Andy Burnham held secret talks with Keir Starmer just 24 hours after the prime minister announced his resignation, as cabinet ministers loyal to Starmer urged the chief secretary to the prime minister, Darren Jones, not to enter the leadership contest.
Burnham, the newly elected MP for Makerfield, has declared he will stand to replace Starmer after the PM's support drained away. He is currently unopposed, which could see him installed in Downing Street by mid July. But some Labour MPs are pushing for another candidate to stop a “coronation”.
“Andy Burnham is frontrunner to succeed Keir Starmer as cabinet ministers urge Darren Jones not to run.”
Former defence minister Al Carns has not ruled himself out, and Jones is being urged by some backbenchers to run — though several cabinet ministers have said they will not back any candidate against Burnham. “It would be crackers to have a contest at this stage,” one minister said. “We have to move on from this period and try to pull together.” Another minister said they had urged Jones not to run in a contest he would be unlikely to win.
Jones is understood to be reluctant to run, but sources said he would look at Burnham's economic plans, including for public control of utilities, before deciding. An ally said Jones merely wanted to know more about Burnham's platform, especially on economic policy.
Concerns have been raised about the prospect of Ed Miliband as chancellor under Burnham, with one supporter of Jones calling it “a disaster” that could cause a negative market reaction. Burnham is considering appointing Miliband but has not made a final decision, sources said. He has stressed he will stick to Rachel Reeves's fiscal rules.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds has become the latest minister to strongly back Burnham, saying she does not believe any rivals have enough support. Nick Thomas-Symonds, a Cabinet Office minister, told BBC Breakfast he was backing Burnham because the party needed “someone with a track record of delivery”. He added: “But secondly somebody who is best placed to defeat Reform at the next general election.”
Thomas-Symonds pointed to Burnham beating Reform by more than 9,000 votes in Makerfield, and argued for “a swift and orderly transition”. About 200 Labour MPs were pictured with Burnham after he was sworn in as an MP.
Wes Streeting, who had been seen as a potential rival, withdrew his own bid and threw his weight behind Burnham, saying “he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism”. Streeting denied he had been offered a cabinet position in return.
But some MPs, including Nottingham East's Nadia Whittome, say a contest over the summer is the only democratic way to test candidates' ideas. However, any challenger would need 81 backers to enter a contest, and many MPs remain sceptical. Luke Akehurst, a member of the NEC, suggested a contest was unlikely.
With Burnham's coronation seemingly imminent, attention is turning to his top team. The biggest decision will be who he appoints as chancellor — a choice that will signal to businesses and markets how he intends to handle the economy.