Angela Rayner is weighing up an offer from Sir Keir Starmer to return to the Cabinet as the Prime Minister battles for his political future.

The Telegraph revealed Sir Keir personally extended the olive branch to his former deputy when the pair held secret talks in Manchester earlier this month.

No 10 believes bringing Ms Rayner – the standard-bearer of the soft Left – back into the fold would help reunite the fractured Labour Party.

It could also benefit the former deputy prime minister, who is looking for ways to rehabilitate herself and rebuild her reputation as a serious political player after the scandal over her unpaid tax bill.

Ms Rayner may choose to bide her time and go for the top job herself in the wake of what are predicted to be dire local election results for Labour.

But if she were to return, which job would she want, and how would it benefit her in the climb to the top?

Foreign secretary: 8/10

Of all the Cabinet jobs which could be made available to Ms Rayner, the most appealing and suited to her needs would be that of foreign secretary.

If her dreams of No 10 will be dashed by anything, it is the nagging concern among Labour MPs that voters don’t see her as prime ministerial.

With war raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, some may feel Ms Rayner would lack gravitas on the global stage.

One way to allay those fears would be to “do a Liz Truss” and rebrand her image as a stateswoman in the eyes of the public and within her own party.

Carefully crafted diplomatic speeches and “grip and grin” handshake shots with world leaders would help Ms Rayner build up a sense of heft which, for all her charisma, she still lacks.

The move may also have appeal for Sir Keir, given that the foreign secretary role could become available in an impending reshuffle.

It has been rumoured that the Prime Minister is considering moving Yvette Cooper, the incumbent, to the Treasury to replace Rachel Reeves.

Home secretary: 6/10

Ms Rayner will be in a position to demand a hefty price from Sir Keir for her return, and that is likely to be one of the four great offices of state.

If she doesn’t fancy the job as foreign secretary, then the former deputy prime minister may be tempted to move into the Home Office instead and usher in a radical change of political direction.

It is a move that would bring double satisfaction. Firstly, it would mean ousting Shabana Mahmood, the rising star of the Blue Labour faction whose politics is at the other end of the Labour spectrum to Ms Rayner.

Secondly, it would allow Ms Rayner to curry favour with Labour MPs and the membership by reversing Ms Mahmood’s immigration reforms.

Ushering in a more liberal approach to asylum and border controls would put her in a prime position to win any future leadership contest.

She will be wary, however. While the Home Office has catapulted some – most notably Theresa May – to the very top, it has swallowed many a political career.

Chancellor: 4/10

The other great office of state is the chancellorship, which many in Westminster would argue is the most powerful role in British politics.

Ms Rayner could attempt to hijack Ms Cooper’s rumoured move to No 11 Downing Street and claim control over the nation’s finances for herself.

On the one hand, the appeal is obvious. As head of the Treasury, she would be able to dish out crowd-pleasing subsidies to Labour’s voter base.

The position would also help her with her gravitas problem – managing the nation’s finances is an inherently statesmanlike role in the eyes of voters.

There are some signs Ms Rayner may be considering this route. Last month, it emerged she had been joining calls with banks about the economy.

But there are many hurdles – most notably how the markets may react to the move.

Housing secretary: 2/10

How about her old job back? Ms Rayner could feel she has unfinished business at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

She was synonymous with Labour’s reforms to planning rules and its ambitious target to build 1.5 million new homes by 2030, and she championed workers’ rights and renters’ rights reforms during her time there.

Ms Rayner knows the civil servants at the department well, and her former policy adviser is working for Steve Reed, her successor in the role.

Any sense of nostalgia, however, would be outweighed by the negatives, and that makes it unlikely that she will be seriously considering a return.

That housing target is looking increasingly unrealistic and going back to the department would mean tying herself to a near-inevitable failure.

Perhaps more than that, it would look like a backward step and would hardly be the profile-raising move any leadership hopeful would be looking for.

It would also create a headache for Sir Keir, who would have to move Mr Reed, one of his most loyal ministers, from a role he took up only nine months ago.

Culture secretary: 1/10

Ms Rayner has made no secret of the fact that she enjoys a good party, so could the Department for Culture, Media and Sport be a perfect fit?

The former deputy prime minister’s fun-loving side is one of the things that endears her most to the public – she is authentic and seems more in touch with the public than other politicians.

Over the years, she has been photographed enjoying herself in a DJ booth in Ibiza and coolly sipping rosé from a giant wine glass on the Brighton seafront.

It would afford her many eye-catching photo opportunities and the opportunity to attend major cultural and sporting events, such as the World Cup.

There is also a serious side to the job. In particular, Ms Rayner would be able to focus on reform of the BBC and the future of the licence fee, as well as allowing her to take on tech giants over social media reforms.

Lisa Nandy, the incumbent, is one of the few Left-wing members of the Cabinet and has been repeatedly tipped to be sacked in any reshuffle.

The job, however, is unlikely to appeal to Ms Rayner’s sense of ambition. Given the aspirations she has, such a lower-level Cabinet role would not be what she needs.