Yes we Carn? Ex minister and former Commando says he may run against Andy Burnham for Labour leader if he does not 'buy into his vision'

By MARTIN BECKFORD, POLICY EDITOR Published: 23:22, 23 June 2026 | Updated: 23:22, 23 June 2026 A former minister has warned Andy Burnham he may run against him if he does not 'buy into his vision'. Al Carns said he had still not ruled out standing against the frontrunner to become the next Labour leader – and has been backed by an influential peer. The ex-Commando's comments came amid growing resistance within the party to Mr Burnham enjoying an unopposed 'coronation' that would see him installed as Prime Minister within a month. However there are doubts over whether any other contender can secure the necessary backing of 81 Labour MPs in order to put their name forward and force a full contest. Mr Carns, who quit as Armed Forces Minister over the delayed Defence Investment Plan earlier this month, told the Foreign Press Association on Tuesday that Mr Burnham would listen to the Parliamentary Labour Party. 'He'll take advice on policy ideas, and hopefully he'll be able to drive them forward at a pace and with the boldness and courageousness that is required to keep that social cohesion and make us successful in the 2029 general election,' he said. But he added: 'A vision without a plan is a dream and if you don't have it, it can turn into a nightmare pretty quickly.' Asked if he would launch his own leadership bid, Mr Carns replied: 'A decision is often based on multiple factors.  Former minister Al Carns addressing a Foreign Press Association briefing on Tuesday  'I just need to see and buy into that vision and that policy and then we'll see where we go from there.' Founder of the socially conservative Blue Labour caucus Lord Glasman revealed he is backing Mr Carns to succeed Sir Keir Starmer. 'He's a soldier, he understands defence and he understands the next war,' the Labour peer said. A minister also told the Daily Mail that a challenger could emerge when nominations open on July 9th because of unhappiness among many within Labour at Sir Keir being forced out. 'There are lots of really grumpy MPs,' the senior figure said. However it is now thought unlikely that Sir Keir's right-hand man will take part in the contest, as had previously been suggested. Sources claimed that although Darren Jones had been urged by some MPs to put himself forward, he is not planning to do so. Meanwhile Sir Keir's Brexit negotiator said there should be a coronation. Nick Thomas-Symonds, who is now backing Mr Burnham, suggested a contest would not be in the best interests of the country. The Cabinet Office minister told Sky News: 'I just think we have to weigh up what is in the best interests of the country. 'I am of the view that it needs to be a swift transition but of course I understand colleagues have difficult decisions to make.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. 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.