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Politics Home Article | Andy Burnham Makes John Healey His Chancellor
New Chancellor John Healey walks up Downing Street (Alamy)
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Andy Burnham has appointed John Healey as his Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Healey, who resigned as defence secretary in June over former prime minister Keir Starmer’s planned defence spending, was Burnham’s first Cabinet appointment on Monday.
The Yorkshire MP has said that Britain should increase its decrease spending to reach 3 per cent of GDP by 2030 in response to global threats, up from the current planned level of 2.7 per cent.
Healey replaces Rachel Reeves, who has left government along with other close Starmer allies to make way for the new administration.
Burnham officially became prime minister earlier today, succeeding Starmer.
The former Greater Manchester mayor is expected to give senior ministerial positions to Shabana Mahmood and Ed Miliband, as well as his allies Angela Rayner, Lou Haigh and Lucy Powell.
Burnham’s decision to put Healey in the Treasury came somewhat as a surprise, with Mahmood and Miliband seen as frontrunners for the job.
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