Having initially been tipped for the role of chancellor, former Labour leader Ed Miliband has been appointed foreign secretary by Andy Burnham, the UK's new prime minister. Accepting the role, Miliband said that it was an “honour and privilege” to take up the position. “To them, Britain was both a sanctuary and a beacon of hope in the global fight against fascism. I will carry my parents' faith in that spirit of Britain to my role representing our country.” A Labour MP for more than two decades, Miliband is not known as a foreign policy expert, but he has been outspoken on a number of international issues.