Sir Keir Starmer met Andy Burnham for talks earlier on Tuesday, as he seeks to ensure an “orderly” transition of power after announcing he is standing down as prime minister.
It is the first time the pair have met since Burnham won last week’s Makerfield by-election.
The hour-long meeting, which was first reported in the Times, external, comes as Sir Keir authorised access talks with civil servants for prospective Labour leadership candidates to prepare them for government.
Burnham is the only candidate to have emerged so far and if he does not face a challenger he could become prime minister as early as 17 July.
If he does become prime minister, Burnham – as first reported by the Financial Times, external – is expected to offer Rachel Reeves a junior or mid-level cabinet position.
A close ally of Burnham told the BBC: “Andy really respects Rachel and I’m confident he’ll want her in top team.”
Reeves’ team has been contacted for a comment.
It is unclear who would replace Reeves as Chancellor, with Ed Miliband, Wes Streeting, John Healey and Yvette Cooper among the names mooted.
Burnham is also expected to appoint former Labour cabinet minister James Purnell as his Downing Street chief of staff, according to two close allies of the Makerfield MP.
Purnell served as culture secretary and work and pensions secretary under Gordon Brown between 2007 and 2009.
After quitting as an MP in Greater Manchester in 2010, he worked as a senior BBC executive, university vice chancellor and more recently has been the chief executive of a lobbying and strategy company Flint Global.
