Ed Miliband hits back at Fallon's 'desperate smears'

 

Labour's Ed Miliband has accused the Conservatives of "desperate smears" after being described as a backstabber by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.

Mr Fallon said Mr Miliband had "stabbed his own brother in the back" to lead Labour and was now "willing to stab the UK in the back" by doing a deal on Trident with the SNP "to become PM".
Mr Miliband said the defence secretary had demeaned himself and his office.
David Cameron said he stood behind his colleague's comments.
In other general election campaign news:

• The Conservatives' manifesto will have a commitment to build four new nuclear missile-armed submarines, Michael Fallon has said.
• Labour pledges teenagers will be guaranteed face-to-face individual careers advice if the party is in government
• SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said her party would only press for another independence referendum if something "material changed"
• A Plaid Cymru candidate at the centre of a Nazi slur row has admitted he has had a "baptism of fire"

Mr Fallon's comments came as he suggested that Labour could not be relied on to renew Trident - Britain's continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent.
The Conservatives and Labour are both committed to replacing the ageing Trident system, but the SNP - which has said it would work with Labour in order to keep the Conservatives out of government after the 7 May general election - opposes renewing Trident and calls the issue a "red line".