John Healey has been named chancellor as Andy Burnham began putting together his cabinet, replacing Rachel Reeves at the top of the Treasury brief. It is the sharpest sign yet that Burnham is moving quickly to install his team after entering No 10.
The appointment matters because Healey is not arriving from the sidelines. He resigned as Keir Starmer's defence secretary last month after a row over military spending, and he is now being shifted into one of the most powerful jobs in government. He had held the defence role from July 2024 until June this year, which means his move to chancellor brings a familiar minister straight back into the centre of power, but in a very different post.
For readers looking for what changes today, the answer is that Burnham is already reshaping the cabinet around him. Louise Haigh is expected to take on the role of First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, while Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood have arrived at Downing Street and Yvette Cooper has also reached No 10 as the selections continue. Cooper, who served as both foreign and home secretary under Keir Starmer, is among the former cabinet figures now being drawn into the new administration.
Healey's arrival also underlines how much of the previous government has been swept aside. The tally now stands at 11 people who sat around Keir Starmer's cabinet table and have either been sacked or left since Burnham moved into No 10, including eight full cabinet ministers and three others who attend cabinet. That makes Healey's promotion less a standalone appointment than part of a wider reset.
The friction in the story is hard to miss. Healey left Starmer's government over spending on the military, then surfaced again as Burnham's chancellor within weeks. On the one hand, Burnham is bringing in a figure with recent top-level experience. On the other, he is handing the Treasury to someone whose last exit from government came in a dispute over how much the state should spend on defence. Burnham has also underlined his commitment to defence and security, according to a spokesperson, suggesting he wants no doubt about where he stands even as he rearranges the top table.
Burnham has promised a 10-year plan in his first speech as prime minister and says cost of living measures will be outlined from Tuesday. He has also said he will end rough sleeping and build more council homes, while inviting US President Donald Trump to Manchester during a call. For now, the clearest answer is that Healey's return is not just a comeback. It is Burnham's first major statement of how he intends to govern.
