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Miliband: 'I always knew election would be close'

Ed Miliband has defended himself over Labour's recent poll slump, telling ITV's The Agenda he had always expected a close fight in the 2015 general election.

"I took this job on three and half years ago and always knew this was going to be a close election. But I think the stakes are incredibly high. And I relish the fight over the future of country over the next 13 months," the Labour leader said.

Ed Miliband delivering a speech on the EU earlier this month. Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA Archive/Press Association Images

"Fundamentally I think that is a fight about what you stand up for. Do you stand up for a few people at the top, is that where you think a country succeeds? Or do you stand up for lower and middle income people and that is where I think where this election is going to be fought out.