The current chief whip Jonathan Reynolds is not making a secret of his hope to return to his old Business and Trade brief under Burnham. Team Andy is staying officially tight-lipped about appointments until Monday despite leaks…
Reynolds was observed re-introducing himself pointedly to Andrew Griffith, the Shadow Business and Trade Secretary in the Commons tea room this week. The two, naturally, did not speak while Reynolds was whipping…
MPs speculate that Reynolds is confident of getting the business and trade brief back – getting the whipping job was seen as a demotion. He was damaged after Guido revealed his ‘solicitor’ CV inflation…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”