Who is Andy Burnham? The man tipped to succeed Keir Starmer

Andy Burnham has already tried to become leader of the Labor Party twice, but failed both times. Now, it may be the case of saying that “the third time is for good”.

After the resignation of Keir Starmer, many Labor MPs began to line up around the newly elected MP for Makerfield, who was seen as the favorite to succeed.

Born to January 7, 1970Burnham grew up between Liverpool and Manchester. The son of a telecommunications technician and a receptionist at a health center, he joined the Labor Party as a teenager.

An Everton fan, Burnham is remembered by friends as a competitive child who loved sports. He and his two brothers were the first members of their family to attend university. Andy Burnham studied English at Cambridge University.

According to , he had his first opportunity in politics when he was just over 20 years old, working as a researcher for Tessa Jowellwho would become a minister in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Burnham later became an advisor to the then Minister of Culture, Chris Smithbefore being elected MP for, Leigh, Greater Manchester, in 2001.

In 2010, following Gordon Brown’s resignation following Labor’s general election defeat, Burnham competed for the first time to the party leadership. He came fourth out of five candidates, in a race won by Ed Miliband.

Over the next five years, he strengthened his popularity among the labor base and tried again in 2015. This time, he came in second place, but was defeated by Jeremy Corbyn.

A supporter of the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union during the Brexit referendum, Burnham even expressed his desire to see the country return to the EU within his lifetime.

Last week, he was elected deputy for the Makerfield constituency, in a result he classified as a possible “turning point” for British politics.

Burnham maintains a strong base of support, built mainly during the years he led the Greater Manchester region. It is often associated with public transport reform, which brought buses under greater public control and moved towards a more integrated and accessible network of buses, trams and trains.

If he wins the internal dispute within the Labor Party, Burnham will be in a position to succeed Keir Starmer as prime minister.

The British prime minister less than two years after leading his Labor Party to a landslide victory in parliamentary elections.

Starmer promised a ordered transition. If there is no prolonged internal dispute, the new Labor leader could be chosen as early as July. Otherwise, the process could drag on until September.

The departure comes after months of growing public dissatisfaction with the economy, immigration and the pace of reforms promised by the British Government.