Andrew Murray Burnham Biography

Andrew Murray Burnham is born in Aintree and later grows up in Culcheth.

Burnham joins the Labour Party while still a teenager.

Burnham begins studying English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.

Burnham completes his English degree and prepares for a career in public affairs.

Burnham begins working as a researcher for Labour MP Tessa Jowell.

Burnham works for the Football Task Force examining reform of the national game.

Burnham becomes a parliamentary officer for the NHS Confederation.

Burnham becomes a special adviser to Culture Secretary Chris Smith.

Burnham is elected Labour Member of Parliament for Leigh.

Burnham delivers his maiden Commons speech after entering Parliament.

Burnham joins the Health Select Committee early in his parliamentary career.

Burnham becomes parliamentary private secretary to Home Secretary David Blunkett.

Burnham serves as parliamentary private secretary to Education Secretary Ruth Kelly.

Burnham helps present and defend the Government's identity-cards policy in Parliament.

Burnham retains Leigh for Labour at the general election.

Burnham enters government as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Home Office.

Burnham oversees hospital performance, service quality and NHS delivery responsibilities.

Burnham becomes Minister of State responsible for NHS delivery and quality.

Burnham enters Cabinet while serving as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Burnham becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury under Gordon Brown.

Burnham becomes Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Burnham helps launch proposals for universal connectivity and a stronger digital economy.

Burnham appoints Richard Lewis as chair of Sport England.

Burnham reappoints Sue Campbell as chair of UK Sport.

Burnham's department launches free swimming for eligible young and older residents.

Burnham responds to demands for full disclosure at the twentieth-anniversary Hillsborough memorial.

Burnham becomes Secretary of State for Health.

Burnham helps secure creation of the panel overseeing disclosure of Hillsborough records.

Burnham campaigns for the Labour leadership following Gordon Brown's resignation.

Burnham retains Leigh at the general election.

Burnham becomes Shadow Health Secretary after Labour leaves government.

Burnham finishes fourth in the Labour leadership election won by Ed Miliband.

Burnham becomes Shadow Education Secretary and Labour's election coordinator.

Burnham returns to the shadow health portfolio.

Burnham welcomes official acknowledgement that Hillsborough victims and supporters were wrongfully blamed.

Burnham calls for coordinated and properly resourced investigations following the panel's findings.

Burnham enters the Labour leadership contest following Ed Miliband's resignation.

Burnham wins another term as Labour Member of Parliament for Leigh.

Burnham finishes second in the Labour leadership election won by Jeremy Corbyn.

Burnham becomes Shadow Home Secretary after the leadership election.

Labour selects Burnham as its candidate for the first Greater Manchester mayoral election.

Burnham leaves the shadow home portfolio while preparing for the mayoral campaign.

Burnham begins regular public question sessions across Greater Manchester's boroughs.

Burnham appoints a leadership team covering policing, business, young people and public services.

Burnham promotes integration of health with housing, education, employment and community services.

Burnham's first period as Member of Parliament ends before the mayoral election.

Burnham wins the first directly elected Greater Manchester mayoral contest.

Burnham launches a homelessness fund and donates fifteen percent of his mayoral salary.

Burnham begins serving as the first elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Burnham coordinates civic leadership and public solidarity after the Manchester Arena bombing.

Burnham proposes coordinated action so more children begin school ready to learn.

Burnham announces strong public support for the city-region homelessness fund.

Burnham launches emergency accommodation for people sleeping rough across the city-region.

Burnham reports that more than nine hundred people have received accommodation and support.

Burnham expands winter accommodation, specialist support and provision across the city-region.

Burnham announces that recorded rough sleeping has fallen thirty-seven percent in one year.

Burnham supports hotel accommodation and continuing services for homeless people during the pandemic.

Burnham challenges the Government's financial offer during negotiations over stricter coronavirus restrictions.

Burnham launches a strategy addressing evictions, housing standards and the causes of homelessness.

Burnham appoints Chris Boardman to help develop an integrated and sustainable transport system.

Burnham decides to place Greater Manchester buses under a franchised system of local control.

Burnham wins a second term as Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Burnham welcomes the Court of Appeal's rejection of challenges to bus franchising.

Burnham introduces capped adult single fares of two pounds across Greater Manchester.

Burnham unveils the yellow-and-black design for the first Bee Network buses.

Burnham announces operators for the first locally controlled Bee Network bus services.

Burnham secures wider financial and policy powers through a trailblazer devolution agreement.

Burnham launches the first franchised Bee Network bus services in western Greater Manchester.

Burnham pledges ten thousand new council homes by 2028 within a wider housing plan.

Burnham wins election to a third term as Greater Manchester Mayor.

Burnham completes the return of Greater Manchester's bus network to local public control.

Burnham argues for a state organised around places rather than isolated Whitehall departments.

Burnham presents the Greater Manchester mayoral general budget for 2026/27.

Burnham campaigns to return to Parliament as Labour's candidate for Makerfield.

Burnham wins the Makerfield parliamentary by-election for Labour.

Burnham ceases to be Mayor after his election to the House of Commons.

Burnham is elected Leader of the Labour Party at a special conference.

Burnham accepts the King's invitation to form a government.

Burnham promises political decentralisation, reindustrialisation and a ten-year national plan.

Burnham launches a national programme backed by additional funding to end long-term rough sleeping.