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Briefing wars: how Labour ministers tried, and failed, to get into Burnham’s cabinet
Category
Politics
Published
Monday, July 20, 2026 at 10:05 PM
Publisher
The Guardian Politics
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The Guardian Politics 18 hours ago

Briefing wars: how Labour ministers tried, and failed, to get into Burnham’s cabinet

Quick Summary

Choice of John Healey for chancellor shocks insiders after weeks of fierce lobbying on behalf of party big hitters For weeks, as ministers jostled, lobbied and positioned themselves for big jobs in an Andy Burnham government, the incoming prime minister remained sphinx-like. He told an interviewer on Monday that he had a black box containing his ministerial picks and major policy announcements, adding that even as he prepared to enter Downing Street: “The black box is still sealed.” And so, when John Healey was appointed chancellor on Monday after intense briefing from allies of Ed Miliband, Shabana Mahmood and Rachel Reeves, it blindsided even those at the top of the Labour party. Continue reading...

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Andy Burnham says his will be a ‘cost-of-living government’ in first cabinet meeting as PM – UK politics live
Andy Burnham says his will be a ‘cost-of-living government’ in first cabinet meeting as PM – UK politics live

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The Guardian Politics 33 minutes ago
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The Guardian Politics 40 minutes ago

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