Senior minister and Starmer ally Darren Jones has ruled himself out of taking on Andy Burnham for the Labour leadership.Mr Jones, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, told Sky News this morning that he had been “reassured” about the former Greater Manchester mayor’s economic plans following a conversation on Tuesday.Asked whether he would stand himself, Mr Jones said: “I’m not. And, look, I’m flattered by the support from colleagues, whether MPs or other important stakeholders in the party, but, look, it’s not something that I’m going to do.”Mr Burnham, who was sworn in as Makerfield MP on Monday having won the by-election last week, is the favourite to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister.However, former defence minister Al Carns, who resigned earlier this month in a row over defence spending, remains a possible contender, telling the BBC on Tuesday he was “pretty serious” about launching a bid but wanted to see what policies the party’s newest MP would champion.Exclusive: David Lammy asks Amber Rudd to carry out review of prisonsDeputy prime minister David Lammy is to unveil respected former Tory cabinet minister Amber Rudd to review the prison system.With Labour still trying to tackle an overcrowding crisis in prisons in England and Wales despite a controversial early release scheme, Mr Lammy, who is also the justice secretary, has turned to the former Tory home secretary to find solutions.A source told The Independent that the review will look at how the prison system can keep the public safe but also modernise prisons to deal with new threats such as drone deliveries “which have become very sophisticated”.Ms Rudd will also be asked to explore how to cut crime through training and making ex-offenders better connected to modern employment.David Maddox24 June 2026 08:20Former cabinet minister reportedly being sized up to be Burnham's chief of staffTalks are continuing about who might serve in an Andy Burnham cabinet, and who might advise the former Greater Manchester mayor behind the scenes.Senior Labour figures – including former transport secretary Louise Haigh, energy secretary Ed Miliband, home secretary Shabana Mahmood, and former health secretary Wes Streeting – have all been tipped for top jobs in a government led by Mr Burnham.James Purnell, a former Labour cabinet minister who served alongside Mr Burnham in the Blair government, is meanwhile reportedly being sized up as a chief of staff, The Times reported.James Purnell, former Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, pictured in 2010 (Getty)Elsewhere, crossbench peer Jim O’Neill – who has been advising Mr Burnham – told The Guardian he wanted to see a new, independent body set up so that extra money could be spent on infrastructure while remaining within Labour’s fiscal rules.The body could follow the model of the Office for Budget Responsibility, he said, allowing for billions more to be spent on boosting big transport and public works projects.Dan Haygarth24 June 2026 08:16Starmer and Burnham hold talks as prime minister promises ‘smooth transition’ of power after resignationSir Keir Starmer has held face-to-face talks with Andy Burnham, his likely successor, pledging a "smooth transition" of power following his resignation.The prime minister met the frontrunner to replace him in Downing Street for an hour-long "off-site" discussion, the first since the former Greater Manchester mayor’s by-election victory, as reported by The Times.To prepare for power, Mr Burnham will now begin receiving government briefings, with Sir Keir having authorised civil service access talks for "prospective candidates" for the Labour leadership.The PM also told his cabinet on Tuesday morning that he sought an "orderly transition", aiming to make the process "as easy as possible" for his successor.Read the full story below:Dan Haygarth24 June 2026 08:10Senior minister and Starmer ally rules himself out of Labour leadership raceDarren Jones said he would not contest the Labour leadership election after a ‘reassuring’ conversation on economic policy with Andy Burnham. (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)Senior minister Darren Jones has urged Andy Burnham to set out more of his economic policies after ruling himself out of the race for the Labour leadership.In an interview with Sky News on Wednesday morning, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Mr Jones said he would have had the backing of enough MPs to take on the former Greater Manchester mayor, but suggested a contest would not give the eventual winner enough time to prepare a budget for the autumn.Mr Jones said he had had a “reassuring” conversation with Mr Burnham about the Makerfield MP’s economic policy before making his decision.He said Mr Burnham should set out more details for the “upwards of 100 MPs” who were concerned about his plans or were “feeling pretty depressed” by Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation.Asked about the possibility of Mr Burnham increasing borrowing to fund his spending priorities, Mr Jones said there was “room to borrow a little bit more” within the existing fiscal rules.But he stressed that there were other routes to achieve the former mayor’s objectives “without broad brush borrowing and spending”.Dan Haygarth24 June 2026 08:00'I was really sad to see Starmer resign', minister saysA Labour minister has said she was "really sad to see Keir Starmer resign", insisting that there has been "incredible progress" under his Labour government.Speaking to Sky News, victims minister Catherine Atkinson added: "We have delivered so much of our manifesto, and the decisions that [Sir Keir] has taken with Rachel Reeves as chancellor has meant that we have seen - we saw inflation coming down, we saw six interest rate cuts."That certainty allowed hundreds of billions of pounds of investment into our country, and it meant that we were able to do the investment we need in public services, and bringing our NHS waiting list down."Sir Keir Starmer with Andy Burnham, the man likely to succeed him (file picture) (PA Archive)Asked whether she would have liked to see Sir Keir continue in post, she said: "My concern had been that we don't want to, when we were getting into our stride on delivery, to trip ourselves up."But I'm really pleased that he has continued to put the country first in ensuring that we do have that smooth transition, and absolutely going forward, the hope that we have seen Andy Burnham be able to create and instil in people is the kind of hope over division that I do want to see in leadership going before a general election."Millie Cooke24 June 2026 07:57Drawn-out leadership contest would not be 'in the country's best interests', minister saysA drawn-out Labour leadership contest would not be “in the best interests of the country”, Labour minister Catherine Atkinson said.Asked whether she wanted to see a contest or would she be happy for there to be just one candidate, the victims minister told Sky News: “I want to see us focused on delivery.“I want to see this government continuing to implement the manifesto, and to have a long-drawn-out leadership contest, I don’t think is in the best interests of the country.“So, I would like this to be as quick and as smooth as possible.”Millie Cooke24 June 2026 07:55Labour minister says she would 'absolutely' back BurnhamLabour minister Catherine Atkinson said she would "absolutely" back Andy Burnham as leader, insisting he is a "hugely experienced politician"."Andy Burnham is a hugely experienced politician. He was a Home Office minister, he was a Treasury minister, he was health secretary, and he has shown that he is able to deliver when he was mayor of Greater Manchester", she said."I was in Makerfield for the last couple of weekends before the election, and for me, I saw hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who were really inspired to be doing their bit to see hope overcoming division."And that's what I think politics should be about, not about the kind of donations you get from crypto billionaires, so I think that Andy could be the could be that leader, and we will see what the rest of the Parliamentary Labour Party thinks."Pressed on whether she backs him as Labour leader, she told Sky News: "Yes, I would absolutely back Andy to be leader, but I am conscious that we have got a prime minister in Keir Starmer who has always been putting the country first. I think that's what he was seeking to do in the decision that he took."Millie Cooke24 June 2026 07:51