Andy Burnham, Britain’s new prime minister, became a Member of Parliament (MP) exactly four weeks ago.
In contrast, Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer served as an MP for nine years before becoming Britain’s leader in 2024. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister before Starmer, was an MP for seven years before getting the top job.
However, Burnham is no political novice. He served as MP for the Greater Manchester constituency of Leigh from 2001 to 2017, when he stepped down to become Manchester’s mayor. He also served in a number of government positions between 2005 and 2010, including as both health and culture secretary.
The events that led to Burnham’s rise to power began in May, when Starmer’s Labour party lost more than 1,400 seats in the country’s local elections, while the hard-right Reform party surged in popularity.
In the aftermath, dozens of UK lawmakers publicly urged Starmer to step down. At the time, he was defiant, insisting he would “get on with governing.”
Opinion polls showing Burnham as the most popular politician in Britain led to calls for him to challenge Starmer’s leadership, but he could not do this while not an MP.
A week after the local elections, the MP for Makerfield, another constituency in Greater Manchester, stepped down to let Burnham run for his position, and eventually for prime minister.
Days later, Burnham resoundingly won the election as the Member of Parliament for Makerfield. The following Monday, he was sworn in as an MP. Starmer announced his resignation as prime minister the same day.