Labour split as Blair allies plot the return of David Miliband trends now

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Blairites are plotting the dramatic return of David Miliband to frontline British politics and a key role in a future Keir Starmer government, Labour sources said last night.

They said the former foreign secretary and one-time party leadership contender could return in a by-election before the next general election.

There were even suggestions that Mr Miliband would take on his old foreign secretary job and effectively become the ‘leader-in-waiting’, ready to take over should Sir Keir run into difficulties.

But last night allies of the Labour leader insisted the return of Mr Miliband, famously beaten to the party leadership by his brother Ed in 2010, would be the ‘last thing’ Sir Keir would want. One said: ‘Why would he want to resurrect the Miliband brothers’ pyscho-drama? Besides, Keir prefers not to have faces from the past taking top roles on Labour’s frontbench.’

Key figures on the Labour Right have long dreamed of the return of the older Miliband brother after Ed led the party to general election defeat in 2015 and was partly blamed for arch Left-winger Jeremy Corbyn succeeding him as leader.

And their hopes were boosted last week after Mr Miliband, who is president of the International Rescue Committee and based in New York, declined to rule out a return to British politics and praised Sir Keir’s leadership.

Asked by LBC’s Andrew Marr if he would return to UK politics before the next election, he replied: ‘That has not been decided yet.’