Simon Hughes: Ed Miliband has softened his views towards Lib Dems

From the detailed interview with Simon Hughes in The House magazine:

[Simon Hughes] insists that there has not been “anything that is even as formal as an informal discussion” with Labour, even if there “are always conversations between us and colleagues in all parties”, but he has welcomed less hostile relations with Labour.

“The reality is, I think, Ed [Miliband] has softened a bit. He must know two things: a) He must know that the next election will absolutely not be a shoo-in for Labour under any circumstances and b) he must know that if, by any chance, the referendum in Scotland were to be lost for the unionists, [then] who would be the biggest victim but Labour? Labour would effectively be condemned to be out of office, probably forever. I think he realises he needs to work with those of us with whom there is a common interest, as in Scotland. I think Labour, some of my Labour friends, realize that, and actually on lots of thing they realise that we’re doing things either that they didn’t do or they wished to do. We’ve got to prove ourselves. We got to show that the green agenda works, that we’re credible …

“We will not be a strong, radical, progressive, non-Conservative party if we don’t have policies that appeal to and attract people in seats like mine. And not just in seats like mine, because actually in the seats we win from the Tories, we win partly because people from the Left support us” he continues.

You can read the full interview with Simon Hughes here.