A Hot Advocate of Socialism May Become the New Prime Minister 0 19

After the resignation of Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham may become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In the Labour Party, the charismatic 56-year-old former mayor of Manchester is considered the favorite in the race for the party leadership and a politician capable of steering it in a new direction. DW has gathered key facts about him.

A working-class background. Andy Burnham was born and raised near Liverpool. His father worked as an engineer at British Telecom, and his mother was a registrar at a medical clinic. After graduating from a Catholic school, the future candidate studied at the University of Cambridge. At the age of 14, influenced by the miners' strike, Andy joined the Labour Party.

An experienced politician. In 2001, Burnham was first elected to the House of Commons. He held high positions in the cabinets of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. In 2017, he became the mayor of Greater Manchester and was re-elected twice. His achievements include the development of public transport while maintaining affordable prices. Other priorities for Burnham are housing and healthcare.

Defeated a right-wing populist. Burnham achieved a decisive victory in the parliamentary by-election in the constituency of Makerfield, significantly outpacing the candidate from the recently popular right-wing populist party Reform UK. Now, the former mayor of Manchester will return to the House of Commons—a necessary condition for leading the government.

"A supporter of socialism focused on economic interests." This is how Burnham described his views in an interview with the BBC. He criticized Brexit and during the pandemic demanded greater support from then-conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson for those affected by lockdowns. He has criticized his party colleague Starmer for cutting social benefits.