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Who will Andy Burnham pick for his chancellor and cabinet – all the runners and riders

KAll eyes are on what his top team will look like as Andy Burnham prepares to finally break into the 10th position; But the competition over who will be its next chancellor is heating up.

The former Mayor of Manchester’s premiership was cemented on Friday when he was confirmed as the new Labor leader after receiving the nomination of 379 of 403 Labor MPs this week.

The former mayor would have benefited from almost all of the announced nominations had it not been for backbencher Neil Coyle, who chose former minister Catherine West, who withdrew from an unlikely leadership challenge against Sir Keir in May.

Mr Burnham, who was sworn in as an MP last month, faces demands from both inside and outside the Labor Party to bring about real change once he enters Number 10.

This not only means a change in policy, but also a change in the cabinet; Mr Burnham is likely to choose a team that reflects a wider range of views than the narrow-minded party represented by Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet.

Mr. Burnham would of course have close allies whom he would want to reward with top jobs. But when it comes to choosing his cabinet, it will be one role above all others that will shape his government; his election as chancellor.

Here, Independent He’s looking at who can compete for his top team.

Andy Burnham will need to choose the best team
Andy Burnham will need to choose the best team (Getty)

When Burnham becomes prime minister, who will be her chancellor?

After prime minister, the most important role in government is that of chancellor, and Mr Burnham’s election would be the biggest sign of Sir Keir’s change of direction.

With Rachel Reeves backing the MP on behalf of Makerfield in what is seen as a last-ditch attempt to protect her job, it looks almost certain she will be booted from the Treasury and potentially the government altogether.

There is a suggestion he could take the defense secretary job, where he would need to persuade his old department to fill the £4.7bn black hole he left in the Defense Recovery Plan.

With it will come economic policy and perhaps tight borrowing rules – although Mr Burnham has already indicated he will stick to them.

There are two names currently widely discussed as Mr Burnham’s future chancellor: Shabana Mahmood and Ed Miliband.

Wes Streeting is said to be in talks
Wes Streeting is said to be in talks (P.A.)

These names represent very different approaches to economics; Ms Mahmood is on the right of the party and Mr Miliband is a leading figure on the soft left.

Shabana Mahmood

Most people now expect Ms. Mahmood to get the job.

After weeks of wrangling, Ms Mahmood is now in charge. He appears to be extremely competent after gaining a reputation as a tough home secretary. As an added bonus, her appointment will also allow Mr Burnham to remove her from the Home Office and fine-tune immigration policy.

The appointment of Ms Mahmood, who comes from Labour’s right wing, will calm market tensions amid concerns that Mr Burnham, in No 10, could unleash more debt. However, he had never held any economic duty as a minister before.

But as it turns out IndependentThere are concerns that the left is in favor of reducing taxes and welfare.

Ed Miliband

Mr Miliband has longed for the job of chancellor for some time and was a leading candidate to revise economic policy to the left. But be prepared to be disappointed.

He is now expected to become foreign secretary with a briefing on reforming the Foreign Office, as well as looking at a roadmap back to the 0.7 per cent of GDP spent on international aid.

Mr Miliband’s history of taking a hardline approach to net zero policies has made him a controversial figure, an image that is difficult to erase.

More female MPs can be brought to the cabinet

A number of female MPs are likely to play key roles in Mr Burnham’s cabinet.

At the top of that list is Louise Haigh, who was forced out of Sir Keir’s transport minister’s cabinet after past criminal convictions involving mobile phone fraud were revealed.

He has revived his career – not least as a key figure in Mr Burnham’s campaign co-ordinating his move at Makerfield and his wider bid to become the new Labor leader. If Mr Burnham becomes Prime Minister, he is expected to take on the key co-ordinating role as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who runs the Cabinet Office, the engine of government.

Ms Haigh’s allies told Independent He said he was set to be appointed as the new chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, where he would lead the Cabinet Office and work closely with the prime minister and Downing Street.

Louise Haigh is a key part of Burnham's team
Louise Haigh is a key part of Burnham’s team (Getty)

Another key figure in his campaign was Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley, who is likely to take on a key role as party chairman.

Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is also preparing for a comeback. He quietly put aside his own leadership ambitions to support Mr Burnham. He was forced to resign over tax matters but is now eyeing a senior job and is being talked about as the next health minister.

Mr Burnham’s ally and party deputy leader, Lucy Powell, is also likely to take up a cabinet post and is expected to eventually become deputy prime minister. He is also set to replace Steve Reed, who runs local government, housing and communities.

The current culture minister, Lisa Nandy, will be promoted and she will also look after education.

There is speculation that current foreign secretary Yvette Cooper could return to her previous job as home secretary, but John Healey, who quit as defense secretary to protest funding shortfalls, is another name linked to the role.

The third name to watch out for as a possible home secretary is Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary from the Starmer government in the hope of launching his own leadership bid, which never materialized.

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Who would come out?

There is a possibility of wholesale change, which means some surprising numbers could emerge. Deputy prime minister David Lammy, a close ally of Sir Keir, is expected to find himself on the backbenchers.

There is also speculation that Mr Burnham will leave Morgan McSweeney allies Steve Reed, the housing minister, Darren Jones, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Peter Kyle, the business minister.

Meanwhile, tech secretary Liz Kendall, who has previously failed in the welfare job, is unlikely to get a role in any Burnham cabinet. There are rumors that Pat McFadden will remain as work and pensions minister.

However, what is always true in new cabinet elections is that surprise names always emerge.

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