Ed Miliband just launched a new power grab – Andy Burnham better watch his back

Andy Burnham has an Ed Miliband headache. Nothing new there. The whole country has an Ed Miliband headache, and the latest evidence suggests it isn’t going away. If Burnham thought he’d neutralised it, he’s very much wrong. Instead, the throbbing is only going to intensify. Because once again, Miliband is exceeding his brief. It’s what he does. And he won’t let anyone rein him in. No wonder he’s been called “the most dangerous man in Britain”.

When Red Ed was Labour leader in 2013, he gave former Tory MP David Cameron and US president Barack Obama a headache, by voting down plans to bomb Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons stockpiles. This caused a headache for the Syrian people too, who continued to be blasted with lethal sarin gas for five more years.

Miliband unleashed a world of pain on his own party, by plotting against his far more electable brother David to win the Labour leadership, courtesy of a stitch-up with the unions. He then lead Labour to humiliating defeat in the very winnable 2015 general election. Worse, rule changes he introduced paved the way for hard-left firebrand Jeremy Corbyn to seize control of the party, and lead it two more electoral routs in 2017 and 2019.

As energy secretary, Miliband was a pain in the neck for Keir Starmer. His accelerated net zero charge went too far, too fast, and cost too much money. But he snubbed over anybody who asked him to cool off, including Starmer himself and chancellor Rachel Reeves. The net zero backlash helped sink Starmer. Then serial backstabber Miliband plotted against him, paving the way for Burnham.

Miliband expected to be made chancellor as his reward. Which would have given the UK a full-blown migraine. Credit to Andy Burnham, who spotted the danger. Unfortunately, he then made a slip-up.

Burnham thought making Miliband foreign secretary might get him out of the country, and out of the way. He could also have the pleasure of watching Miliband writhe as he battled to restore his reputation with the Americans, having previously called their president a racist, sexist, misogynist groper.

Miliband surprised many by seeming genuinely delighted to be appointed foreign secretary. Now we understand why.

Burnham thought he was boxing him in, but Miliband sees it very differently. As a springboard to seizing more power by once again going beyond his remit. The Times reports that Miliband has attempted a “Whitehall land grab”, trying to take charge of Brexit reset negotiations. The reason is obvious. To drive us ever closer to the EU.

Incredibly, he’d already started holding meetings with his counterparts in Paris and Madrid. It’s not his job to lead negotiations with Brussels, but he’s sharpened his elbows and done it anyway.

Thankfully, Burnham has pushed back. Sources says it’s been made clear to Miliband that “the EU is not his job even if you might want it to be”. He has to content himself for being “responsible for the rest of the world”. But as we’ve seen, even the world isn’t enough for Mad Ed. He always wants more.

He’s back in his box for now. But it won’t be long before he’s out again, causing the usual chaos. Both for the Labour Party, and the country.