British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has endorsed Andy Burnham to become the country's next prime minister, while declining to speculate on her own position in a future government
amid reports she could be moved to a less senior role.
Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Reeves made clear she was backing Burnham to succeed Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation earlier this week after mounting pressure over poor polling and disappointing local election results.
"I'm supporting Andy to be prime minister," Reeves said.
Starmer confirmed on Monday that he would remain in office during an orderly transition period, with the Labour Party leadership contest set to begin on July 9.
A close ally of the outgoing prime minister, Reeves defended her longstanding relationship with Starmer, noting that they had worked together for six years.
Burnham, currently the only declared candidate in the race, is widely expected to secure the leadership unopposed. If confirmed, he could enter Downing Street by mid-July, becoming Britain's seventh prime minister in just ten years.
Asked about speculation that she could lose her position as finance minister under a Burnham administration, Reeves said any cabinet appointments would be solely for the incoming leader to decide.
"I'm not going to pre-empt the decisions that the new prime minister will make," she said. "I'm backing Andy. I think he'd be a great prime minister, but those are his decisions, not mine."
Reeves also signalled that she remains prepared to introduce targeted and temporary assistance with household energy bills later this year if necessary.
Looking ahead, she argued that the next government should maintain the current fiscal framework, including commitments to fund day-to-day spending through tax revenues and to reduce public debt as a share of the economy.
Burnham has previously indicated that he would retain the government's existing borrowing rules.
Reeves said the country's economic position had improved significantly during her tenure, adding that future leaders would inherit a stronger economy than the one she faced upon taking office two years ago. Photo by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street, Wikimedia commons.
