Reeves hints she accepts Burnham will not keep her as chancellor – UK politics live

Good morning. Rachel Reeves now seems to resigned to losing her job as chancellor when Andy Burnham becomes PM, probably three weeks tomorrow. She had reportedly been angling to stay in post, but she has given an interview to the BBC with a tone that is distinctly valedictory. Reeves says she is backing Burnham to be the next PM. Asked why she did not stand in Downing Street to hear Keir Starmer’s resignation speech on Monday, but did turn up in Westminster Hall for a photocall with Burnham with other Labour MPs, she did not offer an explanation, but said her loyalty to Starmer had never been in doubt. She also said she was proud of her record. double quotation mark I know that whoever is prime minister and chancellor in the future will inherit a stronger economy than the one I inherited two years ago. Reeves refused to say whether she would accept a more junior in cabinet if Burnham offers her one (as he is reportedly planning to do ). Asked about this, she just said: double quotation mark Those are the choices that the new prime minister, I hope Andy Burnham, will get to make in a few weeks time. I’m not going to pre-empt those. It is his prerogative as prime minister to make those appointments. We will hear more from Reeves later because she is speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference, along with a series of other senior figures. Here is the agenda for the day. 9am: Rachel Reeves , the chancellor, takes part in a Q&A at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) conference in London. Other speakers during the day include Andy Haldane, president of the BCC at 10am; Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, at 11am; Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader; at 12.10pm; Robert Jenrick, the Reform UK Treasury spokesperson, at 3.40pm; and Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, at 4.30pm. Morning: Kemi Badenoch is on a visit in London. 9.30am: The Ministry of Justice publishes criminal court figures. Morning: Keir Starmer is in a visit in Buckinghamshire to mark the start of the government’s Great British Summer Savings scheme . 2.30pm: John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, takes questions from MSPs. If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (between 10am and 3pm), or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word. If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X , but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary. I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I wil