Andy Burnham

The Right Honourable

Andy Burnham

MP
Burnham in 2024
59th British Prime Minister
Assumed office
July 2026
DeputyDavid Lammy
Preceded byKeir Starmer
Leader of the Labour Party
Assumed office
July 2026
DeputyLucy Powell
Preceded byKeir Starmer
Mayor of Greater Manchester
In office
8 May 2017 – 19 June 2026
DeputyRichard Leese
Paul Dennett
Preceded byTony Lloyd (interim)
Succeeded byPaul Dennett (interim)
Ministerial positions
Secretary of State for Health
In office
5 June 2009 – 11 May 2010
Preceded byAlan Johnson
Succeeded byAndrew Lansley
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
In office
24 January 2008 – 5 June 2009
Preceded byJames Purnell
Succeeded byBen Bradshaw
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In office
28 June 2007 – 24 January 2008
ChancellorAlistair Darling
Preceded byStephen Timms
Succeeded byYvette Cooper
Shadow Home Secretary
In office
13 September 2015 – 6 October 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byYvette Cooper
Succeeded byDiane Abbott
Shadow Secretary of State for Health
In office
7 October 2011 – 13 September 2015
Leader
Preceded byJohn Healey
Succeeded byHeidi Alexander
In office
11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010
Leader
  • Harriet Harman (acting)
  • Ed Miliband
Preceded byAndrew Lansley
Succeeded byJohn Healey
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
In office
8 October 2010 – 7 October 2011
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byEd Balls
Succeeded byStephen Twigg
Junior ministerial offices
Minister of State for Health
In office
5 May 2006 – 28 June 2007
Preceded byJane Kennedy
Succeeded byBen Bradshaw
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs
In office
9 May 2005 – 5 May 2006
Preceded byCaroline Flint
Succeeded byJoan Ryan
Member of Parliament
Assumed office
18 June 2026
Preceded byJosh Simons
ConstituencyMakerfield
Majority9,231 (20.3%)
In office
7 June 2001 – 3 May 2017
Preceded byLawrence Cunliffe
Succeeded byJo Platt
ConstituencyLeigh
Personal details
Born
Andrew Murray Burnham

(1970-01-07) 7 January 1970
Aintree, Lancashire, England
Political partyLabour Co-op
Spouse(s)
Marie-France van Heel
​
​
(m. 2000)​
Children3
EducationSt Aelred's Catholic High School
Alma materFitzwilliam College, Cambridge (MA)

Andrew Murray Burnham (born 7 January 1970)[1] is an English politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Makerfield since June 2026. He was the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 until 2026. Before, he was the Member of Parliament for the Leigh constituency from 2001 until 2017.[2] He is a member of the Labour Party.[3]

Burnham was a candidate for Leader of the Labour Party in the 2010 and 2015. He has been seen as one of the most popular Labour politicians in the country.[4]

In 2026, Burnham began trying to return to parliament and was seen as a possible challenger to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He was rejected to run in the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election in February 2026. He then ran in the 2026 Makerfield by-election in June 2026, which he won. Four days later, Starmer announced he would resign and Burnham announced his candidacy in the Labour Party leadership election to replace Starmer.

Early life

Andrew Murray Burnham was born on 7 January 1970 in Aintree, Merseyside a suburb of Liverpool.[5][6][7] His father, Kenneth Roy Burnham, was a telephone engineer and his mother, Eileen Mary Burnham, was a receptionist. He was raised in Culcheth and studied at St Lewis Catholic Primary School and St Aelred's Roman Catholic High School, in Newton-le-Willows. He read English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.[8]

Mayor of Greater Manchester

On 5 May 2017, he was elected mayor of Greater Manchester.[9]

As Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham supported reforms to public transport, taking buses back into local control and bringing them, along with trams. For his work to get more furlough funding for Northern communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was called "King of the North".[10][11][12][13]

Burnham resigned on 19 June 2026 after being elected as the MP for Makerfield.

