Humiliation for Ed as David Miliband quits politics for 'dream' charity job in U.S.

David Miliband will today deliver an enormous snub to his Labour leader brother by stepping down as an MP.
The former Foreign Secretary – who lost to Ed in a tight Labour leadership contest in 2010 – will announce that his political career is finished.
He will resign with immediate effect to take up a ‘dream job’ with a charity in New York, triggering a by-election in his South Shields constituency in May.

 

Shock decision: David Miliband is to quit his role in politics to take up a job at an international charity according to reports

 

 

 

Leadership rivals: David Miliband, left, lost out by a margin of 49 per cent to 51 per cent to his younger brother Ed, right, in the Labour leadership contest in 2010

His decision will be seen as a massive vote of no confidence in his brother’s ability to lead Labour. In recent weeks, it had been suggested that David Miliband might make a return to the Labour front bench.
Ed Miliband said he would have welcomed his brother’s return to the Shadow Cabinet, saying: ‘With his talent, what he has to offer, it would be wrong for the door not to be open.’

US bound: David Miliband with his wife Louise Shackleton

Critics of Ed say the party should be further ahead in the polls at a time when the Coalition is making unpopular cuts and the economy is refusing to improve.
Earlier this month Labour came fourth in the Eastleigh by-election –showing that it was failing to make progress in the South.

 

Last night a source close to David Miliband, 47, who has been MP for South Shields since June 2001, said: ‘He has landed a dream job in charge of a charity in New York and wants to take it. But it means leaving politics.’
The charity, International Rescue Committee, has 8,000 staff and helps 40 of the world’s poorest countries.
David Miliband is one of the few high-profile figures on the right of his party, and was once seen as a natural successor to Tony Blair, the leader who took Labour to three election victories.
His supporters say he was much more likely than Ed to attract the support of the middle classes and southern voters.

 

Sibling rivalry: David and Ed embrace after the latter is announced the victor in the race to become Labour leader in September 2010

United front: The brothers were pictured on stage at the Labour conference the year after Ed swept to the narrowest of leadership victories

HIS POLITICAL CAREER

1989-1992 - David Miliband worked as a research fellow and policy analyst at the Institute for Public Policy Research.
1992 - Appointed Secretary of the Commission on Social Justice, set up by then Labour leader John Smith.
1997 - 2001 - Miliband is an aide to Tony Blair's Government during its first term. He was the head of the Prime Minister's Policy Unit at Number 10.
June 2001 - Elected MP for South Shields.
June 2002 - Appointed Schools Minister to oversee the ambitious Building Schools for the Future project which aimed to rebuild or refurbish all secondary schools in the country.
December 2004 - Appointed Cabinet Office Minister.
May 2005 - Became Minister of State for Communities and Local Government.
May 2006 - Appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, spearheading the Climate Change Bill.
June 2007 - Became the youngest Foreign Secretary in three decades.
September 2010 - Following Labour's General Election defeat in May of that year, David lost the Labour leadership contest by the narrowest of margins to brother Ed.

But his decision to quit means Labour is more likely to be stuck with his brother at the next election – a prospect welcomed by the Conservatives.
The departure brings to an end a saga of fraternal rivalry which tore the Miliband family apart.
After Gordon Brown stepped down as party leader after the 2010 election defeat, it had looked as if David was the clear favourite to win.
But Ed, now 43, shocked his brother by deciding to stand – an act which David’s wife is understood to have dubbed ‘unforgivable treachery’.
When the vote happened, David was the clear choice of Labour MPs and party members.
But he came second to his brother because Ed benefited from the support of the unions.
Despite being early favourite, David lost by the slightest of margins: 49 per cent of the votes against his brother’s 51 per cent.
Ed tried to keep David on board by offering key posts such as that of Shadow Chancellor. But he turned all offers down to take a role on the back benches.
He had become an MP in 2001 after working as an aide to Tony Blair. After the 2005 general election, he was promoted to the Cabinet with responsibility for local government and in 2006, he became Environment Secretary.
Gordon Brown made him Foreign Secretary a year later.
Married to American violinist  Louise Shackelton, he has two  children. In the past two years, he has made just short of £1million on top of his MP’s salary.
His resignation will open the way for a by-election in South Shields, a safe Labour seat.
Last night Tim Farron, the Lib Dem president, tweeted: ‘It’s a big loss for Parliament. David was a big thinker, great politician and a lovely man.’

 

Going home: David's new 'dream job' will apparently take him to his wife Louise's native America

 

 

Well-wishers: Several MPs from all parties paid tribute to Mr Miliband's political career on Twitter after the news broke

 

 

 

Showing promise: Mr Miliband pictured speaking at an eduction conference during his time as Schools Minister in 2003