Labour leader Ed Miliband has admitted he doesn’t know who will win the crucial Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election – describing it as a three-way fight.
Campaigning in the constituency ahead of Thursday’s crunch poll, he said it offers a chance for voters to show the coalition they are not prepared to put up with ‘broken promises’.
Mr Miliband told the M.E.N. that he believes the poll will be a three-way fight between his party, the Tories and the Lib Dems – but he refused to call the winner. He said: "It is a clear chance to send a message to the coalition government but I know until the voters turn out we don’t know who is going to win.
"It’s incredibly important that Labour supporters turn out. I’m here to say to people you really need to turn out. This is a three-way fight."
The poll was triggered by a court decision annulling former Labour minister Phil Woolas’s victory in May.
The constituency was a three-way marginal in the general election, with Labour beating the Lib Dems by only 103 votes and the Conservatives less than 2,500 votes behind them.
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When asked if a Labour loss would be a verdict on his own leadership, Mr Miliband said: "At the moment I think the best thing is not to start predicting results, but I’m here to win.
"It’s an important by-election. It’s not about me - it’s about the people of the borough." The opposition leader took a swipe at the coalition, claiming they had broken promises on policing, crime and VAT.
He also spoke about the ‘huge responsibility’ on politicians to conduct themselves in a way that restores public confidence in the wake of the expenses scandal.
His comments came after David Chaytor, the former Labour MP for Bury North, was jailed for making false Parliamentary expenses claims.
Mr Miliband hit the campaign trail with Labour candidate Debbie Abrahams.
The Conservatives and the Lib Dems were also out campaigning in force.
Foreign secretary William Hague and Tory candidate Kashif Ali visited Uppermill where they spoke to voters.
Lib Dem candidate Elwyn Watkins was joined by Chris Huhne, secretary of state for energy and climate change, when he visited St Mary’s estate in Oldham.
He was later accompanied by communities minister Andrew Stunell to an empty homes project in Springhead, to see the government’s efforts to bring more houses into use.
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Labour got us into the mess we are in, hopelessly in debt. Tories and Libdems have broken so many promises since last May. None of the three failed old corrupt parties is doing anything about the three biggest problems of Britain: immigration; the EU; and crime. I hope the good people of Oldham East and Saddleworth will vote anything but Labour, Tory and Libdem.
ed milliband knows nothing about anything full stop.
Labour are certainly winning in the stakes of Which Party Can Post The Most Cr@p Through My Door.
About 10 items now, all of which have made the way to the bin.
Milliband: Thinks its a 3 horse race. Libs and Cons dont stand a chance, so he must be referring to BNP and Raving Monster Looney Party
I will be voting on Thursday - but not for Labour. It is a failed party as their record proves over and over again. Nationally they performed badly (and lied) for many years and here in Oldham they left behind a scandalous mess when the electors kicked them out of office.
Typically - nationally and locally - the people most to blame for the mess are trying to score cheap points over the poor mutts who have to try to sort it out.