Ed Miliband lacks political courage says former Labour Minister

More woes for Ed Miliband in yesterday's Independent on Sunday with  a statement by former Labour minister, Barbara Roche that he needs to find the “courage” to take on the threat from Nigel Farage’s UK Independence Party directly, or risk a setback for his party at next month’s European elections.

Ms. Roche, who is chair of the Migration Matters Trust and a minister in Tony Blair’s government, writes that Mr Farage has become “Labour’s Voldemort – he whose name cannot be mentioned” because Mr Miliband doesn’t want to tackle Ukip on immigration:

She believes it is a “tragedy” for Labour that the only British politician who has had the “courage” to take on Ukip is Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. While the Deputy Prime Minister was trounced in his two debates with Mr Farage, at least he had been “prepared to fight” for what he believed in, Ms Roche says. She advises Mr Miliband to make a positive, progressive case for immigration and acknowledge the benefits that migrants bring to Britain.

Barbara Roche's challenge is particularly pertinent gven the news in today's Times that a Ukip poster campaign for the European elections will contain stark warnings about the impact of EU immigration. One reads: “26 million people in Europe are looking for work. And whose job are they after?”

The paper says that the adverts triggered instant controversy, drawing accusations of scare-mongering and that some have compared them to previous campaigns used by the far-right British National Party.  

So far only Nick Clegg has put his head above the parapet to challenge these assertions. Where are the leaders of the other two parties?