Andy Burnham has become the UK's 59th Prime Minister, marking a historic rise from an unpaid reporter on the Middleton Guardian to the highest office in the land. He is the first Prime Minister from the Greater Manchester area since Sir Robert Peel in the 1840s.
Early Life and Education
Born at Aintree Hospital in Liverpool, Burnham grew up in the Cheshire village of Culcheth. His father Roy was a BT engineer, and his mother Eileen worked as a GP receptionist. Both were Labour supporters, and Burnham joined the Labour Party at age 15 after watching the TV drama Boys from the Blackstuff during the Miners' Strike.
He attended St Aelred's Catholic High School in Newton-Le-Willows and went on to study English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. His former English teacher Stephen Harrington told the BBC that Burnham needed persuading to apply, as he felt Cambridge 'wasn't for him' as a working-class boy.
Early Career in Journalism
After graduating with a 2:1, Burnham returned north for a brief stint as an unpaid reporter on the Middleton Guardian in December 1991. He later worked for trade magazine Baltic Publishing in London, writing for titles including Tank World and Container Management.
Political Rise
Burnham's first political break came as a parliamentary researcher for the late MP Tessa Jowell. He became a special adviser to Culture Secretary Chris Smith before being elected MP for Leigh in 2001. In his maiden speech, he raised issues of reindustrialisation and public transport that he would return to later.
He served as a junior minister under Tony Blair, then in cabinet roles including chief secretary to the Treasury, culture secretary, and health secretary under Gordon Brown. As culture secretary, he faced jeering at Anfield during a memorial for the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, which he described as a profound turning point. He raised the issue in Cabinet, leading to a second inquiry.
Bids for Labour Leadership
After Labour's 2010 defeat, Burnham came fourth in the leadership contest won by Ed Miliband. He ran again in 2015 and lost to Jeremy Corbyn, despite being seen as a Blairite. He served as shadow home secretary under Corbyn.
Greater Manchester Mayor
In 2017, Burnham stood down as an MP to run for the new role of Greater Manchester Mayor, winning with over 60% of the vote. Within days, he faced the Manchester Arena terror attack, which killed 22 people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became known as 'King of the North' after a defiant speech on the steps of Central Library, accusing the government of treating the North with 'contempt' over tier three restrictions.
His achievements include bringing Greater Manchester's bus network under public control for the first time in 40 years, which he called a 'coming-of-age moment for English devolution'. Under his leadership, Manchester became the fastest-growing economy in the UK, inspiring his 'Manchesterism' agenda.
Failures and Criticism
Critics have branded him a flip-flopper. In December 2020, Greater Manchester Police was placed in special measures, the biggest public services failure in the region in generations. As Police and Crime Commissioner, Burnham was the senior elected figure responsible. The Clean Air Zone fiasco saw plans to charge taxis, buses, and vans scrapped after three years, costing taxpayers £100 million.
Professor Andy Westwood of the University of Manchester told the M.E.N.: 'Any political record over that period of time will have its successes and failures. But he has a track record when the rest of the country has struggled to deliver.'
Return to Westminster
After years of denying a return to Westminster, Burnham's bid to stand in the Gorton and Denton by-election was blocked in February. However, with Sir Keir Starmer under pressure and Reform rising in the polls, MPs called for change. Makerfield MP Josh Simons stepped down to allow Burnham to stand, and he secured a crushing victory over Reform candidate Rob Kenyon in the by-election.
Now, as Prime Minister, Burnham has completed his journey from work experience lad to the highest office in the land.
