How can ‘King of the North’ Andy Burnham topple Kier Starmer and seize No. 10?
Labour politician Andy Burnham has sparked speculation about a potential challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday after securing a convincing victory in a
Labour politician Andy Burnham has sparked speculation about a potential challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday after securing a convincing victory in a parliamentary by-election in northern England, which could contribute to continued political turbulence, Reuters reported. Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor known as the “King of the North,” secured victory in the Makerfield constituency in northwest England with 54.8% of the vote, comfortably ahead of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK candidate, who won 34.5%. Who is Andy Burnham? A look at his political journey Born in Liverpool in 1970, Burnham is the son of a telephone engineer and a doctor’s receptionist. He grew up in Culcheth, a Cheshire village located near Makerfield. Of Irish descent, he attended state-run Roman Catholic schools and has spoken openly about his Catholic faith, including his meeting with Pope Francis in 2023, according to a report by The New York Times. Also Read | Rebel Lawmaker Andy Burnham Set to Try a Knockout Blow to U.K.’s Starmer Burnham earned a place to study English at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, he followed a well-established route into politics, working first as a researcher for Tessa Jowell, a Labour MP from south London, before serving as an adviser to then culture secretary Chris Smith, NYT reported. After being elected to Parliament in 2001 as the representative for Leigh, a constituency near his hometown, Burnham joined Tony Blair’s New Labour government as a junior minister. Under Gordon Brown, he rose to Cabinet rank, serving in several senior positions, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and later Health Secretary.
After Labour lost the general election in 2010, Burnham ran for party leader, coming in fourth. In 2015 he tried again and was the early front-runner, only to lose to the left-winger Jeremy Corbyn, on whose team he later served. In 2017 Burnham left Parliament after deciding his future lay outside Westminster, and he was elected as mayor of Greater Manchester. What could Burnham's win mean? The magnitude of Burnham’s win in what may be the most significant by-election in over 60 years strengthens his position as a potential challenger to Starmer, whose approval ratings are among the lowest for any British prime minister. Burnham indicated he wanted to counter the rise of polarising, populist politics, saying his victory was a chance to turn "away from the path that takes us to a divided, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States". Attention now turns to the timing of his move, and whether he can convince the prime minister to relinquish power without a potentially disruptive leadership contest. Burnham hails victory as a “turning point” In his victory speech, Burnham said the result could be a “turning point”. "We must hear it, we must act upon it, and we must get it right," he said. “There will be no second chance.” Starmer, who has said he will fight on, quickly congratulated Burnham, saying on Here's what opinion polls indicate Burnham, a 56-year-old career politician who has backed the nationalisation of key public services and criticised what he called four decades of failed neo-liberal economics, has said he would stand in any contest to replace Starmer.
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