He spoke of taking risks, but this speech was not risky. It wasn't exciting either.

He chose the easy targets like the bankers and "nasty" businesses like care home owner Southern Cross.

It was style over substance, but the problem is no one does style over substance quite like a previous holder of Miliband's role - Tony Blair.

No conference speech is complete without a few gags and he made sure to get them in early so he could get on with his message of a "new bargain" for Britain.

He managed to get in jokes comparing his two sons with himself and brother David - box ticked.

He joked about his nose job - another box ticked.

The jokes themselves weren't bad, in fact they were good. But they betrayed a textbook theme to his speech.

Make sure you do enough, make sure you don't screw up.

The party breathed a sigh of relief. This will not be a speech Labour remembers, it was not one of the greats.

It was enough to answer his critics, a step in the right direction.

If he carries on building he may have a chance, reckoned many party members in the immediate aftermath.

Miliband stepped off the stage after an hour to the dulcet tones of Florence And The Machine and the remake of Candi Staton's 1996 hit You Got The Love.

Cover versions always invite comparisons with the originals.

Ed Miliband promises us he is his own man, he seemed more sure of himself a year into the job and started to prove he is not just a poor cover version of his elder brother.

The party does not love him, it only loves winners, and on this performance he has not yet proved he can win.