Stone 'does not mean Miliband will keep to pledges'

Ed Miliband carving his manifesto into stone does not mean a Labour government would keep to the promises, the party's campaign boss has suggested.

Lucy Powell said Mr Miliband stood by his pledges but added: "I don't think anyone is suggesting that the fact that he's carved them into stone means, you know, that he will absolutely, you know, not going to break them or anything like that."

Her political rivals were quick to seize on the comments with the Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps saying: "£30,000 worth of limestone doesn't change the fact that Ed Miliband will say one thing and do another."

Ms Powell later tweeted that she had been misquoted during her appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live.

The 8ft high stone was widely mocked after its unveiling at the weekend, with David Cameron labelling it a "tombstone".