Labour's Curious Case of John Healey: From Defence Secretary to Chancellor John Healey's appointment as Andy Burnham's Chancellor of the Exchequer has sparked both surprise and relief within the Labour party.
His relatively quiet demeanor and reputation for being a safe pair of hands have been tempered by his previous stint as Defence Secretary, which ended in dramatic fashion just over a month ago.
Healey's resignation from the defence job was seen as a shock at the time, not least because he had been vocal about the government's delayed defence investment plan.