Andy Burnham has appointed Graeme Cooke, a close ally of his chief of staff James Purnell, as director of the No 10 Policy Unit, as the former Manchester mayor prepares to enter Downing Street in a few days’ time.
Cooke, who is currently a policy adviser in Keir Starmer’s Downing Street focused on domestic affairs, will step up to lead the team when Burnham enters No 10, according to sources familiar with the plans. Cooke previously served as a special adviser to Purnell and the pair are seen as close intellectual allies and friends, having written papers together and worked together since leaving government.
Harvey Redgrave, the current head of Policy Unit, will remain on the team in a new role as home affairs and justice special adviser. He and Cooke, like others on the team who are remaining, will be on a three-month transition contract as the team is finalised.
Cooke is seen by insiders as “kind and decent, very competent and able to drive the machine”, as one colleague puts it. His close relationship with Purnell is expected to be helpful for Burnham to make a strong start to his premiership.
The interim nature of the appointments is a source of concern, however. “It’s good that they’re taking their time to work out the right structures but I have a bit of concern that the continuity means it’ll take time for the team to absorb the change in direction and the pace needed,” one person familiar with the plans said.
Josh Simons, the former Makerfield MP who had been touted for the Policy Unit role, is not expected to take up a post in the Burnham administration.
[Further reading: With Burnham’s cabinet picks still unknown, MPs are struggling to control their anxieties]
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Subscribe here to commentJames Purnell seems a slightly strange decision. For one thing he is very pro Israel while Burnham seems to understand the full plight of Palestinians. Another thing is that he appears to have essentially Blairite views whilst Burnham has jettisoned his.
However, whilst it often seemed as if McSweeney was telling Starmer what to do, hopefully this will be vice versa. One amongst many of the main differences between Starmer and Burnham is that the former apparently had no vision whilst the latter has it in sackfuls. Burnham knows where he wants to go and what the country needs. I can only assume, therefore, that Purnell has taken on board the direction Burnham wants to travel that he has no objection to his leftwards leaning policies.
Surely, to goodness, he wouldn’t have accepted the job otherwise and Burnham would not have appointed him if his appointment would be a spanner in the works. I can only assume, therefore, that his appointment is down to his acumen and experience rather than any brand of Blairism we might associate with him. Burnham has fairly strong and progressive even radical long term aims and he must, therefore be aware that Purnell will use his talents to help achieve them.