Just who is the leader of the opposition?

Voters mistake Woolas for Miliband
ONE in 20 people questioned believe former Oldham MP Phil Woolas is the current leader of the Labour party.

When 2,000 voters were shown photographs of eight senior Labour figures it appears the public is struggling to recognise the Opposition’s big hitters.

When shown a picture of Labour leader Ed Miliband, 5 per cent of people thought it was the former Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Mr Woolas.

Mr Woolas was stripped of his seat by an historic election court over claims about his Lib-Dem rival in his General Election literature last year.

Another 5 per cent thought it was Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and a further 5 per cent thought it was Leigh MP and Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham.

Nine months into his leadership, the ComRes survey showed 23 per cent of the people questioned thought Ed was in fact his older brother, David, who hew defeated in the leadership election. Only 64 per cent knew who he was.

Ed Balls seems to have made the biggest impact on the voters with 68 per cent of people recognising him and 61 per cent correctly identifying David Miliband. But just 30 per cent of people recognised shadow Pensions Secretary Douglas Alexander and 40 per cent shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper was identified by 33 per cent of people, but two members of Labour’s top team faired even worse.

Under decades-old rules, Labour’s front bench in opposition is chosen through a ballot of its MPs every two years.

Ed Miliband said that represented “a legacy of Labour’s past in opposition”.

He wants to change the rules so he can decide who sits in his top team. The plan will be discussed by Labour MPs before being put to its ruling NEC body ahead of a vote at the party conference in Liverpool in September.