Andy Burnham was born in Aintree, Lancashire in January 1970. After studying English at Cambridge and briefly working in journalism, he chose a career in politics. He worked as a political researcher and adviser before being elected MP for Leigh in 2001. After the 2005 election, he entered government and rose rapidly: a junior minister at the Home Office and then the Department of Health; Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2007 to 2008; Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2008 to 2009; and Secretary of State for Health from 2009 to 2010.

The next few years were more difficult. He ran for Labour leader in 2010, but finished fourth. He was shadow education secretary and then shadow health secretary in Ed Miliband’s shadow cabinet. After Labour’s defeat in 2015, Burnham ran for the leadership again, and was initially considered the favourite. However, Jeremy Corbyn’s outsider campaign overtook him, and Burnham was defeated a second time. Burnham was subsequently appointed shadow home secretary.

In May 2016, Burnham announced that he would stand for the mayoralty of Greater Manchester, leaving the shadow cabinet in September. He was elected in May 2017, receiving 63% of first-preference votes and securing majorities in all ten boroughs. As mayor, Burnham was popular, decisively winning re-election in 2021 and 2024. He oversaw the creation of the Bee Network, Greater Manchester’s integrated public transport system.

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s popularity fell between 2025 and 2026, Labour backbenchers looked for a replacement. Burnham, with his strong reputation as an effective mayor, emerged as a possible successor. A political battle ensued when Burnham indicated that he would be willing to return to Parliament, but Labour’s National Executive Committee prevented him from seeking a Labour nomination in an early 2026 by-election.

However, as the pressure mounted on Starmer, Burnham ran in the Makerfield by-election in June 2026, winning the seat with a majority of over 9,000. Starmer announced his resignation four days later. Burnham was unopposed in the subsequent leadership contest and his victory was announced on 17 July. He is the seventh person to serve as prime minister in just over a decade, an unusually rapid turnover of prime ministers.

Burnham is the first Labour Prime Minister to also be a member of the closely affiliated Co-operative Party. He is the first prime minister born in the North of England since Harold Wilson, who was in office on the day Burnham was born.

Andy Burnham married Marie-France van Heel in 2000, and they have three children.