Burnham has a political CV most of the British public would roll their eyes at — but the man who hopes to run Britain will keep fighting as an outsider.
By SAM BLEWETTin Makerville, England
British Labour Party candidate and leadership aspirant Andy Burnham attends a traditional Saturday breakfast club in Ashton-in-Makerfield to meet retired miners and local organisers on May 30, 2026. | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Even Andy Burnham’s fans acknowledge that the Greater Manchester mayor, who’s attempting a return to parliament so that he can become prime minister, is a career man.
“Inside him is a cold-hearted lizard of a politician,” said one of Burnham’s chief cheerleaders in Westminster, granted anonymity to speak frankly about the man whose highest hopes would see him heading to No. 10 Downing Street within weeks of a possible victory in the Makerfield by-election.
