He Quit Parliament. Now He's Set to Become Britain's Prime Minister.

And as promised, Burnham has made a difference in Greater Manchester. England’s regional governments gained more power in the 2010s and the process accelerated in Manchester with the establishment of Burnham’s directly elected mayoralty in 2017. Greater Manchester is now the fastest-growing city region in the country, dubbed “skyscraper city” by locals who sound almost bewildered by the rapid scale of development. Surrounding towns like my own native Stockport — a faintly depressing, post-industrial nowhere in the 1980s — are booming too, all hipster restaurants and shiny new infrastructure.

“The last decade has demonstrated that it’s mayors and in cities where you can really get things done,” the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, told me. “Andy and I have shown that with our own direct mandates we can make a big impact — from cleaning up the air in London to Manchester transforming how they run their transport system. You can really lead, and turn your values into action.”

Precisely how much of Manchester’s success is actually down to Burnham is a matter of debate. And there has been criticism too — over local policing, a lack of affordable housing, an uptick in homelessness. But as the figurehead of the city’s gleaming, high-rise revival, Burnham has bathed in its glory. And 10 years on from his biggest political bet, every poll shows he’s the most popular politician in the country.

His timing is good. The current Labour Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, is historically unpopular. Voters made their feelings clear via crushing local election results in May. Labour urgently needs to reconnect with voters — and in Burnham, the party sees its savior. Membership polls suggest he would comfortably beat Starmer in a leadership contest. Allies say he has enough supportive MPs to make it happen.





https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/06/14/andy-burnham-makerfield-election-profile-00960693