Ed Miliband to launch Labour's local election campaign

Ed Miliband will pledge to govern for the whole country "not just the wealthy few" when he launches Labour's campaign for the local elections in England.

The Labour leader will be joined by shadow cabinet colleagues when he speaks in Birmingham.

Labour heads to the polls in the wake of a shock defeat by the Respect Party's George Galloway in the Bradford West by-election.

Local authority ballots take place in England, Scotland and Wales on 3 May.

Launching his party's campaign, Mr Miliband will highlight the issues of crime, the NHS and jobs.

This will include making action against vandalism and anti-social behaviour a priority, highlighting efforts by Labour councils to set up work programmes and promising to protect 6,000 nurses from government cuts.

The Labour leader will accuse the Conservatives of being "out-of-touch".

He will round on the Tories over the Budget, donations for Downing Street dinners and petrol panic-buying.

Mr Miliband is expected to say: "This is a government that doesn't listen to squeezed middle families who work hard to make ends meet.

"A government that doesn't listen to pensioners who have worked hard all their lives. And a government that doesn't listen to young people who can only dream of working at all.

"They have abandoned any pretence they can govern for the whole country. They have abandoned Middle Britain.

"They listen instead to those who have given millions of pounds to the Conservative Party. To the powerful lobbies who called for a millionaires' tax cut.

"We would govern for the whole country, not just for the wealthy few."

A YouGov poll in the Sunday Times gave Labour a nine-point lead over the Conservatives despite the Bradford result where Mr Galloway overturned a 5,000 Labour majority to win by 10,000 votes.

There will also be elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly on 3 May.