Burnham also held a series of prominent frontbench roles during Labour’s tenure in opposition from the 2010 election until he left parliament in 2017. He served as shadow health secretary under Ed Miliband (2011-2015) and shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn (2015-2016).

Burnham twice stood unsuccessfully for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015.

Burnham placed second to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015, winning 19.% of the Labour membership vote. He was nominated by a total of 68 MPs – the most of any other candidate.

In his 2015 campaign launch, held at Ernst & Young, Burnham argued that “the entrepreneur will be as much our hero as the nurse” – a move seen by some as misjudging the party mood that year. He was later accused of shifting leftwards during the campaign.

In 2010, Burnham won 8.7% of the electoral college vote (under Labour’s old leadership rules) and was eliminated in the first round. He was nominated by 33 Labour MPs – the minimum number to enter the next stage of the contest.

In his 2010 leadership bid, Burnham promoted “aspirational socialism”.

Burnham: Greater Manchester mayor

Burnham left Westminster in 2017 to run for the Greater Manchester mayoralty. He was elected mayor in 2017, 2021 and 2024, each time securing over 60% of the vote. In 2024, he achieved a majority of 351,803 over the Conservative candidate, who received 68,946 votes (10.4%).

During his tenure as mayor, Burnham oversaw the introduction of the Bee Network, which brought buses and trams into a locally controlled, integrated transport system. He also focused on homelessness initiatives, donating 15% of his annual £110,000 salary to tackling homelessness.

The Covid-19 pandemic, particularly the government’s introduction of a regional tiered system of restrictions, unexpectedly elevated the national profile of regional politicians, especially England’s metro mayors like Burnham.

In October 2020, a high-profile standoff occurred between Burnham, representing Greater Manchester, and the central government over the imposition of “Tier 3” restrictions (then the highest level). Burnham publicly led negotiations demanding greater financial support for businesses and workers affected by the stricter lockdown measures. He argued that the support offered by the government was insufficient, requesting £65 million while the government initially offered a £60 million package.

Burnham held a widely reported press conference criticising the negotiation process and the perceived inadequacy of the support. During the press conference, he learned via media reports that £22 million of business support funding had been confirmed, prompting an unscripted, angry reaction where he called the government’s approach “brutal” and “frankly disgraceful”.

He stated: “It’s brutal to be honest, isn’t it? This is no way to run the country in a national crisis. This is not right. They should not be doing this.

“Grinding people down trying to accept the least they can get away with. £22m to fight the situation that we are in is frankly disgraceful.”

This confrontation helped Burnham earn the moniker of “King of the North”.

During Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party and his premiership, Burnham became an increasingly vocal critic. In a remarkable intervention at Labour’s annual conference in 2025, Burnham pointed to a “climate of fear” in the party.

In 2025 and 2026, the Starmer government’s woes over the winter fuel payment cut, welfare bill rebellion and Peter Mandelson vetting debacle sparked speculation that Burnham could mount a parliamentary comeback.

In early 2026, Burnham sought the Labour selection for the Gorton and Denton by-election, which was triggered by the resignation of former minister Andrew Gwynne. However, Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) voted 8-1 to block Burnham’s candidacy; only the deputy Labour leader and Burnham ally, Lucy Powell, voted in his favour. Burnham’s application had been publicly supported by senior Labour figures including Powell, Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and Sadiq Khan.

The decision to block Burnham was a boost for the Green campaign, spearheaded by Zack Polanski, resulting in the party’s first-ever victory in a parliamentary by-election.

2026 Labour leadership crisis and Makerfield by-election

The May 2026 local elections and devolved parliament elections to the Scottish Parliament and Senedd Cymru inflicted more pain on the Labour Party. These results, which were confirmed from 8 to 9 May, sparked an intense political crisis as Labour MPs lined up to call on Starmer to step down/set out a timetable for his departure. In total, over 90 MPs called for Starmer to step down as prime minister. Several serving frontbenchers, including ministers Jess Phillips and Miatta Fahnbulleh, resigned in order to do so.

On 14 May 2026, Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary. In his letter of resignation, the outgoing health secretary described the 2026 local and devolved parliament elections as “unprecedented”. He said that the rise of nationalism in all corners of Britain represented “an existential threat to the future integrity of the United Kingdom”. Streeting later vowed to stand in a future Labour leadership election. 

Mere hours after Streeting’s resignation, Josh Simons, a former junior minister, announced that he would resign his Makerfield seat to enable Burnham to stand as a candidate and return to parliament. 

In a statement setting out his decision to resign as an MP, Simons said: “It is my unwavering belief that nothing short of urgent, radical, courageous reform will make a difference. That must start with a change in leadership.

“Today, I am putting the people I represent and the country I love first and will be resigning as MP for Makerfield. I am standing aside so that Andy Burnham can return to his home, fight to re-enter parliament, and if elected, drive the change our country is crying out for.”

This time, ahead of the Makerfield by-election, the NEC put up no resistance and Burnham was confirmed as Labour’s candidate.

