Al Carns hints at Labour leadership run as he sets out five tests for next Prime Minister

Mr Carns, who has been consistently rumoured to be interested in replacing Starmer, has laid out his views on what the next Labour leader must prioritise - including defence spending, GDP, youth unemployment, and energy supply.

The former Starmer ally quit his post earlier this month after a row over the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which he and the ex-defence secretary John Healey blasted as leaving Britain vulnerable.

Despite the furious backlash to the DIP, Starmer is still set to publish the plan this week, even after Burnham allies urged him to hold off.

In a lengthy post on social media on Wednesday night, Mr Carns stopped short of saying he would challenge Andy Burnham.

Read More: Burnham ally says shift of power from London is 'badly needed' and says business rates devolution is 'very strong probability'

Read More: Tory leader takes aim at PM and Chancellor over her 'getting ready for selfie' with Burnham

He instead laid out the targets that he insists “anyone asking to lead our country” should be able to agree with.

Those tests are:

• Spending 3% of GDP on defence as “the floor, not the ceiling”
• Fixing the crisis of youth unemployment
• Setting a target to add a trillion pounds to UK GDP within the next decade
• Setting a handful of targets across the public sector, such as on health and re-offending and attempting to improve outcomes by 10%
• Improving energy infrastructure, including sourcing domestic energy supply from the North Sea.

In the post, Mr Carns concludes: “None of this is complicated. It’s the oldest deal there is. You serve the country, the country stands by you. In uniform, in a hospital, in a classroom, on a building site.

"Right now, that deal is broken, and everyone keeping our country going can feel it.

“That broken deal is the real reason for the frustration out there. It’s why trust has drained out of politics. And it’s why our party that won a landslide is, halfway through the term, already arguing about who leads it.

“But changing the person at the top fixes nothing if we don’t fix the deal underneath. Swap one leader for another and leave the deal broken, and we’ll be right back here in 18 months, asking the same question all over again.

“So I’m not interested in who gets what job. I’m interested in whether we’ve got the courage to pass these tests. We’ve been promised a debate. This is my opening offer to it. And if that debate ever becomes a contest, it should be fought on this ground, not on personalities. I know where I stand.”

His intervention comes after it was revealed that Brits want to see a Labour leadership contest rather than a coronation for Andy Burnham.

Fresh data from Ipsos shows that nearly four in ten (39 per cent) want a contest, compared to 13 per cent who want to see him take over without a contest.

But the poll shows Brits are more optimistic about him being a good prime minister, with 35 per cent thinking he would do a good job, and 24 per cent who say he’d do badly.

And out of a list of UK politicians, including Green Party boss Zack Polanski, Lib Dem boss Sir Ed Davey, and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, the new Makerfield MP tops the list among the public for who would do the best job.

Worryingly, nearly two in three (62 per cent) are not confident the Labour Party can provide strong and stable leadership.

The polling, which was mostly done just before Sir Keir Starmer resigned as PM, also shows a boost for Tory boss Kemi Badenoch, with 29 per cent thinking she would do a good job, above Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on 27 per cent.

Ipsos Director of Politics Keiran Pedley told LBC: "Given that Andy Burnham is seen as more likely to do a good job as Prime Minister than Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch it is reasonable to suggest that a Burnham-led Labour Party could improve in the polls once he takes office.

"However, given that 6 in 10 lack confidence that Labour can offer strong and stable leadership, there is work to do for the expected incoming Prime Minister to show that Labour has the answers for the long term.”

Mr Burnham and Sir Keir held talks yesterday for over an hour away from Westminster, as the civil service began access talks with him.

The former Manchester Mayor is currently the only candidate who has said they will run for the leadership, with many Labour MPs, including Mr Streeting, rowing in behind him.

Mr Burnham is now attempting to thrash out his plan for the nation, appointing key players to his top team and working out his major priorities for high office.

Darren Jones, the PM’s chief secretary, had considered running himself but has now said he won’t.