Prime Minister in waiting Andy Burnham will now start to receive official briefings from the Civil Service, it was revealed today. The news was confirmed as outgoing PM, Sir Keir Starmer, chaired a weekly meeting of his Cabinet and said he would seek to make the transition of power to his successor as 'easy as possible'.
Starmer Authorises Talks With Prospective Candidates
Sir Keir has authorised access talks to begin with 'prospective candidates' to replace him as soon as possible, Downing Street said in an announcement after the meeting. The Prime Minister told ministers he wanted an 'orderly transition' and would seek to 'resolve difficult issues in the coming weeks' at the meeting on Tuesday morning.
It comes as Cabinet minister Darren Jones and former armed forces minister Al Carns are being considered as potential candidates by Labour MPs, wary about installing Mr Burnham in No 10 without a contest. The new Makerfield MP, who only returned to the Commons on Monday, could be in Downing Street within weeks if a challenger does not emerge.
Potential Challengers: Jones and Carns
Mr Jones, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister and a key ally of Sir Keir Starmer, is one potential candidate with support from those loyal to the outgoing Labour leader. Sources close to Mr Jones said he was not currently minded to run in a contest but that he would want assurances on Mr Burnham’s approach to economic policy, amid concerns among some of potential unease in the markets. Mr Burnham is set to make a major speech next week to set out key aspects of his economic policy, including confirmation he will stick to the current Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ rules for managing the public finances.
The second potential rival to Mr Burnham is former Royal Marines officer Mr Carns, who is making up his mind whether to launch a leadership campaign. He told journalists at the Foreign Press Association in London that he had not ruled out running. He said Mr Burnham would “listen” to the Parliamentary Labour Party and “he’ll take advice on policy ideas, and hopefully he’ll be able to drive them forward at a pace and with the boldness and courageousness that is required to keep that social cohesion and make us successful in the 2029 general election”. But he said: “A vision without a plan is a dream and if you don’t have it, it can turn into a nightmare pretty quickly.” Asked whether he would launch his own leadership bid, he said: “A decision is often based on multiple factors. I just need to see and buy into that vision and that policy and then we’ll see where we go from there.”
Burnham Backer Urges Swift Transition
Burnham backer Nick Thomas-Symonds suggested a contest would not be in the best interests of the country. The Cabinet Office minister told Sky News: “I just think we have to weigh up what is in the best interests of the country. I am of the view that it needs to be a swift transition but of course I understand colleagues have difficult decisions to make.” Mr Burnham will begin to set out his policy platform, pledging economic growth and a commitment to Labour’s existing fiscal rules in a speech next week.
Talks are also said to be taking place about who will sit in his Cabinet, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood both tipped as potential candidates to replace Ms Reeves as chancellor. But Mr Burnham’s allies said no jobs had been given and no deals had been made as of Monday evening.
