国际英语新闻：British shadow FM stands down after defeat for Labor leadership

The younger brother Ed won by just over one percent, despite the older brother David being the favorite to be the next leader, both during the four-month leadership campaign and for some years before that.

David also had more support among ordinary party members and among members of parliament (MPs), with Ed getting strong support from the trade unions.

David Miliband said in a BBC radio interview: "I want to make sure I support my brother Ed in the best way possible; to give him the freedom and space to drive the party forward as he sees fit without any of the distractions that an older brother can bring."

He did not hint at a return to frontline politics, but did not rule it out. "The right thing for me now, and for the foreseeable future, is to support Ed from the backbenches, and to recharge my batteries."

He added that he would always be willing to advise his brother in private. "I'm certainly going to be there for the talks brothers can have," he said.

David Miliband will stand down from his role of shadow foreign secretary, and so from the frontline of British politics, but he remains an MP, for the northern constituency of South Shields, and he said he would continue to represent that area in the House of Commons.

David Miliband has been an MP since 2001, and was the youngest foreign secretary in 30 years, and struck up a strong relationship with U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who admitted to having a crush on him.