Sackings, cabinet surprises and policies: Burnham's first 24 hours as PM

Sackings, cabinet surprises and policies: Burnham's first 24 hours as PMImage source, Getty ImagesByJoe PikePolitical correspondentPublished11 minutes agoShortly after Andy Burnham telephoned a number of Keir Starmer's allies to sack them from the cabinet on Monday afternoon, John Healey received the signal to head to Number 10.Wearing a suit and one of his many red ties, the former defence secretary left parliament alone via a back entrance next to a pub."I'm on my way to a meeting," he said with a slight smile as he marched down Whitehall.Healey's imminent appointment as chancellor was a surprise - to him, to his Labour colleagues, and to the British public.It was a consequential moment among a flurry of announcements from the new prime minister, including today's cut in VAT on energy bills, that demonstrate the new government's intention to move at breakneck speed - at least for now.The Conservatives support that tax cut but have questioned its funding.Five weeks earlier Healey had weakened Keir Starmer's grip on Downing Street by quitting as defence secretary in a row over military spending.Soon he would be back around the cabinet table alongside two others whose recent resignations had also damaged Starmer - new defence secretary Wes Streeting and new energy secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh.Were they rewarded for rebelling and hastening Burnham's path to office? Possibly. But all three are also widely seen as skilled operators taking on complex roles.To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedFigure caption, Watch: John Healey questioned moments before being made chancellorJohn Healey's elevation to the second most important job in government has delighted senior figures in the Ministry of Defence, who are relieved to have someone in the Treasury who is committed to increasing military spending. "It's brilliant for us," said an insider.Yet the same...