Andy Burnham: the Labour leader set to become prime minister, explained

The King in the North is heading for Downing Street. After Keir Starmer’s resignation on 22 June 2026, Andy Burnham—the boyish Blairite turned blokey populist—has swept aside challengers to become Labour’s next leader and, barring a general election shock, the UK’s next prime minister. His victory in the Makerfield by-election, where he won 54% of the vote, has reanimated a Labour Party that seemed moribund after just two years in power. But who is Andy Burnham, and what kind of premiership can Britain expect?