Andy Burnham hasn't even become Prime Minister yet, but he's already facing a bitter internal fight within the Labour Party over who should be his Chancellor. The row is a proxy for a bigger battle over whether Labour—and the government—should shift further left under his leadership.
Chancellor Rumours Spark Conflict
For weeks, rumours have circulated that Burnham plans to appoint Ed Miliband as Chancellor. Miliband, on the soft-left, moved Labour leftwards during his own leadership from 2010 to 2015. However, he is unpopular with some trade unions, who blame him for job losses in fossil fuel industries like North Sea oil, despite the unions themselves being left-wing.
As an alternative, Burnham has considered Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary known for controversial immigration cuts and extending waiting times for permanent residency to save Treasury money. She is seen as a right-winger within Labour, and her tough immigration plans have upset many Labour MPs.
Backlash Before Announcement
Even without an official announcement, there is already a backlash. Labour MP Rachael Maskell told Times Radio: “I don’t think Shabana would be the right person for Chancellor. I do think Ed Miliband would be a suitable candidate.” She added that Miliband has “the skills and ability, experience to be able to drive forward a different agenda from Treasury, which is absolutely crucial, but also to push that out across the country as opposed to this real centralisation which has happened in the Treasury for decades upon decades.”
Other Labour MPs privately complain that Mahmood has shown little interest in the economy, though she has served as a shadow treasury minister. Meanwhile, allies of former leader Keir Starmer are angry at Burnham for what they see as undermining Sir Keir. Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary and Burnham ally, revealed Burnham had been planning to become Prime Minister for a year.
Burnham Encouraged Rebellions
It also appears Burnham encouraged backbench rebellions against Starmer’s government. Karl Turner, the ex-Labour MP who lost the whip after criticising plans to curtail jury trials, told Times Radio: “He, I have to tell you, was encouraging me to oppose the jury trial curtailment because he thought it was a ludicrous idea like I did.”
Labour is in a difficult position despite winning a massive election victory two years ago, which led to Starmer’s resignation. Burnham may yet succeed in calming the party, but his start is not promising.
