Harriet Harman said Prime Minister Keir Starmer should appoint Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to his cabinet.
The proposal comes amid ongoing discussions regarding the strength and composition of the Labour leadership team. Adding a high-profile figure like Burnham could either stabilize the government's image or signal internal instability depending on the execution.
Harman made the suggestion during an extra episode of the #ElectoralDysfunction podcast on Sky News, released Tuesday [1]. She said the move would allow the Prime Minister to build a "team of all the talents" [2].
According to Harman, Burnham possesses "huge talents and could be the solution to some of the Prime Minister's woes" [1]. The suggestion implies that the current cabinet may lack the specific regional or political appeal that the Manchester Mayor provides.
Not all observers agree with the strategy. A commentator for The Guardian said the notion of placing Burnham into a London seat was "political theatre, not a serious solution" [3]. This critique suggests that such a move would be a superficial fix rather than a structural improvement to the administration.
Burnham currently serves as the Mayor of Greater Manchester. His potential transition to a national cabinet role would require a shift in his current responsibilities, and potentially a change in his parliamentary representation to accommodate a ministerial post.
“Starmer should put Burnham in the cabinet to create a 'team of all the talents'.”
This public call for a cabinet reshuffle highlights a tension within the Labour Party between centralized leadership in London and the influence of powerful regional mayors. If Starmer adopts the suggestion, it could signal a shift toward a more inclusive, decentralized power structure; however, it also risks creating internal friction if other senior party members view the move as favoritism or a desperate attempt to manage public perception.
