Who is Andy Burnham? The Trump critic set to become the UK's next prime minister

Andy Burnham, nan erstwhile Greater Manchester politician who has often criticized President Donald Trump, is poised to go nan United Kingdom's adjacent premier curate aft emerging arsenic nan only campaigner to switch outgoing Labour leader Keir Starmer.

Burnham, 56, received nominations from 322 of Labour’s 403 Members of Parliament connected nan first time of nan activity process, acold surpassing nan 81 required to participate nan title and leaving imaginable rivals pinch virtually nary way to qualify. He is expected to beryllium formally confirmed arsenic Labour leader Friday and appointed premier curate by King Charles III connected Monday, July 20, pursuing Starmer’s resignation.

Britain’s parliamentary strategy allows nan governing statement to switch its leader — and truthful nan premier curate — without holding a nationalist election. The adjacent nationwide predetermination does not person to beryllium held until 2029.

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Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham of nan Labour Party reacts aft being declared nan victor successful nan by-election astatine The Edge wherever votes were being counted connected June 19, 2026 successful Wigan, England. (Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images)

Burnham’s accelerated way to Downing Street is drafting disapproval from governmental opponents and foreign-policy analysts who opportunity he has not faced nan scrutiny that would usually travel either a competitory party activity race aliases a general-election campaign.

"Andy Burnham is nan slightest scrutinized incoming U.K. Prime Minister of caller times," Alan Mendoza, executive head of nan London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital.

"He has faced neither a wide predetermination nor an soul statement activity statement successful bid to found his positions for wider consumption," Mendoza said. "He wasn’t moreover a campaigner astatine nan past General Election."

Burnham did, however, triumph 54.8% of nan ballot successful June’s Makerfield parliamentary by-election, defeating Reform UK’s campaigner and returning to nan House of Commons aft astir a decade away. Before returning to Parliament, he had been straight elected politician of Greater Manchester 3 times.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage based on successful a erstwhile question and reply pinch Fox News Digital that Burnham should activity a caller nationalist mandate.

"The nationalist are tired of nan crippled of philharmonic chairs that’s been taking spot successful 10 Downing Street complete nan past decade," Farage said.

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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during a property convention successful Westminster, United Kingdom connected June 10, 2025. (Thomas Krych/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"Mr. Burnham will travel in, he will person nary mandate," he added. "I don’t moreover cognize what his policies are. Literally, I don’t. So I deliberation for each of those reasons, location ought to beryllium a wide predetermination and a caller mandate."

Farage made nan comments earlier resigning his parliamentary spot this period to trigger an Aug. 13 by-election successful Clacton, wherever he plans to tally again. Farage said he wanted voters to judge him amid parliamentary scrutiny complete allegations involving gifts from able supporters. He has denied wrongdoing. Police are separately investigating donations made to Reform UK, but nary arrests person been announced.

Who is Andy Burnham?

Burnham grew up successful north-west England betwixt Liverpool and Manchester. The boy of a British Telecom technologist and a receptionist, he joined nan Labour Party arsenic a teenager, studied astatine Cambridge University and was first elected to Parliament successful 2001, according to The Associated Press.

He roseate done Labour’s ranks during nan governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and served successful respective elder positions, including arsenic civilization caput and wellness secretary.

Burnham ran unsuccessfully for nan Labour activity successful 2010 and again successful 2015. He near Parliament successful 2017 aft winning predetermination arsenic politician of Greater Manchester, a location position he utilized to build a nationalist governmental profile.

A British Union emblem flies from a souvenir stall adjacent nan Houses of Parliament successful London, UK, connected Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Jason Alden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

As mayor, Burnham promoted greater location power complete proscription and nationalist services. His management brought Greater Manchester’s fragmented autobus strategy nether nationalist power arsenic portion of nan Bee Network, a location proscription task that became 1 of his signature achievements.

He besides became intimately associated pinch nan run for accountability complete nan 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster, successful which 97 Liverpool shot fans were killed. Burnham supported victims’ families successful their long-running effort to expose constabulary failures and rebut mendacious accusations primitively directed astatine supporters.

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announces nan timeline for his resignation, pursuing Andy Burnham's decisive triumph past week successful nan Makerfield by-election, extracurricular 10 Downing Street, successful London, Britain, June 22, 2026. (REUTERS/Jack Taylor TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

What has Andy Burnham said astir President Trump?

Burnham has many times criticized President Donald Trump, accusing him of contributing to world instability while informing that Britain risks importing nan polarization of American politics. In a 2025 question and reply pinch The London Economic, Burnham compared Trump’s return to agency to nan turmoil caused successful Britain by erstwhile Prime Minister Liz Truss. 

"The instability that Liz Truss brought to Britain, I deliberation Trump is bringing to nan U.S. and nan world," Burnham said, successful nan interview. He besides described respective of Trump’s decisions, including his attack to nan Russia-Ukraine war, arsenic "out of order."

