What does Labour's new leader Ed Miliband owe the unions following his narrow leadership victory?

"Well I bought him a drink once," Unite's Derek Simpson told the programme, downplaying the unions' role in his campaign.

"Our members supported him as individuals," he said, explaining how after leadership hustings meetings, his members described seeing "a man standing up, empathising with problems, speaking from the heart and not just the brain".

The critical issue, he said, was that Labour laid out a "clear alternative economic and industrial strategy" to counter the coalition spending cut plans.

"I'm not wanting him to do this, that or the other. I'm wanting him to make clear that there is an alternative," he said.

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