Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley was one of the key figures behind Andy Burnham's historic by-election victory in Makerfield, a campaign that has propelled him toward the prime ministership. On the counting floor at the Edge Centre in Wigan, Midgley was all smiles, already certain of the win hours before it was confirmed. The next day, she stood front and centre with Burnham at a celebration rally at Ashton Town Football Club, where he singled her out for praise, crediting his campaign to 'northern women.'
Background and Political Rise
Midgley, who became MP for Knowsley in July 2024, has long been an influential figure in Labour and trade union circles. She has worked in the offices of both Keir Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn and held senior political positions at UNITE and the Trades Union Congress. Her political values were shaped by her upbringing on a Merseyside council estate, then known as Cantril Farm, built in the mid-1960s to rehouse 15,000 people from Liverpool slum clearances. 'Our communities had been uprooted, my family were moved from Liverpool and Everton to here,' she told the Liverpool ECHO last year. Her father's unionised job at the Ford factory provided stability, which she credits as crucial to her family's progress.
Cultural Influences and Career Path
Like Burnham, Midgley credits culture with broadening her horizons. A visit to the Tate gallery in Liverpool at age 12 sparked an obsession with 20th-century art, leading to a brief stint living in Paris. Music also played a key role: she and Daniel Hunt of Lady Tron launched the iconic Liverpool club night Liquidation in the 1990s. She later married Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne, who allowed her to use the song 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' in her election video. Her career in unions became her 'second family,' she said, adding, 'My politics is the politics of the shop floor, the school gate and the supermarket. The unions brought me from my council estate to the parliamentary estate.'
Role in Burnham's Campaign and Future Prospects
Described by one regional MP as 'the best political organiser I have ever seen,' Midgley co-led Burnham's Makerfield campaign with Louise Haigh. Burnham's victory is seen as a stepping stone to replacing outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer. While her role in a future Burnham administration remains unannounced, many observers expect her to be crucially involved given her organisational skills and close alliance with Burnham.
