Andy Burnham warned over lack of cabinet as Number 10 transition talks step up

{"text":[[{"start":10.75,"text":"Andy Burnham faces warnings that “access talks” between his transition team and the civil service risk being undermined by his refusal to confirm his cabinet before entering office, in turn fuelling jitters about his readiness for power."}],[{"start":26.1,"text":"Burnham has been leading the talks, flanked by his longtime political ally Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary who is expected to get a senior role in his team, and his chief of staff James Purnell, the New Labour veteran, according to people familiar with the matter. "}],[{"start":41.05,"text":"The talks, which began last week, have so far focused on national security, devolution and the economy, and have centred around discussions with Dame Antonia Romeo, cabinet secretary, and her team in the Cabinet Office."}],[{"start":54.949999999999996,"text":"Talks have not yet formally started with the Treasury and Burnham’s refusal to nominate a chancellor has complicated transition planning."}],[{"start":63.599999999999994,"text":"One Labour figure complained Burnham’s operation was “skeletal”, adding: “Access talks require a shadow cabinet. Burnham needs to nominate key people in advance or he cannot have meaningful talks.”"}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":75.44999999999999,"text":"The person added that the appointment of key ministers at the Home Office, Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence would also allow relevant security briefings to take place and mean special advisers could be chosen and security vetting processes could begin. "}],[{"start":89.79999999999998,"text":"“Burnham needs to start making decisions. As well as a moment of great excitement, it’s a moment of risk,” the person added. "}],[{"start":98.09999999999998,"text":"Several other Labour officials warned that Burnham declining to confirm his cabinet picks now would make it more difficult for the eventual appointees to hit the ground running, because those new to their roles would not have had the benefit of being “read in” on all the issues facing their departments in advance via “access talks”. "}],[{"start":117.34999999999998,"text":"Dr Hannah White, chief executive of the Institute for Government, said that the absence of cabinet selections precluded any “relationship building” between specific permanent secretaries and secretaries of state, which is a core benefit of access talks ahead of a general election. "}],[{"start":132.29999999999998,"text":"However, she added: “When the civil service ran access talks across Whitehall departments ahead of the 2024 election, one of the things it did less well was pull together a central picture of the incoming government’s plans. "}],[{"start":145.64999999999998,"text":"“This time I imagine the central focus of access talks with Burnham’s team will mean they will be able to build a good overarching factual view of government, and the civil service will be able to gain a central overview of their plans and priorities.”"}],[{"start":161.84999999999997,"text":"Joe Hill, director of strategy at the cross-party think-tank Re:State, said Burnham should strive to “avoid repeating” Sir Keir Starmer’s mistake in failing to plan adequately for government. “Picking a team to prepare with is crucial. A one-man band can’t possibly prepare to run a G7 economy, a team is key to succeeding in the first 100 days,” he said. "}],[{"start":184.79999999999995,"text":"Several Labour officials defended Burnham’s decision to wait until entering government before announcing his cabinet, however, insisting the alternative would be inappropriate and appear presumptuous. Burnham is expected to become prime minister as soon as July 20, after potential challengers melted away."}],[{"start":203.54999999999995,"text":"“We’re in this strange situation where there’s a very, very short transition period,” added one. “People are feeling agitated and want to know what their jobs are, but we’re talking about a handful of days’ difference.”"}],[{"start":215.54999999999995,"text":"A senior Whitehall figure said that Burnham’s planning for government “feels a lot more intense now, there’s a lot more preparation taking place” than before the Makerfield by-election on June 18. "}],[{"start":226.74999999999994,"text":"Reflecting on sentiment among mandarins, the person added: “It doesn’t feel like a whole new government starting and not having a clue about stuff. I don’t get any sense of panic.” The official added that there were people in Burnham’s team who had experience of government under New Labour and Starmer, which helped. "}],[{"start":245.14999999999995,"text":"Both ministers and officials have been warned against signing off decisions with long-term ramifications before the handover of power. "}],[{"start":253.04999999999995,"text":"On Sunday Starmer published a Substack post entitled “Passing on the torch” in which he sought to outline the achievements of his administration. "}],[{"start":261.94999999999993,"text":"He asserted he would leave the country in a better place than he found it, citing lower NHS waiting lists, falling net migration and reduced childcare costs. "}],[{"start":280.8999999999999,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1783314695_7281.mp3"}