Peter Sissons, Presenter: Well joining us from our Westminster studio now is the Foreign secretary, David Miliband. Mr Miliband, I'll ask you what I began by asking William Hague. Has Morgan Tsvangirai done the right thing?

David Miliband, Foreign Secretary: Good afternoon. I think that Morgan Tsvangirai was left no choice. After all, only yesterday a high court said that he could hold a rally today, but when his supporters arrived at the rally they were clubbed and beaten. That's why I believe we've reached an absolutely critical moment in the drive by the people of Zimbabwe to rid themselves of the tyrannical rule of Robert Mugabe. It's evident that the only people with democratic legitimacy are the opposition because after all they won the first round of the parliamentary elections in March and the first round of the presidential elections. That's why the violence is being meted out on such a scale by the Mugabe regime and that's why I think that Mr Tsvangirai was left with no choice if he wanted to preserve the life and limb of his own people.

PS: But when Robert Mugabe, as now seems inevitable, declares himself president again will Britain recognise him and his government?

DM: Well his claims to legitimacy have absolutely no basis because if anyone has legitimacy it's the people who won the parliamentary elections and the presidential elections in March, and the tyrannical violence, the sadism that's been meted out, which I described last weekend, I think shows where popular opinion was going. The only way that Mugabe could hold onto his position was by scaring people into not voting. The figures that we have are that 84 or 85 people have actually been killed in the course of the election campaign, and that's why it's absolutely vital that the whole world is clear that this is not the basis on which to build a credible government that can represent the people of Zimbabwe, nor rescue them from the million per cent inflation that they currently face.

PS: Britain has been demonised by Robert Mugabe. Does that mean in effect we can't really do anything without making things worse?

DM: I don't believe that the demonization - I think that's the right word that you used - of Robert, by Robert Mugabe of the UK means that we have to be quiet. In fact I think we've got to speak truth as we see it, but we've also got to be clear that we're not going to play Mugabe's game, because he wants this to be a fight between the UK and Zimbabwe when it's nothing of the sort. It's a fight over two different visions for the future of Zimbabwe between Robert Mugabe on the one hand, and the opposition in Zimbabwe on the other, and I think that has been our drive all the way through, to speak clearly and plainly about his abuse, but not to play his games.

PS: He's still got some powerful friends hasn't he? China for instance.

DM: Well I wouldn't describe the Chinese as his friend on the basis of the discussions that I've had with the Chinese Foreign Minister. I think what's clear is that his rule has no legitimacy, that the African leaders who are now speaking up more clearly - the Tanzanians, the Botswana, Angola, the leader of the African National Congress in South Africa - they speak to a dawning realisation that Mugabe has no way to rebuild that country and in fact is a threat to the whole region, and I think that that's the basis on which to address this issue and we will do so tomorrow at the UN Security Council, because there is a UN Security Council meeting tomorrow. I think it's right that we address the crisis in Zimbabwe.

PS: Mr Hague, who I was speaking to just now, said there may be a basis, looking further ahead, for international criminal proceedings against Mr Mugabe. Do you agree?

DM: I'm afraid I didn't hear all of William Hague's interview but of course we've said all along that any breaches of international law should be followed through. The priority obviously at the moment is to preserve life in Zimbabwe, to get food to those who need it, because remember the humanitarian NGOs have been driven out of large parts of Zimbabwe. But of course it's vital that international law is upheld at every stage.

PS: Mr Tsvangirai says he will put forward new proposals on how to take the country forward by Wednesday. Have you any idea where he can possibly go?

DM: Where he can go in terms of?

PS: Well in terms of the ideas for moving the country forward.

DM: Well I think that that will be political obviously because Mr Mugabe has no basis to lead a government that can credibly claim to represent all the people of Zimbabwe, but equally there is a search on the part of the opposition to have a broad base to any new government. Secondly, it must be economic, because there is the terrible decline of the Zimbabwe economy. Thirdly, it must be social as well because of the humanitarian crisis that now exists, so I think that the fact that the opposition are developing a broadly based and long-term programme is a good thing, but obviously people live in the short term and that's why it's right that we are vocal in the international stage to ensure that democracy is not allowed to drown in Zimbabwe.

PS: Can we take it that Mr Mugabe will never again be seen on EU territory? If, if there's a widening of EU sanctions on members of the regime and including him, he won't be invited to any more of these international summits?

DM: Well obviously this was addressed by the Prime Minister and other Heads of Government on Thursday and Friday. They agreed a European Council statement that promised to look at further EU sanctions. I think the critical thing at the moment is not Robert Mugabe going to conferences, it's about the, especially conferences about food, it's the ability of the Zimbabwean people to get access to food that they desperately need. That food is partly a humanitarian concern but in the end it's also political, and we've got to address both those ends of the problem.

PS: David Miliband, thank you very much for talking to us. The Foreign Secretary.

This is a transcript of British Foreign Secretary David Miliband's interview with BBC News on June 22 2008, as issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.