Burnham's bloodbath of the Starmerites

The News Agents

Tuesday, 21 July 2026 - 40 minutes

Andy Burnham has gathered his cabinet, with several prominent Starmer allies shown the door and Burnham loyalists taking their place around the table. The cost of living is to be the defining mission of his premiership - announcing a cut to VAT on energy bills as his first major policy and a scrapping of Starmer's digital ID scheme to pay for it. But Former Chief Secretary to Starmer, Darren Jones, was quick to point out that the scheme itself was unfunded, highlighting the tough choices to come for Burnham's new Chancellor John Healey.

Does his intervention speak to a wider disgruntlement among Starmer’s allies? And is Burnham off to a good start? Or is he at risk of making more dangerous enemies than useful friends?

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