Ed Miliband to lead review into Labour's election performance

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband is helping run a review into the party’s disastrous election result.

Set up by Labour Together, the major inquest will look at the reasons why Jeremy Corbyn's party performed so badly earlier this month.

The commissioners behind it said it was "wrong" to blame only the leader or the party’s position on Brexit for Labour's worst performance at the ballot box since 1935.

As well as Miliband, who led the party to defeat against David Cameron in 2015, the review will be run by former shadow education secretary Lucy Powell and Birmingham Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood.

Powell, the Manchester Central MP, said it would take a "real and meaningful look" at why the party had "fallen short" at four consecutive elections.

She said: “We have lost the last four elections and we all have to accept that our offers to the country have been insufficient.

"We should have taken the time to understand our losses previously. It's now profoundly important for the future of our party and country that we take a real and meaningful look at why we have fallen short.

"This inquiry gives us the opportunity to listen to members, candidates and the public and I hope our whole movement takes it in the spirit it is offered and takes part."

But a senior Labour source criticised Miliband for leading the review, telling PoliticsHome: “Perhaps Ed could explain why we lost in 2015 at the same time and Lucy could explain her role as his campaign manager”.

Another source added: “The arrogance of it. Who appointed them?

“Ed and Lucy haven’t even addressed their own failings from 2015 and now they want to tell us what went wrong in 2019.”

The commissioners will interview all of the 59 Labour MPs who lost their seats after their so-called "red wall" of constituencies was destroyed.

One of those, Jo Platt, who used to represent Leigh in Greater Manchester, is also taking part in the inquiry along with Sienna Rodgers, editor of the Labourlist website, and former economic adviser to shadow chancellor John McDonnell, James Meadway.

A spokesman for the commission said it will be made up of voices from "different Labour traditions" and aims to "raise above the factional infighting which has coloured much of Labour politics for the last four years".