Andy Burnham: 'King of the North' with eyes on the top job

Andy Burnham, the former Labour MP and three-time mayor of Greater Manchester, is aiming to re-enter Parliament to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the party leadership. Burnham secured a Labour MP’s willingness to stand down, allowing him to contest the Makerfield by-election—a seat Reform UK narrowly lost in 2024. However, the National Executive Committee (NEC) could still block his candidacy, and he must first win local party backing before facing voters in a constituency where Reform UK performed strongly in recent elections. Burnham’s campaign hinges on his record as mayor, where he won three successive landslide elections. He has framed his potential leadership bid around restoring trust in Labour, which has faced declining poll ratings and poor electoral results. In a statement, Burnham vowed to ‘make politics work properly for people’ across the UK, emphasizing his grassroots connections and policy achievements in Greater Manchester. The 53-year-old, born in Liverpool, has a long history in Labour politics, serving as an MP from 2001 to 2017 before becoming mayor. He previously ran twice for Labour leader but failed, and the NEC rejected his bid to stand in a by-election earlier this year. If selected, Burnham would need to win over sceptical voters in Makerfield, where Reform UK secured significant gains in local elections last week. Burnham’s background includes early political activism, inspired by his family’s Labour roots and a BBC drama about unemployment in Liverpool. He studied at Cambridge, worked in journalism, and rose through Labour ranks under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, serving as Treasury chief secretary and culture secretary. His tenure as culture secretary included a controversial moment at the Hillsborough memorial, where he was heckled—later pushing for a second inquiry into the 1989 disaster. The NEC’s decision on Burnham’s candidacy remains pending, but his campaign reflects broader Labour concerns about leadership and direction. If successful, he would become the first mayor to lead the party since its formation, potentially reshaping its future trajectory.