This CSS code defines a custom font family called “Guardian Headline Full” with multiple font weights and styles. It specifies the font files in different formats (WOFF2, WOFF, and TTF) and their corresponding URLs for each variation, including light, regular, medium, and semibold weights, both in normal and italic styles.The Guardian Headline Full font family includes several styles: bold (normal and italic), black (normal and italic), light (normal and italic), and regular (normal and italic). Each style is available in WOFF2, WOFF, and TrueType formats, hosted at the provided URLs. Additionally, the Guardian Titlepiece font in bold (normal style) is included with the same file formats.The Guardian Headline Full font family includes several styles, each available in multiple formats (woff2, woff, and ttf). Here are the details:
– Regular Italic: weight 400, italic style
– Medium: weight 500, normal style
– Medium Italic: weight 500, italic style
– Semibold: weight 600, normal style
– Semibold Italic: weight 600, italic style
– Bold: weight 700, normal style
– Bold Italic: weight 700, italic style
– Black: weight 900, normal style
– Black Italic: weight 900, italic style
All fonts are sourced from the same directory and do not include alternative character sets.The provided text appears to be CSS code defining font styles and layout grids for a website, likely The Guardian. It includes font-face rules for custom fonts and responsive grid layouts that adjust based on screen size. The code specifies areas for different content elements and sets styling rules for various device widths.For interactive grid figures with immersive captions, the caption padding is set to 4 pixels at the top and 0 elsewhere.
Elements with the data attributes `lines` and `meta` within interactive grid content are placed in a grid area spanning from row 2 to row 5 and column 1 to column 2. The `lines` elements have a height that fits their content and a top margin of 5 pixels, while `meta` elements have a top margin of 18 pixels.
On screens wider than 81.25em, the grid layout for interactive content uses columns of 219px, 1px, 620px, 80px, and 300px.
On iOS and Android devices, article headers use specific fonts and styling:
– The standfirst text uses Guardian Headline or similar serif fonts with a medium weight.
– The section kicker is displayed as a block, and its first letter is capitalized.
– A keyline element has 12 pixels of top padding.
– The byline author name uses a bold serif font, and links within it are also bold.
– Image figures have an automatic height, and paragraphs following atomic elements have no top margin.
Font faces for “Guardian Headline Full” are defined with light and light italic weights, sourcing from woff2, woff, and ttf files.The Guardian Headline Full font family includes various styles and weights, such as regular, italic, medium, medium italic, semibold, semibold italic, bold, and bold italic. Each style is available in multiple formats including woff2, woff, and ttf.This CSS code defines font styles and layout rules for a website. It specifies font files for “Guardian Headline” and “Guardian Titlepiece” in various formats (WOFF2, WOFF, TTF) with different weights and styles. It also includes responsive design rules that adjust margins, widths, and positioning for different screen sizes. For example, on larger screens, the main content column gets a left margin and a vertical border, while immersive elements expand to full width on smaller screens. The code also sets color variables and spacing for elements like paragraphs, lists, and atoms.The first paragraph after certain elements in article, interactive, comment, and feature bodies has a top padding of 14px.
The first letter of the first paragraph following these elements is styled with a specific font, bold weight, 111px size, 92px line height, floated left, uppercase, box-sizing, 8px right margin, vertical alignment, and a color variable.
Paragraphs immediately after a horizontal rule have no top padding.
Showcase element captions are positioned statically with 100% width and a max-width of 620px.
Immersive elements span the full viewport width minus the scrollbar. On screens up to 71.24em, their max-width is 978px, and captions have 10px horizontal padding. Between 30em and 71.24em, captions have 20px horizontal padding. For screens between 46.25em and 61.24em, immersive elements have a max-width.@media (max-width: 740px) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
margin-left: -10px !important;
margin-right: 0 !important;
left: 0;
}
}
@media (max-width: 740px) and (min-width: 480px) {
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive {
margin-left: -20px !important;
}
.element.element–immersive.element-immersive figcaption {
padding-inline: 20px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 980px) {
.furniture-wrapper {
display: grid;
grid-column-gap: 20px;
grid-row-gap: 0;
grid-template-columns: [title-start headline-start meta-start standfirst-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [title-end headline-end meta-end standfirst-end portrait-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [portrait-end];
grid-template-rows: [title-start portrait-start] 0.25fr [title-end headline-start] 1fr [headline-end standfirst-start] 0.75fr [standfirst-end meta-start] auto [meta-end portrait-end];
}
.furniture-wrapper #headline > div:first-child,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=headline] > div:first-child,
.furniture-wrapper .headline > div:first-child {
border-top: 1px solid var(–headerBorder);
}
.furniture-wrapper #meta,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=meta] {
position: relative;
padding-top: 2px;
margin-right: 0;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst .content__standfirst,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst .content__standfirst,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] .content__standfirst {
margin-bottom: 4px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst ul li,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst ul li,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] ul li {
font-size: 20px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst li a,
