Sir Keir Starmer met with Andy Burnham on Tuesday to discuss an "orderly" transition of power following Starmer's announcement that he is stepping down as prime minister. This meeting marks the first encounter between the two since Burnham's victory in the recent Makerfield by-election.
The hour-long discussion, initially reported by The Times, occurred as Starmer authorized civil service access talks for prospective Labour leadership candidates to prepare them for the responsibilities of government. Burnham is currently the sole declared candidate, and if no other contenders emerge, he could potentially assume the role of prime minister as early as July 17.
An ally of Burnham indicated to the Financial Times that if the Makerfield MP becomes prime minister, he is expected to offer Rachel Reeves, the current chancellor, a junior or mid-level cabinet position. "Andy really respects Rachel and I'm confident he'll want her in his top team," the ally told the BBC. A spokesperson for Burnham stated that no decisions have been finalized, and Reeves' team has been contacted for comment.
The notes do not specify who might succeed Reeves as chancellor, but names such as Ed Miliband, Wes Streeting, John Healey, and Yvette Cooper have been mentioned as potential candidates. Additionally, according to two close allies of Burnham, the Makerfield MP is expected to appoint former Labour cabinet minister James Purnell as his Downing Street chief of staff. Purnell previously served as culture secretary and work and pensions secretary under Prime Minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2009. After resigning as an MP in Greater Manchester in 2010, Purnell held positions as a senior BBC executive, university vice-chancellor, and most recently, served as the chief executive of Flint Global, a lobbying and strategy firm.