Miliband

Health secretary’s lack of challenge had reassured Starmer and his allies – but then briefings for a speculative Thursday launch emergedAs the unofficial political truce of the king’s speech approached, with still no sign of a leadership challenge from Wes Streeting, some of his Labour colleagues assumed the health secretary’s chance to go for the top job might have passed for ever.“There is a risk he becomes the David Miliband of this generation if he doesn’t do something,” one MP said, a reference to another longtime heir apparent who never made the final step. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer set to face challenge as former minister says she will trigger race if no cabinet minister comes forwardUK politics live – latest updatesMPs from Labour’s left are expected to urge Ed Miliband to consider a leadership bid in the coming days, as Keir Starmer faced the prospect of a definite challenge from his MPs next week.Following grim results for Labour in elections on Thursday, former minister Catherine West said that if no cabinet ministers went public by Monday, she would launch a bid to end the impasse. Continue reading...

Energy secretary says both he and the then foreign secretary were worried making Mandelson US envoy was riskyUK politics live – latest updatesEd Miliband and David Lammy discussed concerns about the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to Washington which they feared could “blow up”, the energy secretary has revealed.Miliband said he had spoken to Lammy, who was foreign secretary at the time Mandelson was given the Washington post, with both expressing reservations. Continue reading...