Andy Burnham

In government (2005–2010)

Brown cabinet (2008–2010)

In a re-shuffle in January 2008, Burnham was promoted to the position of Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, replacing James Purnell.^[16] In June 2008, he apologised to the director of pressure group Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, after she threatened to sue him for libel for smearing her reputation in an article Burnham had written for Progress magazine.^[17]

In late 2008, Burnham announced government plans to tighten controls on internet content in order to "even up" what he described as an imbalance with TV regulations.^[18][19][20] The announcement was followed by a speech to the music industry's lobbying group, UK Music, in which he announced "a time that calls for partnership between Government and the music business as a whole: one with rewards for both of us; one with rewards for society as a whole. (...) My job – Government's job – is to preserve the value in the system."^[21]

In April 2009, after being heckled at the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, Burnham used the next day's cabinet meeting in Downing Street to ask Gordon Brown if he could raise the issue of Hillsborough in Parliament, and Brown agreed.^[22] The eventual result was the second Hillsborough inquiry. In 2014, when Burnham spoke at the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, he was cheered and applauded by the crowd.^[23]

In June 2009, Burnham was again promoted, becoming Secretary of State for Health. He held the post until the Labour government resigned following the 2010 general election. In July 2009, a month after he became health secretary, Burnham launched an independent inquiry chaired by the QC Robert Francis into unusually high mortality rates at Stafford Hospital.^[24] The inquiry found systematic failures at the hospital, and was critical of care provided by the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.^[25][26] A wider public inquiry, also led by Robert Francis, was launched in 2010 by his successor as health secretary, Andrew Lansley. It found serious failings at the hospital but concluded it would be "misleading" to link those failings to a particular number of deaths.^[27][28]

After leaving office, reports claimed that Burnham and his predecessor as health secretary, Alan Johnson, had rejected 81 requests for an inquiry sitting in public to examine the high rate of deaths at Stafford Hospital. Burnham was also criticised for having not visited the hospital or personally met with affected families.^[29] According to The Daily Telegraph, after initial concerns were raised about links between mortality rates and standards of care in 2005, there were up to 2,800 more deaths than expected across 14 NHS trusts highlighted as having unusually high death rates.^[29] These figures for deaths were later discredited. A report, the Keogh Review, following an investigation into the 14 NHS trusts by Bruce Keogh, described the use of such statistical measures as "clinically meaningless and academically reckless".^[30]

As health secretary, Burnham proposed the creation of a National Care Service, which would introduce a publicly funded system of social care free at the point of use along the same lines of the National Health Service.^[31] In July 2009, the Department of Health released its green paper Shaping the Future of Care Together, which proposed a National Care Service "on par with the NHS".^[32] This was followed by a public consultation in September called the "Big Care Debate", which was promoted by Brown as a "crucial national debate".^[33] The consultation found a public desire for social care reform and explored different ways to introduce the NCS. The government decided to introduce the NCS gradually and in different stages, with the first stage beginning with the Personal Care at Home Act 2010, which was passed in April 2010.^[34]

Burnham formally launched the NCS a month earlier, giving all elderly and disabled people free social care. The second stage was planned to begin from 2014 and would extend free social care to people who were in residential care for more than two years. A third and final stage would fully introduce the NCS, giving all adults free social care after 2015.^[35][36] Following Labour's defeat in the 2010 general election, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition of David Cameron and Nick Clegg scrapped the NCS and the Personal Care at Home Act 2010 was later repealed.^[37][38]

In opposition (2010–2017)

Miliband shadow cabinet (2010–2015)

In October 2010, Burnham was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education and election co-ordinator for the Labour Party. As shadow education secretary, Burnham opposed the coalition government's plans for "free schools". He argued for moving the education system back towards a comprehensive system.^[44] A year later, he was appointed to the role of Shadow Secretary of State for Health, which he held until 2015. In July 2013 The Daily Telegraph reported that Burnham's staff had edited his Wikipedia page to remove criticisms of his handling of the Stafford Hospital scandal. Burnham's office claimed they had removed false statements that had been drawn to their attention.^[45]

