Labour could be facing a civil war as rumours about Ed Miliband being snubbed for the role of Chancellor continue to circulate.
Current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has emerged as the new frontrunner to replace Rachel Reeves under incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
While sources close to Ms Mahmood, Mr Miliband and, most crucially, Mr Burnham, have insisted nothing is certain yet, the Energy Secretary is reportedly “furious” about the speculation.
One Cabinet source told The Daily Mail: “Ed’s spent the best part of a year talking to Andy about his economic strategy.
“In the past fortnight he’s been the main person in with him and James [Purnell, Mr Burnham’s Chief of Staff] over putting together a package to reassure the markets.
“It’s not that he was specifically promised the job. But he basically assumed he was nailed on. So the reports he’s been ditched have made him pretty angry.”
Another said: “His office has been preparing to make the move to the Treasury and all the briefing has been that he’s been lined up for the job. If he loses out now he’s going to be really p****d”.
However, the makeup of the Cabinet under Labour’s eighth Prime Minister will not be known until next week, with sources close to Mr Burnham insisting nothing will be finalised until the Makerfield MP officially moves into Downing Street.
A source said: “The choice genuinely hasn’t been made yet. Andy isn’t going to be bounced into anything. Nothing is going to be finalised until he’s inside No10.”
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Labour minister blasts Argentina’s Falklands flag as ‘entirely inappropriate’
Argentina’s side held a barrier which read ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’ or ‘The Falkland Islands are Argentine’ | REUTERS
A Cabinet minister has said Argentinian players holding a flag in support of their country’s claims to the Falkland Islands was “entirely inappropriate”.
Argentina fans celebrated their victory against England jubilantly, with some near the pitch holding a banner which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas”, translated as the Falkland Islands are Argentinian.
The banner made its way to the players, who held it up as they revelled in their win.
They could face the prospect of disciplinary action from governing body Fifa for violating rules banning political messaging on the pitch.
Asked about the Argentinian players’ move, Business Secretary Mr Kyle told the BBC: “My reaction is that it was entirely inappropriate. Politics needs to be separate from football.
“In fact, the World Cup has one of its central tenets that politics is separate from football. That is now a matter for Fifa. I expect Fifa to do its investigation thoroughly.”
UK economy grows just 0.1 per cent as Rachel Reeves faces Number 11 exit
Britain’s economy grew slightly in May after shrinking the month before, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The economy expanded by 0.1 per cent during the month, recovering from a 0.1 per cent fall in April.
The figures are the last major update on the economy before Andy Burnham is expected to become Prime Minister next week, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves widely tipped to lose her job.
The small increase was driven by the services sector, which is the biggest part of the UK economy. Services output rose by 0.3 per cent in May.
