Ed Miliband will take over from Yvette Cooper as foreign secretary in Andy Burnham's new cabinet. The appointment puts the former Labour leader at the centre of another major moment in British politics, after years of prominence in the party.
Miliband has been the MP for Doncaster North since 2005 but has been at the centre of Labour politics for even longer - working for Labour MPs before the 1997 election win and as a special adviser to Gordon Brown when he became chancellor.
Having been in the running to become chancellor, the former Labour leader made headlines as energy secretary in Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet, grabbing headlines for his championing of net zero policies.
But that passion earned him enemies, most notably Unite the Union boss Sharon Graham, who was angered by what she sees as a failure to protect the declining oil and gas industry.
Speaking outside Downing Street after his appointment by the prime minister, Miliband told the BBC that it was the
honour of my lifeto serve as foreign secretary.
And he is not the first Miliband to hold the role: his brother David was foreign secretary for Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010.
Who's in Andy Burnham's cabinet?
Miliband accuses net zero opponents of
nonsense and lies
Following Sir Keir's resignation announcement last month, Miliband said that Labour
must now redouble our efforts to deliver the bold and credible change.
He is taking over from Yvette Cooper, who became foreign secretary in the reshuffle that followed Angela Raynor's resignation from the government.
Speaking to the BBC's political editor Chris Mason as he left No 10 following his appointment, he said:
My parents came here as Jewish refugees fleeing from the Nazis, and for them, Britain provided sanctuary and a beacon of hope in the fight against fascism.
He added that at a time
when values of democracy, the rule of law and freedom are under threat as never before, he would
carry that spirit, their spirit, into my work as foreign secretary.
Miliband has been a divisive figure in British politics, in large part due to his willingness to wear his left wing politics on his sleeve.
He grew up in a politically-aware household - his mother was human rights activist Marion Kozak, and his father the prominent Marxist sociologist Ralph Miliband.
The family lived in Camden and he attended a north London comprehensive school before studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, followed by a masters in economics from the London School of Economics.
Burnham (left) and Miliband have worked closely together in former years
He is best known as a former Labour leader - having beaten his brother David, among others, in the dramatic leadership contest that followed the party's 2010 general election defeat.
Support from the trade unions had proved decisive back then.
Winning by just 1%, the younger Miliband took over the reigns of the party from acting leader Harriet Harman aged just 40 years old, in a vote he said marked a new generation of the Labour Party.
David was offered a shadow cabinet role but opted to leave British politics altogether, taking up a job as the head of the International Rescue charity in New York in 2013.
As leader, Ed Miliband wanted to move beyond the New Labour era, projecting a more left wing message on tax and inequality, and distancing himself from the Iraq War.
He picked up supporters in the #milifandom, an online campaign run by Abby Tomlinson, then 17-years-old, who posted photos of Miliband with floral wreaths photoshopped onto his head and referring to him as
Milibae.
However, he also made headlines for his appearance, with cartoonists regularly sketching him as Wallace, from the Wallace and Gromit animations, and a particularly unflattering photograph of him making a meal out of eating a bacon sandwich in 2014.
There were also several gaffes, including the Edstone - a 2.6m (8 ft 6 in) tall limestone tablet engraved with six policies on improving the economy, the NHS, cutting immigration, and building new homes.
Unfortunately the policies were overshadowed by mockery of the giant stone slab, which proved to be a tombstone for Miliband's 2015 election hopes.
Speaking at the Hay Festival in 2021, Miliband said his biggest regret was
not the sandwich- a reference to the infamous bacon sandwich photo - but
not speaking in primary colours about the changes I want to see.
I have become bolder as I have become older,he added.
Miliband resigned to make way for Jeremy Corbyn, who led the party from 2015 to 2020, when Sir Keir took over as party leader in opposition.
He returned to the political frontline under then-leader Sir Keir, first as shadow business secretary, and then shadow climate change and net zero secretary in 2021.
Speaking that same year, Miliband told BBC Political Thinking he was still recovering from what he labelled a
gut wrenchingdefeat that was
in many waysa personal rejection of him.
However, the 2024 Labour landslide under Sir Keir saw him tackling climate change with a renewed zeal in government, pushing a Green Prosperity Plan to invest in renewables and unlock new jobs and economic growth.
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Who is Ed Miliband and why does this appointment matter?
Ed Miliband is one of the most experienced figures in Labour politics and has held roles across several major party eras. His appointment as foreign secretary in Andy Burnham's new cabinet marks another significant turn in a career that has included party leadership, shadow cabinet roles and a high-profile return to government.
What shaped Miliband's political identity?
Miliband's politics were shaped by a politically-aware household, academic study and early work around Labour politics. His mother was human rights activist Marion Kozak, his father was the prominent Marxist sociologist Ralph Miliband, and the family lived in Camden before he attended a north London comprehensive school, studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, and completed a masters in economics from the London School of Economics.
How did he become Labour leader?
He became Labour leader after beating his brother David, among others, in the dramatic contest that followed the party's 2010 general election defeat. Trade union support proved decisive, and he won by just 1%, taking over the reigns of the party from acting leader Harriet Harman aged 40 in what he said marked a new generation of the Labour Party.
David was offered a shadow cabinet role but chose to leave British politics altogether, later becoming head of the International Rescue charity in New York in 2013.
Why did his leadership prove so divisive?
As leader, Ed Miliband sought to move beyond the New Labour era by pushing a more left wing message on tax and inequality and distancing himself from the Iraq War. He gained a following through the #milifandom online campaign run by Abby Tomlinson, then 17, who shared photos of Miliband with floral wreaths photoshopped onto his head and called him
Milibae.
At the same time, he became the target of jokes about his appearance, with cartoonists often portraying him as Wallace from Wallace and Gromit, and a widely mocked photograph of him eating a bacon sandwich in 2014. He also faced criticism and ridicule over the Edstone, a 2.6m (8 ft 6 in) tall limestone tablet engraved with six policies on the economy, the NHS, immigration and new homes, which became a symbol of his failed 2015 election campaign.
What did he say about his biggest regrets?
Speaking at the Hay Festival in 2021, Miliband said his biggest regret was
not the sandwichbut
not speaking in primary colours about the changes I want to see. He added:
I have become bolder as I have become older,
How did he return to frontline politics?
Miliband resigned to make way for Jeremy Corbyn, who led the party from 2015 to 2020 before Sir Keir took over as party leader in opposition. He later returned under Sir Keir as shadow business secretary and then shadow climate change and net zero secretary in 2021.
That year, he told BBC Political Thinking he was still recovering from what he called a
gut wrenchingdefeat that was
in many waysa personal rejection of him.
Under Sir Keir's 2024 Labour landslide, he took on climate change policy in government with renewed intensity, promoting a Green Prosperity Plan aimed at investment in renewables and the creation of new jobs and economic growth.
What does he want to bring to the foreign office?
Miliband said he would bring his family's experience of refuge and his commitment to democratic values into the role. He told Chris Mason that his parents came to Britain as Jewish refugees fleeing from the Nazis, and that Britain had provided sanctuary and hope in the fight against fascism.
He said that in a period when values of democracy, the rule of law and freedom are under unprecedented threat, he would carry that spirit into his work as foreign secretary.
Key Facts
- Ed Miliband will succeed Yvette Cooper as foreign secretary in Andy Burnham's new cabinet.
- He has been the MP for Doncaster North since 2005.
- He was Labour leader from 2010 to 2015 and returned to government under Sir Keir Starmer.
- His brother David was foreign secretary from 2007 to 2010.
- He described the appointment as the
honour of my life
.