Second leadership campaign (2015)

Main article: Andy Burnham 2015 Labour Party leadership campaign

On 13 May 2015, following Labour's defeat in the general election to Cameron's Conservatives, Burnham announced that he would stand to replace Miliband in the 2015 leadership election.^[46] He stressed the need to unite the party and country and "rediscover the beating heart of Labour".^[47] Burnham was initially considered the frontrunner in the race to succeed Miliband.^[48] The emergence of Jeremy Corbyn as the candidate representing the left-wing faction of the party, in June 2015, and the consequent growth in support for Corbyn's campaign saw Burnham's lead diminish to the point that Corbyn overtook him – this was first reflected in a YouGov poll published by The Times on 21 July.^[49]

In his official manifesto, Burnham pledged to offer "a balanced plan for a strong economy and sound public finances, providing a genuine alternative to George Osborne's punishing austerity". His platform involved re-balancing the tax system, by restoring the 50p income tax rate that had been cut in the 2012 budget. He also signalled that he would not introduce the 'mansion tax' that was included in Labour's 2015 election manifesto, calling the proposal "the politics of envy".^[1] His other policies included increasing the minimum wage and scrapping the youth rate, to create a "true living wage for all ages" and abolishing zero-hour contracts and unpaid internships.^[50] He also announced that he would address the house price and rent crisis by giving councils greater freedom and increased borrowing powers to build more houses, regulate the private rented sector and introduce a land value tax on commercial properties.^[51]

In August 2015, Burnham announced that he would commit Labour to "a policy of progressive re-nationalisation" of the railway system.^[52] There was some speculation in the media that the announcement was an attempt by the Burnham campaign to align itself further to the left of the party and win back voters it had lost to Corbyn's campaign, as nationalisation had formed a key part of Corbyn's economic policy.^[53] He continued to voice his opposition to the TTIP free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, arguing that it would undermine the National Health Service, as it would "open the floodgates" to private healthcare providers.^[54] He was also in favour of building a third runway at Heathrow Airport.^[55] In September 2015, Burnham came second to Corbyn in the election, with 19% of the vote in the first round, compared to 59% for Corbyn.^[56]

Corbyn shadow cabinet (2015–2017)

In September 2015, Burnham accepted an appointment as shadow home secretary in the first Corbyn shadow cabinet and remained in the role after the 2016 reshuffle.^[57] Burnham opposed the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy; appearing in 2016 alongside the anti-Prevent organisation MEND, Burnham said: "The Prevent duty to report extremist behaviour is today's equivalent of internment in Northern Ireland."^[58]

On 27 April 2016, the day after the Hillsborough inquest verdict that found the 96 Hillsborough deaths had occurred as a result of unlawful killing, Burnham made a speech to the House of Commons calling for those responsible to be held to account. Condemning South Yorkshire Police, which had instigated a cover-up in the aftermath of the tragedy, he described the force as being "rotten to the core" while suggesting that the cover-up had been "advanced in the committee rooms of this House and in the press rooms of 10 Downing Street". The eleven-minute statement drew applause from MPs, a response that is generally against convention at Westminster.^[59][60]

On 25 April 2017, as his final act in Parliament, he delivered an adjournment debate that lasted over an hour on the infected blood scandal.^[61] Burnham used the debate to present a raft of evidence stating "this scandal amounts to a criminal cover-up on an industrial scale" and that "these are criminal acts". He said that if the Government did not set up an Investigation into the scandal that he would refer his evidence to the police.^[62][63] In July 2017, the then Prime Minister Theresa May announced an independent public inquiry into the scandal, after successive governments since the 1980s had refused to do so.^[64] The final report was published on 20 May 2024, concluding that the scandal could have been largely avoided, patients were knowingly exposed to "unacceptable risks", and that doctors, the NHS and the government tried to cover up what happened by "hiding the truth".^[65][66] The then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologised for the failures over the scandal, calling it "a decades-long moral failure."^[67]

