Andy Burnham faces criticism for not revealing his cabinet ministers ahead of becoming Prime Minister, leading to concerns over insufficient transition preparations.
Andy Burnham, the Labor MP for Makerfield, is on course to become Prime Minister on July 20, but his refusal to name his cabinet ministers is causing alarm in Whitehall.
Sources warn that he risks becoming the worst prepared Prime Minister in recent history. For the past week, Burnham and his key aides, including chief of staff James Purnell and former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh, have been holding talks with Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo about national security, the economy, and devolution.
However, these so-called access talks, which normally involve would-be ministers speaking with their prospective departments, are not yet taking place because Burnham has not appointed a wider team. A Whitehall source told the Daily Mail that at this point before an election, there should be access talks across government to ensure a smooth transition, but there is no one for most departments to talk to.
The source added that even during leadership changes between elections, the new PM was always someone recently in the Cabinet, and there is a danger that Burnham will have less preparation than any of his recent predecessors. The warning comes as senior Labor figures jockey for positions in Burnham's expected Cabinet. Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, has changed her stance on electoral reform, a key issue for Burnham who advocates proportional representation.
Rayner, who previously described herself as a first past the post girl, now says she is open to change after hearing from voters who feel unrepresented. She told LBC that for the first time since becoming an MP, she senses a siren call from the voters demanding change from the grassroots.
This shift appears to curry favor with Burnham, who has long championed a voting system that gives smaller parties like the Greens more influence based on their share of the vote. The slow pace of preparations is also attributed to the skeletal size of Burnham's team. Keir Starmer, the outgoing Prime Minister, authorized civil service access talks with Burnham last week, but only a handful of people are involved.
A Labor figure told the Financial Times that the process is being held back by Burnham's skeletal team. Burnham has stated he will not name his top team until he is safely in Downing Street, and last week he insisted he has not even chosen his Chancellor. Ed Miliband is pushing for that role despite opposition from business, unions, and many Labor MPs.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir's former chief of staff Morgan McSweeney blamed a lack of preparation for Labor's faltering start after the last election. With just two weeks until Burnham is expected to take office, critics say every day of delay increases the risk of a chaotic transition, especially on critical issues like national security and the economy.
Burnham's supporters argue that he is being cautious and wants to avoid the mistakes of previous leaders, but the clock is ticking and the machinery of government needs more than just a few trusted aides to run smoothly. The coming days will test whether Burnham can quickly build a government that is ready to hit the ground running, or whether he will indeed become the worst prepared Prime Minister in recent history
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