpleasant’ rhetoric from Ukip. Ed Miliband said he understands voters' fears over immigration - but has ruled out giving voters an in-out EU referendum despite growing pressure from backbenchers in the wake of last week's European elections . Nigel Farage's success in the European and local elections has increased pressure on all three Westminster party leaders. Labour's Ed Miliband today refused to overhaul his party's immigration policy - or offer voters a say on leaving the EU, despite UKIP's success . At the risk of further alienating . disillusioned Labour supporters who transferred their vote to the . anti-EU party, Mr Blair called the rise of Ukip a ‘regressive and . reactionary’ movement. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme . about the march of Eurosceptic parties across Europe: ‘We are . confronted by what I think are these very reactionary forces. We have to . confront them, expose them and take them on … these parties have no . actual solutions to the problem of the 21st century.’ He added: ‘By all means have rules . and controls, but the idea that the problems of Britain are about . immigrants is a backward and regressive step. I think we should contend . every inch of that argument.’ But yesterday Mr Miliband was at pains to claim that people who worry about immigration are not prejudiced. He described former die-hard Labour . voters who have turned to Nigel Farage’s party as ‘people who work hard . to provide for their family, people who love our country, but feel left . behind’. Tony Blair this morning urged Ed Miliband to 'stand up, to lead' by tackling Nigel Farage on Europe and immigration. He said the Conservatives had not achieved anything by offering voters an in-out poll by 2017 . He told an audience in Thurrock, . Essex – a seat Labour is hoping to win back next year – that many people . there had talked to him about ‘immigration and the changes [they] have . seen’ in the area. He said: ‘Builders from eastern . Europe, care workers from overseas who sometimes don’t speak fluent . English. Big changes are happening to this community … that are . reflected across the country.’ Ed Miliband declined a challenge to describe his leadership in a word, replying: ‘One Nation’. He was asked to use one word after accusations from within the Labour Party that he is ‘too wordy and academic’. But Mr Miliband, who shook his head and tutted after being asked the question, said: ‘I’ll give you two – One Nation.’ He then used 111 words to explain what he meant by the phrase. Aides said he was not ‘unable’ to define himself in one word, but ‘chose not to’. The One Nation slogan was adopted in 2012 as Mr Miliband sought to rebrand his leadership. But his image has been attacked in recent weeks. One shadow cabinet member told a newspaper: ‘It’s not just that people think he is weird. They think he’s a joke, and that’s even more dangerous.’ Mr Miliband said the decline of the . docks in the area had left communities without a decent wage and fearful . about their children’s job prospects. He added: ‘Over the last decades, . there were big changes happening in our country, and fewer and fewer . working people thought that anyone in politics was getting those . changes, that anyone in politics could do something about it.’ Although senior Labour figures have . advised Mr Miliband to do more to address concerns about immigration, he . offered no new policies on the issue. His current proposal is to better . enforce the minimum wage so firms cannot undercut local people with . cheap labour from abroad, and improve controls at borders. Instead he stressed Britain would be . better off in the EU, and that creating secure jobs, building more . housing and the cost of living were his priorities for the next . election. When accused by a Labour member, . during the question and answer session, of ‘lurching to the Right’, he . said: ‘It’s not right-wing for us to talk about immigration … We have . got … to talk about immigration in a progressive way.’ But Mr Miliband insisted voters . should not accept Ukip’s ‘easy answers’ and said Mr Farage’s party . wanted to blame all the UK’s problems on ‘Europe and foreigners’. Yesterday John Kent, former leader of . Thurrock council – where Labour lost overall control in last week’s . elections – said the party had made a ‘fundamental mistake’ by not . offering an EU referendum. But Mr Blair – whose government . opened the doors to eight eastern European countries in 2004 – urged Mr . Miliband against offering one, saying: ‘I’d advise him to stay firm.’
don’t speak English’. The Labour leader speech came hours after Tony Blair, speaking in said he understands voters' fears over Labour supporters who transferred their vote to worry about immigration are not prejudiced. He Miliband to 'stand up, to lead' by tackling Nigel Farage on Europe and immigration. He said the