Candidacy and election

On 5 May 2016, a spokesperson for Burnham confirmed that he had been approached by party officials in Greater Manchester, asking him to consider resigning from Corbyn's shadow cabinet in order to run in the upcoming mayoral election in 2017. On 18 May 2016, he confirmed that he was standing for mayorship.^[68] Burnham was selected as the Labour candidate in August 2016.^[69] In September 2016, Burnham said that he would resign as Shadow Home Secretary once a replacement had been found, in order to concentrate on his mayoral bid.^[70] He was succeeded by Diane Abbott in October. Burnham said, if elected as Greater Manchester's mayor, he would resign his seat as the member of parliament for Leigh. In the event, the 2017 general election was declared two weeks before the mayoral election, and Burnham did not stand as a candidate for parliament.^[71]

Burnham was elected to the new role of Mayor of Greater Manchester on 5 May 2017.^[72][73][b] He received 63% of the vote, winning majorities in all ten of Greater Manchester's boroughs.^[76] In his victory speech, he said: "This is the dawn of a new era, not just for this city region but for politics in our country. It has been too London-centric for too long. The old political and party structures haven't delivered for all people and for all places. ... Greater Manchester is going to take control. We are going to change politics and make it work better for people."^[77]

In the election of 6 May 2021, Burnham was re-elected as mayor, with 67% of the vote^[78] on a turnout of 34.7%.^[79] In the 2024 mayoral election, Burnham was elected for a third term with 63.4% of the vote, on a turnout of 32.5%.^[80] This was the first Greater Manchester mayoral election to use the first-past-the-post voting system,^[81] with Burnham winning in every ward but one.^[82]

On Burnham stepping down as mayor, the local Manchester Evening News (MEN) newspaper gave him positive ratings for economic development and action on homelessness, although it felt he had not been as successful with police management.^[83] Its polling reported that he had a 65% approval rating.^{[84][better source needed]} Jennifer Williams, who covered Burnham for the MEN and Financial Times, felt that Burnham had joined a longstanding "economic project dating back to the 1980s" to boost Manchester's economy and national standing, but had "injected a zeal into defining the city...to the masses" that increased its profile nationally while managing a "byzantine system" of different local authorities and bus operators, and was "loved by his workforce".^[72] She felt his career had faced more difficulties with bridging a divide between "Greater Manchester's resurgent city centre and its struggling post-industrial towns" and a tendency to "respond emotionally" to issues like homelessness "and leave the detail for later".^[72]

Homelessness and housing

The issue of homelessness in Greater Manchester was a major focus of Burnham's mayoral campaign. He pledged to donate 15% of his mayoral salary to charities tackling homelessness if elected.^[85] After his election he outlined his plan to launch a "homelessness fund", with money going to homeless charities and mental health and rehabilitation services.^[86] He pledged to end rough sleeping in Greater Manchester by 2020,^[87] but in November 2019 he admitted he would miss his target.^[88]

As mayor, Burnham continued longstanding local policies of supporting construction, especially of housing and high-rise development;^[89][90][91] Jacob Reid of Bloomberg News felt that this had succeeded in keeping Manchester's city centre "booming again" after "decades of decline".^[92][93] Burnham opposed adding targets for affordable housing into private construction projects, arguing that it "doesn't work" and deters construction.^[94]

Public transport

In 2020, Burnham signed off on a new £10 yearly charge for pensioners who wished to continue to use their TFGM travel passes on the region's trains and trams.^[95] The charge was intended to help fund a London-style bus system. Pensioners resident in London boroughs get free travel on all public transport in London from the age of 60,^{[96][better source needed]} while Burnham kept the Manchester system linked to the much later state pension age.^[97]

Burnham pledged to bring Manchester's bus network back into public ownership by 2025. The plans were legally challenged by bus operators Stagecoach Group and Rotala, but in March 2022 the mayor and authority won the case at the High Court. Media analysts commented that the ruling could pave the way for other city regions in England to regulate bus services that had been privatised since the 1980s.^[98] Capped fares of £2 for adult single fares were introduced in September 2022.^[99] The integrated transport Bee Network was established in Greater Manchester in 2023.^[100]

COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, Burnham called for clearer advice on slowing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing his previous experience as health secretary during the 2009 swine flu pandemic.^[101] He welcomed the additional measures implemented across Greater Manchester and Lancashire by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak in July during the pandemic, in the knowledge that (at the time) some areas across North West England had lower infection rates than the rest of the country.^[102]

On 15 October 2020, Burnham, along with other North West leaders, backed away from government talks to place Greater Manchester in tier 3 – the most restrictive level – of a new three-tier categorisation.^[103] He cited the grants system for businesses and 80% furlough scheme for employees as insufficient, saying they would push people into poverty and destitution which would outweigh the impact of the virus if mitigated correctly.^[104] Many of the concerns such as the impact on businesses and employees were shared by local Conservative MPs in Greater Manchester and surrounding areas.^[105][106] For his campaigning to secure more furlough funding, he was dubbed the "King of the North" by the media.^{[107][108][109]} He did not secure as much extra money as he had wanted, being forced to lower his request for £90 million to £65 million.^[110]

Investigations into child sexual exploitation

Shortly after first being elected as mayor in 2017, Burnham initiated a review of historical child sexual abuse allegations in Manchester and Rochdale, later expanding the scope of the investigation to Oldham. Part one of the review (focusing on Manchester) reported in 2020, part two (focusing on Oldham) reported in 2022, part three (focusing on Rochdale) reported in 2023 and part four (led by HMICFRS and covering the whole of Greater Manchester) reported in 2025.^[111][112]

In January 2025, Burnham backed calls for a national public inquiry with limited scope into group-based child sexual exploitation and the power to compel people to give evidence.^[113] This came a day after the House of Commons voted against a wrecking amendment to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill calling for an inquiry. The amendment, proposed by the Conservative Party, had been subject to a whip which prevented Labour MPs from supporting it.^{[114][115][116]}

Greater Manchester Baccalaureate

Upon his third re-election in 2024, Burnham expressed his wish to "give everyone growing up [in Manchester] an equal alternative to the university route"^{[117][non-primary source needed]} through the creation of a baccalaureate in collaboration with local and prospective businesses, in an attempt to provide certainty that young people in Greater Manchester have the skills needed by businesses in the area. The scheme, nicknamed the MBacc, aims to be fully operational by 2030.^[118]

National profile and resignation

Burnham has been touted by many commentators as a potential successor to Labour Party leader and incumbent Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom he supported during the 2020 leadership election.^{[119][120][121]} Following his landslide re-election in 2021, he emerged as the bookmakers' favourite to become the next Labour leader. Asked about his ambitions, Burnham said his role as mayor was his priority, but made himself available in case "they [Labour] needed me one day in the future".^[122] In September 2023, Burnham was ranked twelfth on the New Statesman's Left Power List, described as a "key dissenter" and a "crucial voice" in the party, as well as a potential future party leader.^[123]

Starmer went on to win the 2024 general election, returning Labour to government. During the Sky News 2024 general election night broadcast, Burnham served as a guest analyst alongside former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson.^[124][125] While Starmer's honeymoon period was brief, Burnham maintained high approval in Greater Manchester and, by August 2025, polls identified Burnham as the most popular senior Labour figure.^[126] In September 2025, the foundation of the Burnham-backed Mainstream was seen as raising the prospect of a possible leadership challenge.^{[127][128][129]} Two polls released during the 2025 Labour Party Conference separately found that 62% of Labour members would support Burnham over Starmer,^[130] and that Burnham would be the first choice among prospective Labour leaders, with 43% of the preferences, well above Wes Streeting's 9%.^[131]

On 24 January, Burnham applied to stand as Labour's candidate in the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election,^[132] but was blocked in an 8–1 vote by the NEC on 25 January 2026, with Starmer voting against what had been framed as a route to a potential challenge from Burnham to his leadership.^{[133][134][135]} Meanwhile, concern existed among Labour figures that Burnham's candidacy would lead to a by-election for the position of mayor, which would be costly and politically risky for the party: MP Graham Stringer expressed his reluctance to let Reform UK "have a go" at winning the mayoralty.^[134] The by-election was ultimately won by the Green candidate Hannah Spencer. Burnham had previously beaten Spencer in the 2024 mayoral election by a margin of 375,000 votes.^[136][137]

