Last Updated on 1 minute ago by TodayWhy Editorial
As Keir Starmer’s premiership hangs by a thread, one name keeps surfacing as his most likely successor: Andy Burnham. The Greater Manchester mayor just won a parliamentary seat in a by-election explicitly engineered to bring him back to Westminster — the first time that’s happened in Britain since 1965. Here’s who he is, how he got here, and why even some on the left aren’t convinced he’s the change Labour needs.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Andy Burnham, 56, is a Labour (Co-op) politician who has been Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017 and is now also the newly elected MP for Makerfield. Born in Aintree, near Liverpool, and raised in Culcheth, he studied at the University of Cambridge and joined the Labour Party at 15, describing himself as politically shaped by the 1984–85 Miners’ Strike. He is widely placed on the “soft left” of the party and has, since 2025, been consistently cited as Labour’s most popular senior figure in polling.
From special adviser to Cabinet minister
Burnham’s path into frontline politics ran through health policy. After working as a researcher for Labour MP Tessa Jowell in the 1990s and serving as special adviser to Culture Secretary Chris Smith, he was elected MP for Leigh in 2001. Under Gordon Brown, he rose quickly through government — Chief Secretary to the Treasury, then Culture Secretary, and finally Secretary of State for Health from 2009 until Labour lost power in 2010. As health secretary, he championed a National Care Service offering free social care, a policy the incoming Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition later scrapped.
Two failed leadership bids
Burnham has run for the Labour leadership twice — and lost both times. In 2010, following Brown’s resignation, he finished fourth as Ed Miliband took the top job. In 2015, he ran again, this time framed as the frontrunner, but watched his lead evaporate as Jeremy Corbyn’s insurgent left-wing campaign gathered momentum; Burnham finished second with 19% of the vote to Corbyn’s 59%. He went on to serve as Shadow Home Secretary under Corbyn before leaving Westminster altogether in 2016 to run for the newly created post of Greater Manchester mayor.
Building the “King of the North” brand
Burnham won the Greater Manchester mayoralty in 2017 and was re-elected in 2021 with 67.3% of the vote and again in 2024. The role transformed his political profile: he became the most recognisable of England’s “metro mayors,” gaining particular prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic when he publicly clashed with the Westminster government over regional lockdown funding. That confrontation cemented a reputation — sometimes mocked, often embraced — as the self-styled “King of the North,” a politician positioning himself as the voice of devolved, post-industrial England against a London-centric Labour establishment.
The Makerfield by-election: a seat built for a comeback
Because Labour’s rules require leadership candidates to be sitting MPs, Burnham could not challenge for the top job as mayor alone. The opening came when Makerfield MP Josh Simons resigned his seat — having already stepped down from a ministerial role amid a separate controversy — specifically to let Burnham contest the vacancy. Labour’s National Executive Committee, which had previously blocked Burnham from standing in an earlier by-election, this time certified his candidacy.
Burnham won the 18 June by-election decisively, taking 54.8% of the vote and increasing Labour’s majority in the seat to over 9,200 — comfortably outperforming pre-election polling that had suggested a much narrower race against Reform UK. Local broadcasters noted that the result far exceeded expectations. He is due to be sworn in as a member of Parliament on Monday — the same day Starmer is reportedly expected to address his own future.
Where Burnham stands on Trump, austerity, and Starmer himself
Burnham has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump’s politics, describing his approach as “poisonous” and warning that it has imported instability into international affairs — comments that would carry weight for UK-US relations if he ends up leading the country. Notably, Burnham backed Starmer in the 2020 Labour leadership contest that brought Starmer to power, making his emergence now as a rival a striking reversal.
Not everyone on the left is convinced a Burnham premiership would mark a real break from the current government’s direction. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has argued that Burnham would accept “too much of the austerity” already imposed and “doesn’t appear to be doing anything different internationally” compared with Starmer. For more on the broader crisis that brought Starmer to this point — from the Mandelson scandal to historic local election losses — see TodayWhy’s full breakdown of why Starmer is under pressure to resign.
What happens next
Burnham’s swearing-in clears the last formal obstacle to a leadership bid, but no contest has been triggered yet — that depends on whether Starmer steps aside and how Labour’s internal rules play out from there. Wes Streeting, who resigned as Health Secretary last month, has also said he would stand in any contest, meaning Burnham would not necessarily have a clear run even if Starmer goes. As of now, Downing Street has not confirmed Starmer’s departure, and the situation remains fluid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Andy Burnham an MP now?
Yes. He won the Makerfield by-election on 18 June 2026 with 54.8% of the vote and is due to be sworn in as a Member of Parliament.
Why did Andy Burnham need to win a by-election?
Labour’s internal rules require leadership candidates to be sitting MPs. As mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham held no parliamentary seat, so the Makerfield seat was vacated specifically to let him stand.
Has Andy Burnham run for Labour leader before?
Yes, twice. He finished fourth in 2010 and second to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015, after which he served as Shadow Home Secretary.
What is Andy Burnham’s political position within Labour?
He is generally placed on the party’s “soft left,” favoring policies like a higher minimum wage and renationalisation of rail, while distancing himself from some of Jeremy Corbyn’s more left-wing positions.
Did Andy Burnham support Keir Starmer in the past?
Yes. Burnham backed Starmer in the 2020 Labour leadership election, which makes his current position as Starmer’s chief rival a notable shift.
Is Andy Burnham guaranteed to become the next Labour leader?
No. Other figures, including former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, have said they would also stand in any leadership contest, and no contest has formally begun.
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