𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

More than 100 Labour MPs have “concern” about Andy Burnham becoming party leader and Prime Minister, a senior Cabinet minister has revealed. Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, said he had spoken to Mr Burnham to demand reassurances about the economy. And he highlighted worries that the former Manchester Mayor might allow borrowing to rise.

But Mr Jones confirmed that he had decided not to stand in a leadership contest himself. Speaking to journalist Beth Rigby on Sky News, Mr Jones said he told Mr Burnham: “MPs are asking me to stand. I’m not going to, but they’re asking me to stand for a reason. And that’s because they want you to set out more about your economic policy.” He said: “There were definitely upwards of 100 MPs who have expressed concern either around contest or economic policy or who were just feeling pretty depressed off the back of Keir Starmer resigning.”

But the Minister said: “I don’t think their concern is directly about Andy as prime minister. Their concern is, well, who is Andy going to appoint as Chancellor? What does that mean for the trust that we have won from the public on being trusted on the economy? And how do we ensure stability in the economy whilst delivering on our policy objectives?”

He said Labour MPs backed Andy Burnham’s plans to build more council houses and invest in infrastructure. He added: “But there is a route to doing that in line with the fiscal rules, in a way which continues economic stability as opposed to moving too quickly. And just saying you’re going to borrow lots of extra money, because the risk of doing that – borrowing isn’t free.

“I mean, if you just say you’re going to borrow lots of extra money, you could probably sell the debt. But it’s increasingly expensive, and it means you take money away from doctors and nurses and police officers of the armed forces in order to pay debt interest payments, predominantly now to American hedge funds.”

And he highlighted the importance of choosing a good chancellor, saying: “Quite frankly, in many circumstances, the Chancellor in the Treasury is more powerful than the prime minister in Downing Street … and you also need a Chancellor that can reassure the markets, reassure the trade unions and reassure the parliamentary Labour Party and by extension the public.”

Asked by Beth Rigby if Ed Miliband would be a suitable Chancellor, Mr Jones said: “Well, I will let you mark those tests, but those are the tests I think need to be met. But as I say, any Prime minister, when they decide who they’re appointing as Chancellor, has to make a big decision.”