Video: Andy Burnham Is Poised to Become Britain’s Leader. His Ascent Was Years in the Making.

“This now is the change moment.” Andy Burnham is set to become both the new leader of Britain’s Labour Party, and the country’s next prime minister. For 16 years, Burnham looked like a Westminster political insider, serving under three different Labour leaders. But after failing to win the party leadership twice, in 2017, he left Parliament altogether. What followed was a nine-year stint as the mayor of Greater Manchester, a region once at the heart of Britain’s Industrial Revolution. Manchester’s revival didn’t begin with Burnham, but it kept going strong under his watch. He brought buses back under public control as part of the Bee Network, capping fares and making services more frequent. The region’s economy grew at a yearly average, about twice the rate of the country as a whole. And in 2020, Burnham was nicknamed ‘King of the North,’ as he clashed with the government in London over Covid-19 restrictions and funding. “In summary, at no point today were we offered enough to protect the poorest people in our communities. Is this a game of poker? Are they playing poker with places and people’s lives through a pandemic? Is that what this is about?” By Autumn 2025, Burnham’s ambition for the Labour leadership became clear once again. But to be eligible to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he needed to return to Parliament. He did just that in June, after a resounding win in the Makerfield by-election. “We have an opportunity to turn the tide, to make the country feel like it’s working again, to make people see that politics can make a positive difference.” “I will resign as leader of the Labour Party.” With the prime minister’s resignation, and without potential rivals entering the leadership contest, Burnham’s path to 10 Downing Street became clear. He has said he plans to run Britain the way he ran Greater Manchester. “I am going to give Britain the circuit breaker it needs.” But critics question whether his Manchester model can be replicated at the national level. Popular, charismatic and with a track record of getting things done, Burnham now has the chance to prove his vision for Britain works. He will be the seventh prime minister in ten years to try.