David Miliband's bid to become the next Labour leader has received a boost as Alistair Darling announced his support, saying he can win back the voters with whom Gordon Brown "lost touch".
The former chancellor said Miliband was natural "leader" with the capacity to inspire and ability to unite different strands of the party as he announced which candidate would receive his nomination.
In a letter to his Edinburgh constituency party, Darling said the shadow foreign secretary has the "right Labour values" and a "deep commitment" to equality.
He described the field of candidates as "very strong", but said Miliband was the "right person" to lead the party.
Darling wrote: "He has the ability to inspire the party with a compelling vision for the future, returning to our roots as a social movement for change.
"He has the maturity and humility to bring together different talents irrespective of whether they supported him in the leadership contest.
"He will re-engage Labour with the public, particularly those with whom we have lost touch."
Both Miliband brothers and Ed Balls, the former schools secretary, have secured enough nominations from MPs to enter the leadership contest.
Ed Miliband has won the backing of shadow Welsh secretary Peter Hain, who said he was the only candidate with the "winning X-factor" which will prove crucial in taking the party back to power.
Writing on the new Labour Uncut website, he set out the scale of the challenge ahead and said doing a "good job" would not be enough.
Former health secretary Andy Burnham alongside backbenchers Diane Abbott and John also plan to stand.
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