The surprise group that backs Ed Miliband to become Chancellor if Andy Burnham wins keys to No10

As Andy Burnham is looking more and more likely to become the eighth Labour Prime Minister, much speculation has taken place over what his top team could look like.

In particular, Westminster obsessives are poring over who could get the keys to No11, with Rachel Reeves appearing to concede she will no longer be staying on as Chancellor.

Several senior ministers, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, have now been tipped to succeed her.

While the boss of Britain’s biggest trade union, Andrea Egan, has endorsed Mr Miliband to take over from Ms Reeves, new polling has suggested another, more surprising demographic that could back the former Labour leader becoming Chancellor.

According to polling from Opinium, 32 per cent, a net positive, of 18-34-year-olds would back Mr Miliband, the MP for Doncaster North, becoming the new Chancellor, compared to 30 per cent against.

Out of this, 10 per cent say it would be "completely acceptable" for Mr Miliband to take over at No11, with 22 per cent saying it would be "somewhat acceptable", while 37 per cent say they "don't know."

Meanwhile, the support for Mr Miliband drops among older age groups, with 25 per cent of 35-49 year olds backing the Energy Secretary, a number which drops to 22 per cent among 50-64 year olds and 18 per cent of those above 65.

Overall, 24 per cent say they back Mr Miliband to become Chancellor, compared to 43 per cent against, with 32 per cent saying they don't know.

When breaking it down by party preference, it shouldn't be surprising that Mr Miliband is most popular among Labour voters, with 51 per cent of backers of Sir Keir Starmer's party supporting the Energy Secretary to become Chancellor, versus 26 per cent who are against it.

Support for Mr Miliband to become Chancellor drops to 36 per cent among Green Party voters, 34 per cent among Liberal Democrat voters, 23 per cent among Conservative supporters, 15 per cent among Reform UK supporters and just eight per cent among Restore Britain voters.

However, none of the Labour MPs tested received a positive net acceptability score, with John Healey performing best, at net -2 per cent, followed by Yvette Cooper (-6), Wes Streeting (-7), and Pat McFadden (-9).

Rachel Reeves is the least acceptable option, with a net rating of -30, followed by Angela Rayner (-25), David Lammy (-20) and Mr Miliband (-19).

General Secretary of Unison Andrea Egan has thrown her weight behind the Energy Secretary, in a sharp contrast to her counterparts in GMB and Unite.

She told The Guardian: "Andy Burnham has a historic opportunity to rebuild our country in the interests of workers and communities, but that chance will be squandered if his government is made up of politicians determined to continue the same failed approach.

"We need a chancellor who will rewire the economy and properly invest to improve the lives of the majority. Of those reported to be in the running, only Ed Miliband could enact the kinds of policies trade unions and our members urgently need."

However, General Secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham disagreed, telling the Sunday Times that Mr Miliband’s commitment to net zero would be a "noose around the neck" of job creation.

She said: "Ed only seems to be interested in one side of the equation, rushing Britain to net zero with almost no thought for jobs, skills and national security.

"In my view, a Labour chancellor needs a vision for Britain that understands the skills we have, nurtures those skills and sees Britain as an industrial force that can lead in industries, not decimate them.

"Good investment in British industry is a no-brainer. Anyone who does not get that it matters where things are made and produced should not be chancellor."

Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Mr Burnham should sack Mr Miliband rather than potentially promoting him to become chancellor, claiming business chiefs were "terrified" of him becoming Chancellor.

She compared Mr Miliband’s approach to energy policy to the military dictators she had known as a child in Nigeria.

In a speech in London, Mrs Badenoch said the economy was "in limbo" while businesses waited to see what Mr Burnham would do.

She added: "People are worried about capital gains tax, so they are changing their investment decisions.

"The car industry is in limbo again because they do not know when petrol cars will be phased out. Everyone is terrified about what will happen if Ed Miliband becomes the chancellor. The same is true in every sector of the economy. Britain is facing a summer of chaos."