‘So smart and attractive’ - Hillary on Miliband

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Miliband, considered by some to be too geeky to ever become Prime Minister, nevertheless has a not-so-secret admirer in the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She confessed her admiration for the "vibrant and attractive" Miliband in an interview with American Vogue.

Her special relationship with the Labour politician was revealed when
Vogue writer Jonathan Van Meter confided over lunch with Clinton that he had developed a crush on "the tall and dashing 44-year-old British Foreign Secretary" within seconds of talking to him on the phone, partly because of his accent.

Clinton instantly "lit up" at the mention of Miliband, according to Van
Meter. "Oh, my God!" she gushed. "Well, if you saw him it would be a big crush. I mean, he is so vibrant, vital, attractive, smart. He's really a good guy. And he's so young!"

For his part, Miliband is equally smitten with Hillary, 18 years his senior, but in a more buttoned-up way. "She uses her experience in a very impressive way," he told Van Meter in their phone interview. He added: "I think it's also important to say that she's delightful to deal with one on one. She's someone who laughs and can tease, and she's got perspective as well."

Whether Clinton's enthusiastic endorsement of Miliband can help his
political chances is debatable. Miliband recently ruled himself out of the post of EU foreign secretary (due to be announced on Thursday) saying he wanted to stay in British politics, whatever the future might hold. But many Labour party insiders believe his younger brother Ed would make a more successful candidate for PM than David, who is nicknamed 'Brains' by Alastair Campbell after the puppet scientist in Thunderbirds.

Miliband is not the first Foreign Secretary to hit it off with his American opposite number. Three years ago, Condoleezza Rice shocked journalists when she allowed Jack Straw to have her pull-out bed on a flight to Baghdad, while she slept on the floor. ·