David Miliband was promoted to be foreign secretary in June 2007, at 41 becoming the youngest person to hold the post for 30 years.

He was promoted to the job after building a reputation as environment secretary at a time when "green" issues dominated British political debate. His promotion to one of the great offices of state appeared to justify his decision not to stand against Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership, as some die-hard Blairites had urged.

An MP since 2001, he became school standards minister a year later before being promoted to be Cabinet Office minister and then to communities and local government minister.

Previously, he was head of Tony Blair's policy unit, both before Mr Blair was elected in 1997 and afterwards.

He is the son of an eminent left-wing academic and brother of another Cabinet member, Ed Miliband.