Andy Burnham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Andy Burnham
Burnham in 2024
Mayor of Greater Manchester
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 May 2017
Deputy	Richard Leese Paul Dennett
Preceded by	Tony Lloyd (interim)
Ministerial positions Secretary of State for Health In office 5 June 2009 – 11 May 2010 Preceded by Alan Johnson Succeeded by Andrew Lansley Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport In office 24 January 2008 – 5 June 2009 Preceded by James Purnell Succeeded by Ben Bradshaw Chief Secretary to the Treasury In office 28 June 2007 – 24 January 2008 Chancellor Alistair Darling Preceded by Stephen Timms Succeeded by Yvette Cooper
Shadow cabinet posts Shadow Home Secretary In office 13 September 2015 – 6 October 2016 Leader Jeremy Corbyn Preceded by Yvette Cooper Succeeded by Diane Abbott Shadow Secretary of State for Health In office 7 October 2011 – 13 September 2015 Leader Ed Miliband Harriet Harman (acting) Preceded by John Healey Succeeded by Heidi Alexander In office 11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010 Leader Harriet Harman (acting) Ed Miliband Preceded by Andrew Lansley Succeeded by John Healey Shadow Secretary of State for Education In office 8 October 2010 – 7 October 2011 Leader Ed Miliband Preceded by Ed Balls Succeeded by Stephen Twigg
Junior ministerial offices Minister of State for Health In office 5 May 2006 – 28 June 2007 Preceded by Jane Kennedy Succeeded by Ben Bradshaw Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs In office 9 May 2005 – 5 May 2006 Preceded by Caroline Flint Succeeded by Joan Ryan
Member of Parliament for Leigh
In office 7 June 2001 – 3 May 2017
Preceded by	Lawrence Cunliffe
Succeeded by	Jo Platt
Personal details
Born	Andrew Murray Burnham (1970-01-07) 7 January 1970 (age 56) Aintree, Lancashire, England
Political party	Labour Co-op
Spouse	Marie-France van Heel ​ (m. 2000)​
Children	3
Education	St Aelred's Catholic High School
Alma mater	Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (BA)
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Andy Burnham (born 7 January 1970) is a British politician. He has been the Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. Before this, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Leigh from 2001 to 2017. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's main law-making body.

Andy Burnham is part of the Labour and Co-operative Party. He held important jobs in the government under Prime Minister Gordon Brown. These jobs included looking after the country's health, culture, media, and sports. He also helped manage the country's money. He believes in fairness and helping everyone in society.

Who is Andy Burnham?

Early Life and Education

Andy Burnham was born on 7 January 1970 in Aintree, near Liverpool. His dad was a telephone engineer, and his mum was a receptionist. He grew up in Culcheth.

He went to St Lewis Catholic Primary School and St Aelred's Roman Catholic High School. Later, he studied English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He has said that his Catholic upbringing helped shape his political ideas about fairness.

Starting His Career

Andy Burnham joined the Labour Party when he was 15 years old. He worked as a researcher for a politician named Tessa Jowell. He also worked for the NHS Confederation, which represents health organizations.

Later, he helped with a group called the Football Task Force. From 1998 to 2001, he was an advisor to Chris Smith. Chris Smith was the government minister for culture, media, and sport at the time.

As a Member of Parliament

In 2001, Andy Burnham was elected as the MP for Leigh. This meant he represented the people of Leigh in the House of Commons. He gave his first speech there on 4 July 2001.

He was part of the Health Select Committee, which looks at health issues. He also worked as a private secretary for important government ministers.

Working in Government

Official portrait as Health Secretary, 2009

After the 2005 election, Andy Burnham became a junior minister in the government. He helped with new laws about identity cards. In 2006, he became a Minister of State for Health.

In 2007, Prime Minister Gordon Brown made him Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This role meant he helped manage the country's money. He also helped write important spending plans for the government.

In 2008, he became the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. This job involved looking after the country's arts, TV, and sports.

In 2009, he was promoted again to Secretary of State for Health. In this role, he helped the country respond to the 2009 swine flu pandemic. He also called for an independent investigation into care at Stafford Hospital.