President Trump and King Charles shared a laughter extracurricular nan White House up of nan authorities dinner. (Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty Images)

Burnham’s disapproval of Trump dates backmost to nan president’s first predetermination successful 2016. After Trump’s victory, Burnham described immoderate of his rhetoric arsenic "deeply troubling," but based on that politicians connected nan near should analyse why working-class voters had turned to him alternatively than simply blaming nan electorate. "We person to look person to home," Burnham said, according to The Guardian.

His connection became sharper pursuing nan Jan. 6, 2021, riot astatine the U.S. Capitol. As nan onslaught unfolded, Burnham wrote connected X that "any UK leader who gave Trump nan clip of time should beryllium ashamed correct now". More recently, during his Makerfield parliamentary campaign, Burnham warned that Britain was moving toward "the authorities of nan United States of America," which he described arsenic "a polarized, venomous authorities wherever group successful communities don’t activity together anymore."

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Despite those attacks, Burnham has stopped short of advocating a rupture pinch Washington. According to TIME, he supported Starmer’s effort to support a moving narration pinch Trump, while arguing that Britain must beryllium prepared to disagree pinch nan United States. "Obviously, nan narration is important to nan U.K., but not to nan constituent wherever we conscionable spell on pinch thing they say," Burnham said. 

Trump has already responded dismissively to nan apt incoming British leader. Asked successful June what he knew astir Burnham, Trump said, "I don’t know, I deliberation I spot that he was, I guess, nan politician of a town." Trump added that he had heard Burnham was "extremely liberal" and suggested that he would reason expanded North Sea lipid drilling, earlier declaring that "the UK is dying," according ton Reuters.

What are Andy Burnham’s governmental views?

Burnham is mostly regarded arsenic being to nan near of Starmer. He has said he wants to return what he calls "Manchesterism" nationwide, describing an attack that places "people and spot earlier party" and transfers greater attraction and authority from London to regions that person historically received little investment.

He has emphasized infrastructure, housing, proscription and location economical development, while arguing against what he calls "trickle-down economics." The Associated Press reported that his priorities person besides included vocational education, younker employment, little power bills and cheaper obstruction travel.

Mendoza said that Burnham’s past positions and caller statements propose he would move nan British authorities further to nan left.

"What we tin beryllium definite of is that he will beryllium looking to enforce a reasonably extremist left-wing schedule for nan state based connected his past beliefs and caller pronouncements," Mendoza said.

"In nary peculiar order, these see preamble of wealthiness taxes, changes to nan electoral system, a immense description of societal lodging and attacks connected hitherto friends of nan U.K. for illustration Israel."

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London, UK, Dec 9 2023, Pro-Palestinian protesters clasp a banner and chant astatine at anti-Israel protestation (Photo by: Andy Soloman/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Burnham has sought to antagonistic concerns astir his constricted recent national-security experience. He has pledged continuity successful Britain’s commitments to NATO, its atomic deterrent, the United States and Ukraine, according to nan Associated Press. He has besides called for Britain to rebuild its subject capabilities and domestic defense industry successful consequence to what he described arsenic an progressively vulnerable world environment.

On nan warfare successful Gaza, Burnham has criticized Labour’s earlier consequence and based on that nan statement was excessively slow to telephone for a ceasefire. The Associated Press reported that he has raised nan anticipation of further sanctions and waste and acquisition restrictions involving equipment linked to Israeli settlements. Burnham has besides condemned Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, violent onslaught against Israel.

Burnham has not served successful Britain’s nationalist authorities since 2010 and spent almost a decade extracurricular Parliament, meaning his grounds is acold much developed connected home and location argumentation than connected existent foreign-policy and national-security questions.

When could Britain clasp a wide election?

Burnham would not beryllium required to telephone an contiguous wide election. Labour won a ample parliamentary mostly nether Starmer successful July 2024, allowing nan statement to stay successful powerfulness until 2029 unless Burnham decides to activity an earlier mandate.

Mendoza predicted that Burnham could effort to capitalize connected nan momentum surrounding his presence astatine Downing Street.

"As he is ne'er likelier to beryllium much celebrated than connected time 1 of his Premiership, we should besides beryllium connected nan watch for his calling of an early General Election successful bid to capitalize connected this unsocial moment," Mendoza said.

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Britain's Labour statement campaigner Andy Burnham speaks to supporters aft nan Makerfield by-election successful Ashton successful Makerfield, England, connected Friday, June 19, 2026. (Jon Super/AP)

Burnham would inherit an system facing anemic growth, unit connected nationalist finances, strained wellness and use services and continuing interest complete nan costs of living.

He would besides go Britain’s seventh premier curate successful conscionable complete a decade, reflecting nan accelerated governmental turnover astatine Downing Street since nan country’s 2016 ballot to leave nan European Union.