Andy Burnham: From Everton Fan to Potential PM

The Rise of Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, is making a bid for the Labour leadership, and this time, he might just make it to Downing Street.

With Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation, the Labour Party is looking for a new leader, and many MPs are rallying behind Burnham, who has just been elected as the MP for Makerfield.

This isn’t Burnham’s first attempt at the top job. He ran for the leadership in 2010 and 2015, missing out to Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn, respectively.

A Political Journey

Born in Liverpool in 1970, Burnham’s political journey began early. Inspired by the BBC TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff, he joined the Labour Party at just 14 years old.

A lifelong Everton fan, Burnham was a competitive, sports-mad child, and his friends remember him as a fast bowler for Lancashire schoolboys cricket team.

At school, he stood as a Labour candidate in mock elections and won by a landslide.

Burnham attended Cambridge University, where he studied English. He later worked as a journalist for trade magazines before getting his break in politics as a researcher for Tessa Jowell, a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Despite his initial contempt for Westminster politics, Burnham quickly rose through the ranks, becoming an MP in 2001 and serving in various ministerial roles under Blair and Brown.

A Man of the People

Burnham’s popularity is evident in his success as the mayor of Greater Manchester, where he won the contest with over 60% of the vote and was re-elected with an even bigger margin in 2021.

As mayor, he transformed the region’s transport system, bringing bus services back under public control and integrating them with other modes of transport under the “Bee Network” brand.

His profile soared during the Covid pandemic when he accused the Conservative government of treating the north of England with contempt over regional lockdown restrictions, earning him the nickname “King of the North”.

Now, with the Labour leadership up for grabs, Burnham is in a strong position. His recent by-election win in Makerfield, increasing Labour’s share of the vote to almost 55%, has further bolstered his chances.

As the Labour Party seeks a new direction, Andy Burnham’s journey from Everton fan to potential Prime Minister is one to watch.