Ed Miliband urges Labour members to back his ‘friend’ Owen Smith not Jeremy Corbyn in leadership contest
Former party leader says Smith will reach out to every part of Britain and turn Labour into a progressive moment
ED Miliband has released a campaign video telling members of the Labour Party to back his “colleague and friend” Owen Smith in the leadership contest.
He said Smith is the candidate best placed to rise to the challenge of Brexit and unite the party.
Jeremy Corbyn has previously described Miliband as a "great friend" and there had been talk of him plotting a shock return to frontline politics for the former Labour leader.
But the two minute clip by Miliband looks to have ended all thoughts of this.
In the video he said Smith is the best candidate to make the crisis following the EU referendum "a progressive moment".
He said he was backing Smith "for his vision, for his principles and for his ability to lead".
Last month he announced on Facebook he was voting for Smith and today the video was released to all Labour members and put on YouTube.
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He said: "I want a Labour leader who can rise to the challenge of this moment.
"I want a Labour leader who can unite our party and make us a serious alternative government.
"And I want a Labour leader who will reach out to every part of Britain and can do what Labour has done in the past, which is out of this crisis make it a progressive moment.
"That's why my choice for Labour leader is Owen Smith,” he added.
He does not directly criticise Corbyn but said: “I got to know Owen as a colleague – and also as a friend.
“He would always urge me as Leader to go further and be bolder and now he’s standing as leader of our party.
“For his vision, for his principles and for his ability to lead my choice in this leadership election is Owen Smith.
“I hope he’ll be your choice too.”