2 hours ago 8 minutes ago
Henry ZeffmanChief governmental correspondent
Reuters
Andy Burnham is expected to question the Labour enactment aft his resounding triumph successful the Makerfield by-election.
If Burnham succeeds successful gaining the keys to Number 10, present are immoderate of the MPs and advisers who could beryllium fixed cardinal roles.
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Louise Haigh and Anneliese Midgley astatine Burnham's by-election triumph rally
The erstwhile transport caput was the archetypal of Sir Keir's furniture ministers to quit, aft it emerged successful November 2024 that she had a fraud condemnation anterior to entering parliament.
On the backbenches she emerged arsenic a important powerfulness broker connected Labour's "soft left", and was astatine the bosom of the immense rebellion which scuppered the government's payment cuts successful 2025.
She has been a large fig successful Burnham's Makerfield campaign, basing herself successful the constituency, and is enactment for a large furniture job.
Midgley has lone been the MP for Knowsley, not acold from Makerfield, since 2024 but she has been an influential unit successful the Labour question for overmuch longer than that.
She worked for Sir Keir's bureau successful absorption pursuing stints astatine the TUC, Unite and successful erstwhile Labour person Jeremy Corbyn's team.
She is seen arsenic a plausible campaigner for main whip oregon adjacent to beryllium governmental caput successful Downing Street, not a occupation usually held by an elected politician.
Fahnbulleh resigned arsenic a inferior curate for communities successful the aftermath of the May elections, but dissimilar astir of those who discontinue the authorities she is from Labour's brushed left, not its right.
Since past she has been moving connected argumentation ideas for a imaginable Burnham government. She was antecedently a civilian servant and ran the New Economics Foundation deliberation tank.
Reuters
Josh Simons and Miatta Fahnbulleh successful the beforehand enactment astatine Burnham's triumph rally
The antheral who gave up his spot for Burnham - and who was praised for his "selflessness" by the caller Makerfield MP, successful a code to supporters connected Friday morning.
Simons is said to person been helping Team Burnham connected policy, though helium has a antithetic ideological inheritance to Fahnbulleh.
He has been connected a accelerated governmental rollercoaster: helium worked for and past fell retired with Jeremy Corbyn; ran a pro-Starmer deliberation tank; became an MP and rapidly a minister, from which helium had to resign implicit accusations astir his behaviour astatine the deliberation tank.
He is seen arsenic a apt campaigner for a relation successful a Burnham Downing Street.
Currently Burnham's lawman politician for policing and crime, Green has been canvassing MPs astir their opinions connected what a Burnham authorities should bash and is seen arsenic a imaginable campaigner for a relation successful Downing Street.
Before taking up her existent relation successful 2023 she was an MP for 12 years, including a stint successful Sir Keir's shadiness cabinet.
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Kevin Lee has been astatine Burnham's broadside for galore years
Burnham's closest adviser, Lee ran his archetypal Labour enactment run successful 2010, advised him erstwhile helium was shadiness wellness caput and has been moving his mayoral bureau since 2017. A dormant cert for a relation successful a Burnham Downing Street.
Reuters
Lucy Powell is simply a longstanding Burnham ally
As the independently-elected lawman leader, Lucy Powell has her ain large relation to play careless of who the Labour person is.
But arsenic it stands she is not successful the furniture truthful lone has power implicit enactment matters and not the government.
This is apt to alteration should Burnham go premier minister. The brace person worked intimately unneurotic for years fixed she is simply a Manchester MP.
When Miliband won the Labour enactment successful 2010, Burnham came fourth. In that contention Burnham positioned himself to Miliband's right.
Years later, the 2 person go aligned successful their content successful a much interventionist state.
Many astir Sir Keir are profoundly suspicious to accidental the slightest of Miliband's behaviour arsenic vigor caput implicit caller months, believing helium has been agitating for Burnham down the scenes.
He is thought to covet the relation of chancellor, having spent galore years advising Gordon Brown successful the Treasury nether New Labour.
Only 4 MPs are near who voted for Burnham to go person the archetypal clip helium tried, successful 2010. One of them is Alexander, present the transport secretary.
She besides backed him successful 2015, a contention helium began arsenic frontrunner, and is apt to beryllium successful enactment for a large occupation should helium win.
A seasoned fig connected Labour's progressive near arsenic the laminitis of the unit radical Compass, Lawson has besides been a starring fig successful the reasonably caller organisation Mainstream, which has mostly been seen arsenic Burnham-aligned.
But his ideas connected electoral betterment and alliances betwixt progressive parties beryllium uneasily with others successful Burnham's orbit - it volition beryllium fascinating to spot if Lawson is fixed a relation oregon not.
Lord O'Neill and Richard Hughes
Burnham consulted high-level advisers, particularly connected economics, successful the days earlier his by-election triumph successful Makerfield.
In a motion helium is preparing programmes for nationalist policy, and to pass stableness to the markets should helium go premier minister, Burnham has been taking proposal from Lord O'Neill, a erstwhile Treasury curate and economist.
He has besides been advised by Hughes, the erstwhile president of the Office of Budget Responsibility, who resigned aft an IT leak of Budget numbers.
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