国际英语新闻：New British opposition leader marks out his ground

But along with the problem of dealing with striking unions, Miliband must also face up to expectations from activists about what he will find to replace New Labor ideology, which was managerial and aimed at keeping close to the middle ground of politics.

In his first newspaper interview, with the weekly newspaper the Sunday Telegraph, a traditionally right-wing paper, he made his pitch to the same middle ground.

He said: "My aim is to show that our party is on the side of the squeezed middle in our country and everyone who has worked hard and wants to get on. My aim is to return our party to power."

He added: "This is a tough challenge. It is a long journey. But our party has made the first step in electing a leader from a new generation. It is now down to me to make the change happen."

Labor and the unions oppose government cuts, and Miliband will want popular policies to oppose them. He worked closely with former prime minister Brown and is perceived to be closer to the section of the party which backed him.

They bitterly oppose the speed and depth of the coalition government's budget cuts, more so than other parts of Labor, but the voters did not support their policies at the election, where Labor suffered its second worst defeat in 80 years. Miliband could be looking for something different, so that he does not suffer the same fate.

Miliband is set to give his first major speech as leader on Tuesday, as the climax of the annual Labor party conference being held in the northern industrial city of Manchester.

In the following week, senior MPs will be campaigning to be elected to Miliband's shadow Cabinet. According to Labor rules, in opposition Miliband has no choice over who will be in his shadow Cabinet but he does have a choice of which post he gives them, and this will provide clues as to the direction he wants to take the party.