Andy Burnham was given a hero’s welcome by Labour MPs at Westminster who know that in a few weeks he could be leading them.
The new Makerfield MP posed for pictures with scores of his new parliamentary colleagues including Wes Streeting, the former health secretary who had been seen as his main rival for the leadership before throwing his weight behind him on Monday morning.
Former armed forces minister Al Carns, another potential leadership candidate, was also among the MPs in Parliament’s mediaeval Westminster Hall for the return of the King of the North.
He was welcomed into the hall with a round of applause and was accompanied by deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell and Dame Jessica Morden, chairwoman of the Parliamentary Labour Party.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and chief whip Jonathan Reynolds were among the Cabinet ministers at the photo call, along with former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.
Mr Burnham could be prime minister by mid-July if no other challenger emerges following Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to quit as Labour leader.
The public show of support for Mr Burnham suggests little appetite for a contest.
The Westminster Hall gathering happened shortly after the former Greater Manchester mayor had been sworn in as MP following last week’s by-election victory.
One MP heckled him, saying “he’s not the messiah”.
Nodding to Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Mr Burnham replied: “Naughty boy.”
His arrival in Parliament was met with a small protest, including calls of “traitor” as he got out of the taxi that had carried him from London’s Euston station.
He swept through the parliamentary estate escorted by security guards, pausing to say hello to Labour MPs including former defence secretary John Healey who embraced him.
Mr Burnham’s journey down to London from Manchester had been closely monitored, with rolling footage on news channels of his delayed Avanti West Coast train.
It arrived 21 minutes late and Mr Burnham was met by around 50 journalists, photographers and videographers.
Mr Burnham earned the nickname King of the North during his time in the Greater Manchester job, which he automatically lost after winning the Makerfield seat to return to Westminster.
“It’s been very kind of sad for me today to leave Greater Manchester,” he said.
“The people have been brilliant to me over the last few years. I’ve loved every minute of the role. I hope I leave Manchester in a better place.”
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