Keir Starmer meets Andy Burnham in secret 24 hours after PM resigns - live

Keir Starmer meets Andy Burnham in secret 24 hours after PM resigns - live Andy Burnham confirmed he will stand in a bid to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader after the Prime Minister announced his resignation on Monday, having acknowledged his support in the party had drained away Keir Starmer held secret talks with Andy Burnham today as the Prime Minister prepares to quit No10. Mr Burnham has declared he will stand to replace Mr Starmer as Labour leader after the Prime Minister announced his No10 exit yesterday morning. He is currently unopposed, which could mean he is installed in Downing Street by mid July. But he could face a gruelling leadership contest if another MP throws their hat into the ring. The new MP for Makerfield said Starmer's resignation speech was the beginning of a transition”, adding he will “put myself forward as part of this process”. His main challenger, former health secretary Wes Streeting, said he would back Mr Burnham for the party leadership, saying “he can win the fight of our lives against the forces of nationalism”. But, some Labour MPs are pushing for another candidate to put themselves forward to stop a coronation for Mr Burnham. Ex-Armed Forces Minister Al Carns has not ruled himself out, and Darren Jones, the PM's right hand man, is being urged by some MPs to stand. Follow live updates below.... Key Events The BBC reports this morning that Rachel Reeves could face a demotion as part of a Cabinet shake-up under Andy Burnham. According to reports, Mr Burnham could offer Reeves, the current chancellor, a junior or mid-level cabinet position. The ally told the BBC: "Andy really respects Rachel and I'm confident he'll want her in his top team." A spokesperson for Burnham said no decisions had been made. Reeves' team has been contacted for a comment. The UK is coming under increased pressure to increase its defence spending. Under Sir Keir's leadership, defence spending has increased, however some have argued that even the rise to 2.68% of GDP by 2020 is not enough. Nato leaders have agreed to ramp up defence spending to 5% of their countries' economic output by 2035, following months of pressure from Donald Trump. Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said he expects all members of the alliance to arrive at the Turkey summit with "clear, concrete and credible plans" on how they will increase their defence spending. Andy Burnham is reportedly telling allies he wants to spend more on defence than Sir Keir Starmer, according to The Telegraph. The newspaper reports that Burnham has reassured Labour MPs he would look to increase military spending beyond the £13.5bn currently proposed in the Government's defence investment plan. His team is also said to have held discussions with former Defence Secretary John Healey, who resigned earlier this month amid disagreements over defence funding. In a letter to Cabinet minister Darren Jones, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) said urgent action was required to deal with multiple threats including Russia, as it called for the UK to “catch up quickly if we are serious about protecting our prosperity and security”. The Government recently responded to a JCNSS report which made a series of recommendations, including requests for further details on key elements of the strategy. JCNSS chair Matt Western described the response as “lacklustre” as he repeated demands for details in a letter to Mr Jones. Whoever takes over at Number 10 has a job on their hands in building trust on the international stage. That's due to no fault of their own, warns Olivia O’Sullivan, an analyst at Chatham Hous, who said that part of Mr Starmer’s appeal on the international stage had been his steadiness. She added: “While the U.K.’s parliamentary system allows for political parties to change leaders in this way, frequent changes mean international counterparts must once again build relationships and trust with a new leader." Nominations for the Labour leadership will open on July 9 and close one week later. Wes Streeting has said he will back Andy Burnham to become the next Labour leader, making it highly likely that Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, will replace Keir Starmer as prime minister in July. Burnham could stand unchallenged, and thus take over around the time the Commons begins the recess on 16 July. But nothing is guaranteed in politics. Starmer said on Monday he wanted the new leader to be confirmed in office by the time Parliament returns on September 1. The EU-U.K. summit planned for next month will be postponed, the president of the European Council has said. António Costa said he hoped that Starmer’s successor as prime minister would give “continuity” to the plans to reset the cross-channel relationship. The meeting was meant to take place on July 22. Starmer’s successor could take office as soon as July 17 or 18 if there is no leadership race. Dan Jarvis, the new defence secretary, promised to publish the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) before the Nato summit in a fortnight amid indications he has already secured around a billion pounds more than his predecessor, John Healey. Jarvis, speaking at a military thinktank conference, said: “I’ve had 12 days, but I’ve made the most of all of them, and I’m now working to finalise and publish the Dip before I travel to Ankara with the prime minister.” Healey resigned earlier this month after he failed to secure more than £13.5bn to plug an £18bn gap in funding for the plan, which covers the department’s major capital programmes for the next 10 years. Sir Keir Starmer is understood to be determined to push ahead with a long-awaited defence investment plan before leaving office, viewing the issue as a key part of his legacy. Allies say