On 4 June, during a BBC Question Time special, Burnham confirmed that he would seek to enter any future Labour leadership contest should he win the Makerfield by-election. He argued that “Wes Streeting seems to have launched a leadership contest, so if that is running I would seek to join it.”

Burnham stated: “I can’t do anything unless I’m lucky enough to get the support of people here.

“But if I get your support, I would seek to represent you at the highest possible level and give this constituency maximum power and influence.”

In the early hours of Friday 19 June, Burnham was declared as the winner of the Makerfield by-election. Burnham secured 24,927 votes (54.8%) and a significant majority of 9,231 over the Reform UK candidate in second place. 

The Makerfield by-election moved Labour’s leadership crisis into a new phase. It ensured that Burnham was now eligible to stand in a leadership contest to succeed Starmer. Events moved quickly. Starmer spent the weekend of 20-21 June at Chequers, the prime minister’s country retreat, to mull his political future.

In a statement on the morning of 22 June, Starmer confirmed his intention to resign. Speaking on the steps of Downing Street, Starmer said it had been an honour to serve the “country I love”. His voice cracked as he paid tribute to his wife, Victoria, and his sons. 

In the hours that followed Starmer’s address, Burnham confirmed that he would be standing for the Labour leadership.

He said: “His decision marks the beginning of a transition and it is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way. I will put myself forward as part of this process…

“The Labour movement has always been at its strongest when it looks forward with confidence and purpose. This is what we will do from here and we will make sure this transition is a positive process of renewal for our party and our country.”

Almost immediately, Streeting endorsed Burnham and abandoned his own leadership bid. The former health secretary said he had spoken to Burnham “at length” in recent days.

In a post to social media, he stated: “We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him to deliver the change our party and country needs. That is the choice I am making and I hope that everyone else will back Andy, too.”

2026 Labour leadership contest

On 25 June, the Labour NEC set out the leadership election timetable. Members of the parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) were told they could nominate a fellow Labour MP to stand for leader from 9 July to 15 July. Under the party’s rule book, any candidate would need to receive the support of 20% of the PLP (81 MPs) to stand in the contest. 

The NEC announced that, in the event that more than one candidate was nominated, a membership ballot would take place between 6 August and 27 August – with the result being announced on August 29.

On 29 June, in his first speech since Starmer announced his decision to resign as prime minister, Burnham promised a “new direction” for Britain. Speaking at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, Burnham vowed to establish a “No 10 of the North”, which he claimed would be “the nerve centre of a rewired Britain”.

Dressed in his trademark dark T-shirt, the former Greater Manchester mayor stated: “Ours is a 10-year mission to raise people’s living standards.

“I know people can’t wait forever for change. I heard on doorsteps in Makerfield how people need a bit extra now to help with rising costs. I will do my very best to deliver it, and whilst not taking risks with the public finances, will seek to give Britain some breathing space as soon as I can.

“People need to be able to look forward to a night out or a holiday with the kids. People need hope.”

On 7 July, Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, sought to upstage Labour’s leadership transition by announcing he would resign as an MP and contest the resulting Clacton by-election. He delivered the live statement about his “future in public life” after facing questions over a series of donations. In the wake of Farage’s announcement, the major parties confirmed they would not field candidates in Clacton, leaving him to face a slate of novelty challengers, including perennial candidate Count Binface.

Burnham later quipped that Binface, who secured 95 votes in the Makerfield by-election, was “carrying the hopes of the nation”. Speaking at the Silver Clef music awards at the Royal Albert Hall on 9 July, Burnham declared: “Now, the legends that we’re here to honour have not shied away from politics in their career, but I promise you, I am not going to talk politics to you tonight, except to say, except to say this, Count Binface. You are carrying the hopes of the nation.”

On 8 July, Al Carns, the former defence minister, ruled out a leadership bid after weeks of speculation that he could stand. Carns told Sky News that a leadership contest was “not the best use of Labour’s time” and that in his view “we need to get on board” with Burnham. This intervention meant that Burnham was the only Labour MP to have declared his candidacy at the time nominations opened on 9 July. 

On the evening of 9 July, it was announced that 322 MPs had officially endorsed Burnham – comfortably surpassing the 81-MP threshold. The Labour heir apparent was just one nomination shy of the 323 mark; once reached, no other candidate would be able to muster the 81 backers required to enter the race to replace Starmer.

On 13 July, the second day of nominations, a further 27 MPs backed Burnham – taking his total to 349. 

In a PLP hustings on 13 July, Burnham underlined his aim to create “a team and culture where everyone is valued, seen and listened to.” He warned that “this is a significant moment for the country, and our constituents are counting on all of us to come together.”

Burnham reportedly emphasised that “the Labour movement is, and always has been, a broad church. Cabinet and appointments will reflect that, alongside contribution, experience and commitment”.

Burnham delivered his first commons speech since returning to parliament on 14 July. It came during a debate on the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, also known as the “Hillsborough law”. 

Burnham had introduced the same legislation as an unsuccessful private member’s bill in 2017, calling for a legally enforceable duty of candour on public officials and authorities during investigations and inquiries. The bill, promised in the 2024 Labour manifesto, had been stalled since January 2026 after a proposed carve-out for intelligence officers provoked a backlash from the Hillsborough families. 

