Politics Home Article | How Northern is Burnham’s Cabinet?

Andy Burnham appointed his cabinet on Monday (Alamy)

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After taking office on Monday, the new Prime Minister gave high-profile ministerial jobs to fellow northern Labour MPs like Angela Rayner and Lucy Powell. There are also seats at the Cabinet table for Lou Haigh and Anneliese Midgley, who both played key parts in Burnham’s journey from the Manchester mayoralty to Downing Street.

Burnham’s northern roots, particularly “Manchesterism”, are an important part of his political identity. 

He has set up a new Downing Street base in Manchester, ‘No 10 North’, where he intends to work at least one day a week, starting on Friday, and where he could host foreign leaders. 

It’s not just the politics of these places and his devolution agenda, but the cultural side, too, like his love for Everton FC, rugby league and The Smiths.

A comparison of Burnham’s Cabinet with Keir Starmer’s top team when he stood down to make way for his successor shows that specifically the northwest – the PM’s home region – is the big winner in terms of senior ministerial representation.

Burnham has appointed six Labour MPs representing seats in part of the country: Education Secretary Powell; Communities Secretary Rayner; Chief Whip Midgley; Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds; Environment Secretary Angela Eagle; and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy.

This compares to two MPs in Starmer’s cabinet at the time of his resignation who were from constituencies in the northwest.