A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The former mayor of Manchester, England, Andy Burnham, may soon replace British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has announced his resignation. Burnham brought development to postindustrial Manchester, but he's no stranger to the halls of power in Westminster, as NPR's Lauren Frayer reports from London.
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: Andy Burnham was first elected to Parliament 25 years ago when he was 31. In 2015, he was a veteran MP, welcoming a new lawmaker into the legislature...
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ANDY BURNHAM: And for that, I wish to thank my honorable friend, the member for Holborn and St. Pancras, for the assured and...
FRAYER: ...The right honorable gentleman from Holborn and St. Pancras, otherwise known as Keir Starmer.
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BURNHAM: Has managed to outshine his considerable reputation already. And...
FRAYER: That same year, Burnham put out this campaign video.
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BURNHAM: I can unite this country, and that is why I am standing to be leader of the Labour Party.
FRAYER: And Starmer was the one who nominated him. But Burnham lost twice, then left Parliament to become mayor of Greater Manchester. He brought economic growth to that postindustrial city and has now returned to London as a folksy outsider, preaching business-friendly socialism.
JOHN MCTERNAN: The kind of things that Mayor Mamdani campaigned on - you know, cheaper buses, better buses, more reliable buses.
FRAYER: John McTernan was political secretary to Prime Minister Tony Blair. And he says under Burnham, Manchester has had...
MCTERNAN: Faster growth than any other region in the U.K., including London.
FRAYER: Burnham was sworn back into Parliament yesterday...
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LINDSAY HOYLE: We now come to Andy Burnham, member for Makerfield.
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FRAYER: ...As the new MP for a working-class area where he trounced the far right, he's seen as the best chance to do that nationally if he's chosen as Labour Party leader on his third try and becomes prime minister. He'd be the seventh prime minister since the Brexit vote, which happened 10 years ago today. It ended up shrinking the economy, sparking anger at the governing class and contributing to this revolving door of leaders.
POLLY TOYNBEE: I think the chances of him staying very popular for long are small.
FRAYER: Labour insider Polly Toynbee says Burnham faces the same headwinds as Starmer.
TOYNBEE: Heavy debt. Very difficult to raise more tax. This country has never really recovered from the financial crash of 2008. Ever since then, wages, standard of living have been pretty much stagnant, and that's created a great undercurrent of disaffection.
FRAYER: What Burnham does have is a rare high approval rating - for now.
Lauren Frayer, NPR News, London. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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