Ed Miliband

British politician

• Born: December 24, 1969
• Birthplace: London, England

Also known as: Edward Samuel Miliband

Education: University of Oxford, London School of Economics

Significance: Serving from 2010 to 2015, Ed Miliband was the youngest leader of the Labour Party since the 1940s. He also is the member of Parliament (MP) for Doncaster North.

Background

Edward Samuel Miliband was born on December 24, 1969, in London, England. The second son of Marion Kozak, a teacher, and Ralph Miliband, a university professor, he grew up in a highly political family. His father was one of the leading intellectuals of the New Left movement, and other liberal and left-wing intellectuals and politicians were frequent visitors to their Primrose Hill home, where they engaged the young Ed and his older brother David in intense debates.

Beginning a pattern that would dominate much of his life, Miliband followed his brother to Haverstock Comprehensive (now Haverstock School), located in the Chalk Farm area of London. Miliband also attended school in Boston, Massachusetts, for two brief periods while his father was teaching there. During high school, he worked as an intern for Tony Benn, an MP who was a family friend.

Miliband then followed his brother to Oxford University, where (like David) he studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Corpus Christi College. It was there that he became a political activist and discovered a preference for politics. In interviews, he has described the highlight of his undergraduate years as a four-week campaign he led against a rate increase in student housing rent. He graduated from Oxford in 1992.

Political Career

Miliband’s first job after university was as a researcher for the show A Week in Politics on the United Kingdom’s Channel 4. Miliband was hired by Labour MP Harriet Harman as a researcher and speechwriter in 1993. He was then hired for the same duties by Shadow Chancellor Gordon Brown the following year. While working for Brown, Miliband took time off to earn his master’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics. He soon became a special advisor of the Treasury and the chairman of HM Treasury’s Council of Economic Advisers. As chairman, he was responsible for the United Kingdom’s long term economic plan. During this period, Miliband was one of Brown’s top allies and played a key role in maintaining peace between the two factions within the Labour Party, those who backed either Brown or Prime Minister Tony Blair.

In 2002 he took a leave from the Treasury and traveled to the United States, where he was a visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Center for European Studies. After returning to the United Kingdom, Miliband briefly resumed work at the Treasury and then resigned in early 2005. Following in his brother’s footsteps, he ran for election as an MP. David Miliband had been elected an MP four years earlier. In the general election of May 2005, Miliband was elected the Labour MP for Doncaster North (in South Yorkshire). He became a Parliamentary secretary to the Cabinet Office in May 2006. Following the elections of 2007, he was appointed to Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s cabinet as minister for the Cabinet Office. Joining his brother, the pair became the first siblings to serve in the cabinet at the same time since 1938. In October 2008 Miliband was appointed the secretary of state for the newly created Department of Energy and Climate Change.

In September 2010 both Miliband and his brother stood for leader of the Labour Party. The campaign between the two brothers created a sensation in the media, with many people forecasting a win for David. Miliband narrowly defeated his brother with slightly more than 1 percent of the votes. The result created a rift within the party, as many believed David Miliband was the better candidate. It also divided the Miliband family, who felt Ed chose politics over family. David left politics and the relationship between the brothers became strained.

Since the Labour Party had lost in the general election, Miliband was also the leader of the opposition. During his years as leader of the Labour Party and opposition leader, he proposed novel economic plans and advocated for social justice reforms. He also made headlines and won voter approval for being a vocal critic of news mogul Rupert Murdoch and the News of the World phone hacking scandal in 2011, calling for an inquiry into the organization’s practices and media reform.

During the weeks leading up to the May 7, 2015, general election, the media, and political analysts speculated that the Labour Party would win a majority of votes, making Miliband the United Kingdom’s next prime minister. Miliband and the Labour Party ran their campaign on promises to increase taxes for the rich, to set aside more funding for the National Health Service (NHS), and to reform in polices for education, immigration, and housing. The polls that predicted a Labour win proved wrong; the Conservative Party took the election and David Cameron was sworn into his second term as prime minister. On May 8, 2015, Miliband resigned as leader of the Labour Party. His successor, Jeremy Corbyn, offered him a position in his shadow cabinet, but Miliband declined it. He continues to serve as an MP for Doncaster North, having received just over half the votes in the general election.

Impact

During Miliband’s many years in various roles in the Labour Party, he helped to shape the party and its policies. As Labour Party leader and prime minister hopeful, Miliband proved to be an impassioned, political leader who and who vowed to radically change government if given the chance. Miliband’s loss in the 2015 election quashed the hopes of voters who yearned to see the Labour Party back in power.

Personal Life

Miliband married Justine Thornton, a barrister, in 2011. They have two sons, Daniel and Samuel. They live in North London.

Bibliography

Asthana, Anushka. “Ed Miliband: Profile of the New Labour Leader.” Guardian. Guardian News & Media, 25 Sept. 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2015.

“Ed Miliband.” Politics.co.uk. Politics.co.uk, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2015.

Hattenstone, Simon. “Who Is Ed Miliband, the Man Who Could Be Britain’s Next Prime Minister?” Guardian. Guardian News & Media, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 3 Oct. 2015.

Malnick, Edward. “Ed Miliband Profile: From Backstabbing Geek to Lothario . . . Then Loser.” Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 8 May 2015. Web. 3 Oct. 2015.

Wheeler, Brian. “The Ed Miliband Story.” BBC. BBC, 8 May 2015. Web. 3 Oct. 2015.