So farewell then, David Miliband. We are about to hear from the man himself on the TV, but before then Labour’s good, bad and ugly, as well as some old friends from further afield, have been out in force to give him a rousing send off:
Tony Blair: “I hope and believe this is time out not time over.”
Alastair Campbell: “David Miliband will make big contribution in new US role. Sad for UK politics but understandable and takes away sibling story distraction.”
Peter Mandelson: “I don’t think this is the end for David Miliband. If I can come back he can. You should not rule him out.”
Ed Miliband: “We went through a difficult leadership contest but time has helped to heal that. I will miss him. But although he is moving to America, I know he will always be there to offer support and advice when I need it.”
Damian McBride: “David Miliband will go down as the Errol ‘Bomber’ Graham of UK politics: the best of his generation but no chin when it mattered. His huge moment was Summer 2008; GB was massively destabilised by his Guardian article; but we monstered him cos of his timidity.”
Ed Balls: “To David Miliband and Louise in NY, the best of luck – friends and close colleagues for over 20 years, we’ll all miss him in Parliament.”
Douglas Alexander: “David Miliband and I first became friends as students, before either of us had met Tony Blair or Gordon Brown and long before anyone talked about New Labour. Twenty five years on, he remains one of my closest friends in politics and in life.”
Chuka Umunna: “Very sad that one of Labour’s strikers has left the field.”
John Mann: “It’s fascinating how MPs who quit Parliament always see politics about themselves rather than about constituents.”
Bill Clinton: “I have known David almost twenty years. He is one of the ablest, most creative public servants of our time.”
Nick Clegg: “He was one of the few big characters in Labour who understood that an opposition can’t just shout but has to come up with an alternative.”
Jim Murphy: “The understandable fascination by the media and others on the relationship between David and Ed Miliband was really hampering whatever he could say, and also getting in the way on occasion on what Ed Miliband was trying to achieve. So I think it’s the sensible thing for him to do.”
Ivan Lewis: “By putting interests of party 1st David Miliband has shown the class + integrity his friends so admire. Alternative, never ending soap opera.”
Austin Mitchell: “Dont go Dave. Your party needs U. NY is so far from Ed. So close to Mensch.”
Dan Hodges: “David Miliband realised the game was up in January: his every move was seen as a knife in his brother’s back.”
You can read Guido’s goodbye here…
