The Papers: 'Starmer braced for exodus' and 'Giant of art'

'Starmer braced for exodus' and 'Giant of art'Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleThe death of celebrated artist David Hockney, aged 88, features on many of Saturday's front pages, including the Independent. However, the paper leads on an exclusive that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is already "sounding out candidates for cabinet roles" if he wins next week's Makerfield by-election. Downing Street is preparing for "ministerial resignations" if Burnham wins the seat. In an interview with the Times, Burnham says the UK must not be "squeamish" about cutting welfare spending to fund defence. "The world has changed," he tells the paper, before urging the government to listen to the concerns of former Defence Secretary John Healey, who resigned this week following a row over military spending.Current Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is pushing to be made chancellor if Burnham becomes prime minister, according to the Daily Telegraph. Labour sources tell the paper that the two talk "regularly", with Miliband advising Burnham on how to "reassure bond markets", the paper writes.The prime minister's former Chief of Staff, Morgan McSweeney, is "already back advising" Sir Keir, just four months after resigning over the Mandelson scandal, the i Weekend reports. McSweeney, Sir Keir's "political brain", has returned as the prime minister faces down a leadership challenge "in the coming weeks", the paper writes. A Number 10 source dismissed the i Weekend report as nonsense. "Minister missing in action" is the headline for the Daily Mail, which reports that the new Defence Secretary, Dan Jarvis, "kept a low profile" on his first day in the job. The paper adds that media were "banned" from the opening of a drone factory to which they had previously been invited.The Daily Express reports a monument to D-Day heroes, as...