Could ‘king in the north’ become Britain’s new prime minister?

By the early hours of Friday morning it became clear that Burnham had pulled off a barnstorming victory. Photograph: Jon Super/AP View image in fullscreen By the early hours of Friday morning it became clear that Burnham had pulled off a barnstorming victory. Photograph: Jon Super/AP Analysis Could ‘king in the north’ become Britain’s new prime minister? Alexandra Topping Political correspondent Makerfield victory gives Burnham a path back to Westminster and a chance to challenge Starmer for PM Celebrations and a swift exit after a Burnham win ‘beyond our wildest dreams’ “We know no king but the King in the North”, declares the young Lady Lyanna Mormont in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. In the early hours of Friday morning, in a nondescript conference hall in the north of England, it appeared that the electorate agreed. About 70,000 voters in a post-industrial region of north-west England may have changed the face of British politics this week, after electing the charismatic Labour politician Andy Burnham to represent them in London. His ambitions do not end there. In a development that would have improbable just a few months ago, it would now be a surprise if Burnham does not end up representing the UK on the world stage, as its next prime minister – its sixth in 10 years. And that change could come soon. That is what was at stake in the byelection in Makerfield – it gave Burnham his much-craved path back to Westminster, and a chance to challenge Keir Starmer to become prime minister. Burnham is that rare breed in British politics. He has been a member of parliament before, and few people who knew him then could have foreseen his transformation. But when he stepped way and became mayor of Greater Manchester nine years ago, he reinvented himself. In this role, he forged a second political career, revelling in the moniker “king of the north” for his robust championing of an area that has long ceased to be the UK’s economic engine. It was this personal popularity that may have been decisive in the Makerfield contest. Pundits thought it would be close: it was billed as a two-horse race between Burnham’s progressive Labour party and the rightwing Reform UK, which has ballooned in popularity since the 2024 general election. Yet by the early hours of Friday morning it became clear that Burnham had pulled off a barnstorming victory – taking 55% of the votes to Reform’s 35% and almost doubling the majority of his predecessor. It was an extraordinary result and in his victory speech, Burnham did little to hide the fact that his eyes were now firmly on deposing Keir Starmer. “This is a final chance to change,” he said. “This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance.” Throughout his slick, fast-paced and social media-friendly campaign, Burnham has tapped into a deep sense of dissatisfaction felt by many people in Britain