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst a,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst li a,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst a,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] li a,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] a {
border-bottom: none;
background-image: none !important;
text-decoration: underline;
text-underline-offset: 6px;
text-decoration-color: var(–headerBorder, #dcdcdc);
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] li a:hover,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] a:hover {
text-decoration-color: var(–new-pillar-colour);
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] p:first-of-type {
border-top: 1px solid var(–headerBorder);
padding-bottom: 0;
}
}
@media (min-width: 980px) and (min-width: 1140px) {
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst p:first-of-type,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] p:first-of-type {
border-top: unset;
}
}
@media (min-width: 980px) {
.furniture-wrapper figure {
margin: 0 0 0 -10px;
}
.furniture-wrapper figure[data-spacefinder-role=inline].element {
max-width: 630px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 1140px) {
.furniture-wrapper {
grid-template-columns: [title-start headline-start meta-start] repeat(2, 1fr) [meta-end standfirst-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [title-end headline-end standfirst-end portrait-start] repeat(7, 1fr) [portrait-end];
grid-template-rows: [title-start portrait-start] 80px [title-end headline-start] auto [headline-end standfirst-start meta-start] auto [standfirst-end meta-end portrait-end];
}
.furniture-wrapper #meta:before,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=meta]:before {
content: “”;
width: 540px;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
background-color: var(–headerBorder);
height: 1px;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst p,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst p,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst] p {
border-top: unset;
}
.furniture-wrapper .standfirst:before,
.furniture-wrapper #standfirst:before,
.furniture-wrapper [data-gu-name=standfirst]:before {
content: “”;
width: 1px;
background-color: var(–headerBorder);
height: 100%;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0.5px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 1300px) {
.furniture-wrapper {
grid-template-columns: [title-start headline-start meta-start] repeat(3, 1fr) [meta-end standfirst-start] repeat(5, 1fr) [title-end headline-end standfirst-end portrait-start] repeat(8, 1fr) [portrait-end];
grid-template-rows: [title-start portrait-start] 0.25fr [title-end headline-start] 1fr [headline-end standfirst-start meta-start] 0.75fr [standfirst-end meta-end portrait-end];
}
}The provided text appears to be CSS code for styling a webpage layout, including elements like headlines, meta information, captions, and media. It defines styles for different screen sizes and includes color variables for light and dark modes.For iOS and Android devices, the CSS sets the color of the first letter in specific article containers to a secondary pillar color. It also adjusts the article header height to zero and applies styling to the furniture wrapper, including padding, font properties for labels, and headline formatting with a specific font size, weight, and color. Image elements within the furniture wrapper are also targeted for styling.For images in article containers on Android, the image element is positioned relatively with a top margin of 14px, no bottom margin, and a left margin of -10px. Its width is set to the full viewport width minus the scrollbar width, and its height adjusts automatically.
On iOS and Android, the inner elements of images (like the figure container, image itself, and links) have a transparent background. Their width matches the viewport width minus the scrollbar, and their height is set to auto, overriding any other height settings.
For the standfirst section (article summary) on both iOS and Android, there is top padding of 4px, bottom padding of 24px, and a right margin of -10px.
The text within the standfirst uses the Guardian Headline font family or similar serif fonts. Links in the standfirst are styled with a specific color, no background image, underlined text with an offset of 6px, a custom underline color, and no border.On iOS and Android devices, for feature, standard, and comment article containers, the following styles apply:
– Links in the standfirst section change their underline color to the new pillar color when hovered.
– The meta section has no margin.
– Author names and byline elements use the new pillar color for text.
– The meta misc section has no padding.
– SVG icons within the meta misc section are not styled further in this snippet.For iOS and Android devices, the following styles apply:
– SVG icons in the meta section use the new pillar color for strokes.
– The caption button in showcase elements is displayed as a centered flex container, 28px by 28px, with 5px padding and positioned 14px from the right.
– Article body content has 12px horizontal padding.
– Standard image elements (excluding thumbnails and immersive types) span the viewport width minus 24px and scrollbar width, with no margin and auto height. Their captions have no padding.
– Immersive image elements span the full viewport width minus scrollbar width.
– Blockquotes with the “quoted” class use the new pillar color for their decorative before element.
– Links within article body prose are styled as specified.Links in article bodies on iOS and Android devices are styled with the primary pillar color, underlined with a 6px offset, and use the header border color for the underline. On hover, the underline color changes to the new pillar color.
In dark mode, the furniture wrapper background becomes dark gray (#1a1a1a). Labels use the new pillar color, headlines use the header border color, and standfirst text and author bylines also adopt the header border color.For iOS and Android devices, the following styling rules apply to article containers:
– The stroke color of SVG icons in the meta section is set to the new pillar color.
– The text color of captions in showcase image elements uses the dateline color.
– Quoted text within the article body appears in the new pillar color.
– The background color of various body content areas is set to a dark background, with important priority.
