Andy Burnham’s (third) bid for the Labour leadership

Summary

Today in Focus – "Andy Burnham’s (third) bid for the Labour leadership"

Date: May 26, 2026
Host: Nosheen Iqbal (Guardian)
Guest: Josh Halliday (Guardian’s North of England Editor)
Theme: Unpacking Andy Burnham’s rise, persona, and platform as he mounts his third campaign for the Labour leadership, examining whether he really is the future of the party and what he stands for.

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Overview

This episode of Today in Focus dives into the phenomenon of Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, exploring his increasing political popularity and his bid—now for the third time—to become leader of the Labour party. Host Nosheen Iqbal and reporter Josh Halliday chart Burnham’s trajectory from his working-class upbringing and early career in Westminster, through his defining moments as mayor, to his positioning as a voice for the North and a potential Prime Minister. The episode probes “Burnham mania,” his ability to connect with disaffected voters, his policy evolution, and both his achievements and criticisms.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rise of "Burnham Mania" and His Political Persona (00:53–06:20)

• Media and Public Fascination: Burnham is widely liked, polls well above other Labour figures, and even gets fashion coverage (e.g., in Vogue) for his "affability" and unconventional style for a politician.

  “He’s not a suit and tie sort of politician... I’ve seen fashion articles about him, which is odd for a mayor because they’re very unsexy roles.” – Josh Halliday (03:33)

• The "King of the North": Burnham has deliberately branded himself as the voice "outside Westminster," giving him cross-regional appeal, especially after his COVID years.

  “He’s the only person who can save this country from Reform UK.” – Josh Halliday (04:39)

• Objective: Burnham positions himself as someone who can win back the white working-class voters Labour has lost to rivals like Reform UK.

  “A vote for me in this by election campaign is a vote to change Labour.” – Andy Burnham (01:22)

2. Patriotism and Identity Politics (06:20–07:51)

• Progressive Patriotism: Burnham stands out on the left for his comfort with national identity.

  “I love this country, our country. I feel proud to be British. I don’t subscribe to the current fashion of putting more narrow loyalties first. I am British before I am English.” – Andy Burnham (06:41)

• Reclaiming British Symbols: He pushes for inclusivity, expressing pride without veering into divisive nationalism.

  “He can articulate this sense of, you know, being a nation, of, you know, inclusion...Reclaiming St. George’s flag as a kind of, you know, symbol of pride rather than division.” – Josh Halliday (07:11)

3. Burnham’s Early Life and Political Beginnings (07:51–10:30)

• Working-Class Roots: Born in Liverpool, raised near Manchester, Burnham was motivated by the miners’ strikes and family Labour values.

  “He joined Labour at the age of 14 or 15 and three years later he was at Cambridge University…he felt like an impostor.” – Josh Halliday (08:23)

• Rapid Ascent in Westminster: Started in the mid-90s as a researcher and adviser, and then as MP for Leigh (2001), rising to positions like Health Secretary and Culture Secretary.

4. Hillsborough: Turning Point (10:34–13:25)

• Personal and Political Impact: Attendance and speech at Hillsborough’s 20th anniversary marked a pivotal moment.

  “On the day of the semi-final itself, he had friends who were there at Hillsborough...hearing people, he was there facing up to it as a member of the government of the day.” – Josh Halliday (11:06, 11:58)

• Catalyst for Justice: Burnham’s response, including pushing for records to be released, elevated his profile as a politician who listened and acted.

5. Failed Leadership Bids and “Political Chameleon” Critique (13:31–16:04)

• Leadership Attempts (2010, 2015): Both campaigns fizzled for lack of clarity or distinct policies.

  “Both of his campaigns were quite odd in a way...People didn’t really know what Andy Burnham stood for.” – Josh Halliday (14:18)

• Labels and Criticism: Nicknamed a “jellyfish” (spineless) for his perceived lack of ideological clarity.

  "A Blairite, a Brownite, and a Corbynite walk into a bar. The barman says, 'Hello, Andy Burnham.'" – Nosheen Iqbal (15:27)

6. Departure from Westminster and Motivation (16:04–17:52)

• Leaving Behind Parliamentary Culture: Disenchantment with Westminster’s “bubble,” whip system, and politics as spectacle, particularly after the Brexit referendum.