The Labour Party's poor performance in the 2026 local elections led to a crisis around Starmer's leadership, during which Burnham was widely speculated to succeed Starmer as prime minister and Labour leader. On 11 May, Angela Rayner said that the NEC blocking Burnham's return to parliament was a mistake.^[138] Burnham travelled to London on 12 May to meet MPs.^[139] On 13 May, Pippa Crerar on ITV's Peston reported that allies of Burnham said that they had found him a seat, and speculated about its identity.^[140]

His candidacy is popular with the soft left of the party.^[141] He is considered that faction's preferred candidate along with Rayner.^[142] Some members of the Tribune group are also supportive.^[143] Labour MPs who supported Burnham publicly include Miatta Fahnbulleh, Rachael Maskell, Clive Lewis, Paula Barker, Richard Burgon, Connor Naismith and Sarah Owen.^[144] Burnham has been described by The Guardian as "the only major politician in the country who enjoys positive favourability ratings [in opinion polls]".^[145]

Following Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield and subsequent return to parliament in June 2026, Burnham resigned as Mayor of Greater Manchester on 19 June 2026, since MPs are not allowed to hold the office of a mayor with police and crime commissioner powers.^[146][147] The resulting mayoral by-election was set for 30 July 2026, with the winner due to serve until May 2028. Paul Dennett, the mayor of Salford and Burnham's deputy mayor, is expected to serve as acting mayor until a successor is elected.^[147]

Makerfield by-election

On 14 May 2026, Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, announced his resignation. He said that he wanted to trigger a by-election in which Burnham could stand, and be eligible to challenge Starmer for the party leadership and premiership if he won.^[148] On 19 May 2026, Burnham became Labour's candidate for Makerfield, after no other potential candidate made the shortlist.^[149][150] The by-election was described as one of the most consequential in recent British history.^[151]

The Manchester Evening News reported that Burnham would frame his campaign around trust in politics and "economic renewal", alongside more devolution of local powers.^[152] He named house building as one of his priorities for the area,^[153] alongside tackling anti-social behaviour by building "youth zones" in the area.^[154] He also pledged support for the area's coalfield community.^[155] In an interview with ITV News, he denied that he would campaign on a platform of rejoining the European Union, despite his support for the proposal "in the long term"; he also stated that the time had come for Labour to "take on" Reform, and would not be asking other parties to stand down for him.^[156]

The campaign's slogan was "Andy — For Us", with a stylised cartoon image of Burnham by Mancunian artist Stanley Chow featured on Labour's campaign material.^{[157][158][159]} The Manchester band Oasis gave Burnham permission to use their song "Some Might Say" in the campaign.^[160] Burnham's use of social media was widely noted as a strength of his campaign,^{[161][162][163]} with reports that he had been resharing memes and fan account content supporting his candidacy, particularly referencing his daily running routine.^{[164][better source needed]}

Burnham's victory returned him to the House of Commons for the first time since 2017 and made him eligible to stand in any Labour leadership contest.^[165] He won 54.8% of the vote, increasing Labour's majority in Makerfield to 9,231 votes, compared with Josh Simons' 5,399 vote majority over Reform UK at the 2024 general election.^[166] Burnham won more votes than all other parties combined,^[167] with the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green candidates all losing their deposits. Turnout was 58.8%, up from 52.5% in the seat for the 2024 general election,^[168] the highest for a parliamentary by-election since Brecon and Radnorshire in 2019,^[169] with the third highest rise on a general election since 1945.^[168]

In his victory speech, Burnham said Labour had a "final chance to change" and described the result as a possible turning point in British politics. He called for a "Makerfield test" at the heart of national politics, under which policies would be judged by whether they worked for the many regional communities who felt they were consistently overlooked and neglected by Westminster. He also said he would prioritise local needs over party point-scoring, focus on practical problem-solving, seek to heal divisions after the campaign, and support greater powers for the North.^[170]

