David Miliband due to make statement about his future

David Miliband is expected to make a statement later about his future, amid growing speculation he will quit front-line politics.

The former foreign secretary has until 1700 BST to decide whether he wants to serve in the next shadow cabinet under his brother Ed, Labour's new leader.

Ed Miliband told the BBC he was giving his brother space to make the decision.

David lost the party leadership contest despite having a higher percentage of votes from MPs and party members.

The BBC's Nick Robinson says it would be "so difficult" for him to stay.

Ed Miliband was declared leader at the Labour conference on Saturday and, since losing to his younger brother, David has refused to comment on his future.

The new leader said: "I think it's most important that [David] does the right thing for himself and his family.

"I know he will make a big contribution to politics in the future and he will have different ways of doing it either inside the shadow cabinet or outside the shadow cabinet, but I think that that's his decision.

"He's just been through a leadership contest - a contest that he lost. It's most important he make the right decision for himself and his family, and a decision that he's comfortable with and that's what I'm giving him the space to do.

"Let's see what he says today but whatever decision he makes... I certainly don't think we have heard the last of him."

David has been praised for his graciousness and generosity in defeat but he appeared annoyed by Ed Miliband's comments on Iraq during his first speech as leader on Tuesday.

'Political reputations'

After his brother declared that Labour was "wrong to take Britain into war", David Miliband was filmed asking the party's deputy leader Harriet Harman: "You voted for it, why are you clapping?"

Former energy secretary Ed Miliband was elected as an MP in 2005, so was not part of the government during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

He told the BBC: "I don't think my views on Iraq would have come as a surprise to David."

He added: "I lead this party now. It's about the public - it's not about me or David - and it's right that I say to the public where I stand on the big issues and Iraq was one of the big issues.

Ed Miliband: "David has to do the right thing for himself"

"I wasn't an MP at the time. But in a way I respect the different decisions people made in 2003 but the real issue though now is where do we stand on the issue of Iraq? I think for us, it's so important for us to draw a line under it."

He admitted the invasion had led to a big loss of trust for Labour but said it was time for a new generation who acknowledged the mistakes made in the past.

Ed Miliband also said: "I worry always about the effect that my decision [to run for leader] could have on my family, because family comes first."

But he added that it was "right to stand" and that "the biggest obstacle to my standing in this contest was standing against David. I thought long and hard about it...

"For me not to stand in those circumstances would have been an abdication of [responsibility to] my party and my country."

The BBC's political editor Nick Robinson says David Miliband, and other senior members of the party who voted for the Iraq war in 2003, thought it was opportunistic of his brother to use the issue in this way.

"He thinks when his brother marches around and says I am trying to restore trust, he would quite like it if he didn't restore trust in the Labour Party at the expense of reputations of people who fought in government and worked hard.

"David Miliband has illustrated in a way why it is so difficult for him to stay in the shadow cabinet. I know in my gut that David Miliband will tell us he is off."

'New generation'

On Tuesday night, David Miliband's aide said the former foreign secretary would make a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

The deadline for Labour MPs to nominate themselves for election to the shadow cabinet is 1700 BST.

Ed Miliband, 40, won the leadership ballot of MPs, party members and trade unionists by just 1%.

Since then he has fended off criticism that he owes his leadership to the unions because his brother got a higher percentage of votes from MPs and party members.

During his hour-long speech on Tuesday, he admitted the previous government had made several mistakes, including on Iraq, civil liberties and tuition fees.

But he said a "new generation" was now in charge, and he would be a "responsible" opposition leader and not oppose every proposed spending cut.

Mr Miliband also dismissed the name "Red Ed", which some papers have taken to calling him after his win, referring to his union support. He got a standing ovation as he said: "Red Ed? Come off it" and urged a "grown-up debate" on politics.

He warned while trade unions were important, he had "no truck with overblown rhetoric about waves of irresponsible strikes" and Labour had to be careful not to alienate the public.

BBC News