Keir Starmer met Andy Burnham on Tuesday as part of efforts to ensure an "orderly" transition of powerOutgoing British prime minister Keir Starmer met Andy Burnham on Tuesday as part of efforts to ensure an "orderly" transition of power following his announcement that he would step down from office.The meeting marked the first face-to-face talks between the two since Burnham's victory in last week's Makerfield by-election, amid expectations that he could emerge as Starmer's successor.The hour-long meeting, came after Starmer authorized access talks with civil servants for prospective Labour leadership contenders, as cited by The Times. Andy Burnham is currently the only declared candidate and could become prime minister as early as July 17 if no challenger emerges.UK PMs who resignedAccess talks are typically offered to opposition leaders ahead of a general election to help prepare for a potential transition of power.The prime minister's spokesperson said the access talks would begin "as soon as possible" and are expected to take place before nominations close for any Labour leadership contest on July 16, as cited by The BBC.According to the prime minister's spokesperson, the discussions will focus on the "formation of government and key policy priorities" and will include security briefings.The spokesperson said he was unaware whether Burnham had formally requested the talks, adding that the decision to make them available had only recently been taken.Andy Burnham, a former cabinet minister who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, won a parliamentary seat in last week's Makerfield by-election, positioning himself to challenge Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party and the premiership.Burnham's prospects received a significant boost on Monday after former health secretary Wes Streeting, widely seen as his main potential rival, announced his backing.Amid the political uncertainty, the European Union said a key UK-EU summit scheduled for July 22 would be postponed.The British government is nevertheless expected to publish its long-awaited defence investment plan, the issue that contributed to Defence Secretary John Healey's resignation on June 11, ahead of the Nato summit in Turkey on July 7-8, which Starmer is expected to attend.Starmer's resignation triggered a wave of reactions across social media, with organizations and users sharing memes and commentary on the development..