Former minister, James Purnell, was asked by Ed Miliband to take up a position as his chief of staff, Uncut has learned.
Purnell, who quit Parliament at the general election to concentrate on developing policy at the left leaning think tanks IPPR and Demos, rejected the offer.
The news that Purnell was approached for such a high-profile role has increased speculation at Westminster that he may be contemplating a return to front line politics.
“He’s definitely out and about”, said one MP, “he’s in the Commons, doing the circuit”.
Another MP noted the political significance of the approach to such a senior former Blairite:
“It shows Ed is prepared to mix it up politically. James is no shrinking violet. If he’d got in there he would have insisted large elements of the Blairite agenda were incorporated into Ed’s programme”.
One source even speculated that Purnell may have already have begun the search for a new Parliamentary seat. But a friend denies this. “That doesn’t read right. Why would he walk away at the last election, only to come back at the next?”.
Tags: Ed Miliband, James Purnell
As seen in the Times a couple of weeks ago.
Why would he walk away at the last election, only to come back at the next?
No Brown.
Obviously.
@Paul Staines: By who? AH ZING. Paywalls for the win.