the Prime Minister believes it is his responsibility to resolve major outstanding questions around defence before any transition of power takes place. Andy Burnham's allies have publicly accepted that the plans are likely to proceed, but reports suggest there has been frustration within parts of his camp over how much influence they will have over major decisions taken before any handover is completed. Labour MP Catherine West, who last month plunged Keir Starmer's leadership into chaos by suggesting she would challenge him, says she hopes there is a role for the PM in an Andy Burnham government. The former Foreign Office minister broke ranks after the disastrous local elections, saying Mr Starmer needed to be replaced. She announced she was collecting names for a leadership contest as Mr Starmer battled for his political future. Posting on X she wrote: "I am glad that I opened up an honest conversation about who should lead the Labour Party and take on Farage at the next general election." Ms West continued: "Today, I am endorsing Andy Burnham for Leader of Labour Party. I would like to see an orderly and managed transition as soon as possible." And in a final post she wrote: "I hope Sir Keir continues to play a major role in the government. We are strongest when we are a united party utilising all of our talents." Britain must draw a line under the arguments of the EU referendum 10 years ago, and start acting for the "post-Brexit" world, a senior minister has said. Nick Thomas-Symonds rejected both the "unrealistic" mirage of rejoining the trade bloc, and the "constant, exhausting conflict" which would come with tearing up treaties signed since the Brexit vote 10 years ago. EU relations minister Mr Thomas-Symonds, who spoke at an event held by the UK In A Changing Europe think tank on Tuesday, argued that a hard-headed relationship with Europe was needed to protect British homes in a turbulent world. He said: "Isolation won't duck the blow when global tariffs come knocking; it just leaves British factories standing out in the cold without a coat. Isolation won't lower your energy bills." An influential Labour figure has said Al Carns should be the next Prime Minister. Lord Glasman, who founded the Blue Labour group, told The Telegraph he backs the former armed forces minister. Mr Carns quit earlier this month in protest over the government's defence investment plan (DIP), saying it did not deliver the resources needed to defend the country. Lord Glasman said of the former British Army brigadier: "He's a soldier, he understands defence and he understands the next war." However he conceded that Andy Burnham would undoubtedly become the next PM. A scathing verdict from suspended Labour MP Karl Turner, who has been heavily critical of Keir Starmer in recent weeks. Mr Turner branded his old boss - who he has described as a friend in the past - a "failed politician who's f***ed it up". Speaking to LBC Radio, he said Mr Starmer is genuine and a family man, but then went on: "I don't feel sorry for a failed politician who's f***ed it up. I'm afraid not. Thank you very much, tatty bye, farewell, it's been an absolute pleasure and a treat and let us move on." And asked why he thought Mr Starmer had resigned, Mr Turner said: "Well, it was the fact that Keir Starmer was not very good, that is the real truth. He struggled from the very outset, even in Opposition, I think he struggled with the management of the party. He wasn't a leader who would mingle with members of the PLP. He had a certain few of his close people. I was included in that to an extent, and there would be a few of us, probably half a dozen who had his mobile number, and that would be it, really." Westminster is gripped by speculation about who could be in Andy Burnham's Cabinet as ministers jostle for position. Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary and former Labour leader, has been widely tipped to replace Chancellor Rachel Reeves at the Treasury. There is also speculation that Wes Streeting, who pulled the plug on his own leadership ambitions to throw his weight behind Mr Burnham, could head up the Treasury. A minister told The Mirror they expect Shabana Mahmood to remain as Home Secretary, in spite of speculation also linking her to the Chancellor job. Read the full story here. Andy Burnham could face hurdles on his path to No10 as Labour MPs weigh up backing potential challengers. Some MPs have urged Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the PM, to throw his hat into the ring amid unease about Mr Burnham becoming Prime Minister without a contest. But the prospect appeared to be fading as a source close to Mr Jones poured cold water on the idea that he was going to stand. Al Carns, the former defence minister, also suggested that he was weighing up whether to have a tilt at the top job. Asked whether he would launch his own leadership bid, he said: “A decision is often based on multiple factors. I just need to see and buy into that vision and that policy and then we’ll see where we go from there.” There are serious doubts over whether either man could command the support of the 81 MPs needed to enter a leadership race. Mr Burnham is believed to have the backing of the majority of Labour MPs and would be a clear frontrunner if a contest was triggered. Read the full story here. Labour has announced its candidate to succeed Andy Burnham has Mayor of Greater Manchester. Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, will contest the post vacated after Mr Burnham's Makerfield by-election win. She said: “Greater Manchester is a special place – from the industrial revolution, the trade union and cooperative movements and the suffragettes – this place has always fought for progress. This place changed my life and I owe it everything it gave me opportunities I could never have imagined, and I've spent my career trying to give something back. “While Westminster left places like ours behind, Greater Manchester has taken control of our own future and we’ve started building our own success. “Working alongside former Mayor Andy Burnham, we have achieved so much over the – bringing buses back under public control, creating jobs, attracting investment, and pushing Greater Manchester forward as a real powerhouse of the North West. "But for too many people, who work hard and do the right thing, life still feels too hard and unaffordable. As Mayor I will apply a simple test: will it make life better?" Andy Burnham is expected to hit the campaign trail in south London tomorrow. The new Makerfield MP - and would-be PM - is due to campaign with Labour's candidate Louie Summerville-Sutherland ahead of a council by-election in Clapham. Mirror Political Correspondent Dave Burke writes in... There is some unease across the party that Andy Burnham could sail into Downing Street without being properly tested on what he plans to do. Under the rules announced by Keir Starmer, contenders have until July 16 to enter a leadership race. If no one else does, Mr Burnham could walk through the door of No10 on July 17. Some in the Labour fold believe there should be a contest. Left-wing backbencher Nadia Whittome told the BBC: "I think there needs to be a contest, and I think when we're having this conversation, we need to move away from personalities. "And the starting point needs to be the issues that are facing the country - the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis, the deep poverty and inequality, the fact that public services have been gutted by a decade and a half of austerity, we've got far-right violence on our streets. "And the question for the Labour Party is how we deal with those problems. We can't answer that question without candidates setting out their stall transparently and being scrutinised by members and by unions. "I also think it's important to say that a lack of party democracy and a lack of debate around politics and policies is part of what led us here in the first place. "So it would be a mistake for us not to use this opportunity to learn where we went wrong and to figure out where we go next." Mirror Political Correspondent Dave Burke writes in... There's been a lot of talk in the last 24 hours about potential challengers to Andy Burnham to prevent a coronation. Darren Jones has been mentioned a lot, but there's no indication he actually intends to stand. Similarly former armed forces minister Al Carns hasn't ruled out putting his name forward either - but he'd need to get the support of 81 MPs in order to do so. One backbencher makes an interesting point though. Because would-be leadership candidates have until July 16 to enter a race, there's a long window for a costly Burnham error. If he does put a foot wrong in that time, a new contender could put their name in the hat. The Labour MP says: "Not convinced re Darren Jones, too much of a long shot right now. But Andy has no room to slip up. "We might all laugh at the idea of a Starmerite challenger now, but maybe in a month if the magic is wearing off, who knows?" Mirror Political Editor Lizzy Buchan writes... Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham are understood to have met in private today for the first time since the Makerfield by-election. The pair held secret talks for an hour away from Downing Street as Mr Starmer prepares to hand over power. It was the first time they have spoken since before the by-election campaign began. It comes after the Prime Minister authorised civil servants to begin briefings with leadership candidates to allow them to prepare for government. Mr Starmer told his Cabinet he wanted an “orderly transition” and insisted he would try to make the transition “as easy as possible” for his replacement. Mirror Political Correspondent Sophie Huskisson writes in…We’re seeing more Cabinet ministers come out in support of Andy Burnham taking over from Keir Starmer.Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds is the latest to throw her weight behind the Makerfield MP. She said she doesn’t want a contest as it could mean Labour MPs spend the summer talking about themselves instead of governing.She appeared to throw cold water on other MPs throwing their hat in the ring after speculation that Darren Jones or Al Carns could enter the race. “Frankly nobody else has got the numbers,” she said. READ THE FULL STORY HERE. It looked like Andy Burnham had it all sewn up. Keir Starmer acknowledged that support had ebbed away from him and conceded the keys to No10 before Burnham even stepped onto the platform at Euston station. And his main challenger, the ex-Health Secretary Wes Streeting, folded in behind him. His path to No10 looked clear, setting him on course to become Prime Minister on July 17. But last night rumours started swirling that MPs wanted Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the PM, to trigger a contest. A source close to him rubbished the idea, saying they were "pouring a lot of cold water" on the rumours. Al Carns, the ambitious former defence minister, also refused to rule out running. Asked whether he would launch his own leadership bid, Carns said today: "A decision is often based on multiple factors. I just need to see and buy into that vision and that policy and then we’ll see where we go from there." The fact that these rumours are doing the rounds tells us something. READ THE FULL STORY HERE. Andy Burnham is set to pledge growth and commit to Labour's budget rules as he seeks to burnish his economic credentials after Keir Starmer's resignation. The former Greater Manchester mayor is expected to give a speech on fiscal policy next week after returning to Westminster as an MP following his Makerfield by-election victory. Talks are also said to be taking place about a