DHAKA: A devastated Ed Miliband is expected to resign on Friday after talking to staff at the party’s headquarters, admitting the scale of the crushing defeat had taken him and his staff by surprise.

There had been some discussion that he would stay on as a caretaker leader – just as Michael Howard did following the Conservative defeat in 2005 – but it appears he has decided it is better to have an immediate break, reports theguardian.com

His close staff are said to be deeply upset, struggling with the disappointment made the deeper by the opinion polls that had led them to believe they had blocked David Cameron from getting clear path back to Downing Street.

Miliband described the result as very difficult and disappointing, adding that the party in Scotland had been overtaken by a surge of nationalism that had overwhelmed the party.

It was not yet clear whether Harriet Harman, the deputy leader will stand down at the same time or remain to oversee the election. Both the Labour leader and deputy leader posts are elected by an electoral college.

There had been discussions at one point suggesting the Conservatives might possess only a fragile majority in the Commons, requiring Miliband to be at Westminster to harry Cameron and act as an effective opposition.

There had even been speculation that Cameron might be forced into a second election in a year, requiring Miliband to stay at the helm.

In a night of tribulation and tears, Miliband has lost all but one of his seats in Scotland – including that of the Scottish Labour leader, Jim Murphy, and the party’s campaign manager, Douglas Alexander - as well as his shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, one of the few genuine big beasts of the party.

There will be a leadership contest for both the leadership and deputy leadership, ifHarriet Harman decides to stand down after five years as deputy leader.

Speculation will immediately turn to the possible contenders including the shadow business secretary, Chuka Umunna, the shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham, the shadow health minister, Liz Kendall, and the shadow justice minister, Dan Jarvis. Burnham will start as favourite, but the party will scrutinise each leader very closely.

It is also expected that Tom Watson will stand for the post of deputy leader, offering himself as the kind of man that can build the party organisation.

BDST: 1611 HRS, MAY 08, 2015
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