Labour will lose the election if it allows Ed Miliband to be pitted against David Cameron in a presidential-style contest, John Prescott warned yesterday. The former deputy prime minister said Labour had to ‘run as a party’, rather than relying on its struggling leader, who could cost it the election. Lord Prescott, who has previously criticised the ‘pointy-heads’ running Labour’s campaign, suggested the party still had to explain to voters ‘what we stand for’. Labour will lose the election if it becomes a presidential contest between David Cameron and Ed Miliband (left), former deputy prime minister John Prescott (right) warned. Asked whether it was in good shape ahead of the election, he said: ‘It could be in better shape and I think it’s working to it. It’s seen that they've got to get over to people and convince them.’ In a frank admission of Mr Miliband's personal unpopularity with the voters, he added: ‘Don’t run, Ed, as a president – you won’t win. ‘Run as a party so people can understand what we stand for and what our values are.’ Tory strategists are determined to run a presidential-style campaign that offers voters a straight choice between Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband as prime minister. A YouGov poll at the weekend found that 40 per cent of voters think Mr Cameron is doing a good job, while 52 per cent do not, giving him a net satisfaction rating of minus 12. By contrast, just 18 per cent of people said Mr Miliband was doing a good job, compared to 70 per cent who said he was not – giving the Labour leader a net satisfaction rating of minus 52. Lord Prescott’s intervention came as former prime minister Tony Blair renewed his veiled criticism of Mr Miliband, saying Labour needed a ‘strong’ leader to win. Lord Prescott was quizzed about the state of the Labour party on Jack Whitehall's chat show Backchat. Labour floundered yesterday on how it would plug Britain’s huge budget deficit – suggesting higher fees for gun owners. Chancellor George Osborne said Labour seemed not to want ‘to mention the deficit at all’ and challenged it to spell out tax rises it would bring in. Labour’s plan to soften spending cuts if it wins the election would mean borrowing up to £50billion a year more by 2020 than the Tories, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, risking adding £170billion to the national debt by 2030. The main parties last night agreed to back a new Charter of Budget Responsibility, which will mean billions more pounds being wiped off spending. Mr Osborne said he would not raise taxes, but save £13billion from Whitehall departments and £12billion from welfare, and £5billion from reduced tax avoidance to balance the books. But Chris Leslie, Labour’s Treasury spokesman, struggled to explain how the party could sign up to the charter while not setting out cuts or tax rises. He could only name Labour’s plan to increase the top rate of tax to 50p and £17.2million extra from ‘gun licence changes’ – money already promised to the police. A Tory spokesman said: ‘This shows the total chaos in Labour’s economic policy.’ Mr Blair said it would be up to the electorate voters to decide whether Mr Miliband had the necessary leadership qualities to be prime minister. But in a lukewarm endorsement of the man who hopes to follow in his footsteps and return Labour to power, the ex-premier said voters would make up their own minds about whether Mr Miliband had a ‘problem’. Interviewed by BBC political editor Nick Robinson as part of a new Radio 4 series called Can Democracy Work?, Mr Blair repeatedly said that firm leadership was the key to success. With Labour failing to establish a clear lead in opinion polls, Mr Blair was asked what Mr Miliband's ‘problem’ was. ‘I'm not sure he has got a problem. That’ll be for the people to choose. I'm Labour Party and I’ll be backing him.’ Latest polling shows Mr Miliband's net satisfaction ratings are far worse than David Cameron's. Tony Blair issued a thinly-veiled warning that Labour needs to show strong leadership in the run-up to the election. Last month, Mr Blair was forced to issue a ‘clarification’ after apparently suggesting he expected Mr Miliband to lose the election after dragging the Labour Party to the Left. In an interview with the Economist, Mr Blair said the election could be one ‘in which a traditional Left-wing party competes with a traditional Right-wing party, with the traditional result’. Asked if he meant a Tory win, Mr Blair replied: ‘Yes, that is what happens.’ The following day, Mr Blair said his remarks had been ‘misinterpreted’, and insisted he hoped and expected Mr Miliband would win.

Write highlights.
Former Deputy PM warns the Labour party 'could be in better shape' Insists party must present a united front to persuade voters to back them. Warns against presidential battle between Miliband and Cameron. Tony Blair insists voters want to see 'clear leadership' from Miliband.

If you live in Okaloosa County, Florida, or Destin on Florida's Emerald Coast and are wondering who's going to be calling the shots if black crude oil comes ashore -- wonder no more. It won't be the federal government. "I think there's a fundamental flaw in the federal response," said Dino Villani, the county's public safety director. "When you're down in the trenches trying to respond like we are, it doesn't work," he said. The Okaloosa County Commission voted unanimously this week to allow their emergency managers to override and overrule federal emergency managers and take on the responsibility of saving the sand and beaches that provide about 50 percent of their economy. Tourist bookings are down about 30 percent this summer, according to local officials. "This is our home, and in my home I have responsibility to take care of what is necessary around my home," said Okaloosa County chairman Wayne Harris. "I certainly don't expect someone from across the U.S. to come and save the day for us," he said. But they did wonder if they'd be going to jail for defying the federal government's cleanup operation. "We knew that was the possibility," Harris said. "In fact the Coast Guard had told us that, 'Commissioners, if you do that there's a potential you would go to jail,' and we said, 'Well, so be it, but we gotta protect our waterways and our people,'" he said. But on Wednesday, the National Incident Command told the county it could take control of the defense of its shores. "We're not looking to get into an argument, but there is an overriding federal interest in those waterways, and the safety of those waterways is the responsibility of the Coast Guard," said Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander. "We need to sit down, have open dialogue and conversation to arrive at effects we want to achieve," he said. So far, the area on Florida's panhandle has seen only weathered oil in the form of tar balls and tar mousse, but Okaloosa County, along with the city of Destin, have agreed to move forward with a unified plan to protect their beaches and waterways. They say they'll be spending about $5 million per month to protect their land, and they have one message to the feds. "Have our backs. Let us go out and do our jobs," Villani said. "We've got to protect the public," he said. Florida had the luxury of being able to sit on the sidelines for a while as the gushing crude meandered around the Gulf of Mexico, plaguing beaches in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. With constant criticism of the Obama administration's response to the spill, this small part of Florida may have just opened a political can of worms, especially if oil begins to push east. Will other counties also want to take over their local battles against crude? "I certainly hope they do," Harris said. "That's what you're paid for or that's what your responsibilities are when you are the leader."

Write highlights.

Okaloosa County commissioners say they are responsibly for their county. Commissioners voted to allow county managers to overrule feds. Commissioners know they could go to jail. Adm. Thad Allen: "There is an overriding federal interest in those waterways"