- Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is now widely considered the frontrunner to become Britain's next prime minister following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation, having recently secured victory in the Makerfield by-election.
- Burnham has previously contested the Labour leadership twice, losing to Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn, but has since built a strong political profile outside Westminster.
- A significant part of his career has been his persistent advocacy for justice for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster, which he championed as culture secretary and later as shadow home secretary.
- As the first metro mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, he earned the moniker 'King of the North' during a dispute over Covid-19 funding and has overseen initiatives like the publicly-run Bee Network transport system.
- Despite his significant regional popularity and recent electoral successes, it remains to be seen if Burnham can translate this support into a successful bid for national leadership.
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