UK finance minister Reeves would be fired if Andy Burnham becomes PM, the Times reports

British finance minister Rachel Reeves may be sacked if Andy Burnham ousts Prime Minister Keir Starmer, according to a report by the Times newspaper on Saturday.

​British finance minister Rachel ​Reeves will be sacked ‌if Andy ​Burnham ousts Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Times newspaper reported on Saturday.

Burnham won ‌a seat in parliament on Friday, paving the way for him to formally challenge the embattled Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since ‌leading the centre-left Labour Party to a landslide election win ‌in 2024. Starmer on Friday said he would fight any challenge, though local media reported on Saturday he was now considering his options.

Burnham did not ⁠comment ​on Friday ⁠on whether he would launch a leadership challenge, but some of his allies ⁠have said Starmer should agree to step aside without a contest. The ​Times report said Burnham would replace Reeves after his advisers ⁠concluded she did not represent a sufficient change of direction. Reuters could ⁠not ​immediately verify the report.

Reeves was appointed finance minister after Labour's 2024 election win and, with tight government finances ⁠defining many of Starmer's policy choices, has been closely associated with some of ⁠his ⁠most divisive decisions, including an attempt to cut welfare spending and an increase to business taxes.