LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a crucial meeting with senior Labour Party politician Andy Burnham on June 23 as he seeks to ensure a smooth power transition after announcing his resignation as prime minister.
The meeting, lasting about an hour, was the first between the two figures since Burnham won the Makerfield by-election last week.
It also comes as Starmer allows joint access talks with senior government officials for potential Labour Party leadership candidates in preparation for forming a new government.
So far, Burnham is the only candidate to emerge to replace Starmer.
If unchallenged, Burnham could be appointed prime minister as early as July 17.
A spokesperson for Starmer said the prime minister wants to ensure the transition process runs orderly and stable.
"He wants whoever becomes prime minister after him to succeed and will try to resolve difficult issues in the coming weeks to help his successor," the spokesperson said.
Starmer also agreed to postpone major policy and spending decisions until a new leader is appointed.
Starmer's announcement of his resignation came after he lost the support of many Labour MPs, increasing internal pressure on his leadership even though he has not been in office for two years.
In related developments, Burnham is reported to be forming an early team in case he successfully takes over the country's leadership.
According to Burnham's close associates, he is expected to offer a mid-level or junior ministerial position to Rachel Reeves, Britain's current chancellor.
"Andy has great respect for Rachel, and I am confident he wants Rachel in his core team," said a Burnham associate.
However, Burnham's spokesperson stressed that no official decisions have been made.
For now, it is unclear who would replace Reeves as chancellor if Burnham becomes prime minister.
Several names are being mentioned, including Ed Miliband, Wes Streeting, John Healey, and Yvette Cooper.
Burnham is also expected to appoint former Labour Cabinet minister James Purnell as chief of staff at Downing Street.
Purnell served as Culture Secretary and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown between 2007 and 2009.
After leaving Parliament in 2010, he has been a senior executive at the BBC, a university vice-chancellor, and CEO of strategy firm Flint Global.
Access talks as permitted by Starmer are usually given to the opposition leader ahead of a general election to allow them to prepare to take over government.
The prime minister's spokesperson said the talks will begin "as soon as possible" before the official Labour leadership nomination closes on July 16.
It will involve security briefings and discussions on government formation and key policy priorities.
Burnham is expected to begin outlining his vision through a series of speeches starting next week.
He reportedly wants to show a different approach from Starmer, especially on economic issues and devolution to local government.
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester has previously expressed support for the fiscal rules introduced by Reeves, signaling he will not significantly increase government borrowing.
He also promised to uphold the Labour manifesto not to raise main rates of income tax, VAT, and national insurance contributions.
However, Burnham also emphasized the need to increase public control over utilities like water, build more homes for councils, and revive Britain's industrial sector.
Although Burnham is currently seen as the main candidate, some Labour MPs reportedly want a real contest before he takes over Downing Street.
Cabinet Minister Darren Jones and former armed forces minister Al Carns are among the names being considered by some MPs as challengers to Burnham.
However, it is uncertain whether they can gain enough support to run.
Jones said he currently has no plans to run but wants assurances on Burnham's economic approach amid financial market concerns.
Carns said he is still evaluating the possibility of running.
"We need to see the policies Burnham wants to bring before deciding to support him," he told BBC Newsnight.
These latest developments show that the Labour Party is now entering a critical phase of leadership transition as Britain faces increasing economic pressures and political challenges.
If Burnham takes over as prime minister without a contest, he will lead Britain through a period of significant political and economic uncertainty, in addition to facing the challenge of reuniting the Labour Party after the Starmer era. – News agencies.
