Get to Know Andy Burnham, The Man Who Could Take Charge as Britain PM Keir Starmer Steps Down

Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester’s outgoing mayor, has emerged as the front-runner to replace UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer. With Starmer resigning from his position during the press conference held outside his 10 Downing Street Residence on Monday, Burnham, who won a parliamentary by-election in Makerfield just last week, is seen as clearing his path to a leadership challenge.

Starmer, the centre-left Labour Party’s leader, rose to power in a landslide election two years ago. His resignation today follows mounting pressure from within the Prime Minister's own cabinet and party ranks, sparked by declining approval ratings in national polls. Previously, US President Donald Trump had also claimed that Starmer “will resign,” citing the PM’s “failures on immigration and energy policy” in a social media post on Truth Social. As Starmer prepares to leave office, UK will soon be appointing its seventh Prime Minister in ten years. 

One of Britain’s most prominent regional politicians, Burnham has secured a return to Westminster, positioning himself for a potential future challenge to the Labour Party leadership. Having served as the mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, Burnham effectively cleared a major constitutional hurdle last week by winning the election in Makerfield, northwest England.

Despite his widespread public popularity, the 56-year-old politician was previously ineligible to run for the party leadership without a seat in parliament. His decisive victory over the right-wing populist Reform UK party arrived just weeks after Labour suffered significant setbacks in local elections, providing him with both the legislative eligibility and political momentum required for a national platform.

Before transitioning to regional government, Burnham spent 16 years as a Member of Parliament, rising through the cabinet ranks of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's administrations to serve as Health Secretary. He previously mounted two unsuccessful campaigns for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015, losing the latter to veteran socialist Jeremy Corbyn.

Within contemporary Labour circles, Burnham is generally aligned with the “soft left”, positioning himself further left than Prime Minister Keir Starmer but remaining well short of Corbyn's platform. His reputation for political pragmatism and adaptability has frequently been noted by colleagues, inspiring a well-known internal party joke: “A Blairite, a Brownite and a Corbynite walk into a pub. The barman says: ‘What’re you drinking, Andy?’”

During his tenure in local government, Burnham cultivated a distinct political brand by presenting himself as an outsider to Westminster, despite his extensive career within federal politics. As mayor, he integrated Greater Manchester’s public transport network, initiated an extensive municipal home-building programme, and oversaw sustained regional economic expansion.

His deputy mayor characterised him as an individual possessing a clear ambition for Manchester’s economic success and social inclusion. This regional advocacy earned him the popular moniker, “The King of the North”, reflecting an appeal rooted in defending northern England against a traditionally London-centric political establishment.

Burnham defines his specific governance model as “Manchesterism”, which he describes as a blend of business-friendly economics and greater public control of essential services such as housing, water, energy and transport. This approach is heavily supported by progressive policy analysts like think-tank founder Mathew Lawrence, who views the platform as an effective framework for devolving power away from Westminster and ensuring economic growth directly benefits working people rather than trickling down from the top.

Despite his regional successes, Burnham's mayoral record faces scrutiny from critics who note that several core pledges remained unfulfilled, including an ambitious commitment to completely eliminate homelessness in Manchester by 2020. Detractors also argue that the foundational groundwork for his most prominent policy achievements had already been established by previous local administrations before he assumed office.

Furthermore, any future national ambitions will require navigating the same severe fiscal constraints facing the current government. In response to these broader electoral realities, Burnham has notably moderated several of his previous policy stances, particularly regarding immigration, Brexit, and national fiscal rules.