Defence Secretary & ex-Sheffield metro mayor Dan Jarvis says Andy Burnham would make excellent Prime Minister
“He was an exceptional mayor of Greater Manchester and I think he will be an excellent prime minister”
Defence secretary and former Sheffield metro mayor Dan Jarvis has said he believes Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham would make an excellent Prime Minister.
Barnsley North MP Dan Jarvis MBE was appointed John Healey’s successor as defence secretary on June 12, 2026.
Less than a fortnight later, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced he would step down, paving the way for a new Labour leader and Prime Minister to run the country and take the party into the next general election.
Mr Starmer said he had asked Labour’s governing party to set a timetable to replace him, and nominations are set to open on July 9, 2026.
It came after Andy Burnham won a decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election, after he stood down as mayor of Greater Manchester, seemingly in a bid to oust Mr Starmer and take the top job.
Almost a week on from the Prime Minister’s resignation announcement, and Mr Starmer remains the only candidate to confirm his intention to run.
He has previously received the support of major figures within the Labour Party including chancellor Rachel Reeves, and former Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, who had previously been seen as a likely candidate in the race.
And now, Mr Jarvis has joined the growing list of Burnham backers, saying he would make an “excellent” prime minister.
Mr Jarvis, who previously served as metro mayor of the Sheffield City Region - now known as the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority, said he believes Mr Burnham “understands the importance of national security and making sure that we’ve got the right amount of resource to invest in our armed forces”.
He said: “I’ve worked very closely with Andy Burnham.
“He was an exceptional mayor of Greater Manchester and I think he will be an excellent prime minister, he understands the importance of national security and making sure that we’ve got the right amount of resource to invest in our armed forces.
“That is a process that is absolutely under way, but it is on the back of a commitment already to historic levels of defence funding.
“Yes, we want to do more, and the DIP (Defence Investment Plan) will deliver that, and, yes, we want to go further, the other side of the DIP.
“That is well understood by Andy Burnham. It’s well understood by the current Prime Minister. It’s my job to deliver for defence and that’s what I’m working hard to do.”