Who is Andy Burnham, 'King in the North,' set to be next British PM?
The current mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham’s recent win in Makerfield bypoll helped him challenge Keir Starmer’s leadership in Labour Party
The step down of Keir Starmer as the British Prime Minister has cleared the path for Andy Burnham, currently the most popular face in the Labour Party, to contend for the top post.
Starmer, whose ratings had plummeted in recent times and under whose leadership the Labour Party suffered heavy losses in the local elections, is the sixth British prime minister to resign before the completion of his term.
Who is Andy Burnham?
The current mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham, with his decisive victory in the Makerfield by-election on June 19, challenged the leadership of Starmer, leading to his resignation announcement on Monday.
Also read: Keir Starmer announces resignation as UK PM and Labour leader amid party pressure
Burnham, 56, won the Makerfield seat with over 55 per cent of the votes.
His win has given the Labour Party hopes that he is their best bet to counter the rising popularity of Reform UK and its leader, Nigel Farage, in the 2029 general polls, especially when the Labour Party has been crippled by abysmal local election results and declining approval ratings.
Seen as a rival to Starmer in the Labour Party, Burnham is loved for being plain-speaking, relatable and optimistic in contrast to the former, who comes across as more technocratic in style.
Burnham’s supposed lean towards Leftist ideology, which was an earlier Labour stance before Starmer tried to show himself as Centre-Right in a bid to counter Reform UK, is being billed as another reason for his popularity
Early start
Born in Liverpool in 1970 to a telephone engineer father and a receptionist mother, Burnham grew up in Culcheth. He studied at the University of Cambridge and joined the Labour Party at a young age of 15.
Also read: Keir Starmer resignation buzz: Is UK set for 7th PM in 10 years?
Rising through party ranks, he in 1998 became a special adviser to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sports, Chris Smith. He continued in the position till his election to the House of Commons in the 2001 general election
‘King in the North’
Burnham’s popularity in northern England has earned him the moniker, ‘King in the North’, an allusion to Game of Thrones character Jon Snow.
During the COVID pandemic, he fought with the Boris Johnson government over funding for the people of northern England. He continues to enjoy popularity in the region, holding influence in areas outside London.
Also read: UK PM Keir Starmer faces Labour revolt, promises closer EU ties
As Mayor of Greater Manchester, a post he has held since 2017, Burnham has implemented major reforms in the transport sector, including the launch of the Bee Network, a public transport system modeled on London's.
He also focused on issues like rough sleeping, green policing, and devolution of power to the region.