  “He felt really worried about where the country was going and he sort of lost faith in the ability of the Labour Party...to speak to ordinary working class people.” – Josh Halliday (17:52)

7. Greater Manchester Mayoralty: Achievements & Style (18:03–24:11)

• Key Platforms: Promised to end street homelessness (“A Bed Every Night”), tackled public transport (“B network” buses), capped fares, expanded free passes, promoted clean energy.

  “One goes past the end of my street. It’s, you know, one of those very tangible things that you can point to and say, well, you know, he’s actually done something.” – Josh Halliday (18:54)

• During COVID: Burnham became a national figure confronting central government for fairer deals for Manchester, earning the “King of the North” moniker.

  “There’s that particular moment where he stood up outside Bridgewater Hall in the centre of Manchester in this jacket and you know, really, you know, incredibly righteous fury...” – Josh Halliday (21:44) “How can we carry the public with us through this pandemic if we are forcing them to lose their income?” – Andy Burnham (21:59)

• Authenticity Emerges: COVID crisis marked a shift where “Andy Burnham, the political chameleon, was finally comfortable in his own skin.” (22:46)

8. Political Pragmatism and Bridge-Building (24:11–25:18)

• Cross-Party Dealings: Learned from figures like Michael Bloomberg to work with varied parties, e.g., on devolution.

  “He’s spoken about...political pragmatism, politics that’s about place rather than, you know, point scoring.” – Josh Halliday (23:30)

• Criticism: The failed Clean Air Zone drew backlash, serving as a symbol for accusations that Burnham “wants to be liked” and sometimes avoids hard decisions.

  “He really wants to be liked. He doesn’t like being disliked.” – Josh Halliday (25:18)

9. Policy Vision and Economic Debate (27:17–29:54)

• Vision for the UK: Focus on devolving powers, investing in neglected post-industrial regions, public control of essential services (buses, water, energy), and clean energy.

  “He wants to get rid of this kind of myopic government that lives by the hour, that doesn't think about, you know, long term investment...” – Josh Halliday (27:31)

• Economic Flak: Burnham’s remarks on not being “in hock to the bond markets” have haunted his narrative.

  “People don't really believe that he set out a proper agenda yet...without increasing borrowing or taxes.” – Josh Halliday (28:40) “Andy is a bold person and I think the people that are supporting him should encourage him to be bolder because the country needs it.” – Jim O’Neill (29:09)

• Bond Market & Investment: He’s seen as needing to square ambitious plans with market realities.

10. Burnham’s Shift on Immigration (29:54–30:35)

• New, Tougher Stance: While once a liberal voice, Burnham now supports tougher measures, backing the Home Secretary’s crackdown—surprising even close observers.

  “He’s spoken about having to fight in the election that you’re in and, you know, if he’s tough on immigration, that will probably play well to a lot of people in Makefield.” – Josh Halliday (30:14)

11. The Road to Number 10? (30:35–31:22)

• Frontrunner Status: Burnham is now Labour’s most popular politician, with bookies and members backing him as a likely next PM—provided he wins the Makefield by-election.

  “If Keir Starmer decides to set out an orderly transition, then I think we could be on for an Andy Burnham prime ministership by the end of this year.” – Josh Halliday (31:22)

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Memorable Quotes

• On Burnham's Unique Style:
  “He’s not a suit and tie sort of politician. I’ve seen fashion articles about him … He’s kind of built his own brand, I suppose, in the last 10 years as mayor of Greater Manchester.” – Josh Halliday (03:33)

• On Patriotism:
  “I love this country, our country. I feel proud to be British. I don’t subscribe to the current fashion of putting more narrow loyalties first. I am British before I am English.” – Andy Burnham (06:41)

• On His Role for the Working Class:
  “A vote... is a vote to give them the party back that they used to know. That is what this is, a vote for a party...solidly on the side of working class people and working class communities.” – Andy Burnham (05:54)

• On Political Identity:
  "A Blairite, a Brownite, and a Corbynite walk into a bar. The barman says, 'Hello, Andy Burnham.'" – Nosheen Iqbal (15:27)

• On Facing Criticism:
  “He really wants to be liked. He doesn’t like being disliked.” – Josh Halliday (25:18)

