Lucy Powell appears to endorse Ed Miliband as Andy Burnham’s chancellor

Labour deputy leader says she thinks energy secretary would be good in Treasury but ‘tittle-tattle’ over cabinet posts is ‘unedifying’

Ed Miliband would make a “good” chancellor to Andy Burnham, Labour’s deputy leader, Lucy Powell, has said, ahead of the likely next prime minister’s first major speech on the economy since he returned to Westminster.

Powell, who served as Miliband’s chief of staff in opposition and is close to the former party leader, appeared to endorse him to run the Treasury – although some in Burnham’s camp acknowledge such a move could be politically risky.