Who is running the country? writes Andrew Marr

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The obvious answer is Keir Starmer, but after what's happened to him, I think it's fair to ask, how far ahead is he thinking?

He spent the day, apparently visiting a cinema in Buckinghamshire where he spoke with parents and children about discounted attractions and meals out this summer. There you go.

Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is fighting a desperate and I'm afraid probably forlorn, rearguard action to keep her job.

Yes, I'm sure other ministers are trudging into the office but to be honest all the real interest, all the real action is around Andy Burnham and what he is going to do.

Now I may be wrong about this but I strongly suspect Andy Burnham will take the absolutely crucial decision about who his chancellor is going to be over the weekend. If the uncertainty lasts well into next week, we may start to be in bond market trouble, and it’s a ticklish choice.

From the centre-right, the obvious candidate is Wes Streeting, one of the best explainers and arguers labour has; and also, perhaps Burnham’s best pick for business and in the markets.

Streeting hasn’t asked for any job, and certainly hasn’t been given any promises: but having Burnham and Streeting together in numbers 10 and 11 Downing Street, would be a truly formidable team ahead of what might be an early general election.

I guess the case against would be that Streeting has made no secret of wanting the top job himself and Burnham might feel that’s an anxiety he doesn't need.

As far as Ed Milliband is concerned, the case against is well known: both big trade union leaders and the bond markets are against him for slightly different reasons, and lobbying hard: if the markets responded very badly to his appointment, it could be close to game over for Burnham.

And tonight, Britain’s biggest union, unison has endorsed him.

But the case for Miliband, which hasn’t been made properly, is a kind of Nixon to China one - in other words that because he is on the left, he is perhaps the only candidate who could persuade the Parliamentary labour party to accept welfare reforms which Andy Burnham very much wants to deliver.

And of course, after working so long with Gordon Brown in the treasury, Miliband understands how that very strange place works.

Which way Burnham goes will tell us a lot about him and where he wants to take us.

Andrew Marr is an author, journalist and presenter for LBC.

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