Who Might Be In Andy Burnham’s Cabinet If He Becomes The Next PM?

Andy Burnham is currently the only person who has declared they want to replace Keir Starmer as the next Labour leader and de facto prime minsiter.

Unless another Labour MP puts their head above the parapet before nominations close on July 16 with support from at least 81 MPs, Burnham’s path to Downing Street looks pretty clear.

If he’s uncontested, he will be in No.10 as the prime minister by July 17 or 18 – meaning speculation over what his time in office might look like.

Burnham’s allies have suggested he will stick to Labour’s 2024 manifesto, but evidently wants to put his own stamp on government – which is likely to mean plenty of personnel changes.

So what might the ex-Greater Manchester mayor’s cabinet look like?

Burnham is reportedly considering energy secretary Ed Miliband, ex-health secretary Wes Streeting and home secretary Shabana Mahmood for the top job.

The chancellor and prime minister are expected to work in lockstep, so a harmonious relationship is ideal.

There’s also immense pressure on fixing the UK’s economy amid international pressures from the Iran war and the invasion of Ukraine.

Rachel Reeves, the current chancellor, is almost definitely going to be kicked out of the Treasury, having been closely tied to Starmer’s flailing premiership.

Though Burnham has insisted he would stick by her fiscal rules to avoid spooking the bond markets, his alleged options for chancellor would take him away from Reeves’ vision for the country.

Miliband is a strong figure on the left of the party, known for his divisive commitment to net zero, while Streeting is seen as a Blairite centrist who is unpopular within Labour.

The latter was expected to run as party leader himself but pulled out of the race on Monday and endorsed Burnham.

According to reports, Streeting may have asked for the Treasury role in exchange for giving his opponent a clear run to No.10.

Mahmood allegedly has her eye on the job, too. She is known for representing “Blue Labour”, which looks to challenge free-market “neoliberalism” – something Burnham has vowed to undo.

Another one of the great offices of state, Mahmood has held this position since last September and has won significant praise for her work on immigration.

She has overseen net migration decline to its lowest level since 2012 and has introduced major reforms, such as doubling the amount of time a migrant has to live in the UK before being eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

However, a question mark remains over whether her hardline policies align with Burnham’s possibly more liberal plans for immigration, especially as small boat crossings continue to be a concern.

Burnham could choose to install a new face in the job instead.

Yvette Cooper currently heads up the Foreign Office, and has been relatively successful handling the chaos around the Peter Mandelson’s scandal and the Iran war since last September.

She also helped accelerate Starmer’s decision to resign after telling him to quit after Burnham’s Makerfield victory.

Starmer’s name was mentioned by Labour MP Jess Phillips, who left government last month, as a possible contender for foreign secretary last week due to his success on the international stage.

However, the PM’s allies have downplayed the idea Starmer would be interested in returning to cabinet and working under Burnham.

The PM also said in his resignation speech that he wanted to focus on spending time with his family.

John Healey resigned as defence secretary earlier this month, attacking the Starmer government for refusing to offer clear commitments to boost defence spending.

Former Armed Forces minister, Al Carns, followed suit – he was expected to run in a leadership campaign against Burnham but is yet to formally put himself forward.

Burnham could choose either of them, especially as they helped erode the last of Starmer’s authority over the Labour Party by quitting.

Healey’s replacement, Dan Jarvis, could also have a shot at staying in the top job, having been appointed by Starmer on June 11.

He will be under pressure to hold his own at the Nato summit on July 7, even though it is unclear if the government’s Defence Investment Plan will be ready by then.

High-profile Labour MPs who helped Burnham run his campaign in Makerfield – including ex-transport secretary Louise Haigh and her successor Heidi Alexander – may be rewarded for their help.

Ex-housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell, culture secretary Lisa Nandy, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and backbencher Anneliese Midgley could also be offered a ministerial job after backing Burnham early on.

The ex-Manchester mayor will likely be looking to install more women in his government as the party continues to face criticism for never having a female leader.

But close allies of Starmer, like deputy PM David Lammy, could be pushed to the backbenches to create distance between the outgoing and incoming governments.

Work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden and housing secretary Steve Reed could join him, along with tech secretary Liz Kendall.

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