FANTASY battle game Warhammer is a serious military simulation, according to Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Recent revelations about David Cameron’s ‘chillaxing’ weekends have sparked debate about whether politicians should have enough spare time for leisure pursuits.

But although Ed Miliband is a regular Saturday fixture at his local Games Workshop, when he can be seen painting tiny metal balrogs with a group of small boys, he claims Warhammer is not a hobby.

He said: “It’s quite the opposite of ‘chillaxing’ – rather it is a military simulation of the type practiced by great leaders since Roman times.

“I don’t even enjoy it, I do it from a sense of responsibility.

“For example last week I confronted the moral complexities associated with weapons of mass destruction when I used a siege catapult on some elves.

“The fantasy context does not appeal to me especially. The game could represent any theatre of war – Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran – it just happens to be populated by highly detailed miniature orcs with hand-painted banners.

“Obviously though if my mighty chaotic orc battalion causes a puny elf army to rout and flee there’s a certain frisson, I won’t deny it.”

He added: “I also sometimes attend steam fairs in a work context, because it’s important to connect with voters who might otherwise be mistaken for paedophiles.”