• On his Vision:
  “He wants to get rid of this kind of myopic government that lives by the hour...and seems out of tune with, you know, the cost of everyday items and people’s lives.” – Josh Halliday (27:31)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:53 – Introduction of Burnham as the “hottest thing in British politics.”
• 03:33 – Josh Halliday on Burnham’s personable style and public appeal.
• 05:54 – Burnham on returning Labour to working class roots.
• 06:41 – Burnham articulates his form of inclusive patriotism.
• 10:34 – Josh Halliday describes Hillsborough as a key moment.
• 14:18 – Analysis of Burnham’s failed leadership campaigns.
• 18:19 – Burnham’s early mayoral campaign promises on homelessness and buses.
• 21:44 – The defining COVID moment in Manchester, “King of the North.”
• 25:18 – Controversy over the failed Clean Air Zone project.
• 27:31 – Outline of Burnham’s current national vision and economic debate.
• 29:09 – Jim O’Neill on Burnham’s need for policy boldness.
• 30:14 – Burnham’s shift on immigration policy.
• 31:22 – Burnham as likely next PM if Starmer transitions.

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Conclusion

The episode presents Andy Burnham as a unique, charismatic, and dogged political operator whose journey from working-class beginnings, through Westminster, and onto the national stage as Mayor of Greater Manchester has positioned him as the Labour Party’s best hope at reconnecting with disillusioned voters. Yet, the enduring question remains: does Burnham’s ability to connect map onto clear, actionable policy, or does his political chameleon label still apply? As his campaign unfolds, the answers may shape not only Labour’s fate but the direction of British politics itself.

Transcript

[Josh Halliday]

This is the Guardian.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Today, the Mancunian candidate, Andy Burnham.

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[Noshi Nikbal]

There's been weeks of talk about Andy Burnham being the hottest thing in British politics. After months, or let's face it, a whole career of building up to this moment, the Mayor of Greater Manchester is fighting to win.

[Andy Burnham]

I'm in the campaign. I'm fighting to win it with your support and with the support of the great people of this constituency.

[Noshi Nikbal]

First in the Makerfield by election and then, well, to become the next Labour Prime Minister.

[Andy Burnham]

A vote for me in this by election campaign is a vote to change Labour.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Burnham mania is a real thing. He consistently polls higher than any other Labour politician. He seems likable, he can talk to people, he's got great eyelashes. But behind the hype is one small question. What does Andy Burnham actually believe in? In October, Burnham said Britain shouldn't be in Hochtub on markets when deciding how to spend more recently, he's been walking that back.

[Andy Burnham]

I have never said you can just ignore the bond markets. I said that politicians have placed Britain in hog.

[Noshi Nikbal]

He once said that he wanted the UK back in the eu.

[Andy Burnham]

I'm going to be honest, I'm going to say it. I hope in my lifetime I see this country rejoined.

[Noshi Nikbal]

And now as Makerfield loom's interview, it's not so much his thing.

[Andy Burnham]

The last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments.

[Noshi Nikbal]

And if he thought Andy Burnham would be Labour's liberal voice on immigration and asylum.

[Andy Burnham]

We've always played a part in terms of welcoming people in the past. We stand ready to do so going forward.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Well, it turns out he now backs the Home Secretary's tough crackdown too.

[Andy Burnham]

I've said, you know, the thrust of what she's doing is right.

[Noshi Nikbal]

So come on then, who is the real Andy Burnham and how did he get here. From the Guardian, I'm Noshi Nikbal. Today in Focus. Third time's a charm. Why Andy Burnham is tipped to be the future of the Labour Party. Josh Halliday, welcome back to Today in Focus.

[Josh Halliday]

Thank you.

[Noshi Nikbal]

You're the Guardian's north of England editor. And you, you've met Andy Burnham spent Quite a bit of time with him during his morality of Manchester. What's your impression of him?

[Josh Halliday]

Andy Burnham is quite unusual for a top politician that he actually, you know, responds to your texts, he picks up the phone, he calls you mate. When you answer, it's very sort of chummy. But I think, you know, that is very much seen as quite an affable politician. You know, someone who could walk down the street, have conversations with ordinary people, which not that many politicians in this era can. You know, he's not a suit and tie sort of politician. I've seen fashion articles about him, which is odd for a mayor because they're very unsexy roles. He's kind of built his own brand, I suppose, in the last 10 years as mayor of Great Manchester.

[Noshi Nikbal]

You mentioned fashion. Of course there was, I think there was this piece in Vogue which asked why do we all fancy Andy Burnham? So it kind of gives us a sense of this fever almost around him. You know, it's kind of gripping politics right now. Josh, why is he suddenly being touted as the saviour of the Labour Party?

