Sir Keir Starmer’s allies have urged Darren Jones to run against Andy Burnham for No 10, The Telegraph understands.
The MPs, including at least one minister, have contacted Mr Jones’s team to push for him to stand as a continuity candidate after Sir Keir leaves office.
The Telegraph has been told MPs are “putting a lot of weight” behind the 39-year-old minister, considered one of Sir Keir’s closest allies.
Mr Burnham, who was sworn in as an MP on Monday afternoon, announced that he would run for the party leadership just hours after Sir Keir’s resignation statement.
Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, has abandoned his own leadership ambitions despite his earlier insistence that he would stand in any contest.
Al Carns set out his own policy vision for government as he declared the next Labour leader must “surround yourself with the best”.
If no other challengers enter the contest with the backing of 80 Labour MPs, then Mr Burnham will win the leadership by default and become prime minister by July 18.
Senior Labour sources told The Telegraph there was an appetite among MPs to have a contest, pointing out that Mr Burnham would lack a democratic mandate if he was appointed without an election.
