Andy Burnham‘s new Cabinet has become embroiled in chaos before even being created as senior Labour figures fight to become his chancellor.
Ed Miliband, Shabana Mahmood and Yvette Cooper are embroiled in a major briefing war as they all put forward their claim to the senior financial post.
With just days to go until Mr Burnham replaces Sir Keir Starmer, reports suggest he has yet to decide who to appoint to run No11.
Mr Miliband, the environmentally conscious Energy Secretary, appears to be the choice of Labour members, but has been opposed by figures around the incoming Prime Minister over his run-ins with business and trade unions.
Ms Cooper, who was a Treasury minister almost 20 years ago under Gordon Brown, and Home Secretary Ms Mahmood, a former shadow Treasury minister, have now been linked with the post.
Ms Mahmood is unpopular with the party Left because of hardline immigration reforms, and a move would allow Mr Burnham to shake things up.
One veteran Labour MP on the Left of the party told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t think Miliband will get No 11. He would be too big a risk.’
Mr Miliband was seen as the least market-friendly candidate in a poll by Bloomberg, while he has also clashed with unions over North Sea oil jobs that could be affected by the push for green power he champions.
Speculation had been rife that Mr Miliband, a former party leader who is now Energy Secretary, would replace Rachel Reeves in No11 on Monday
But allies of the incoming PM say he has yet to make up his mind about who would control the nation’s finances, with Shabana Mahmood, the current Home Secretary, also an option
It comes after Mr Burnham said people’s everyday living expenses are ‘the issue of our times’ as he was quizzed on his plans for government.
Speaking to reporters in Parliament last night he said: ‘I’ve been setting out plans that I believe will bring some much-needed change in terms of people’s everyday living expense. I think that is the issue of our times.
‘If we want to connect politics better with people, well, let’s deal with some of the pressures people are under in terms of the everyday cost of transport, the bills that they’re paying. I heard it so often on doorsteps in the campaign.’
‘You know, life has changed for people, and it’s not necessarily got better’, he added.
‘And I think we just need to be relentlessly focused on that.
‘I have talked about more public control of the basics, and then through that control, cutting the cost. I did that with buses in Greater Manchester, and I carry that same principle forward.
‘To me, the cost of living and reducing it is everything, and I think we need to regain the confidence in the public that we’ve got a credible plan to do that and make life better.’
Earlier this month a YouGov poll of Labour members found 69 per cent believed Mr Miliband would do a good job, compared to 30 per cent for Ms Mahmood.
But he has been the source or ire for some trade unions over his lack of backing for the North Sea oil and gas industry as he tries to make UK power greener.
In March, Unite’s Sharon Graham said he should not ‘let go of one rope before having hold of another’.
‘We all know that whatever happens the UK will still need oil and gas for decades to come and the war in Iran is just the latest reminder that when we rely on overseas production our energy security is at the mercy of global events,’ she said.
Reports this week suggested Mr Miliband might be prepared to U-turn on North Sea oil and gas if made chancellor.
He is said to be keen to give the go-ahead to the Jackdaw gas field in order to show he is not a Net Zero ‘zealot’ and to calm jitters about his possible appointment at the Treasury.
Mr Miliband is reported to have privately signalled his willingness to grant consent for Jackdaw, but cannot confirm the move until a consultation closes next month.
It came as the PM-in-waiting was accused of ‘running scared’ after MPs were denied the chance to quiz him until after the summer.
He will become Prime Minister on Monday but the House of Commons rises for its summer break on Thursday so he will be spared scrutiny for six weeks.
The Conservatives have been calling for one extra day next week so Mr Burnham could give a statement – and face questions – and planned to put pressure on the Government by holding a vote on Wednesday.
But on Tuesday in an unprecedented move ministers cancelled the Opposition Day debate, saying the time was needed to discuss Iran instead.
It means Mr Burnham, who won so many backings no rival candidate can now be nominated, will not answer questions from MPs until September 1.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch led the outrage, saying: ‘In an unprecedented move, Labour have scrapped the Conservative vote to force Andy Burnham to come to Parliament to answer questions when he becomes PM on Monday.
‘Labour are running scared because they know the honeymoon will be over the minute he has to tell us his plans.’
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