Labour split as Blairites plot return of Miliband

BLAIRITES are plotting the return of David Miliband to frontline British politics and a key role in a future Sir Keir Starmer government, Labour sources said last night.

They claimed the 57-year-old former party leadership contender could be handed a route back to Westminster in a by-election before the next general election.

There are even suggestions he could take on his old job as foreign secretary and become ‘leader-inwaiting’, ready to take over should Sir Keir run into any difficulties.

But allies of the Labour leader insisted the return of Mr Miliband, famously beaten to the party leadership by his brother Ed in 2010, would be the ‘last thing’ Sir Keir would want. One said: ‘Why would he want to resurrect the Miliband brothers’ psycho-drama?

‘Besides, Keir prefers not to have faces from the past taking top roles on Labour’s front bench.’

Key figures on the Labour Right have long dreamed of the return of the older Miliband brother after Ed, 52, led the party to general election defeat in 2015 and was partly blamed for arch Left-winger

Jeremy Corbyn succeeding him. Their hopes were boosted last week after David Miliband, who is president of the International Rescue Committee and based in New York, refused to rule out a comeback.

Asked by LBC’s Andrew Marr if he would return to UK politics before the next election, he said: ‘That has not been decided yet.’

Last night, allies of Mr Miliband said: ‘There have definitely been overtures to David to come back.’

However, that sparked a fierce debate among Labour MPs as to just who was pushing for his return – the Starmer leadership team itself or Blairite backers of Sir Keir who feel that Labour still needs ‘bigger hitters’ to compensate for ‘charisma-light’ Sir Keir.

One former Cabinet Minister said the party needed both Ed Miliband – who is shadow Climate Change Secretary – and his brother. He said: ‘Ed and David are absolutely pre-eminent both as Labour politicians and as policy makers.’

One leading Left-wing Labour MP told The Mail on Sunday talk of Mr Miliband’s return was being promoted by Blairites. He said: ‘The Right are not convinced Keir’s up to it – that’s what this is about.’

The party declined to comment on Mr Miliband’s potential return.