Andy Burnham will become Prime Minister on Monday, completing an astonishingly rapid power shift at Number 10. No other Labour MPs put themselves forward to replace Sir Keir Starmer, ensuring a coronation for the ex-Greater Manchester mayor. He became Labour leader on Friday. Mr Burnham immediately sparked fears of tax rises on London as he vowed to govern in a 'distinctively Labour' way in his first speech as leader.
It won't just be him carving out a new life in the capital. His wife of 25 years, Marie-France van Heel, will likely also be making the move from the north.
Who is Marie-France van Heel?
Marie-France van Heel has been married to Andy Burnham for over 25 years after they met at the University of Cambridge in 1989. Dutch-born van Heel, known to her friends as Frankie, is a marketing executive and mother to three adult children - Rosie, Anne-Marie, and Jimmy. Since her husband became an MP just one year after their marriage in 2001, van Heel has largely stayed out of the spotlight but has built an impressive marketing career. She has worked at Sky and the BBC in their marketing departments and became the chief strategy officer for the campaign designer Heavenly.
Ms van Heel has also been credited with designing some of Burnham's campaign logos, including an iconic cartoon illustration of the former Manchester mayor. But her marketing expertise has also landed her in hot water on occasion. She served as chief marketing officer of Iduna, which owns large parts of Manchester's electric vehicle charging network, raising questions about a possible conflict of interest. However, Mr Burnham stepped away from decisions about Iduna and confirmed he had declared his wife's job. According to her LinkedIn profile, she currently serves as a board member for Plan International, the humanitarian organisation. It is here that she has been able to work with charities such as Great Ormond Street Hospital, Marie Curie, and The Alzheimer's Society.
How did Andy Burnham meet his wife?
Andy Burnham and his wife met at the University of Cambridge in 1989. Mr Burnham was in his second year when Ms van Heel joined him at Fitzwilliam College to study English. The pair became an item around 1982, but their romance was put on pause when Ms van Heel decided to enter the hit TV dating show Blind Date. Though Mr Burnham was reported to have given his permission, The Times reported that he admitted to watching the show from behind a sofa. She was matched with another contestant, Will Harris, who ended up becoming the marketing director of the Conservative Party. Luckily for Mr Burnham, Ms van Heel's romance with Mr Harris was short-lived, and she rekindled her romance with the soon-to-be Prime Minister not long after.
Does Andy Burnham have children?
Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel share three children - two daughters, Rosie and Anne-Marie, and a son, Jimmy. Not much is known about the Burnham children as they, like their mother, have kept out of the limelight and away from Andy Burnham's political career. Mr Burnham said in 2007 that it was the birth of their son Jimmy in 2000 that prompted the couple to get married. He told the Daily Telegraph, 'When my wife got pregnant for the first time it was a complete shock. My first thought was, "Oh my God, we'll have to get married."' The family also have a bichon frise named Axel. Ms van Heel used to share photos of the pooch on her social media but has since deleted all her accounts.
What are Marie-France van Heel's hobbies?
Ms van Heel has been an active donor to Cancer Research UK, often participating in the charity's Race for Life. She underwent a double mastectomy in 2010 after discovering she carried the gene for breast cancer. Her sister Claire had sadly died from the disease at the age of 39. At the time, Mr Burnham told the Daily Mirror: 'The decision was liberating rather than depressing because it's lifted the cloud of fear. She did what she did because she'd seen the devastation breast cancer had caused to her sisters and mother. We more than most know what could have happened and we had to find a way to get beyond it.'
