Al Carns’ Cabinet Prospects Fade as Andy Burnham Nears Labour Leadership

Al Carns, the former Armed Forces minister who resigned in protest over the Defence Investment Plan, is unlikely to secure a senior cabinet post in Andy Burnham’s prospective government. Allies of Burnham told *The i Paper* that Carns has only three supporters among Labour MPs, one of whom is himself, and that his chance of becoming defence secretary is “incredibly low.” With nominations for the Labour leadership opening on Thursday and a July 15 deadline, Burnham is expected to assume the premiership on July 17, followed by a meeting with King Charles III on July 20.

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Carns, a former Royal Marine Commando, entered Parliament in 2024 and was immediately appointed veterans’ minister by Sir Keir Starmer, later moving to the Armed Forces brief. He resigned last month alongside former defence secretary John Healey over under-funding of the Defence Investment Plan. While some newly elected MPs who were fast-tracked into ministerial roles may be removed in a “Burnham reset,” Carns had signaled policy “tests” for Burnham, emphasizing defence spending, GDP growth, youth unemployment and energy supply.

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Burnham’s spokesperson declined comment, and Carns also did not respond to requests for comment. A senior cabinet minister cautioned colleagues to treat information as factual only when received directly from Burnham, his chief of staff James Purnell, or MP Louise Haigh, reflecting uncertainty within the current team.

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Labour MPs expressed discomfort with Carns’s maneuvering, describing his hinted challenge as a “negotiating strategy” for a cabinet job. One MP warned that such tactics are “the wrong way of going about it… they’re not offering deals or jobs in this way.” Others noted that Burnham’s ideas have not been sufficiently “stress-tested,” and that some fast-tracked ministers may be removed for being “promoted too quickly.”

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• “A senior ally of Burnham told The i Paper that “a scout of the PLP” had determined Carns only had “three backers, and one is him”.” — unnamed ally, *The i Paper*

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• “The chance of him getting defence secretary is incredibly low,” — unnamed ally, *The i Paper*

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• “By no means all, but some of them were promoted too quickly,” — source, *The i Paper*

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• “That’s the wrong way of going about it… they’re not offering deals or jobs in this way,” — Labour MP, *The i Paper*

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• “We have not stress-tested his ideas enough,” — Labour MP, *The i Paper*

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• “My team are coming in with their heads spinning and they’re overthinking. There is so much hypothetical out there. They come in and say, ‘I have heard this or that from allies of Andy’ and I say, ‘Only treat it as fact if you have heard it direct,'” — current cabinet minister, *The i Paper*

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