Papers apparently left behind in Salford studio reveal Labour leader’s rehearsed one-liners, comebacks and lines of attack for Thursday’s debate

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Ed Miliband was presenting himself as a “happy warrior” in the televised leaders’ debate, according to notes he apparently left in his dressing room on the night of the TV debate.

The notes show the meticulous preparation the Labour leader had undertaken ahead of the debate and the extent to which some of his phrases were wellrehearsed lines.

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The happy warrior phrase – originally from a William Wordsworth poem – had previously been used by the US president, Barack Obama, to describe vice-president Joe Biden, and its inclusion may well reflect the influence of David Axelrod, Miliband’s expensively acquired US adviser.

The notes, published by the Sun on Sunday, include a reminder to remain “calm … never agitated”.

#SunNation (@SunNation) Exclusive: Those Ed Miliband motivational crib notes - in full: http://t.co/B8oSEEam3u #HappyWarrior pic.twitter.com/K1zxc8MgaM

The notes also reveal Miliband had prepared at least four lines of attack against the Scottish National party leader Nicola Sturgeon, but in the event he did not seem to have deployed them – leading to criticism from within his own party that he had been too soft on Sturgeon.

The notes show he was going to attack Sturgeon on austerity by saying: “Your own plan for fiscal autonomy means £6bn more cuts in Scotland – that’s extending Tory austerity, not ending it.

“I’m determined to fight those cuts as I am to fight David Cameron’s cuts/ I’ll tell you Nicola, £6bn of SNP cuts feel exactly the same as £6bn of Tory cuts.”

On Trident, he was planning to say to the SNP leader: “What you don’t tell people is that you used to oppose Nato – now you’re in favour of it. Nato is a nuclear alliance your position does not make any sense.”

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On her offer of an anti-Tory alliance, he had prepared to say: “Your message is pretty odd Nicola. You say you would pref a new Labour government but you are telling people to vote anyone but Labour. My message is very simple to get a Labour government vote for a Labour government.”

The leaked notes suggest Miliband’s strategy regarding Ukip leader Nigel Farage would be to brand him as ridiculous rather than a racist.

He had lined up: “This is a man who blames traffic jams on the M4 on immigrants and blames bad weather on gay marriage – I’m not going to call him a racist, I am going to call him ridiculous.

“Nigel you think all the problems of this country can be traced back to Europe, immigration and breastfeeding in cafés.”

But the Tories mocked Miliband after the notes were published on Sunday . Deputy chief whip Greg Hands said: “Am not at all surprised that the Sun has Miliband’s debate notes. It was obvious that Ed didn’t have them.”

The notes include reminders to “relish the chance to show who I am” and talk to the camera to “use the people at home”.

Another section includes a quote Miliband used during the programme, telling voters to “use their vote as a weapon to fight for the NHS by kicking David Cameron out of Downing Street”.

A Labour spokesman said: “These notes will come as no surprise to anybody who saw the debate.

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“They explain why and how Ed took on David Cameron over the NHS and living standards. They also show how Ed set out a positive vision for the future with Labour’s better plan, including on zero-hours contracts, lower tuition fees and rents.”

The 10 pages of notes contained a motivational pep talk to himself along with some of his off-the-cuff answers and put-downs.

One note read: “I can take five more weeks of attacks on me, but the British people can’t take five more years of you” – almost certainly a retort aimed at prime minister David Cameron, who has launched personal attacks on the Labour leader.

He also had a comeback for Cameron’s claims that Labour would create chaos. It says: “You and Nick Clegg wrote the book on chaotic coalitions – chaos in the NHS, chaos on immigration, chaos on living standards – and now you’re asking for the chance to do it all over again.”

One typed, pre-rehearsed one-liner under a subheading read: “Cameron – deficit: Does that sound familiar? Well it should, because he said it five years ago.”

Another read: “Clegg – warning on Tory plans: Nick, we’ve heard it all before. Before the last election you warned that the Tories’ plans were dangerous, and after the election you went along with them.”

Both comebacks were used by him during the debate.

Miliband also had lines ready on foreign affairs, saying he was “not going to keep Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent because we cannot predict the threats we face in the future. Its why I have called for military action against Isis because this is a vile ideology but also a vile ideology that wants to import terrorism into Britain, and we must counter them and defeat them both at home and abroad.”

He also promised: “I will be part of tough action against Russia, carrying on the economic sanctions because unprovoked Russian aggression against Ukraine cannot go unpunished.”

He also had ready: “I’m determined to learn the lessons of the past including the 2003 Iraq war always putting the British national interest first working with our allies not for our allies.”