Key Starmer ally rules out leadership bid

LONDON: Darren Jones, chief secretary to outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and one of his key allies, ruled himself out of any contest to succeed the Labour leader on Wednesday and threw his support behind the only candidate, Andy Burnham.

“Andy Burnham is going to be the next prime minister. And if there was a contest of Labour Party members, he would win,” Jones told Sky News.

Jones had been touted as one possible candidate who could challenge Burnham in a leadership contest and his decision to back the former Greater Manchester mayor means Burnham is likely to become prime minister in the middle of July, rather than September after a leadership contest.

Jones said he had been reassured by Burnham about his economic policy, an area of concern for investors after he said last year that the country had to stop being in “hock to the bond markets”, comments he later said had been ​misrepresented.

“We talked … a lot about what he (Burnham) was thinking on the economy and what my thoughts were on that, and some of the potential ways forward for the new government,” he said.

Starmer said on Monday he would step down following months of pressure over the party’s poor poll ratings and setbacks in recent local elections. The next prime minister will be Britain’s seventh leader in 10 years.