Labour MPs should “skip a generation” and install Al Carns as prime minister, supporters of the former defence minister told The i Paper.
Carns quit Sir Keir Starmer’s Government on Thursday night, just hours after the resignation of his boss, Defence Secretary John Healey, after a months-long row over military spending. On Friday Carns accused the prime minister of not spending enough money on defence and spending it on the wrong weapons.
Carns has already made it clear he will stand for the Labour leadership if there is a contest, although his allies say he really wants the job of Defence Secretary. He is a former special forces commander who served five tours in Afghanistan and has been awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and entered Parliament in 2024.
“It’s time to skip a generation and have a fresh face,” a Labour MP told The i Paper. A second Labour MP added: “Older people who did their politics in opposition need to stand out of the way. There is a lot of chatter around about putting up a ’24 candidate. Perhaps Al is the guy. This could be his route to Defence Secretary.”
Carns’ support for a leadership tilt is largely drawn from MPs who entered Parliament two years ago. But even those Labour MPs who admire Carns warned he didn’t have the required numbers to stage a proper fight. Some suggested he would be better to wait and see if Andy Burnham makes him Defence Secretary.
www.instagram.com/p/DZUh1H8N3md/Carns, like many Labour MPs, has been up in Makerfield campaigning for Burnham in the by-election. Multiple polls put Burnham as the likely winner next Thursday. He is expected to return to Parliament and challenge Starmer for the leadership. Cabinet ministers have told The i Paper he could move as quickly as a fortnight.
Other Labour MPs dismissed Carns’ chances because he wouldn’t be able to secure the support of 81 MPs to challenge under party rules. “Ha ha, no. We like him, but no,” a third Labour MP said. A fourth Labour MP said, “You need 81 backers. Al doesn’t have 81”
Asked if Carns was a future leader, a female Labour MP said he is, “Just another bloke. ”
Carns declined to comment on his colleague’s comments. On Friday he addressed questions about his leadership ambitions in an interview with the BBC.
“People get confused about ambition and service. My whole career has been put to service,” Carns told the BBC’s Today programme when asked about whether he wanted to run for prime minister. “If I wanted to be ambitious, I wouldn’t have got into politics. If I wanted to make more money, I wouldn’t have got into politics.
“I left the military not because my career was faltering, but because I decided I wanted to make change, because I think we’re a pivotal moment in the history of the United Kingdom.
“So, this is about service to me. I’ve been really clear. I haven’t even received my P45 from the last job yet and we’ll see what happens in the future,” he added.
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