‘Pro-business’ Burnham eyes Reynolds return to top business job
Andy Burnham is planning to bring Jonathan Reynolds back as business secretary as the incoming prime minister moves to deliver on his pledge to lead a “pro-business” government.
Reynolds, who served as business secretary until last September before becoming chief whip, is expected to return to the department when Burnham unveils his cabinet this week, the Financial Times reported.
Several Labour figures and business leaders believe Reynolds is likely to resume the role, where he built strong relationships with employers and trade unions during his first spell in office.
The move comes after Burnham used his first speech as Labour leader to promise he would be “a pro-business leader” while pursuing his wider ambition to reindustrialise Britain.
“I will be a pro-business leader of the Labour Party as I was a pro-business mayor of Greater Manchester,” Burnham said on Friday.
Business department in line for overhaul
According to the FT, Burnham is also considering expanding the Department for Business and Trade by transferring responsibility for science from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Officials expect parts of DSIT could move into the business department, with other functions transferred to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
One Labour figure said the enlarged department could eventually be rebranded as a “Ministry of Industry”, reflecting Burnham’s commitment to reindustrialisation.
The incoming prime minister has also discussed giving the department greater responsibility for business-facing energy policy, although people close to the talks said that option now appeared less likely.
But Matt Clifford, the government’s AI adviser, warned that another Whitehall reorganisation risked distracting officials from delivering policy, writing on X that moving science and technology teams would “waste time and energy”.
Reynolds has made little secret privately that he has not enjoyed his role as chief whip. Over the weekend, he also joked in a Times Radio interview that he had “no clue” what his job would be by Monday.
During his previous spell as business secretary, Reynolds led negotiations on trade agreements and oversaw emergency legislation to secure the future of British Steel’s blast furnaces.
Business groups are already pressing Burnham to match his rhetoric with policy. The CBI has urged the incoming government to focus on lowering energy costs, tackling skills shortages and simplifying the tax and regulatory system.
Rain Newton-Smith, the business group’s chief executive, said: “We want Andy Burnham and his team to succeed. ‘Manchesterism’ provides a coherent theory of growth… The challenge is execution.”