[Josh Halliday]

I think he's built up this Persona and he's very deliberately done this over the course of his time in Greater Manchester, but particularly during COVID as speaking for the world outside Westminster. And that's led to some calling him the King of the North. Some wrongly say self styled King of the North. He's never styled. Okay, he's never styled himself as King of the North. That would be quite shameless, wouldn't it? But I think he likes the title. He's expressed multiple times that, you know, politics doesn't work for most of the country. You know, we live in a far too, in far too much of a London centric over centralised political system. But over the last few weeks, Burnham has been telling people that he's the only person who can save this country from reform uk, which sounds like a big claim to make in a time when reforms so far ahead in the polls and Labour, you know, looks, you know, doomed to be honest in the next general election. But you know, what he believes and his allies believe is that he can speak to the people who are turning to reform, you know, the largely white working classes, former Labour voters, you know, left Labour rapidly over the last 10 years but feel betrayed by Labour, feel they're working harder, they're taking home less. The political system just doesn't work for them. This is what Burnham's all about. It's what he's been all about for the last nine years. As Greater Manchester mayor. So that's why he believes his time has come.

[Andy Burnham]

It is a vote to give the people here in these communities who supported us through the years. It's a vote to give them the party back that they used to know. That is what this is, a vote for a party, party that is solidly, solidly on the side of working class people and workingclass communities.

[Josh Halliday]

Another thing that he does, which hasn't had much of a show in politics in recent times and it's not yet come up in this by election, but I think it probably will do, is that he is quite unusual for a person on the left of politics because he can articulate a progressive form of patriotism.

[Andy Burnham]

I love this country, our country. I feel proud to be British. I don't subscribe to the current fashion of putting more narrow loyalties first. I am British before I am English.

[Josh Halliday]

He kind of does that really convincingly. He can articulate this sense of, you know, being a nation, of, you know, inclusion.

[Andy Burnham]

I love what Britain has always stood for as a country. For the underdog, against the bully.

[Josh Halliday]

Not shying away from, you know, the flag, which has become a divisive topic in politics. Reclaiming St. George's flag as a kind of, you know, symbol of pride rather than division. He can do it in a way that doesn't feel kind of stilted and awkward. You know, when you get cabinet ministers saying, I have St. George's flags in my home and you just don't believe

[Noshi Nikbal]

them, you just cringe as well.

[Josh Halliday]

Very much. Yeah. I mean, well, he's a politician that, you know, does go to the football, does enjoy a pint, you know, he seems normal. He seems normal,

[Noshi Nikbal]

Josh. That is Andy Burnham now. But can you tell me how he got here? You know, what was his early life like? How did he get into politics?

[Josh Halliday]

Andy Burnham had quite an ordinary upbringing. He was born in Liverpool and then moved at quite a young age to Culcheth, which is in between Manchester and Liverpool. He's an Everton fan, everyone knows that. Everyone's seen him jogging in his retro football shirt, very short shorts and horrific shorts.

[Andy Burnham]

I'm getting plenty of advice about what I should do. The main piece being for God's sake, get some new running shorts.

[Josh Halliday]

I don't think he would ever claim to be, to be poor growing up, you know, but he had quite a working class background, working class sensibilities, a Labour supporting family. His dad worked for the post office. He tells this story of, you know, sort of being radicalized by the Min strikes in the 80s when he, when he was a young boy, the school that he went to was near one of the picket lines and, you know, he's, he's written about banging on the school bus window, you know, on the way into school to show support for the striking miners and, you know, people bringing in tins of food for other children at his school, whose, whose parents were on the picket line. And I think that sort of helps set a light. He's sort of interesting in politics from. From that early age. He joined Labour at the age of 14 or 15 and three years later he was at Cambridge University and read English. He felt like an impostor. There wasn't many young people from his part of the world ended up at Cambridge University, as he said, you know,

[Noshi Nikbal]

he felt like an impostor in Cambridge. He also said later that he found the culture in Westminster stifling. But he did rise quite rapidly through the Labour ranks quite quickly. How would you characterise his early years?

[Josh Halliday]

He joined Westminster, if you like, in the mid-90s when he was in his. In his mid-20s, first as a researcher for Tessa Jowl before the 97 general election. Seemed to get a test for, you know, politics and, you know, very quickly wanted to become an mp.

