David Miliband bows out of front line politics

LONDON - Former British foreign secretary David Miliband bowed out of front line politics Wednesday, just days after he was narrowly beaten for the job of Labour Party leader by his younger brother, Ed.

Miliband, 45, said he wants to give his younger brother the “freedom and space” to drive through his policies without “the distractions of having your older brother sitting next to you”.

David Miliband was foreign secretary under then prime minister Gordon Brown from 2007-2010. He had earlier served as a close adviser to former prime minister Tony Blair and was a minister in the Blair government from 2005.

There had been intense speculation over whether the older Miliband, who had been seen to be the front-runner in the leadership race up until the last minute, would stay in the opposition front bench team.

It was reported that David Miliband took offence to his brother’s public denunciation as “wrong” Tuesday the Blair government’s decision to join the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which he (David) supported in a crucial parliamentary vote.

The Labour Party lost power after 13 years in the general election in May, which led to the formation of a Conservative-Liberal coalition led by Prime Minister David Cameron.