Who? Carns is a member of Labour’s 2024 intake, but has risen swiftly through the ranks. A former Royal Marines colonel who was decorated for gallantry during his service in Afghanistan, Carns was immediately given a ministerial role — covering the veterans brief — following the election. In September, he was shuffled to the armed forces portfolio, and made his mark in December by saying Britain needs to be prepared for war with Russia, remarks that set the leadership tongues wagging. He’ll have done his standing within Labour no harm by issuing a punchy video last month criticizing Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US’s NATO allies stayed away from the front line in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, Carns remains a largely unknown quantity within Labour, which has been here before with former military men: in the past decade, both Dan Jarvis — now security minister — and Clive Lewis, a backbencher, have been touted as potential leaders.