2 hours ago 5 minutes ago
Becky Morton,Political reporterand James Gregory,Political reporter
Reuters
Andy Burnham has tried to go Labour person earlier - doubly running, doubly missing out.
But it whitethorn present beryllium a lawsuit of 3rd clip lucky, with Sir Keir Starmer's resignation and galore Labour MPs rallying astir the caller MP for Makerfield, paving the mode for a imaginable Burnham premiership.
Burnham has confirmed helium intends to bid for the leadership, and his chances volition person been boosted by the backing of Wes Streeting - Sir Keir's erstwhile wellness caput who had himself been keen connected moving for the apical occupation himself.
Burnham's archetypal large obstacle to the doors of Downing Street was cleared past week erstwhile helium won the Makerfield by-election, seeing disconnected a situation from Reform UK, which came 2nd but much than 9,000 votes down Labour.
The erstwhile Greater Manchester politician accrued Labour's stock of the ballot from 45% astatine the 2024 wide predetermination to astir 55%.
Now the Labour MP, who was archetypal elected to Parliament successful 2001, volition beryllium sworn into Parliament connected Monday afternoon. But however did helium go front-runner successful the contention for No 10?
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Burnham appeared alongside Sir Keir Starmer during a sojourn by the PM to Ashton-under-Lyne successful April
Early life: Everton instrumentality and indie euphony lover
Born successful Liverpool successful 1970, Burnham grew up successful Culcheth, a quiescent commuter loop colony successful Cheshire, adjacent Warrington.
His father, a BT engineer, and his mother, a GP receptionist, were some staunch Labour supporters and helium developed an aboriginal involvement successful politics.
Burnham has described however helium was inspired to articulation the Labour Party astatine the property of 14, aft being moved by the BBC TV drama, Boys from the Blackstuff, astir beingness connected the dole successful Liverpool.
A lifelong Everton fan, his friends retrieve Burnham arsenic a competitive, sports-mad child, who was a accelerated bowler for Lancashire schoolboys cricket team.
At school, the section Roman Catholic comprehensive, his English teacher recalls however helium stood to beryllium a Labour campaigner successful mock elections - and won by a landslide.
Burnham and his 2 brothers were the archetypal successful their household to spell to university, with Andy studying English astatine Cambridge.
In his book, Head North, Burnham wrote that helium "struggled to consciousness portion of things" astatine assemblage and felt similar an "imposter".
However, the music-lover - who is simply a instrumentality of bluish indie bands similar The Smiths and The Stone Roses - said his "growing involvement successful Manchester euphony gave maine an individuality and an advantage".
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A keen footballer, Burnham was a regular diagnostic successful the yearly Labour MPs vs governmental journalists match
From MP to Greater Manchester mayor
After graduating, helium started retired successful journalism, moving for commercialized magazines including Tank World and Passenger World Management.
In his aboriginal 20s, helium got his archetypal interruption successful politics, moving arsenic a researcher for the precocious Tessa Jowell, past MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, who would spell connected to beryllium a curate nether Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.
Despite his aboriginal contempt for Westminster politics, Burnham roseate rapidly done the ranks, becoming a peculiar advisor to Culture Secretary Chris Smith earlier being elected arsenic the MP for his hometown of Leigh, successful Greater Manchester, successful 2001.
He archetypal served arsenic a inferior curate nether Blair, but joined the furniture arsenic main caput to the Treasury, and aboriginal civilization caput and wellness secretary, nether Brown.
It was arsenic caput of authorities for culture, media and athletics that Burnham was heckled astatine a memorial work marking the 20th day of the Hillsborough disaster.
Ninety-seven Liverpool fans were killed successful the stadium crush of 1989.
The heckling spurred Burnham connected to rise the contented successful cabinet, contributing to the motorboat of a 2nd enquiry into the disaster.
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Burnham gave a code successful 2014 astatine Anfield Stadium to people the 25th day of the Hillsborough catastrophe
In 2010, aft Brown resigned pursuing Labour's wide predetermination defeat, Burnham ran to go the party's leader.
He came 4th retired of the 5 contenders, losing to Ed Miliband, but spent the adjacent 5 years gathering up his entreaty with the party's grassroots.
In 2015 helium tried again, beaten this clip by Jeremy Corbyn.
Burnham's critics person branded him a upwind vane, whose views person blown with the governmental winds to springiness him the champion accidental of success.
A Remain protagonist during the Brexit referendum, helium has expressed a tendency to spot the UK rejoin the European Union successful his lifetime.
However, contempt precocious reiterating his content that determination is simply a lawsuit for rejoining "in the long-term", helium has said helium volition not beryllium advocating for this successful the Makerfield by-election - which is taking spot successful an country which ballot powerfully for Brexit.
He served successful Corbyn's shadiness cabinet, arsenic shadiness location secretary, contempt being seen arsenic connected the Blairite centre-right of the party.
Burnham's views person moved progressively to the left, backing the nationalisation of h2o and energy.
He was not 1 of those who resigned successful protestation astatine Corbyn's enactment successful 2016.
Instead helium stood down successful 2017 to tally to beryllium the archetypal politician of Greater Manchester.
Burnham won the contention with much than 60% of the ballot and was re-elected by an adjacent bigger borderline successful 2021.
'Bee Network' and lockdown stand-off
As mayor, helium has drawn praise for his translation of the region's transport system.
Under his leadership, Greater Manchester was the archetypal country extracurricular London to bring autobus services backmost nether nationalist control, portion integrating them with different modes of transport nether the branding of the "Bee Network".
Other bold pledges included ending unsmooth sleeping successful the portion by 2020 - though the people was missed.
His illustration roseate further during the Covid pandemic, erstwhile helium accused the Conservative authorities of treating the northbound of England with "contempt" implicit determination lockdown restrictions.
The stand-off helped gain him the nickname "King of the North".
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Burnham has hailed the "Bee Network" arsenic 1 of his successes arsenic mayor
By the autumn enactment league play of 2025, Burnham was openly connected manoeuvres for the apical job, arsenic helium refused to regularisation retired a enactment bid.
His interventions appeared to backfire, aft helium provoked a backlash by suggesting the authorities was "in hock" to the enslaved markets - a notation to the government's self-imposed rules limiting spending and borrowing.
In January a imaginable accidental for a instrumentality to Westminster arose erstwhile Greater Manchester MP Andrew Gwynne announced helium was lasting down, triggering a by-election successful his Gorton and Denton constituency.
However, Burnham was blocked from lasting by Labour's ruling body, with the support of the premier minister.
By May, the concern had changed. Labour suffered a mediocre acceptable of predetermination results successful England, Scotland and Wales, with Reform riding precocious successful the polls and the enactment seeing occurrence successful Burnham's backyard.
Sir Keir faced accrued unit implicit his future, with immoderate MPs calling for alteration and ministerial resignations taking place.
Josh Simons announced helium would measurement down arsenic Labour MP for Makerfield to marque mode for Burnham to equine a bid to instrumentality to Parliament.
Burnham went connected to beryllium selected arsenic the Labour campaigner for the constituency and the pursuing period helium secured his instrumentality to Westminster.
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