Ed Miliband made Foreign Secretary in PM Burnham’s cabinet shake-up

Andy Burnham has made Ed Miliband his Foreign Secretary in a decision that will provoke sharp reactions among Jewish communal leaders.

In a statement after his role was confirmed Miliband  identified continuing support for Ukraine, maintaining the special relationship with the US, achieving a “sustainable peace in Palestine and Israel” and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as defining commitments in his new role as foreign secretary.

In a statement on social media, Miliband said the Foreign Office will be at “the forefront of issues which pose profound and substantial threats to justice and equality in Britain”, like the climate crisis and international development.

“It is a great honour and privilege to have been appointed by the Prime Minister to serve as Foreign Secretary,” he said.

“My parents came to Britain as Jewish refugees from the Nazis. To them, Britain was both a sanctuary and a beacon of hope in the global fight against fascism. I will carry my parents’ faith in that spirit of Britain to my role representing our country.”

Critics will immediately raise concerns about Miliband’s track record over  Israel and the conflict with the Palestinians,  both as Labour leader and as a senior minister.

Others will point to his controversial position on Syria, when he led Labour MPs to vote against UK military intervention following the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons.

Miliband, 56, who became deeply critical of Keir Starmer while serving in his cabinet, was believed to have wanted the Chancellor’s role under the new PM.

He faced opposition from trade unions and other senior Labour figures over “risky” views in support of green issues, and other policy matters.

In a move that will calm the financial markets, Burnham confirmed on Monday that he had appointed a former Defence Secretary John Healey as chancellor, where she replaced Rachel Reeves.

Meanwhile, in an effort to appease Miliband, he made Foreign Secretary, where he replaces Yvette Cooper.

As roles were confirmed, Shabana Mahmood remained as Home Secretary.

As a Jewish politician whose family survived the Holocaust, Miliband has often navigated a fine line between expressing a personal connection to Israel’s security and advocating for Palestinian statehood.

During his time as Leader of the Labour Party, he shifted the party’s traditional “New Labour” stance toward a more vocal critique of Israeli policy.

In the 2014 Gaza war, Miliband broke with the Conservative government by explicitly calling Israel’s military incursions “wrong and unjustifiable.”

He also heavily criticised Prime Minister David Cameron for failing to condemn the scale of civilian casualties in Gaza.

In October 2014, Miliband whipped Labour MPs to vote in favour of a symbolic House of Commons motion to unilaterally recognise the State of Palestine.

The move was designed to kickstart momentum for a two-state solution but caused significant friction with some traditional Jewish donors and community organisations.

During a 2014 visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Miliband toured a Bedouin camp in the West Bank and publicly stated that the expansion of Israeli settlements was “wrong and illegal,” arguing it posed a mortal threat to the peace process.

Despite his willingness to break ranks over specific military actions and borders, Miliband has consistently tried to show pro-Israel foundational principles—especially after the October 7 Hamas attacks.

In November 2023, he followed the party whip to abstain on an SNP-led amendment calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, voting instead for a Labour amendment focusing on humanitarian pauses and longer-term political steps.

Miliband has consistently classified Hamas as a terrorist organisation and has routinely condemned its rocket attacks on Israeli towns as “totally unjustified and appalling.”

He has also been a firm and vocal opponent of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Speaking at a Labour Friends of Palestine dinner in late 2014, he asserted that isolation and boycotts are not the way forward, prioritising bilateral trade and diplomatic negotiation instead.

Miliband has visited Israel several times, both privately and in his political capacity.

During these visits, he met with Israeli officials, Palestinian leaders, and civil society representatives, touring towns affected by conflict and visiting sites of historical significance to his family.

His 2014 visit included meetings in Jerusalem and a tour of a Bedouin camp in the West Bank, where he again spoke out against settlement expansion.

These experiences have informed his nuanced views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reinforced his commitment to a two-state solution.

In  2013, as Labour leader, Miliband led his party to vote against UK military intervention in Syria following the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons. This decision defeated then-Prime Minister David Cameron’s proposal and marked the first time in decades that Parliament blocked a government’s call for military action.

While supporters praised Miliband for demanding clear evidence and a defined strategy, critics—including some in the Jewish community and foreign policy circles—accused him of undermining the UK’s global standing and emboldening the Assad regime.

Miliband was born to Polish Jewish immigrants, Ralph Miliband and Marion Kozak, who arrived in the UK during World War II as refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe.

His father, a renowned Marxist academic, lost several relatives in the Holocaust, while his mother survived the war as a hidden child in Belgium.

His mother, who died earlier this year, became a passionate campaigner for the Palestinian cause.