[Noshi Nikbal]

So that was set quite, quite early on.

[Josh Halliday]

That was set quite early on, yeah. He's described it as a, you know, kind of guilty secret that he wanted to be an mp. And he was a special advisor for Chris Smith, the Culture Secretary. And then he got the seat in Leigh, near Wigan, where he was elected in 2001. And then he had various government posts under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, you know, rising to some of the top posts in government. He was Health Secretary for a time.

[Andy Burnham]

The King's Fund report said that the Conservatives left the NHS in intensive care in 1997. We have nursed the National Health Service back to.

[Josh Halliday]

And then later, Culture Secretary, the Right

[Andy Burnham]

Honourable Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State

[Josh Halliday]

for Culture, Media and Sport.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Josh. In 2009, he went to Liverpool's Anfield Stadium for the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

[Andy Burnham]

Remembering any loss of life on this scale is painful. It is even harder when a tragedy was no natural disaster, but entirely man made, when it involved so many years, young people and when those who lost most have suffered so many more dark days ever since.

[Noshi Nikbal]

He's often pointed to this as something of a turning point in his career. Can you tell us what happened and why it was so significant for him?

[Josh Halliday]

Yeah, well, Andy Burnham has said previously that all roads lead to and from Hillsborough for Him on the day of the semi final itself, he had friends who were there at Hillsborough and you know, describes a sort of frantic waiting for news, desperation. He's spoken about how this sense of a police cover up and the government being against the people. A city that felt, you know, terrible injustice for decades.

[Noshi Nikbal]

So it's personal for him.

[Josh Halliday]

It's really personal, yeah. So when he spoke at ANFIELD on the 20th anniversary, he was there as the representative for the UK government. So it was an incredibly tricky position for him to be in personally because of the deep hurt that many in Liverpool felt towards the government. Still at that time they felt they

[Noshi Nikbal]

hadn't seen justice for the victims. Right?

[Josh Halliday]

That's right.

[Andy Burnham]

But today, as the Prime Minister has

[Josh Halliday]

asked me to convey, it's a very striking moment when he starts to talk.

[Andy Burnham]

96 fellow football supporters who died will never be forgotten. And he asked us to think at

[Josh Halliday]

this time, the crowd starts chanting over the top of him, justice for the 96. And he stops and steps back and sort of lets that moment unfold. And I think in those kind of seconds was kind of a pivotal moment in his, in his political career because he was hearing people, he was there facing up to it as a member of the government of the day. The following day he spoke to cabinet in government and basically kick started the process for excavating the police records, exposing the injustice and the COVID up.

[Andy Burnham]

These papers are stronger than I thought they would be. What we see is what we've always suspected, that immediate attempts were made to blame the 96, their friends, families, fellow supporters and take the blame off the police. And that's why I say Hillsborough was one of the biggest injustices of the 20th century. It's not just that there was a terrible.

[Josh Halliday]

So it was a really seminal moment really in his political journey.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Just a year after that, he then ran for the first time to be leader of the Labour Party and he ended up coming forth just above Diane Abbott.

[Josh Halliday]

Are you disappointed you haven't done better that it hasn't, that your name isn't up there with people who might win? No, I.

[Andy Burnham]

No, I came into this campaign to say what I needed to say.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Didn't stop him from trying again, which he did in 2015, running against Jeremy

[Josh Halliday]

Corbyn, that he's espousing.

[Noshi Nikbal]

I mean, it does seem that this

[Josh Halliday]

contest is Jeremy Corbyn versus the other

[Andy Burnham]

three, and that socialism is something of

[Noshi Nikbal]

a dirty word within the Labour Party these days.

[Andy Burnham]

No, I don't think that's right at all. I mean, I agree with him on some things, such as more public control and public ownership of the railways, but I disagree with him on other things.

[Noshi Nikbal]

For instance, how did he pitch himself in those two contests and why did it not land either time?

[Josh Halliday]

Well, they were quite different contests in 2010 and 2015 and you saw quite different versions of Andy Burnham. The mood also in the country at the time was. Was different just in the space of five years. You remember Corbin mania in 2015, unstoppable wave of support for. For Jeremy Corbyn and he. He came nowhere near winning that, really. You know, many people would have given up after two times and then this sort of humiliating fashion as well. Both of his campaigns were quite odd in a way. They were. They never really got off the ground with any coherent policies or messaging. People didn't really know what Andy Burnham stood for. It is not unreasonable to ask you, are you closer to Kendall or Corbyn or somewhere in the dead downtown?

