Brown gets backing from Miliband

Updated 21.39 Sun Apr 22 2007

Keywords: leadership contest, Labour Party, Gordon Brown, David Miliband

David Miliband has announced that he will give his backing to Gordon Brown as the next Labour leader.

The Environment Secretary was seen by some as the only Blairite with a chance of defeating the Chancellor. By stepping aside the path now appears to be clear for Mr Brown to take over from Tony Blair.

"I will vote for Gordon Brown to lead Labour's drive. He has in the last ten years done great things for living standards; no-one is better qualified to lead across a wider canvas" - David Miliband

Mr Miliband has revealed that he expects Mr Brown to take forward Mr Blair's legacy, saying that success at the next election will need the party not to go back on New Labour but to offer "New Labour Plus".

The 41-year-old made his intentions clear in a newspaper article writing: "I will vote for Gordon Brown to lead Labour's drive.

"I have watched him and worked with him for nearly 20 years. He has in the last ten years done great things for living standards; no-one is better qualified to lead across a wider canvas.

"I said three years ago that I would not be a candidate for the leadership. I meant it and have not wavered from that view."

He continued: "I certainly am not in the business of waiting to pounce on local or Scottish and Welsh election results to change my mind."