Clinton and Miliband

New York, Nov. 16: Hillary Clinton has gushed over David Miliband in an interview in which the US secretary of state called him “vibrant, vital, attractive and smart”.

In an article in Vogue magazine in which Miliband was described as “tall and dashing”, the interviewer joked about developing a crush on the 44-year-old foreign secretary after hearing his British accent on the telephone.

“Well, if you saw him it would be a big crush. I mean, he is so vibrant, vital, attractive, smart,” said Clinton, 18 years Miliband’s senior. “He’s a really good guy. And he’s so young!”

Miliband is rarely cited as a political heartthrob. Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former spokesman, reflected the prevailing mood when he nicknamed him Brains after the geeky puppet scientist in Thunderbirds.

The foreign secretary returned the praise, describing Clinton as “delightful to deal with one on one”.

He added: “She’s someone who laughs and can tease, and she’s got perspective as well.”