Ed Miliband: David’s exit a ‘good’ move

DAVID Miliband’s decision to quit British politics was a “good” move in the sense that it has brought “clarity”, younger brother Ed has said.

The Labour party leader said he would not describe his feelings about the move as a sense of relief, adding: “I suppose I feel at one level, obviously, sad that he’s leaving the country and going to America. I’m going to miss him.”

“And on another level I feel he’s obviously – and it’s been obvious to me over the last few months talking to him about the job – that he feels very excited by it and quite happy to be doing it.

“And so it’s a mixed sense, really. It’s good in the sense that it’s brought clarity.”

David, who is stepping down as South Shields MP and moving to New York to take up the position of president and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, said he wanted to put an end to the “soap opera” surrounding the two brothers

But in his blog Ed said: “I think, to be fair, the ‘soap opera’ had died down a lot – it wasn’t like it was a continuing thing – but there was clearly a sense of uncertainty about what he was going to do, and so it’s brought a sense of clarity.

“So I think it’s good. For him - and for me – that it sort of came out in the right way.”