Starmer congratulated Burnham and said the result showed that the tide was turning on Reform UK, which he said had "probably" reached the peak of its support. He also initially said he would stand in any Labour leadership contest and would not "walk away".^[165] The result increased pressure on Starmer within the Labour Party, with some Labour figures calling for an orderly leadership transition. News media reported that over 100 Labour MPs were preparing to call on Starmer to resign,^[171] and allies suggested Burnham might have the backing of around 300 out of 403 Labour MPs.^[172]

Third leadership campaign (2026)

On 22 June 2026, Starmer announced that he would stand down as prime minister, remaining in office until a new leader was elected.^[173] In response to Burnham's subsequent announcement that he would stand in the ensuing leadership election, Wes Streeting endorsed him, a move which led political experts to conclude the election would be a "coronation" more than a formal contest, as Streeting had been considered Burnham's most likely opponent.^{[173][174][175]} Burnham was sworn in as an MP later the same day, with BBC News and Sky News covering his entire train journey from Manchester to London.^[176][177] Burnham was already widely seen as Starmer's likely successor; he was the only declared candidate and had received a significant number of endorsements.^[178]

On 29 June, Burnham made the No. 10 North proposal during a speech at the People's History Museum in Manchester; his first major speech since Starmer's announcement that he would resign.^[179][180] Burnham described his plan as being to "oversee the biggest rebalancing of power our country has ever seen".^[181] He said that No. 10 North would be the "nerve centre of a rewired Britain".^[179] Burnham set out three "clear tasks" for No. 10 North; to increase public ownership of essential utilities such as water, energy and housing, to re-industrialise swathes of the country, and to regenerate towns, prioritising places that had been left behind.^[179] Burnham intended to remain living in Manchester if he became Prime Minister, and would spend at least one day a week working from No. 10 North.^[180][182] No. 10 North is planned to be located at the Manchester Digital Campus, currently under construction on a brownfield site off Great Ancoats Street, New Islington.^[183][184] In the meantime, Burnham's team is searching for an interim location which will be announced "in due course".^[183][185] The Guardian newspaper reported that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Chief Executive, Caroline Simpson, would head No. 10 North as Burnham's Downing Street Deputy Chief of Staff.^[179][186]

Manchesterism

Burnham has used the term "Manchesterism" for the political philosophy underpinning his policy agenda as mayor of Greater Manchester – not to be confused with the 19th-century pro-free-trade Manchester Liberalism associated with Richard Cobden and John Bright, also known as Manchesterism.^[198] Burnham has characterised Manchesterism as "the end of neo-liberalism",^[199] "business-friendly socialism"^[200] and "a modern and functional response to the high-inequality, low-growth trap that came from the 1980s drive to privatise economic power and overcentralise political power in the Treasury".^[201] In a speech to the Centre for Cities, Burnham described it as a perspective that aimed to combine economic development with social benefits, with policies designed to explicitly channel the proceeds of growth towards communities, rejecting trickle-down economics.^[199][202] Examples of such policies he cited included re-establishing public control of buses through the creation of the Bee Network, and the Good Growth Fund, which provided £1 billion for three projects in each of Greater Manchester's boroughs. He stressed that such initiatives were only possible due to devolution, countering historical trends of political centralisation, although he also advocated for increased devolution of fiscal powers.^[202]

Burnham has also argued that the cost-of-living crisis of the 2020s has roots in Thatcherism, suggesting that the deregulation and privatisation of the 1980s led to increases in the costs of essential goods, noting the effects of Right to Buy on an unregulated rental sector resulting in increasing state expenditure on Housing Benefit. He contends that such problems were exacerbated by government austerity and Brexit.^[201] Manchesterism has also been characterised as embodying collaboration and partnership working between stakeholders, including cooperation between government, business and trade unions, different public services, community groups, and administrations of different political complexions among Greater Manchester's borough councils.^[203][204]

