King Of The North: Meet Andy Burnham, Set To Be UK's 7th PM In 10 Years

England: Andy Burnham, who is set to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdoms on Monday, is the former Mayor of Greater Manchester. His appointment as the PM-designate came following his election as the leader of Britain's governing Labour Party. This comes after his colleague Keir Starmer tendered his resignation in June.

Who Is Andy Burnham?

Labour Party Leader Andy Burnham is the Member of Parliament from Makerfield constituency in Greater Manchester. He earlier served as Leigh MP. The Lancashire-born, who joined the Labour Party as a teenager, is an alumni of the University of Cambridge.

The 56-year-old British politician earned his nickname as the 'King of the North' during the COVID-19 pandemic when, as Mayor of Greater Manchester, he strongly challenged the UK government's lockdown restrictions and demanded fairer financial support for workers and businesses in northern England. The nickname is in reference to popular TV series ‘Game Of Thrones’.

He has also held several Cabinet positions, including:

• Secretary of State for Health (2009-2010)
• Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (2008-2009)
• Chief Secretary to the Treasury (2007-2008)
• Minister of State (Department of Health) (Delivery and Quality) (2006-2007)
• Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) (2005-2006)

He held the following Opposition posts:

• Shadow Home Secretary (2015-2016)
• Shadow Secretary of State for Health (2011-2015)
• Shadow Secretary of State (Education and Election Co-ordinator) (2010-2011)
• Shadow Secretary of State for Health (2010)

Burnham is married to Marie-France van Heel, whom he met while studying English Literature at Cambridge.

'I'll Build A New Politics'

After being elected as the Leader of the Labour Party, Andy Burnham stated that he will "work to build a new politics", adding, "The country is crying ​out for it…People are looking for us to deliver, and we will." He is of the view that centralised government in London had ignored the needs of local communities.

In a post on X, the PM-designate wrote, “It’s the honour of my life to be Leader of the Labour Party. I will be a leader for every region and nation in this great country, and this Party will be unashamedly Labour in our priorities and in the decisions we take. Together, we will set Britain on a new path.”

7th UK PM In 10 Years

Andy Burnham is set to be the seventh Prime Minister of UK in a decade. The 10 Downing Street has seen the departure of the following  Prime Ministers over the past 10 years:

1. David Cameron
2. Theresa May
3. Boris Johnson
4. Liz Truss
5. Rishi Sunak
6. Keir Starmer

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