prospective new-look Cabinet, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood both tipped as potential candidates to replace Rachel Reeves as chancellor. Andy Burnham is on course be Prime Minister within weeks after Keir Starmer's decision to step down. The Mirror takes a look at what Andy Burnham could do in Downing Street. Health Mr Burnham's desire to reform social care dates back to when he was a health minister under Tony Blair and later Health Secretary under Gordon Brown. The area is a key priority for him. In the lead up to the Makerfield by-election, he already proposed bringing forward the publication of the Casey review into social care to 2026. It is currently due to finish in 2028. When he was Health Secretary, he proposed the creation of a National Care Service in 2009, to ensure elderly or disabled people can access care that is free at the point of use like the NHS. It was partially adopted in Wales, while the Casey review will look at how the UK government could set up and fund such a service in the future. He believes inheritance tax should be replaced with a "national care levy" to fund the system. Housing Mr Burnham has indicated he wants to be radical in ramping up council house building. In his by-election launch speech he said he wanted to oversee the biggest programme of council house building since the Second World War". This could be achieved, he suggested, by diverting funding from the £39bn affordable housing programme entirely to social rent homes. READ THE FULL STORY HERE. Rachel Reeves has said the Defence Investment Plan (Dip) "will meet the scale of the challenges facing the country", and added she is "confident" it will be published before the Nato summit, which begins on July 7. The Chancellor told MPs she met on Monday with Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis and Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Richard Knighton "to talk through the Dip". Speaking in the Commons, she added: "The Ministry of Defence are producing the Dip that will meet the scale of the challenges and meet the moment with increased readiness. "I am confident that the new Dip will be published before the Nato Ankara summit. It will involve more money spent more effectively and will meet the scale of challenges facing our country." When former defence secretary John Healey resigned earlier this month, he wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that the Dip financial settlement he was offered "falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time". Darren Jones has been flouted as a potential but unlikely person to also throw their name in the hat to replace Starmer. Andy Burnham so far has been the only person to confirm they'll run in a leadership race but Jones' name has come up as a potential cadidate. MPs organising a leadership bid for the key Starmer ally have reportedly claimed Jones has "well over half" of the numbers needed to join the race. One Jones supporter, according to Sky News, said: "We're well over halfway to 81 and more are joining by the hour." Applications for candidates open on July 9 and a leadership hopeful would need at least 81 nominations to run. Mirror Political Correspondent Sophie Huskisson writes in… Andy Burnham could start receiving crucial talks with the civil service "as soon as possible" to ensure a smooth transition of power. Keir Starmer has agreed with the Cabinet Secretary that prospective Labour leadership candidates can start access talks before formal nominations for the race close in July. Mr Burnham - the new MP for Makerfield - is the only person to throw his hat into the ring at the moment and is the frontrunner to replace Mr Starmer. The PM's spokesman said: "The Prime Minister wants a smooth transition, and has been clear that he will seek to make this as easy as possible and that is why the Prime Minister has agreed with the Cabinet Secretary that access talks can take place with prospective candidates for the Labour leadership as soon as possible, and before formal nominations have closed. "Access talks will be led and coordinated by the Cabinet Secretary in line with the Cabinet manual and the civil service’s focus remains serving the government of the day in line with the civil service code." Angela Rayner said she had "dug my heels in" over funding for social housing while she was in Government and "the Treasury won't thank me, but I'd do it all over again". The former deputy prime minister said a "huge number" of children were living in temporary accommodation and families in poverty were struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Talking up her record as housing secretary before her resignation, she said: "It's why I dug my heels in, demanded £39 billion for social and affordable housing and the Treasury won't thank me, and I was the last one to settle on my budget, but I'd do it all over again." Speaking at the Social Mobility Symposium on Tuesday, she also defended people receiving welfare support who she said are "not lazy people on the dole, they're working families who cant keep up". She praised the Labour Government's move to lift the two-child benefit cap, adding: “That's not something we should be shy about. It's not something that we should hide away from. We should have the courage to say that those are our values and we stand by them." Former Royal Marines officer Al Carns, who is a potential rival to Andy Burnham for Labour leader, is making up his mind whether to launch a leadership campaign. He told journalists in London that he had not ruled out running. Asked whether he would launch his own leadership bid, Carns said: "A decision is often based on multiple factors. I just need to see and buy into that vision and that policy and then we’ll see where we go from there." So far, Burnham has been the only MP to confirm they will run in an upcoming leaderhip race.