It is believed the Chancellor will be booted out of No11 in a matter of weeks

Rachel Reeves has warned Andy Burnham being Prime Minister is "hard" before the incoming leader takes the top job next week.

The Makerfield MP is edging closer to No10 after the majority of Labour MPs nominated him to become Labour's next leader.

Mr Burnham was the only candidate in the running and is expected to win a whopping 323 nominations on Monday, making it impossible for a challenger to fight against him.

Ahead over the power transition, Ms Reeves said it was "important that when Andy walks through that door he has a worked-through plan, because governing is hard in Britain, and lots of challenges and shocks will come his way".

She said his team should be "really clear about what they want to achieve".

He must remain "laser-focused on those things that have always motivated him, have always driven him", Ms Reeves told the BBC.

In what is expected to be her final interview as Chancellor, Ms Reeves is believed to be removed from No11 when the so-called "King of the North" moves into No10.

She told the broadcaster that people are "impatient for change" and she "totally gets that people want to see their lives changed faster".

Since Mr Burnham's path to Westminster became was cleared when he won his Makerfield seat last month, Ms Reeves was rumoured to be at risk of losing her job once the MP becomes Prime Minister.

However, it is understood the Chancellor will be offered an alternative Cabinet role if she were to be booted out of No11.

Since Labour won power back in July 2024, the Chancellor has come under fire over her fiscal policies, including the changes to inheritance tax (IHT) impacting farmers and the hike to National Insurance for employers.

Sources close to Mr Burnham's team that Ms Reeves has been viewed as not being successful during her tenure at the Treasury.

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Instead, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester is said to be eyeing up appointing Ed Miliband, Yvette Cooper or Wes Streeting as his Chancellor.

The speculation surrounding appointing the Energy Secretary has spurred on significant backlash, with some of his own constituents doubting the longevity of his term if he became Chancellor.

Some of Britain’s biggest unions have warned against appointing Mr Miliband to the top job over fears his left-leaning tendencies could “spook” the markets, a concern echoed by party insiders.

His devout commitment to his Net Zero agenda and his unwavering aversion to drilling in the North Sea has also fuelled concerns from big businesses about the markets’ stability on Mr Miliband’s watch.

Meanwhile, some of the US President's closest allies have issued a stern warning that such an appointment would be a "mistake", with Donald Trump describing Mr Miliband's Net Zero agenda as "stupid".

Nonetheless, a few of Burnham’s closest allies have come out to support the former leader’s bid to move in next door to the Prime Minister, while one source close to Mr Burnham said his chances were about “50/50”.

Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, said he would be “good” as Chancellor but batted away any further speculation about Mr Miliband’s fate.

The Doncaster North MP and Mr Burnham have been colleagues for well over a decade, even before the Energy Secretary became party leader.

The duo continue to speak on a regular basis, party insiders said.