Who is Andy Burnham, likely Starmer successor as British prime minister?

Burnham is seen as being part of the Labour Party’s “soft left,” more to the political left than Starmer. His political priorities vary from improving vocational education and offering better jobs for young people, bringing an “end to trickle down economics” and decentralizing government power in London to allow local government to take more direct control of utilities and transportation.

Critics have argued that his popular approach while serving as Greater Manchester’s mayor might not translate to being the prime minister, and that some of his politics are vague. Some to the left of Burnham, including journalist and commentator Owen Jones, are critical of Burnham’s support for Israel and accuse his calls for decentralization of being “disconcertingly open to interpretation.”

He twice ran to be the Labour Party leader, and chose to run to become Manchester’s mayor following his second loss. Manchester saw development grow as new skyscrapers towered over sites that previously birthed the Industrial Revolution. Constituents saw him as humble, typically seen wearing a T-shirt, while also praising his enduring support for the city.

As mayor, Burnham inherited the “Game of Thrones”-inspired nickname “King of the North” for defending the region during the COVID-19 pandemic. He challenged the restrictions former Prime Minister Boris Johnson put in place at the time, calling his handling of the crisis “London-centric.”

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