[Andy Burnham]

Clearly somewhere. They're clearly, clearly somewhere in the middle, in between, aren't I? And I'm not denying the question, but it's. I know you in the media like to put labels on people. You like to try.

[Josh Halliday]

And, you know, one of his criticisms of his, of his time as a government minister that people say is that he just seemed to rise without trace and no one can really say who, who he is or what he stands for.

[Noshi Nikbal]

I mean, it reminds me of that sort of old political joke about him, isn't there, where a Blairite, a Brow knight and a Corbynite walk into a bar and the barman says, hello, Andy Burnham.

[Josh Halliday]

He's a classic. He's, you know, the jellyfish is what some people called him, I think, as well, spineless. Then two years later he was out of Westminster, but he still hadn't sort of given up on his ambitions to one day lead the Labour Party. So here he is, you know, 11 years down the line.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Josh, as you say, he was obviously always very ambitious. So why did he decide to leave Westminster and become mayor of Greater Manchester?

[Josh Halliday]

I think he just got completely fed up of Westminster after 15 or 16 years there, holding various ministerial posts, being frustrated in his efforts to. To get things done. He's spoken about not liking, you know, the way government operates in terms of the whip system. You have to vote the way the government votes. Not, you know, what you believe in your conscience. You know, you can't vote with your conscience. You got to vote with the party. I don't think he likes the Westminster bubble culture, but I think, you know, his Real departure for him was the Brexit campaign. And, you know, what he felt was, you know, it was completely lackluster Remain campaign that didn't speak to majority of people in the country. So there's a particular moment in the Brexit campaign in 2016 where he was an ardent Remainer. He wanted to make a speech about the emotional pull of Remain and why we should stay within the eu. And as he tells it, he was basically given no support for making this statement at all by the official Remain campaign. They wanted to keep it strictly on economics.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Right.

[Josh Halliday]

Don't stray into, like the emotional reasons for staying within the eu. But I mean, what Andy Burnham says is that no one was making this kind of emotional case combating this nationalism in, you know, large swathes of the north of England which ended up voting for Brexit.

[Andy Burnham]

Patriotism is to love who we are and what we have been and be positive about it. Nationalism is to think we are better and look down on everyone else. And in the end, that is what I think the Leave campaign is about.

[Josh Halliday]

And he kind of felt really worried about where the country was going and he sort of lost faith in the ability of the Labour Party, particularly to speak to ordinary working class people.

[Noshi Nikbal]

And so in 2017, he returns to his roots. He becomes mayor of Manchester. And I remember he was voted in on the promise to end street homelessness.

[Andy Burnham]

Rising homelessness is the issue that has defined this campaign.

[Noshi Nikbal]

What were his first steps in that role?

[Josh Halliday]

Promise to end homelessness was a big part of his initial campaign and it got off to what seemed to be a decent start. There was a campaign called Abed Every night, particularly when, you know, when temperatures dropped below freezing, every person who was homeless would be guaranteed a bed for the night. That later evolved and it was going well and then Covid sort of seemed to blow everything out of the water. We had other big pledges as well, one of which is called the B network, which is Manchester's bright, shiny new yellow buses, electrified buses which now buzz around the city, around the region. Actually, one goes past the end of my street. It's, you know, one of those very tangible things that you can point to and say, well, you know, he's actually done something. Yeah, you know, politics has achieved something.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Today it was announced that the local authority would take back control of the bus network, setting fares and routes. It will be the first place outside of London to have a regulated system

[Josh Halliday]

since the 1980s, capping bus fares at two pound, whereas previously you'd paid more than four quid. For, you know, a single journey which is shocking. Free bus passes for 16 to 18 year olds. Lots of, you know, lots of good things to help people with the cost of living. Most of Greater Manchester, he's a very popular mayor. You know, he's. There were some stats out about the Manchester seeing the, the biggest fall in inner city deprivation than anywhere else in the country. You know, they can point to the rapid rise of buildings across Greater Manchester, particularly central Manchester. Office blocks, new residential apartments. You know, it's been the fastest growing city economy I think of anywhere in the UK over the past past decade.

