Louise Haigh: Labour power broker behind Burnham's rise

Louise Haigh: Labour power broker behind Burnham's riseImage source, EPA/ShutterstockByPaul SeddonPolitical reporterPublished20 July 2026Louise Haigh had enjoyed a stratospheric political rise before her ministerial career came to a juddering halt shortly after Labour's return to power.She became the youngest-ever female cabinet minister at the age of 36, but resigned as transport secretary just four months into the role, after it emerged she had pleaded guilty to a fraud offence during her twenties.Now Andy Burnham has brought her back into government with a big job running the Cabinet Office and the title of first secretary of state, denoting her senior rank.It cements the Sheffield MP's place at the heart of Burnham's cabinet, having been among a tiny circle of key allies entrusted with holding "access talks" with civil servants ahead of his arrival in Downing Street.After her departure from the cabinet in November 2024, Haigh maintained a high profile on the backbenches, playing a key role in orchestrating the Labour rebellion against proposed welfare cuts last year.She went on to revive the Tribune group, a caucus dating back to the 1960s that has emerged as a home for the "soft left" wing of the party that has fuelled Burnham's rise to power.Becoming increasingly critical of the Starmer government, she signed up to the Burnham project in the run-up to elections scheduled for May this year, reportedly after meeting him in Manchester to sound out his plans for power.She then oversaw his successful bid to return to Westminster as MP for Makerfield, living out of an AirBnb and running a campaign HQ in a community club shared with weddings, tribute bands and exotic bird auctions.She admits that she was initially sceptical about using seat outside Wigan as the launch pad for his Westminster return, branding it a "huge risk". But it was a decision that has ultimately paid off for both of them, paving the way for...