Andy Burnham, the new Labour Prime Minister, has appointed Louise Haigh as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, giving her control of the Cabinet Office in a role columnist Stephen Daisley dubs "The Enforcer". The appointment reflects Haigh's close political alliance with Burnham, whom she has known for a decade, and her key role in managing his by-election campaign in Makerfield, which paved the way for his rise to the Labour leadership and Downing Street.

The piece highlights Haigh's chequered past, noting she was one of the youngest female Cabinet ministers when appointed Transport Secretary by Sir Keir Starmer at 36, only to resign four months later in November 2024 after it emerged she had misled police a decade earlier over a stolen work phone while employed at Aviva. She was convicted of fraud by false representation, pleading guilty and receiving a conditional discharge shortly before becoming an MP in 2015. The article also raises questions about her political judgement, citing her 2024 description of P&O Ferries as a "rogue operator".