[Noshi Nikbal]

And people do attribute that to him.

[Josh Halliday]

Well, this is the thing, right, because lots of the success of Manchester was set in train two decades before he became mayor of Greater Manchester. That has just accelerated under his leadership. Whether, whether he can take all the credit for that. I think, you know, he can't. But that said, he does, you know, there is a lot that he can point to and be proud of I think as he's, his record as mayor.

[Noshi Nikbal]

And really it was during COVID that he was first referred to as the, the King of the north, which is a title that is inescapable every time his name is now mentioned. What was it about his handling of that crisis which then made him so popular?

[Josh Halliday]

During COVID I think I was probably in a press conference or on the phone with Andy Burnham either every day or every week. Covid for Andy Burnham was, you know, this epitome of an over centralized government in that the government were deciding policy on the basis of a small room rather than listening to the needs of the rest of the country. And what was actually happening in the rest of the country. Yeah, and he wasn't this kind of laissez faire, let's all go out politician. He was quite serious. He was listening to what experts were saying, what was actually happening in the rest of the country.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Sorry to interrupt you, but we are going to hear from Andy Burnham. I'm sure you'll want to hear this too.

[Josh Halliday]

He wasn't invited to the COBRA meetings in London. And so he used the media basically to get his message across to national government.

[Andy Burnham]

Okay, thank you everybody, thanks for coming.

[Josh Halliday]

And I think people saw him as that voice for the north to accept

[Andy Burnham]

any further restrictions in these circumstances would be certain to increase levels of poverty, homelessness and hardship within our city region.

[Josh Halliday]

There's that particular moment where he stood up outside Bridgewater hall in the centre of Manchester in this jacket and you know, really, you know, incredibly righteous fury directed down the camera lenses Towards Boris Johnson.

[Andy Burnham]

How can we carry the public with us through this pandemic if we are forcing them to lose their income, saying,

[Josh Halliday]

you know, great Manchester would not accept any more restrictions without consultation? You know, that was kind of the making of him, you know, in a public sense. You know, people really became aware of who he was outside of Greater Manchester at that point, I think, you know, there were beers named after him. King of the north ipa. The jacket that he wore was hung in a museum.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Get out.

[Josh Halliday]

It was. Don't know if it's still there. They didn't clean it before they put it up for display either, because they wanted to keep. They call it the evidential soiling.

[Noshi Nikbal]

I mean, it seems like it's kind of also the moment where he woke up to himself. Right? I mean, it wasn't just what he said. There was this feeling that, you know, Andy Burnham, the political chameleon, was finally comfortable in his own skin. You know, he was dressing differently. He seemed more authentically passionate about what he was doing. How do you think that people in Manchester felt, Josh? And how successful do people generally think he's been?

[Josh Halliday]

My sense is that people are quite proud to have Andy Burnham as the mayor. You know, he's part of the role is that you don't have every single power or, you know, unlimited money at your disposal. But what you do, what you are, is a figurehead, you know, and I think he's done that part of the job very well.

[Noshi Nikbal]

And is he doing the work of politics any differently?

[Josh Halliday]

One of the big things of his term as Greater Manchester mayor has been bringing different political parties together to get things done. The biggest example of this is working with a conservative government in order to, you know, bring more devolved powers for the regions. He's spoken about, you know, this political pragmatism, politics that's about place rather than, you know, point scoring. I think he learned quite a lot from Michael Bloomberg, who was one of the, you know, former mayor of New York, right, working with different political parties to get things done. And Andy Burnham, I think, has tried to put aside these political differences to, you know, deliver benefits for. For his area.

[Noshi Nikbal]

So he's managed to build bridges, but I imagine not everyone is that enamoured of him. I mean, Josh, what would his critics say about him?

[Josh Halliday]

His big criticism, I have to say, of his time as mayor is the introduction of the clean air zone, which is where high polluting cars would be charged up to 60 quid a day. The owners of them, which was, you know, his huge scheme there were hundreds of signs and cameras went up across Greater Manchester, you know, sort of 10 years or so ago. And, you know, there was a massive public backlash and he, and he sort of bottled it and didn't follow through completely scrapped the scheme and, you know, apparently it cost about £100 million in order to, to set this thing up. I mean, he says that that money wasn't wasted because it went into the electrification of buses, you know, the rollout of the B network, you know, the signs, clean air zone signs that went up across Greater Manchester were only taken down last year and they became kind of totemic of this big failure of politics. And it sort of speaks to that thing that people say about him, is that, you know, he really wants to be liked. He doesn't like being disliked.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Coming up, what is Burnham's pitch to Makefield and to the rest of the country?

