Andy Burnham faces one less obstacle in his path to No10 after Darren Jones confirmed he will not stand in the looming Labour leadership contest.
The Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister ruled out standing to replace Sir Keir Starmer after crunch talks with the former Greater Manchester Mayor cooled fears over his economic plans.
Mr Jones, a close ally of Sir Keir, went as far as to declare “Andy Burnham is going to be the next Prime Minister” as he questioned what the value of him standing would be.
Asked by Sky News if he was going to stand, he said: “I’m not,” adding: “Well, look, I was never planning or organising a leadership campaign like some of my colleagues.
“So the question for me is, well, what would the benefit be to the country and to the party of a leadership contest?”
Though Mr Jones revealed he did not discuss a potential Cabinet job with the Makerfield MP – instead instead focusing on policy and the economy, before Mr Burnham’s landmark speech to the City next week.
When asked if he would have had the numbers to challenge Mr Burnham, Mr Jones said there were “upwards of 100 MPs who have expressed concern, either around contest, or economic policy, or who were just feeling pretty depressed off the back of Keir Starmer resigning”.
Though question marks still remain over ex-Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who on Monday said he had not ruled out standing for the Labour top job.
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The two surprise groups that think EU would punish Britain if UK were to rejoin bloc
Britons believe the European Union would force harsh conditions on the United Kingdom rejoining the bloc, potentially including signing up to the Euro, but two surprise groups have emerged that most Brexit-backers would not expect.
According to polling from More in Common, 45 per cent of Britons think the EU would offer unfavourable conditions to punish the UK for leaving.
Meanwhile, 29 per cent think it would offer favourable conditions to encourage the UK back, with 26 per cent saying they don’t know.
Unsurprisingly, Leave voters are the most sceptical, with 63 per cent expecting unfavourable conditions, vs just 20 per cent who think Brussels would employ favourable conditions.
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Zack Polanski eyes up Labour heartlands in bumper election night while lame duck PM faces leadership limbo
Zack Polanski is eyeing up by-election wins
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Zack Polanski is eyeing up a London takeover on a bumper election night while Labour continues to face a leadership limbo.
On Thursday, thousands of Britons up and down the nation will head to the polls to cast their ballot across Wales, Scotland and England, including the capital.
However, in five by-elections, Labour and Greens are battling it out to nab a seat across London, with Mr Polanski looking to take advantage of disillusioned Labour supporters.
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Lord Hermer admits Labour’s STILL ‘determined’ to give away Chagos Islands
Lord Hermer has said Labour “remains determined” to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, despite Donald Trump dropping support for the agreement.
The Attorney General told the Commons the deal – which Mr Trump described as “an act of total weakness” – was “overwhelmingly in our national interest”.
Those remarks were made despite the policy not being mentioned in the King’s Speech and the Government previously admitting the deal would be “impossible to agree”.
With the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer, it remains unclear if his successor will continue with the policy – or drop it entirely.
Lord Hermer himself could also be shown the exit door as part of Sir Keir’s replacement’s first Cabinet…
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Darren Jones issues withering verdict on prospect of Ed Miliband as Chancellor
Darren Jones has also warned Andy Burnham not to make Ed Miliband Chancellor as he set out “tests” for any potential Rachel Reeves replacement.
Asked for his view of Mr Miliband in No11, Mr Jones told Sky News: “I’m not going to get into personalities.”
But setting out his “tests” for who take on the role, he said: “I think the next Chancellor needs to be able to have a clear view about the political economy and understand how the Treasury works.
“I think they need to have an important relationship with the Prime Minister, because, quite frankly, in many circumstances the Chancellor in the Treasury is more powerful than the Prime Minister in Downing Street.
“So, you have to have someone that’s going to enable the delivery of the Prime Minister’s priorities and not try to control the Prime Minister. And that relationship is really critical.
“You also need a Chancellor that can reassure the markets, reassure the trade unions and reassure the Parliamentary Labour Party, and by extension the public.”
Asked whether Mr Miliband “falls short” of his tests, Mr Jones said; “I will let you mark those tests, but those are the tests I think need to be met.”
RECAP: Andy Burnham held ‘secret talks’ with Keir Starmer amid vow for smooth transition
Sir Keir Starmer held secret face-to-face talks with his likely successor Andy Burnham yesterday evening, GB News understands.
It is understood the Prime Minister met Mr Burnham – the frontrunner to replace him in No10 – for the first time since the ex-Greater Manchester Mayor’s by-election victory.
The pair reportedly held an hour-long “off-site” discussion away from Downing Street.
The Prime Minister has already authorised access talks between Whitehall officials and his would-be successors, including Mr Burnham, who could become Prime Minister by mid-July if no challengers emerge.
Until this morning, Darren Jones and ex-Armed Forces Minister Al Carns were both being considered as possible candidates by Labour MPs, who feel Mr Burnham should have a formal contest.
The Prime Minister told Cabinet yesterday he wanted an “orderly transition”, and insisted he would try to make the process “as easy as possible” for his successor at a weekly meeting on this morning.