Andy Burnham

Andrew Murray Burnham is a British politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Makerfield since June 2026. A Labour Co-op member, he is currently the sole candidate for the 2026 Labour Party leadership election to succeed Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party. He previously served as the mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026 and the MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017. During his parliamentary career before becoming mayor, he held several cabinet positions, lastly as Secretary of State for Health from 2009 to 2010 under Gordon Brown. Burnham identifies as a socialist and is associated with the soft left faction of the Labour Party.