What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

David Miliband is ready to come back to Britain now Hillary Clinton will not be US president.

And that would allow the former Labour Foreign Secretary to return to British politics for a new leadership challenge against Jeremy Corbyn now being touted by MPs for 2018.

A friend of Mr Miliband said: “He was only hanging on over there in the hope Hillary would give him a big job.

“Now Donald Trump is president it is more likely he will come home.”

Mr Miliband is based in New York as boss of the International Rescue Committee where he oversees humanitarian relief for more than 40 war-affected countries.

So he would be ideally suited to become president of the World Bank which gives loans to developing nations.

Although the post traditionally traditionally goes to an American citizen it is not a requirement for the job.

(Image: PA)

The present holder is South Korean and a previous one was Australian. Both became naturalised US citizens.

Mr Miliband quit as an MP three years ago after being defeated by brother Ed for the Labour leadership.

But as Foreign Secretary he was close to Mrs Clinton when she was US Secretary of State.

Mr Miliband describes here as a friend and in a magazine interview earlier this year gushed: “She’s got a fantastic smile.”

He added: “She’s a very good listener. She’s not afraid of what she doesn’t know and she wants to learn what she doesn’t know, which is an underestimated quality in politics.

“She’s obviously very intelligent, she’s obviously very worldly. She’s very funny."

Other jobs Mrs Clinton might have had Mr Miliband in mind for would be as a US envoy, similar to the role played by ex-PM Tony Blair in the Middle East.

Mr Miliband did not respond to calls.