Darren Jones has told Sky News’s Beth Rigby he won’t inflict a Labour leadership campaign on his colleagues:
“I’m not… I was never planning or organising a leadership campaign like some of my colleagues. I was getting on with the job as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister… Andy Burnham is going to be the next Prime Minister. And if there was a contest of Labour Party members, he would win.”
Asked if he even had the backers to launch a bid, Jones gave a masterclass in how to say ‘no’ in politician-speak:
“Well, there were definitely upwards of 100 MPs who have expressed concern, either around contest, or economic policy…”
He also claimed there is “room to borrow a little bit more” within the fiscal rules (and Burnham apparently now knows what the rules actually are). So that’s another one hoping to get the call up to No11. If this government wasn’t already a circus act…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”