Writing for the Financial Times in May 2026, Stephen Bush argued that the policy offer Burnham was making as a prospective Labour Party leader was to the left of the policy he had actually implemented during his mayoralty, which in turn was to the right of the stance of the Starmer ministry. Bush suggested that this may have been due to the institutional constraints on, and weaknesses of, the metro mayor role.^[205] In a January 2026 piece for the London Review of Books, Michael Chessum compared Manchesterism's emphasis on moving away from neoliberalism to the approaches to governance advocated by the socialist parties of Spain and Portugal.^[206]

Social

Burnham supported the use of all-women shortlists for parliamentary candidate selections.^[207] In an interview in The Daily Telegraph in October 2007, Burnham said: "I think it's better when children are in a home where their parents are married" and "it's not wrong that the tax system should recognise commitment and marriage".^[208]

Burnham voted in favour of same-sex marriage in 2013.^[209] In 2026, Attitude magazine wrote that he had overall "one of the most consistently pro-LGBTQ+ records in politics."^[210]

Burnham was criticised in 2015 for jokingly saying that Labour should have a woman leader "when the time is right", with the New Statesman saying that he had "tripped over his mouth again". He abstained on the government's welfare bill, despite having previously described the legislation as "unsupportable".^[211]

In February 2020, Burnham met with the anti-transgender UK organisation LGB Alliance to discuss a letter he had written to the government concerning changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004.^[212] When concerns were raised over it being an anti-transgender organisation, he replied that there "was no mention in the letter of the LGB Alliance" before the meeting, and his representatives replied that he had "made his support for the trans community very clear over the years".^{[212][better source needed]} In May 2026, Burnham said that people need to "stop arguing" about transgender rights, and have a "live and let live" approach, while simultaneously retracting his prior support for trans people being allowed to use single-sex facilities, instead voicing support for the regulations enacted by the Equality and Human Rights Commission after the court case For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.^[213]

Economics

In his 2015 leadership bid, Burnham pledged to commit Labour to "a policy of progressive renationalisation of the railway system".^[214][52] Following the 2024 General Election, Labour steadily progressed with the previous Conservative government's plan to nationalise the railway system, aiming for completion by 2027. Burnham also favours a universal graduate tax to replace student tuition fees.^[215] He has advocated a National Care Service, integrating care services into the National Health Service.^[32] In his leadership bid, Burnham's key economic policies included a new levy to fund social care, extending the higher minimum wage to under-25s, and banning zero-hour contracts.^[216] Burnham described the mansion tax proposed by Ed Miliband as "the politics of envy", saying he knew it would lose votes when his mother phoned and told him it represented a return to the 1970s.^[217]

In December 2016 during his initial mayoral campaign Burnham argued the UK needed to leave the European Single Market to allow greater scope for government intervention in Northern industries.^[218]

In May 2026, Burnham vowed to put energy, housing, water and transport under "stronger public control" if he succeeds Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.^[219] He has said that Thames Water should be nationalised.^[220]

Devolution

Burnham is a strong supporter of devolving power and, in his 2015 leadership campaign, criticised the "Westminster Bubble" – the London-centric focus in British politics and perceived detachment from life outside Westminster.^[221] Some opponents and political commentators accused him of being a part of the same bubble he criticises.^[222] He views devolution of powers to Greater Manchester (including its elected mayor) as an opportunity for urban regeneration. He also called for a focus on Northern identity.^[223] After he was elected as mayor of Greater Manchester, he described the new powers for northern cities as "the dawn of a new era".^[77] Burnham feels the government does not invest enough money in the North of England, saying: "Almost five years after the government promised us a northern powerhouse, we learn that public spending in the north has fallen while rising in the south. This has got to stop and it is time that the north came to the front of the queue for public investment".^[224]

In June 2026 he announced plans to establish a "Number 10 in the North" if he becomes Prime Minister, saying that Westminster was "broken".^[185]

Immigration

In 2016, as Shadow Home Secretary, Burnham opposed migration caps.^[225] Burnham also opposed a bill requiring landlords to conduct immigration checks for illegal immigrants.^[226]