Andy Burnham also suggested creating a National Care Service. This service would help elderly and disabled people with their care, similar to the National Health Service. The first part of this plan started in 2010. However, the new government after the 2010 election stopped the full plan.

In Opposition

After the 2010 election, Andy Burnham became a leading figure in the Labour Party, which was then in opposition. He ran to become the leader of the Labour Party in 2010 and again in 2015.

He served as the Shadow Secretary for Health and later for Education. These roles meant he challenged the government's plans in these areas. For example, he spoke out against "free schools" and wanted to bring railways back under public control.

Andy Burnham became well-known for his strong support for the families affected by the Hillsborough disaster. He spoke powerfully in Parliament, calling for justice and accountability for the 96 people who died. He also campaigned for an investigation into the Infected blood scandal.

In 2015, he became the Shadow Home Secretary. He left Parliament in 2017 to run for Mayor of Greater Manchester.

National Politics and Leadership Talk

Andy Burnham supported Keir Starmer in the 2020 Labour Party leadership election. After Labour won the 2024 general election, Andy Burnham met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Many people have talked about Andy Burnham possibly becoming the leader of the Labour Party in the future. He is very popular in Greater Manchester. On 14 May 2026, a by-election was called in Makerfield, and Andy Burnham is standing as a candidate. If he wins, he would return to Parliament.

Mayor of Greater Manchester

Burnham campaigning for mayor in 2016

In 2016, Andy Burnham announced he would run to become the first Mayor of Greater Manchester. He was chosen as the Labour candidate. He won the election on 5 May 2017, with a large number of votes.

He was re-elected for a second term in May 2021. In May 2024, he was elected for a third term as Mayor of Greater Manchester. This election used a new voting system.

Helping People and Transport

One of Andy Burnham's main goals as Mayor was to help people experiencing homelessness. He promised to donate part of his salary to charities that help homeless people. He also set up a special fund to support these charities.

He has worked to improve public transport in Greater Manchester. He wanted to bring the bus network back under local control. This plan faced some challenges but was approved in 2022. He aims to create a London-style transport system called the Bee Network. This network includes buses and trams with capped fares.

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Andy Burnham played a key role. He called for clear advice to help slow the spread of the virus. He also pushed for more financial support for communities in Northern England.

He argued that local businesses and workers needed more help to avoid poverty. Because of his efforts to support Northern communities, the media and people in the North sometimes called him "King of the North."

Future for Young People

After his third election as Mayor, Andy Burnham shared a new plan for young people. He wants to create a "Greater Manchester Baccalaureate," or MBacc. This program would offer young people an alternative to university.

The MBacc aims to give students the skills that local businesses need. He hopes this will help young people in Greater Manchester find good jobs. The goal is for the MBacc to be fully ready by 2030.

His Political Ideas

Andy Burnham joined the Labour Party when he was 15. He describes himself as a socialist. This means he believes in fairness and helping everyone in society. He also believes in sharing wealth more evenly.

He is a strong supporter of giving more power to local areas, like Greater Manchester. He thinks that too much power is held in London. He wants more investment in Northern England.

Andy Burnham supports an elected House of Lords. He also believes that elections for the House of Commons should use a fairer voting system.

In 2024, he co-wrote a book called Head North. The book talks about making Britain a more equal country, especially for the North.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Andy Burnham married Marie-France van Heel in 2000. They have a son and two daughters. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic.

He is a big fan of rugby league and Premier League football club Everton. He even played a friendly football match for Leigh RMI against Everton in 2003. He also enjoys cricket. From 2018 to 2019, he was the president of the Rugby Football League.

Images for kids

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  Burnham as Health Secretary, speaking at an event during the Labour Party Conference in 2009

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  Burnham speaking at the NHS Confederation annual conference in 2014

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  Burnham giving his final Shadow Home Secretary speech at the party conference in 2016

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  Burnham (left) in a meeting with Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin and Prime Minister Keir Starmer, July 2024