Miliband team rolls into West Midlands to unveil Labour election vows
Ed Miliband and his shadow cabinet were in the West Midlands today unveiling their key pledges for the General Election.
The party's leadership team was in Birmingham to take questions from members of the public and outline their plans for the economy and the NHS.
The event was arranged to launch the 'pledge card', a credit card sized leaflet listing five key policies. The practice dates back to Tony Blair's 1997 election campaign and has been used ever since.
Shadow Europe minister and MP for Wolverhampton South East, Pat McFadden said: "The publication of our pledge card is a key moment in the election campaign for Labour.
"It sets out our priorities for the election and our plan for Britain."
Mr Miliband has been called on by senior Labour MP Alan Johnson to rule out a deal with the Scottish National Party to secure power after the May 7 general election.
Mr Miliband is coming under pressure to rule out a coalition, or an arrangement under which the SNP would prop up a minority Labour administration, after Conservatives launched a poster showing him in the pocket of Alex Salmond.
Former home secretary Mr Johnson, who formerly served as shadow chancellor in Mr Miliband's frontbench team, said he believed most Labour MPs in Scotland wanted him to rule out a deal.
Former shadow chancellor, home secretary, health secretary, education secretary, trade secretary and work and pensions secretary Mr Johnson said: "I think he should rule it out. I can't see a downside to it.
"We can't possibly do a deal with a party that wants to be out of the United Kingdom and give up our nuclear deterrent.
"We can't possibly do a deal with a party on that basis.
"And also, if we said we would go into coalition, it means in Scotland that voting SNP means you can get a Labour government."
Asked if Labour supporters would have liked to see Mr Miliband rule out a pact at the party's recent Scottish conference, Mr Johnson said: "The majority of Scottish Labour MPs - I haven't spoken to anybody in the Labour Party who doesn't want him to do that and I think that's certainly the view in Scotland as well."
