Andy Burnham Planned for No 10 for 1 Year as Labour Opens Leadership Nominations

1 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 9

Louise Haigh said Andy Burnham has been preparing for life in No 10 for at least a year, arguing he is neither unprepared nor out of touch despite 9 years away from Westminster.
May's disastrous Labour election results made his path to the leadership clear, Haigh said, and Burnham is so far the only declared candidate to replace Keir Starmer as MP nominations open.
Haigh has already joined Burnham and other senior figures in civil-service access talks for a possible handover, and she said his cabinet would be built around policy rather than factional deals.
One immediate test would be welfare: Haigh said the bill is ballooning but rejected Starmer's failed plan to cut 35 billion a year, saying it would shift costs elsewhere.
Burnham's broader pitch centers on devolving power from Westminster and curbing the Treasury's reach, reflecting Labour's search for a new direction after repeated failed resets under Starmer.

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