The coronation nears – Darren Jones steps aside as Burnham’s path to No 10 looks clear

The Labour leadership battle took a decisive turn this morning as Darren Jones, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and a pivotal figure in the outgoing Starmer administration, formally announced he would not be challenging Andy Burnham.

His decision clears the path Andy Burnham’s to be appointed Labour Leader and Prime Minister in just weeks, in what many in Westminster are now describing as the coronation of the King of the Noth.

Mr Jones, a senior minister widely regarded as a continuity Starmer candidate, confirmed his position to Sky News, effectively ending weeks of speculation regarding his own ambitions.

“I’m not… I was never planning or organising a leadership campaign like some of my colleagues,” he stated, clarifying his focus during the recent period of institutional instability.

“I was getting on with the job as Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister… Andy Burnham is going to be the next Prime Minister. And if there was a contest of Labour Party members, he would win.”

The endorsement from a close ally of Keir Starmer signals a consolidation of power behind Burnham, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester, whose return to the Commons via the Makerfield by-election has transformed the party’s internal dynamics.

The Minister’s withdrawal appears calculated to ensure stability, as he pointedly asked: “So the question for me is, well, what would the benefit be to the country and to the party of a leadership contest?”

However, several Labour MPs, told Parliament News that the Minister “never had the support”, with one describing the idea of Jones securing 81 colleagues to support him in a leadership bid as “Walter Mitty”.


The path to 10 Downing Street is not entirely without obstacles, though the remaining hurdles appear increasingly decorative. Al Carns, the former Armed Forces Minister who resigned recently over defence spending concerns, remains the only other figure publicly weighing a challenge.

Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Carns remarked, “I’m pretty serious about this,” though he tempered his intent by noting a desire to “see behind Andy Burnham what the policies are” before committing to a formal bid.

However, the arithmetic of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) suggests Carns faces a steep climb; several MPs have noted that he currently lacks the 81 supporters: representing 20 per cent of the PLP: required to mount a valid challenge when nominations open on 9 July. Without such backing, Burnham could potentially be confirmed as Prime Minister unopposed as early as 16 or 17 July.

Adding to this sense of inevitability have been the signs of an emerging Burnham administration. Tipped to return to Government is former Labour minister and ex-BBC executive James Purnell, expected to serve as the new Prime Minister’s chief of staff.

There is also significant movement expected at the Treasury; the BBC reports that Burnham intends to replace Rachel Reeves as Chancellor, offering her a much more junior cabinet position in the new government.

As the deadline for nominations on 16 July approaches, the likelihood of a multi-candidate race continues to diminish. Henry Zeffman, the BBC’s chief political correspondent, observed that “it was already highly likely that Andy Burnham would become the next prime minister and Labour leader. Arguably Darren Jones’s announcement does not really change that… But at the very least it removes a slight complication from Burnham’s path, allowing him to focus more on his plans for government.” With the “King of the North” now effectively unchallenged, the focus in Westminster has turned from the mechanics of a contest to the substance of a transition that appears all but inevitable.