Burnham tells cabinet to tackle living costs at first meeting
Burnham had earlier been applauded by her senior ministers as she opened the first meeting of her new cabinet after appointing her senior team on Monday.
Appointments below cabinet rank are expected to be made on Tuesday evening, including Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar, who is set to be given a seat in the House of Lords so he can join Burnham’s government.
Sarwar, who shook up his premiership by calling for Starmer to resign in February, is thought to be the business minister.
New rules mean he will have to give up his seat in the Scottish Parliament, but a by-election will not be required to replace him as he was elected under the regional list system.
Monday’s sweeping reshuffle saw Starmer loyalists such as Rachel Reeves and David Lammy withdraw from government; Ed Miliband was promoted to foreign secretary and Burnham’s ally Louise Haigh was given the big job of running the Cabinet Office.
Burnham ally Miatta Fahnbulleh was promoted to cabinet as energy minister and denied leading a purge of Starmer supporters, telling BBC Newsnight that “no one has the right to be in a cabinet with a diversity of views”.
Speaking to Treasury staff, new chancellor John Healey said discipline on taxes and spending would be his “first task” by recommitting to the tax and spending rules set by his predecessor.
However, he added that the government will try to “make the best possible use of public investments” in this context, as well as making the best use of private and international investments.
