Ed Miliband: I won’t be Jeremy Corbyn’s back-seat driver

Miliband had previously kept his opinion about Corbyn close to his chest, but he told Graham Stringer, the Labour MP for Blackley and Broughton: “I bet you didn’t think things would actually get worse”.

Mr Miliband told BBC Radio 4’s Today that Mr Corbyn had a large mandate which he was entitled to interpret in his own way and he would not provide a “running commentary” on his leadership.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband has said Jeremy Corbyn would be suited to being Prime Minister.

Mr Miliband said: “Jeremy Corbyn has doubled our membership”.

Asked whether Mr Corbyn was capable of serving as PM, he said “of course”.

Mr Miliband, who stood down as Labour leader in May after the party’s election defeat, said he would not be a “back seat driver” in his capacity as a backbench MP although he would speak out on issues that he felt strongly about, such as climate change.

Shadow business secretary Angela Eagle dodged a series of questions about whether she would approve of Mr Corbyn and his shadow chancellor John McDonnell holding the “highest offices in the land”. “I’m not in the predictions game and, if you’ll forgive me, after my experience at the general election, predictions aren’t my thing”.

Writing in a blog, Pete Willsman, a left-wing member of Labour’s National Executive Committee, revealed the issue had been discussed at an NEC meeting on 17 November – in the midst of rows over Syria policy and the appointment of Ken Livingstone as co-chair of the party’s defence review.

Asked whether Labour was stronger or weaker than when he was leader, he said: “I think it has a strength in depth in terms of our membership which we didn’t have before. Party members are unlikely to forgive them for the damage they are doing”.

Last week, Mr Corbyn saw a mounting revolt within his party over his comments on “shoot to kill” policies in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, as well as his opposition to bombing Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists in Syria.

Happily the majority of MPs did at least manage to find common ground at one meeting earlier this month, where Steerpike understands Jess Phillips’ call for Corbyn’s old comrade George Galloway – who was expelled from Labour in 2003 – to never be allowed back into the party was met with loud cheers. “PLP discipline is a matter for the parliamentary whips”.