Return to Parliament

In January 2026, Burnham applied to be the Labour Party candidate in the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election but his candidacy was blocked by the party because they thought should he win, Burnham would challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.[14]

After the 2026 local elections and growing calls for Prime Minister Starmer to resign, Burnham has been seen as a possible challenger against Starmer's leadership.[15][16] On 14 May 2026, Josh Simons resigned as MP for Makerfield causing a by-election, with Burnham confirming his plans to run in the election.[17] The next day, his candidacy was approved.[18] In June 2026, Burnham won the election, winning in a landslide victory.[19] It was the highest for a parliamentary by-election since Brecon and Radnorshire in 2019.[20]

2026 Labour leadership campaign

On 22 June 2026, Keir Starmer announced that he would resign as Prime Minister, remaining in office until a new leader is elected.[21] The same day, Burnham announced he would run in the Labour Party leadership election to replace Starmer.[21][22][23] Burnham was sworn in as an MP later the same day.[24]

Personal life

Burnham married Marie-France van Heel, who is Dutch,[25] in 2000, having been in a relationship since university. The couple have a son and two daughters.

References

  1. ↑ "Andy's biography from his Andy4Leader web-site". Archived from the original on 2010-07-05. Retrieved 2012-07-28.
  2. ↑ "House of Commons Hansard; vol 371, part 14, col 333". Hansard. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 4 July 2001. Retrieved 12 October 2008.
  3. ↑ New Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport BACTA, 28 January 2008
  4. ↑ "Andy Burnham, next PM? The big hurdle facing popular mayor". Sky News. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
  5. ↑ "Who is Andy Burnham? Labour leadership contender guide". BBC News. 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2026-01-13.
  6. ↑ Anon (2007). ,. Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U41936. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help) closed access
  7. ↑ "Andy's biography from his Andy4Leader web-site". Archived from the original on 5 July 2010.
  8. ↑ "Biography of Andy Burnham : Department of Health". Webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 7 April 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  9. ↑ Williams, Jennifer (2017-05-05). "Andy Burnham elected as Greater Manchester's mayor". men. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
  10. ↑ Martin, Iain. "Andy Burnham: Is the 'king of the north' unprincipled or the real deal?". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  11. ↑ Diver, Tony; Neilan, Catherine (20 October 2020). "Manchester moved to Tier 3 as Andy Burnham warns country will fracture". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "How did Andy Burnham reinvent himself as king of the north?". The Independent. 10 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  13. ↑ "Coronavirus: Andy Burnham is the 'King of the North' – a crown the PM believed he'd won". Sky News. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  14. ↑ Nevett, Joshua (25 January 2026). "Andy Burnham's bid to return as MP blocked by Labour's ruling body". BBC News. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  15. ↑ "Andy Burnham Meets MPs In London As Manchester Mayor Sets Sights On No 10". Politics Home. 2026-05-12. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  16. ↑ "Andy Burnham's camp scrambles to challenge a Wes Streeting leadership bid". POLITICO. 2026-05-13. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
  17. ↑ Crerar, Pippa (2026-05-14). "Labour MP to stand down to allow Burnham run for byelection amid leadership row". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  18. ↑ Spivey, Matt; Hatton, Ben; Nevett, with political reporter Joshua (May 15, 2026). "Andy Burnham allowed to run for selection in Makerfield by-election, Labour's ruling body says - live updates". BBC News. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
  19. ↑ Ford, Rob (2026-06-19). "Makerfield by-election: Crunching the numbers – why Burnham's win is so significant". Sky News. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
  20. ↑ "Inside Makerfield: How Andy Burnham defied the polls in historic by-election". ITV News. 19 June 2026. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  21. 1 2 Crerar, Pippa (2026-06-22). "Keir Starmer to step down as prime minister two years after historic election victory". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
  22. ↑ Stacey, Kiran (19 June 2026). "'Astonishing' win for Andy Burnham puts pressure on Starmer to step aside". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  23. ↑ Andy Burnham Confirms Run to Replace Starmer. Retrieved 2026-06-22 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  24. ↑ Sparrow, Andrew (2026-06-22). "Andy Burnham sworn in as an MP after Keir Starmer resigns as prime minister - UK politics live". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-06-22.
  25. ↑ "The reality of a dream job". Guardian. 28 January 2008. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2014.

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