ED Miliband’s victory in the Labour Party leadership election has been welcomed by senior party figures in Dorset.

“I’m very pleased,” said David Stokes, “he was my number two choice after Dianne Abbott.”

Mr Stokes, a Bournemouth resident who represents Dorset on the party’s regional board, said Ed Miliband impressed him at a hustings debate at Bournemouth’s BIC.

“You could see he touched ordinary people. He was like a young Gordon Brown – which I think is a good thing.”

Mr Miliband also won support from Lord Knight of Weymouth, who lost the South Dorset seat to the Conserv-atives at the general election.

Lord Knight was the campaign manager for third place challenger Ed Balls and said: “The party got a good result. He has got a mandate with strong support from Labour members and the party is ready to get behind him.”