Burnham must have a ‘worked-through plan’ when he enters No 10, Reeves says

Andy Burnham must have a “worked-through plan” for governing Britain when he walks through the door of No 10 Downing Street, Rachel Reeves has said.

The Chancellor was speaking in what could be the last major broadcast interview of her time in office, with the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.

Ms Reeves has conceded she will no longer be Chancellor when Andy Burnham takes over as prime minister, as appears all but guaranteed.

Mr Burnham, who emerged as the only candidate in Labour’s leadership contest to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, could become prime minister as soon as July 20.

Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, are among the names being floated among MPs as a possible successor to Ms Reeves.

The Chancellor told the BBC “it is important that when Andy walks through that door he has a worked-through plan, because governing is hard in Britain, and lots of challenges and shocks will come his way”.

Mr Burnham must be “really clear about what they want to achieve”, and “needs to stay laser-focused on those things that have always motivated him, have always driven him”, the Chancellor also said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Ms Reeves was asked why Sir Keir Starmer’s time as Prime Minister was coming to an end.

“People are impatient for change – I’m impatient for change and I totally get that people want to see their lives changed faster,” she said.

The Chancellor is expected to make one last major address to the City on Tuesday, the Mansion House speech.