Andy Burnham 'must choose' between David and Ed Miliband for top Cabinet jobs as brotherly psychodrama returns

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 10:08, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 10:14, 1 July 2026 Andy Burnham could be forced to choose between putting Ed and David Miliband in top Cabinet jobs as Labour's brotherly psychodrama returns. The PM-in-waiting is facing a difficult balancing act as he draws up his senior team to take over from Keir Starmer in less than three weeks. Net Zero Secretary Ed has been heavily tipped to become Chancellor in the new administration, despite alarm from business, unions and party moderates. But David is also in the frame for a shock comeback, potentially resuming his old role as Foreign Secretary.  That would mean two of the four traditional great offices of state being occupied by Milibands - with only one - Home Secretary - available to be held by a woman. Labour insiders believe that would not be tenable, with women Labour MPs demanding that half of ministers are female.   Ed Miliband has been heavily tipped to become Chancellor in the new administration, despite alarm from business, unions and party moderates Speculation has been swirling about David Miliband, who quit UK politics after losing the 2010 Labour leadership election to his younger brother Ed Mr Burnham was forced to distance himself last night from a much-mocked briefing that he will be Labour's first woman premier. A senior figure had told the Spectator that he would be 'a female PM in all but sex'.  Labour MPs fumed at the comments, while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch quipped that Labour 'might have changed leader, but they still don't know what a woman is'.  But the former Greater Manchester mayor told a meeting of Parliamentary Labour Party women last night: 'I want to put on record that I never have and never will describe myself as the first female Labour PM.' He added: 'I want to make it clear that if anyone in my team was found to have done that they would be out of the door. Their feet wouldn't touch the floor.' Mr Burnham has been been handed a letter from female Labour MPs asking that he commit to ensuring at least 50 per cent of his ministers are women. It also requested that half of No10 staff are female and the Deputy PM is a woman. Despite Labour having a record-breaking 190 female MPs elected at the 2024 general election, the party is set to continue its long history of only having male leaders. Speculation has been swirling about David Miliband, who quit UK politics after losing the 2010 Labour leadership election to his younger brother Ed.  The older Miliband pointedly refused to rule out a Cabinet return when he was asked directly at an event last week, merely saying Mr Burnham would 'make his own choices'. Mr Miliband is currently head of New York-based aid agency the International Rescue Committee.  Mr Burnham was forced to distance himself last night from a much-mocked briefing that he will be Labour's first woman premier There are questions within the party over whether the brothers could work together. It would be the first time in in modern British politics that siblings held two of the great offices of state.  But one Cabinet minister told the Times: 'You cannot have more Milibands than women in the top jobs. That kind of thing matters.'  Mr Burnham and the Milibands were all advisers in Tony Blair's New Labour project, before becoming MPs.  They served in Government alongside James Purnell, who is set to be Mr Burnham's chief of staff in No10.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.