Chancellor Rachel Reeves has backed Andy Burnham's bid to replace Keir Starmer in Downing Street, despite facing the axe from her own role. Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference, Reeves said the former Greater Manchester Mayor would make a 'great Prime Minister', becoming the latest senior Labour figure to support his leadership campaign.
Reeves supports Burnham amid Cabinet speculation
Reeves, who is expected to be removed as Chancellor in a Burnham Cabinet, declined to comment on reports she might accept a demotion. 'I'm not going to pre-empt the decisions that the new prime minister will make. I'm backing Andy,' she stated. 'I think he'd be a great Prime Minister, but those are his decisions, not mine to make.'
Burnham, the clear favourite among Labour MPs to replace Starmer, is currently finalising his top team. Reeves added: 'I know that whoever is Prime Minister and Chancellor in the future will inherit a stronger economy than the one I inherited two years ago.'
Advice for the next Chancellor
When asked what advice she would give her successor, with Ed Miliband and Wes Streeting linked to the role, Reeves urged them to maintain her economic plans. 'I am not sure anyone wants my advice, but my advice would be: you've got a brilliant set of officials at the Treasury who will back you if you are clear about what you want to do,' she said.
She outlined her goals as Chancellor: 'I wanted to restore stability to the economy, I wanted to induce investment, both public and private, into the economy, and I wanted to change how the economy works with a regulatory burden that is fairer and more efficient, with a planning system that actually allows things to get built in our country.'
Burnham's economic commitments
Ahead of Burnham's major speech on the economy next week, Reeves confirmed he had committed to her strict fiscal rules. 'I hope that whoever is Chancellor in the future, whenever that future may be, sticks to what I'm doing because it is beginning to bear fruit, and we are seeing that investment return to the economy, that growth return to the economy, and crucially, that stability, so that businesses can plan and invest in the future,' she said.
Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) is set to confirm the timetable on Thursday for electing the party's new leader and Prime Minister, paving the way for Burnham's formal campaign.
