Rachel Reeves backs Andy Burnham as subsequent PM regardless of dealing with axe as Chancellor
Rachel Reeves claimed the ex-Greater Manchester Mayor would make a ‘great Prime Minister’ as she became the latest senior Labour figure to back his bid for No10
Rachel Reeves has backed Andy Burnham(Image: Getty Images)
Rachel Reeves has backed Andy Burnham’s bid to replace Keir Starmer in Downing Street – despite facing the axe as Chancellor.
Ms Reeves claimed the ex-Greater Manchester Mayor would make a “great Prime Minister” as she became the latest senior Labour figure to back his bid for No10.
It comes as Mr Burnham – the clear favourite among Labour MPs to replace Mr Starmer – thrashes out his top team.
Ms Reeves, who is expected to be removed from her post as Chancellor, would not be drawn on reports she may accept a demotion in a Burnham Cabinet, saying: “I’m not going to pre-empt the decisions that the new prime minister will make. I’m backing Andy.”
She said: “I think he’d be a great Prime Minister, but those are his decisions, not mine to make.”
The Chancellor added: “I know that whoever is Prime Minister and Chancellor in the future will inherit a stronger economy than the one I inherited two years ago.”
Ms Reeves also urged her successor, with both Ed Miliband and Wes Streeting linked to the role, to stay the course with her economic plans as they are “beginning to bear fruit”.
Asked at the British Chambers of Commerce conference what her advice would be to the next chancellor, she said: “I am not sure anyone wants my advice, but my advice would be: you’ve got a brilliant set of officials at the Treasury who will back you if you are clear about what you want to do, and I’ve been very clear about what I wanted to achieve as Chancellor.
“I wanted to restore stability to the economy, I wanted to induce investment, both public and private, into the economy, and I wanted to change how the economy works with a regulatory burden that is fairer and more efficient, with a planning system that actually allows things to get built in our country.”
Ahead of Mr Burnham’s major speech on the economy next week, Ms Reeves also said he had committed to her strict fiscal rules. She continued: “I hope that whoever is Chancellor in the future, whenever that future may be, sticks to what I’m doing because it is beginning to bear fruit, and we are seeing that investment return to the economy, that growth return to the economy, and crucially, that stability, so that businesses can plan and invest in the future.”
It comes as Labour’s ruling body – the National Executive Committee (NEC) – prepares to confirm the timetable on Thursday for electing the party’s new leader and Prime Minister.
