You hear the word ‘empathy’ a lot when people talk about our next prime minister. I can see why, says Guardian columnist John Harris

In the second part of a two-part profile, Josh Halliday charts PM-in-waiting’s journey northward, where as mayor he revelled in his Covid-era popularity – and changed his approach…

"Andy Burnham’s working-class roots, his record in Greater Manchester, and his instinct to stand up for towns and communities too often overlooked by Westminster give him a…