Jun 26, 2026 – 1.01pmAs Andy Burnham rode the express train from Manchester to London on Monday, he underwent a metamorphous. He had boarded the train in his familiar uniform of dark T-shirt and jeans, not yet even in a position to call himself a humble backbencher.But somewhere along the tracks, he (or more likely, a minder) tapped out a tweet announcing his run for the Labour leadership being vacated by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. By the time the train pulled into London (albeit 20 minutes late) the transformation was complete. Burnham stepped onto the platform wearing a suit – a prime minister-in-waiting.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Andrew TillettEurope correspondentAndrew Tillett is The Australian Financial Review’s correspondent for Europe, based in London. He was formerly foreign affairs and defence correspondent based in Canberra.Fetching latest articles