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[Noshi Nikbal]

Makerfield no doubt is going to be judged as a dress rehearsal in any case of his potential leadership race against Keir Starmer. Josh, what is Burnham's vision that he's offering to this constituency and to the Labour Party?

[Josh Halliday]

You know, it's about devolving more powers to regions across the uk. It's about making life more affordable for people. He's spoken about taking public control of essential assets like water, energy. He thinks the privatisation of the bus network is one of the biggest flaws of the, you know, the past two, three decades. And I think much more focus on these post industrial areas across the Midlands, north and Wales which haven't seen proper investment for a long time and you know, where there is huge opportunity to build like, you know, the industries of the future. Clean energy is something that he's really keen on. That's his message essentially. He wants to get rid of this kind of myopic government that lives by the hour, that doesn't think about, you know, long term investment in particular areas and seems out of tune with, you know, the cost of, you know, everyday items and people's lives.

[Noshi Nikbal]

And how is he seen in terms of his grasp of economics? Because there's a lot of chat made about, you know, that, that famous quote where he said, you know, government should be, shouldn't be in hock to the bond markets, which a lot of people may agree with. But it's got him a lot of flak.

[Josh Halliday]

Yeah, I mean it's, it's kind of hung in the background of his leadership ambitions really before this campaign even kicked off. I mean, people don't really believe that he set out a proper agenda yet on, on how he would deliver all this kind of long term investment, this radical change in society without increasing borrowing or taxes. You know, those are the two options. You know, there, there are very smart people who said that, you know, there'll be ways that he could do it

[Andy Burnham]

and Andy is a bold person and I think the people that are supporting him should encourage him to be bolder because the country needs it.

[Josh Halliday]

Jim o', Neill, the former Goldman Sachs banker who's, you know, one of the country's most respected economists, was supportive of Andy Burnham's ambitions for long term borrowing to increase investment. Because, you know, that's kind of the only way that you can make these radical changes. Unless you're drastically raising taxes, which is not just not going to wash at the minute, it is a very jittery bond market. There's a lot going on in the world to be kind of nervous about and the idea of some kind of radical firebrand coming into number 10 is going to put some people on edge.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Josh, obviously if you're mayor of Manchester, you have no control over one of the biggest political questions of the day, namely immigration and asylum. Last week we reported the fact that his allies say that Burnham was backing the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's first very controversial changes to the immigration asylum system. Is this a surprising turn for him?

[Josh Halliday]

It surprised me. But then again, that might be because, you know, Andy Burnham has not had to articulate his views on these, you know, big, you know, national issues like immigration, you know, for a long time. But then again, you know, he's spoken about having to fight in the election that you're in and, you know, if he's tough on immigration, that will probably play well to a lot of people in make fields.

[Noshi Nikbal]

Josh, looking at Burnham's journey and everything you've discussed, what do you think are the chances that all of this could take him finally to the top job?

[Josh Halliday]

I think it's looking quite likely he will end up in number 10. I think if he wins the maker field by election. It's still an if. He's probably the favourite, but only just then. I think the Labour Party will see him as the person who can win possibly the next general election. You know, the other contenders, would they get past the Labour members? Andy Burnham constantly tops the polls as the most popular politician, actually, you know, among Labour members and among the general public. If Keir Starmer decides to set out an orderly transition, then I think we could be on for an Andy Burnham prime ministership by the end of this year.

[Noshi Nikbal]

In the meantime, quite a spicy by election to look forward to, which I'm sure we're going to be checking back in with you on. Josh, thank you so much for your time.

[Josh Halliday]

Thank you very much.

[Noshi Nikbal]

That was north of England editor Josh Halliday. Do follow his reporting of this story and more from our politics team, [e-mail] and that is it for today. This episode was presented by me, Noshi Nikbal. It was produced by Ivan Manley, Ned cartermiles and Tom Glasser. Sound design is by Rudy Zagadlo. The executive producers were Sammikent and Elizabeth Cassin. We'll be back this afternoon with the latest.

[Josh Halliday]

This is the Guardian.

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[Josh Halliday]

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