Al Carns: Who is the Scottish Royal Marines colonel who hasn't backed Andy Burnham?

In little over a week, we could have a new Prime Minister.

Nominations for the next Labour leader open on Thursday, before closing a week later – and so far only one MP has put himself forward: the parliamentary group’s latest addition, Makerfield MP Andy Burnham.

But this whole timetable could be thrown off by one man who has very publicly refused to make up his mind about his Mancunian colleague. Could Aberdeen-born Al Carns also run for the Labour leadership?

Then UK Armed Forces Minister Al Carns climbs a frozen waterfall as he carries out his reserve training alongside British Commando Forces on February 2, 2026 in Helligskogen, Norway. Getty Images

A pretty important caveat to any speculation about a Carns bid is that Burnham holds most of the cards, and so in the case of a contest, his victory would pretty well remain a dead cert.

Burnham has courted the unions, meeting with the leaders of GMB, Unite and Unison since becoming an MP.

He remains one of his party’s most popular politicians among Labour members.

Could Carns get the numbers?

There’s also the issue of numbers: could Al Carns feasibly gain the support of 80 MPs to stand in a contest? Sure, not everyone is a newly-converted Burnhamite, but even the ex-Manchester mayor’s sceptics have resignedly come around to the idea that he will be their next leader.

But for Carns, on the surface at least, it is less about winning a race than providing the opportunity for a contest in the first place, and keeping defence on the agenda.

Former Armed Forces Minister. Getty Images

A more protracted leadership race would see hustings take place, forcing contenders to lay out their policy platforms and allowing more scrutiny of these plans (Burnham has already been criticised for cutting media questions out of his devolution speech last week).

It would allow MPs and voters to have a better understanding of who their new Prime Minister will be, before he enters No 10 Downing Street.

And it might help Burnham himself set out a clearer vision of where he wants to take the country – and how best to communicate it – two challenges that dogged Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.

For his part, Carns stands for pro-growth policies that benefit the “next generation” of workers and, of course, strengthen national security.

While Carns’ cryptic social media posts – he set out his “five tests” for the next Labour leader on X – and media interviews – he told LBC he would “stand up for the things I believe in” after Starmer resigned – have amassed criticism from colleagues who have brushed his interventions aside as self-indulgent posturing, his point about the need for a contest is not universally unpopular.

Abdi Duale, a member of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), the ruling body that decides things like the Labour leadership timetable, expressed his dissatisfaction with the looming “race”.

Describing an “extraordinary” NEC meeting, Duale raised concerns about what a Burnham coronation would mean: “Many of us expressed our dissatisfaction that CLPs (constituency Labour parties) will not be able to nominate or participate if there is no contest.”

In short: a one-man race doesn’t feel very democratic. It’s not very Labour.

He has suggested a members’ Q&A session to be held on the day that nominations close, so that Burnham can face some scrutiny before stepping into the top job.

So on that, Carns is aligned with his party’s ruling body.

From Royal Marines to Westminster

Then Armed Forces minister Al Carns is shown mine detecting equipment during a visit to RFA Lyme Bay in Gibraltar. Getty Images

While he is seen as a rank outsider, he remains much respected for his extensive military experience. He joined the army at just 19 years old, working his way up through four tours in Afghanistan to become a Colonel and has been awarded the Military Cross.

After leaving active service, he began advising defence secretaries (in Conservative governments) and received an OBE in 2022.

Despite only becoming an MP in 2024, he was immediately handed a government job, as veterans minister, before being moved to armed forces minister in Starmer’s September reshuffle last year.

Being a much-decorated veteran with a fascinating hinterland, Carns’ record has wowed his parliamentary colleagues.

“He will have definitely killed people,” one Labour MP whispered to me in hallowed tones.

“On a personal level, I’d love to see him as the next Prime Minister,” a similarly awed SNP MP said.

“Why isn’t he a Tory?” harrumphed a Conservative.

But less charitable colleagues say that for his talk of principles, Carns’ strategy of not rowing in behind Burnham is a chess game of sorts, designed to secure him a top defence job in the next Labour government.

He has of course brushed off these suggestions, telling the Times: “My loyalty is to the country. I generally don’t want to be anything, unless it fits inside someone else’s plan.”

The shortlist for defence secretary is getting longer, after the current incumbent Dan Jarvis secured more funding for the Defence Investment Plan last month, while the former minister John Healey will be looking for a job.

But Carns has, if nothing else, kept defence – and himself – on the agenda, making it unlikely that he’ll be overlooked.