Roundup: Ed Miliband assails David Cameron for causing Britain's "biggest loss of influence"

Britain's Labor Party leader Ed Miliband on Friday slammed Prime Minister David Cameron for the country's "biggest loss of influence" in the world in a generation.

Setting out his party's foreign policy agenda in London, Miliband said that "the difficulties Britain faces in navigating this new global order are made far worse because of decisions" made by the government led by Cameron.

"David Cameron has presided over the biggest loss of influence for our country in a generation. And that has happened because the government he leads has stepped away from the world, rather than confidently towards it," he said in a speech at Chatham House, a leading British think tank.

"It is an approach that has shrunk our influence and weakened Britain," he added.

With a particular focus on Britain's position in the European Union (EU), Miliband said: "By far the most important cause of our loss of influence is the position of the government in regard to the European Union."

Cameron has pledged to hold an "in or out" referendum on whether Britain should withdraw from the EU by 2017, if his Conservative Party wins the 2015 general election.

In his speech, Miliband said the threat of an "in or out" referendum, coupled with Cameron's other policies on Europe, "poses a grave risk to Britain's position in the world."

"But this government's approach to Europe means that even when Britain's interests are shared by other member states, EU leaders are reluctant to support us because they think we already have one foot out of the door, " the Labor Party leader elaborated.

"And our loss of influence in Europe leads to a further loss of influence in the world, from the United States to China," he continued.

Noting that Britain's future lies inside a reformed EU, Miliband said: "Britain should be leading the process of reform. We are stronger as a leading partner in the EU, and we are weaker when we are not."

Pledging to rebuild Britain's influence, he said: "I want a clear message to be sent to our European partners that an incoming Labor government will be serious about leading once again in Europe and serious also about reforming Europe."

"We will never put our national interest at risk by threatening to leave. And we want to get on with the business of reforming Europe in a way that helps Britain and the EU as a whole," he told the audience.

In response to Miliband's challenge, Cameron said "I've learnt as prime minister that it is so important in a dangerous and uncertain world that you show clarity, consistency and strength on these foreign policy issues."

Britain's former Foreign Secretary William Hague, a close ally of Cameron, attacked Miliband's foreign policy credentials.

"I would say that he cannot lecture anybody about Britain's influence in the world when the last Labor government closed more than 30 of our embassies, never had a foreign secretary visit Australia in 13 years, withdrew from Latin America, closed the language school of the Foreign Office, all things we have had to put right under this government," he said while campaigning for his party in the constituency of Lincoln.

"And he cannot come to foreign policy with some ill-judged and opportunistic remarks after five years of saying very little at all," Hague added.

Britain is to hold its next general election on May 7. Enditem