Guido has been speaking to sources across Westminster – particularly Labour ones – about who Burnham is actually close to. An item ignored by everyone including Labour MPs in frenzied consideration of Starmer’s replacement…
The quality of No10 personnel is extremely important to the functioning of the centre of government. As Starmer’s two-year staffing nightmare has shown…
Guido has sounded out a likely Burnham No10 as things stand:
Chief of Staff – Kevin Lee
Kevin Lee is the long-serving Chief of Staff who has worked for Burnham since the beginning. Bag carrying since 2010. Chillingly spent nine years working at HMRC back in the day. Kevin is the main guy, the Morgan…
Deputy Chief of Staff – Josh Simons
Simons resigned his seat for Burnham. Westminster sources say he has long thought Burnham should replace the PM but did not envisage his own place in the Commons would have to be given up until the last moment. A man with his fair share of enemies in Labour. There will be a reputational issue with hiring Simons to get through after the circumstances of his recent exit from government…
Director of Policy – Neal Lawson
Lawson is the long term director of Compass and proponent of radical policy views such as proportional representation and a ‘progressive alliance’ with the Liberal Democrats, Green Party and other parties. He is widely believed across Westminster to be writing Andy’s manifesto, and regularly makes the case for his policy platform in the media…
Lawson’s influence on Burnham is seen all over the place:
“He calls it “business-friendly socialism”. Starting with proportional representation, Burnham recognises that nothing will change for the vast majority in our country until we change our democratic system so that we can change our economic system; until we own and control the basics in our lives such as water, energy, housing and transport.”
Director of Comms – Danny Coyne
Danny Coyne has worked for key Burnham ally Lou Haigh, friend of Burnham Sue Gray, leftist Angela Rayner, and John Healey. He is said to be communicating a Burnhamite message to the lobby at the moment…
Grace Pritchard will have a hand in running Team Andy’s communications in the future. She may get a look in for senior No10 role…
Deputy Director of Comms – Ant McCaul
It’s no secret that Lucy Powell has been supporting Burnham’s bid to return and run as PM. She voted to do so on the NEC and helped in the effort to find a seat. It’s little wonder that the man who was her SpAd, and is described as “Lucy’s brain,” is likely to go into No10 to ensure that the Burnham project lands in government.
Director of Strategy – Luke Hurst
The national coordinator of the Burnham operation Mainstream, Hurst is a widely respected organiser of Labour MPs and would be seen as a safe pair of hands to help shepherd the radical changes that Burnham through a PLP riled up by a leadership election.
Political Director – Jon Lansman (Mainstream)
One of the more eyeball-popping suggestions. Lansman is one of the founding members of Mainstream, and is capable of delivering the crucial alliance with the SCG. He’s said to be pushing hard to include the readmittance of Jeremy Corbyn into the Labour Party – something that could clash with Josh Simons, and the recently disclosed emails he wrote while running Labour Together. One of the first tests of their team…
Unions
Unite is the union of choice for Burnham, although any suggestion that Miliband is to run policy (with his anti-Rosebank positions in mind) will tank their relationship. Unite hates Net Zero…
Other potentials:
These are the people expected to be in charge if Burnham gets into No10. For those who think the chaos would be over…
Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree MP backing Andy Burnham, told Times Radio there wouldn’t be trouble from the markets under Burnham:
“The markets will have to fall in line.”