In 2017 Burnham argued ending freedom of movement must be prioritised over the economic benefits of single market membership during the UK's Brexit negotiations.^[227]

It was reported in May 2026 that Burnham supports Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's efforts to limit legal and illegal immigration.^[228] The same month, he stood back from past calls to scrap the "no recourse to public funds" rule, which prevents immigrants getting access to benefits or public housing before being granted settled status.^[229]

Foreign policy

Burnham voted in favour of British military intervention in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent Iraq War, a decision he has since described as "traumatising on every level" and his "worst experience" in Parliament.^[230] In 2024, Burnham expressed deep regret for the vote. He stated, "If I had my time again, I wouldn't have voted for it". He criticised the "rage rhetoric and haste" that drove the invasion and also highlighted the catastrophic absence of a viable post-war stabilization plan.^{[231][better source needed]}

In 2015, Burnham said that he would resign from the Shadow Cabinet if Labour supported leaving NATO, something which Corbyn had talked about.^[232][233]

Burnham has viewed relations with China primarily through the lens of economic development. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he visited China in 2018, where he said China's high-speed rail and infrastructure made a strong impression. During a meeting with the Chinese consul Tang Rui in April 2026, Burnham supported closer cooperation "in areas such as green development, electric buses, advanced manufacturing and life sciences".^[234]

Burnham has supported Ukraine since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine amidst the wider Russo-Ukrainian war, stating, "We must not allow Russia to prevail... It is essential that we continue to support Ukraine in every possible way". As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he practised this stance by establishing the Unbroken Cities Network alongside the mayors of Lviv and Liverpool to support municipal recovery and rehabilitation programs for injured Ukrainians.^[235]

During the 2015 leadership campaign, Burnham pledged that his first overseas trip would be to Israel and became a member of the Labour Friends of Israel.^[236] Following the Gaza war in October 2023, Burnham was one of the first high-profile Labour figures to break ranks with Starmer by publicly calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.^[237] He cited profound concerns over civilian casualties and the humanitarian blockade while simultaneously condemning the October 7 attacks. He has consistently backed a two-state solution, denounced illegal West Bank settlements, and co-signed a letter in June 2025 demanding the protection of Palestinian statehood, which Starmer's government formally recognised in September 2025.^[238] Speaking on 9 July 2026, Burnham apologised for the initial stance which Labour took towards the Gaza War, saying that the UK needed to apply more pressure on the Israeli government, and that the government had been too slow to call for a ceasefire. He also called for accountability to be applied through the international courts.^[239]

Burnham has been highly critical of direct Western military engagement in the 2026 Iran war. In March 2026, during the early stages of a US-Israeli offensive, he warned that the conflict directly paralleled the strategic failures of the Iraq War. He challenged the simplicity of Western intervention models, arguing that the idea that you can "take out a leader and then the whole of the population there just unites behind that change... is simplistic". He strongly advocated for diplomatic care and caution, urging leaders not to get involved without a thorough, viable plan for the regional aftermath.^[240]

Constitutional and electoral reform

Burnham is a supporter of replacing the House of Lords with an elected Senate of the nations and regions and for switching elections to the House of Commons to a form of proportional representation.^[241] He has also spoken in favour of the non-proportional alternative vote^[202] and advocated reform of the whipping system to make it easier for MPs to vote in their constituency's interests.^[203] In a May 2026 interview, as part of his campaign for the 2026 Makerfield by-election, Burnham said that he would require electoral reform "to be in a manifesto and endorsed at a general election", rejecting the idea of introducing proportional representation in the current parliament.^[242]

Head North

In 2024, Burnham co-authored Head North: A Rallying Cry for a More Equal Britain with the Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram.^[243] The book was described by Benjamin Myers for The Observer as "offering hope to the northern regions when it is most needed, and reminding us that those politicians who refuse to toe the party line are often those who history remembers most favourably."^[244] In contrast, it was described by Jonathan Ball in the New Statesman as simplifying the North–South divide in England to "'London elite' vs 'neglected north' caricatures".^[245]