Leicester's two most senior Labour politicians have revealed they are backing former Foreign Secretary David Miliband to be the next leader of their party.

Leicester South MP Peter Soulsby and Leicester East MP Keith Vaz believe Mr Miliband – the bookies' favourite to win the job – is the candidate most capable of bringing Labour back to power.

Mr Miliband is the first candidate to declare he is standing for the leadership.

His younger brother, former Energy Secretary Ed, former Health Secretary Andy Burnham, former Schools Secretary Ed Balls and left-wing backbencher Jon Cruddas are also expected to stand.

Mr Soulsby said: "Now that things are becoming clear and the dust is beginning to settle, I'm convinced that David Miliband is the best person to take the party forward.

"He has very widespread support from all shades of opinion within the parliamentary party and I also think he's got the right ability to communicate effectively.

"He will be the right focus that we need in opposition and a credible alternative Prime Minister."

Mr Vaz said: "There are a number of candidates of a very high quality who have indicated either privately or publicly that they will stand. David Miliband is the best candidate and will be a terrific leader."

But Liz Kendall, who became Leicester's newest Labour MP in the General Election by holding the previously safe seat of Leicester West, said she was not yet ready to say who she was backing.

She said: "We need to treat the election result with humility and to take a period to seriously reflect on what's happened. We need to understand why we lost and how we need to change to be a party that's in touch with the electorate.

"I won't be coming out in favour of any one person until we've had a proper discussion within the party. I want to see the broadest range of candidates and the broadest involvement of members and voters."

Meanwhile the county's Conservative MPs fell in behind David Cameron as he and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg held the first cabinet meeting of their coalition Government.

New cabinet ministers left Downing Street after the meeting yesterday in good spirits.

New Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said it was as though the two parties had been "working together for years".

Some backbench Tory MPs have spoken off the record at their discomfort at the alliance – a couple of weeks ago they were locked in battle with their new partners.

But yesterday Leicestershire Conservatives struck a pragmatic tone.

"The coalition was never what we were aiming for. But we were 20 seats short of a majority and the coalition has given us a way to govern so that we can tackle the huge issues facing the country," said North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen.

"I do have the confidence that the coalition will last for the full five years – it's in the interest of both parties to make it work.

"Of course it's not going to be plain sailing. Like any relationship it will have its ups and downs, but if we all have the national interest at heart we will make it work."

Bosworth Tory MP David Tredinnick said: "I think it will be a strong coalition. It is a bit strange working with people that have been our political rivals but David Cameron has acted to put the national interest first. The majority we now have in Parliament is large enough that we should be able to work well over the full five-year term."

Harborough MP Edward Garnier, Melton MP Alan Duncan and Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan have all already given their support to the coalition deal.

South Leicestershire MP Andrew Robathan told the Mercury earlier this week that he thought it was "a pity" his party had needed to enter a coalition but said he would "go along with it because that's what the electorate decided".

He added the Lib Dems were "very much the junior partner".