Andy Burnham: The ‘King of the North’ who could be the next prime minister

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham – the so called “King of the North” – could be on the cusp of launching a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer. Mr Burnham is seen as one of the main challengers to take over from Sir Keir Starmer, and took the first step on that journey with victory in Thursday’s Makerfield by-election. If he does trigger a leadership contest, this would not be Mr Burnham’s first attempt at the party’s top job; the former New Labour minister has previously run for leadership twice, losing out to Ed Miliband and later Jeremy Corbyn. open image in gallery Andy Burnham has earned respect through his handling of two terror attacks (PA) Mr Burnham had made it clear he would challenge the prime minister if he managed to woo the voters in Makerfield. For his part, Sir Keir has vowed to stay on even if a leadership contest is triggered. But who is Mr Burnham, and how did he come to be within a whisker of challenging the prime minister? Mr Burnham is the state-educated son of a BT engineer and receptionist. He joined the Labour Party aged 15 and subsequently attended Cambridge University, rising up the political ranks to become one of the most senior and successful elected Labour politicians outside Parliament. A former special adviser to Mr Blair’s culture secretary Chris Smith, Mr Burnham was one of New Labour’s rising stars. open image in gallery A Burnham supporter next to a banner at the Community Sports Club in Makerfield, Greater Manchester (PA) Shortly after his election in 2001, he was made a parliamentary aide to the then-home secretary David Blunkett, a sign he was being groomed for bigger things. Ministerial jobs followed, first as a junior minister in the Home Office, and then in the Department of Health, before Mr Brown’s move into Number 10 brought him into the cabinet as chief secretary to the Treasury. But it was as culture secretary that he took on an issue that has become a cornerstone of his career – the fight for justice for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster. Everton fan Mr Burnham was watching his team play Norwich when he learned of the unfolding crush at Hillsborough in 1989 that would eventually kill 97 Liverpool fans. Twenty years later, hecklers interrupted his speech at an anniversary event at Anfield, demanding justice for the victims. It prompted him to raise Hillsborough in cabinet, leading to the creation of the Hillsborough Independent Panel (HIP) – three months later the Home Office announced the full disclosure of all information to be looked at .