Former Armed Forces minister Al Carns has refused to rule out a bid for the Labour leadership, raising the prospect of a contested race to succeed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Carns said he was still weighing up his options as Labour begins the process of selecting its next leader following Sir Keir’s resignation announcement.
Speaking to ITV’s Peston programme this morning, Mr Carns said:
“What I would say is I’m not ready to make a decision on this in any way, shape or form.”
The former Royal Marines officer said he wanted the party to focus on developing a long-term vision for Britain rather than becoming distracted by short-term political arguments.
His comments came as Sir Keir chaired his first Cabinet meeting since announcing he would step down as Labour leader and Prime Minister.
Among ministers arriving for the meeting was Darren Jones, who is also reported to be considering whether to enter the leadership contest.
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham remains the clear favourite to replace Sir Keir. Mr Burnham was sworn in as the new MP for Makerfield on Monday following last week’s by-election victory and is widely viewed as the frontrunner in the race.
One Cabinet minister has reportedly backed Mr Burnham to take over through what they described as an “orderly transition”.
Labour’s timetable for electing a new leader is expected to move quickly.
Nominations will open on July 9 and close on July 16. If no challenger secures enough support to enter the race, Mr Burnham could become Labour leader and Prime Minister as early as July 17.
Mr Carns resigned from the Government earlier this month after criticising Sir Keir’s approach to defence spending. He accused the Prime Minister of failing to provide sufficient backing for the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan and argued that greater investment was needed for Britain’s armed forces.
The possibility of a challenge from either Mr Carns or Mr Jones means the leadership contest remains far from settled. However, with several senior Labour figures already rallying behind Mr Burnham, he remains in a commanding position as the party prepares to choose its next leader.
The coming weeks are expected to determine whether Labour members will be asked to choose between competing visions for the party’s future, or whether Mr Burnham’s path to Number 10 will prove largely unopposed.
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