Who is Andy Burnham? 'King of the North's' background, policies and team explained

Following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation on Monday, Andy Burnham appears destined for the keys to Downing Street.

Hours after being sworn in as the new MP for Makerfield - following a massive 55 per cent win against Reform UK - the "King of the North" threw his hat straight into the ring.

Andy Burnham’s background

But Mr Burnham isn't a Westminster rookie. He joined the Labour party at just 15-years-old where he assumed multiple roles until he was elected as MP for Leigh, Greater Manchester, in 2001 at the age of just 31.

Mr Burnham went on to hold several senior Cabinet positions under the last Labour government, including health secretary under Gordon Brown.

After Mr Brown’s resignation in 2010, Mr Burnham stood in the leadership contest only to finish fourth with 10 per cent of the vote - losing to Ed Miliband.

Subsequently, he assumed multiple shadow cabinet roles, until 2015, where he stood for a second time in a leadership contest to replace Ed Miliband.

Mr Burnham came second this time, with 19 per cent of the vote, losing to Jeremy Corbyn.

After 16 years as an MP and bruised from two unsuccessful runs at the Labour leadership, he left London in 2017 to become the first Mayor of Greater Manchester.

For nine years, he built a national profile, opposing a London-centric way of governing.

Mr Burnham was reelected twice as his popularity grew, particularly for standing up for his region after Boris Johnson introduced stricter Covid restrictions during the pandemic.

What are Andy Burnham’s policies?

In Manchester, he launched the London-style publicly controlled Bee Network and capped bus fares at £2.

Now, he wants to scale his regional success across the entire UK. A new blueprint published by his allies at Mainstream, called “The Productive State: A Framework for Manchesterism,” lays out his plan: reversing 40 years of privatisation.

Manchesterism is a political philosophy, coined by Mr Burnham, that emphasises devolution and nationalisation of key sectors.

He wants essential services - like water, energy, and rail - back under public control to drive down bills.

His biggest promise is the largest council house building programme since World War Two, funded by shifting an existing £39bn housing pot directly into social rent homes.

Who will be Andy Burnham’s team?

The big question on everyone’s minds at the moment is who enters No10 with him?

James Purnell, former New Labour minister and BBC executive, is confirmed to be appointed as Chief of Staff. Mr Purnell was first elected as an MP in 2001, alongside Mr Burnham, and was recently CEO of lobbying firm Flint Global, a role which has sparked controversy amongst transparency campaigners.

Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader and current Energy Secretary, is heavily rumoured to be gunning for Chancellor.

Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, ruled himself out of the leadership race to immediately endorse Mr Burnham. It is suggested that Mr Streeting is also a contender for Chancellor.

Louise Haigh, Sheffield Heeley MP, is tipped for a swift return to a top Cabinet role after running Mr Burnham’s successful by-election campaign in Makerfield.

Shabana Mahmood, the current Home Secretary, is rumoured to stay on in her role, potentially as a way to balance out Mr Burnham’s more left-leaning policies.

Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, now cleared by HMRC, is a prominent figure on the left of the party, and tipped to return to Cabinet.

Rachel Reeves has publicly endorsed Mr Burnham, despite reports she will be as Chancellor and offered a lesser role in Cabinet.

When could Andy Burnham become PM?

This leadership transition could happen as soon as July 17, when nominations for the Labour leadership close, as currently Mr Burnham is the only contender.

Darren Jones, a rumoured challenger, ruled himself out earlier this week, while former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns is yet to throw his hat into the ring.