In his address, Burnham praised the outgoing prime minister, hailing Starmer’s commitment to building “a country based on justice”.

Burnham stated: “Tonight, it feels like life is coming full circle. In passing this momentous piece of legislation, which will change the way this country thinks about and works towards justice, we are truly rewiring the state and passing power from the authorities to the hands of ordinary people. 

“It is happening because of the prime minister’s commitment to a country based on justice and fairness, and we thank him for that. He has honoured his commitment to the Hillsborough families, and what this House will do in passing this bill tonight is rebalance the scales of justice so that we have justice for ordinary people going forward. 

“That is some legacy indeed.”

On 15 July, Labour MP Neil Coyle – a supporter of Starmer and Burnham critic – nominated Catherine West to lead the party. During the May 2026 Labour leadership crisis, triggered by the local and devolved parliament elections, West had threatened to topple Starmer as a “stalking horse” candidate unless a more realistic rival emerged. 

Responding to a Sky News report pointing to frustrations within Labour that the party had never been led by a woman, Coyle responded: “Well, I nominated one today.”

West, however, declined to pursue a leadership bid, replying: “I’m flattered… but I’m backing Andy.”

The episode ensured that Burnham’s elevation would not be wholly unanimous.

In the end, Burnham secured a total 379 nominations out of a total 403 Labour MPs. He was formally introduced as the leader of the Labour Party in a special conference on 17 July 2026. 

In his first speech as Labour leader, Burnham pledged to serve “people and places who have been waiting too long for politics to let them hope again.”

Addressing an audience of MPs, activists, trade union leaders and party grandees, Burnham further vowed to end Labour’s factional disputes, saying “we won’t beat Britain’s new right if we are consumed by infighting and pulling in different directions.” He referred to a “generation of politicians” who had failed to challenge “an economic model that simply doesn’t work well enough for ordinary people.”

Burnham declared: “Four decades of the neoliberalism that began in the 1980s have not been kind to the places that built our party, nor to the communities across the UK in rural and coastal areas. So we pledge today to them to be better.”

He added: “Political power was centralised and economic power was privatised. The country surrendered control of the essentials – housing, water, energy, transport – and left people exposed to higher costs…

“The right used the phrase ‘take back control’ – but they are the ones who gave it away in the first place.

“If we want an economy and a country that works for all people and places – which to me should always be at the very core of Labourism – then it requires a new path to the one we’ve been on for the last 40 years.”

Andy Burnham: political views and notable votes

Burnham supported Lucy Powell for the party’s deputy leadership in September 2025. The election followed the resignation of Angela Rayner, who stepped down as deputy prime minister and deputy party leader after an investigation into her tax affairs. It marked the first time since 2007 that Labour had held a deputy leadership contest while in government.

Powell, the former leader of the House of Commons, was seen as a candidate representing the party’s “soft left”. She secured 117 nominations from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), above the 80 required, and went on to win the election – defeating Bridget Phillipson with 54.3% of the vote.

Burnham is a member of Mainstream, a centre-left network within the Labour Party. The group was launched in September 2025 by the think tank Compass and the activist group Open Labour. It describes itself as a home for “Labour’s radical realists” and aims to influence the direction of the Labour government. It has called on the government to offer a “popular, principled and practical left politics for meaningful change.”

Compass has described the group as “an independent vehicle with the sole task of saving the Labour Party from its clear drift to the right and the unintended paving of the way to a Reform government.”

Burnham supported Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

In February 2017, Burnham voted in favour of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill. The legislation empowered the prime minister to notify the Council of the European Union of the UK’s intention to withdraw, formally triggering the process set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. MPs supported the bill by 498 votes to 114 at second reading.

Burnham voted in favour of a government motion calling for the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent system in July 2016. The motion, which was passed by 472 votes to 117, committed the UK to constructing a new fleet of submarines to carry the nation’s nuclear weapons. Labour was split over the issue with 140 of its 230 MPs going against leader Jeremy Corbyn and backing the motion.

Burnham voted against a government motion to extend UK airstrikes against Isis from Iraq into Syria in December 2015. The motion, which was passed by 397 votes to 223 after a ten-hour debate in the House of Commons, authorised the RAF to conduct strikes against Isis targets in Syria.

In October 2014, Burnham was one of 192 Labour MPs who voted in favour of recognising Palestine as a state. The motion, passed by 274 votes to 12, called on the government to “recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution”.

Burnham voted against the government’s motion on the principle of military intervention in Syria in August 2013. The government motion was defeated by 285 votes to 272, a move which effectively ruled out UK participation in any US-led military strikes.

In February 2013, Burnham voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill at its second reading. The landmark piece of legislation, which received its second reading by 400 votes to 175, legalised marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales.

In March 2003, Burnham voted in favour of the government motion authorising military action against Iraq. The vote, one of the most contentious in recent parliamentary history, gave the prime minister, Tony Blair, the authority to join the US-led invasion.

Andy Burnham: background and career before politics