British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham held their first meeting on Tuesday since Burnham’s victory in last week’s Makerfield by-election, as the United Kingdom entered a political transition following Starmer’s resignation.
The meeting came after Downing Street confirmed that Burnham had been granted access to civil service briefings in his capacity as a candidate in the Labour Party leadership contest, according to The Times.
Starmer announced his resignation on Monday, saying he would remain in office until the party elects a new leader, who will also become the country’s next prime minister.
A Downing Street spokesperson said the government would continue to function in a caretaker role during the leadership race.
“There will be no new major policy or spending commitments until a new prime minister is appointed,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the caretaker arrangements, the government is expected to proceed with the release of its defence spending plans later this week.