Ed Miliband has said that Sir Keir Starmer is "definitely" a better Labour leader than him.
When asked the "mean" question on the Andrew Marr Show this morning, the former party leader joked he never achieved the same approval ratings as Sir Keir.
Mr Miliband resigned as Labour leader in 2015 after his party’s crushing election defeat, which saw Labour losing many seats to the SNP in Scotland, and Conservative David Cameron securing an unexpected 12-seat majority.
The 50-year-old MP returned to the backbenches during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, before Sir Keir made him shadow business secretary in April this year.
Towards the end of his interview on the BBC, Mr Marr said: “One slightly mean question to end with.”
Mr Miliband replied: “Gosh yes, go on, you’ve asked me many mean questions over the years.”
Mr Marr went on: “Here’s another one. You’ve seen Keir Starmer now in operation for a few months. Is he going to be a better leader of the Labour Party than you?”
Mr Miliband replied: “Definitely. I think you’ve seen that already.”
He laughed as he added: “Look, I certainly never had his approval ratings.
“I think he’s made a great start. I think he’s shown not just competence but the kind of seriousness that this crisis demands."
He added: “I think the more people see of him the more they’ll see the integrity, the principle and decency I know really well.”
Mr Miliband also said he backed the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey over an anti-semitism row, and denied that the leadership was attempting to purge the left of the party.
He insisted the new labour leader is “not about purges”, but is trying to stop Labour being "mired" in issues which,"frankly, provide a stain on us."
