No 10 Fed Journalists False Information About Burnham's Chancellor Pick, and Insiders Are Not Sorry Press Got Burned

No 10 Fed Journalists False Information About Burnham's Chancellor Pick, and Insiders Are Not Sorry Press Got Burned

The contest for Andy Burnham's chancellor appointment was shaped by intense lobbying and briefing, with rival camps seeking to influence the outcome through unattributed guidance to journalists. It was reported that Shabana Mahmood had emerged as the frontrunner days before the announcement. But when Burnham confirmed John Healey as his choice, it caught much of Westminster off guard. The chancellor post sits at the centre of tax, spending and b…