– The first letter of paragraphs following certain elements is styled with a drop cap effect.This CSS code applies specific styling to the first letter of paragraphs that follow certain elements, such as `.element-atom`, `.sign-in-gate`, or `#sign-in-gate`, across various article containers on iOS and Android devices.This CSS code styles the first letter of paragraphs in various article containers on Android devices, setting its color to a custom variable or white. It also adjusts padding and font sizes for specific elements on iOS and Android in comment articles.The caption button has different padding for iOS and Android devices. In dark mode, text and icon colors adjust for better visibility. The branding logo is set to display when applicable.
Labels and headlines use a medium font weight. The page background is set to a light pink shade (#fff4f2) for weekend essays, with matching colors for article sections and sub-meta backgrounds. The lines element is hidden.
The furniture wrapper positions elements relative to each other. On larger screens, it uses a grid layout with specific row sizes. The article header has a fixed height and contains labels. A book GIF appears in the bottom right corner of the labels container, with its size increasing on wider screens. A horizontal line appears below the labels on smaller screens but disappears on larger displays. The header height increases slightly on very large screens.This CSS code applies specific styles to elements within a container classed “furniture-wrapper” for different screen sizes.
For very large screens (over 1300px), it sets the article header and title elements to a fixed height of 125px and adjusts the headline margin.
It styles the headline and related elements with a line height of 115%, medium font weight, and a base font size of 36px, which increases to 50px on larger screens (over 1140px). Hover effects on headlines and links include a thicker underline with a 6px offset.
The standfirst (subheading) element gets top padding that changes at different breakpoints: 4px by default, removed at 980px, and set to 2px at 1140px.
Branding elements within the meta section are set to display as blocks. The main media area is positioned relatively and, on screens over 980px, is placed in a grid area named “portrait.” Child divs within the main media are also positioned relatively.The CSS code styles a media container for different screen sizes. It adjusts the layout, dimensions, and spacing of images, captions, and decorative elements. For smaller screens, elements are full-width with adjusted margins and padding. As the screen size increases, the container and its contents become fixed-width and repositioned for better alignment. A decorative frame is applied as a background image, and a caption button is positioned differently across breakpoints. A fallback container centers its content if no media is present.This CSS code defines styles for a webpage layout. It sets font sizes, colors, and spacing for elements like paragraphs, headings, and media containers. For example, paragraph text is styled with a 24px font, bold weight, and underlined. Headings are set in a reddish-brown color with specific font sizes that adjust on larger screens. Drop caps are styled with a large initial letter in uppercase. The layout adjusts for different screen sizes and supports dark mode, changing background colors accordingly. Media elements are set to fit their content width, and certain sections have custom background colors applied.This CSS code applies specific styles for iOS and Android apps. It sets background colors, font weights, and layout properties for article containers and their components. It also adjusts colors based on light or dark mode preferences and defines grid layouts for wider screens.For iOS and Android devices, the content labels in the title and GIF wrapper for feature, standard, and comment articles use a 17px bold font with 115% line height and normal style. Links within these labels are colored using the variable –new-pillar-colour (defaulting to #c74600) and do not use text transformation.
The GIF container and its images in these wrappers are set to 70px by 70px. Elements with the class “book-gif-white” are hidden.
In dark mode, elements with the class “book-gif” are also hidden.This CSS code hides certain GIFs on iOS and Android devices for different article types, and shows white versions instead. It also adds a horizontal line below the title and GIF wrapper, adjusting its width on larger screens.This CSS code applies specific styles for iOS and Android devices in dark mode. It sets the background color of certain elements to a dark gray (#606060) and defines font properties for headlines and bylines, including a font size of 36px, normal style, medium weight, and 115% line height. It also assigns a grid area named “headline” for layout purposes on larger screens.This CSS code sets styles for article bylines and headlines on mobile devices.
For Android, it makes the byline text red. In dark mode on both iOS and Android, it changes the byline color to a darker orange.
It hides author avatars on iOS and Android. Headlines have no bottom margin or padding.
Bylines are italic, but the author’s name within them is not.
Main media elements are set to auto height with a 4:5 aspect ratio and a transparent background.For iOS and Android devices, the following CSS rules apply to images and captions in article containers:
– The figure element has full height and no left margin.
– The inner figure and element containers are positioned at the top left, with transparent backgrounds, no padding, and visible overflow.
– Images are set to the viewport width minus 40 pixels, with 20 pixels left margin and 25 pixels top margin.
– For images inside the element inner container, the top margin is reduced to 13 pixels.
– Figure captions are styled similarly across all article types.For iOS and Android devices, the caption text within figure elements in article containers is set to display as a block, with a relative position and a gray color. The height is set to auto.
On screens wider than 46.25em, figure elements in these containers have their maximum width removed. A pseudo-element before each figure spans almost the full viewport width with a small margin. Images inside these figures are sized to fit the viewport with left and top margins.
On screens wider than 61.25em, similar adjustments apply to the pseudo-elements before the figures.For iOS and Android devices, the main media figure elements in feature, standard, and comment article containers have specific styling. The width of the figure’s pseudo-element is set to half the viewport width minus 20 pixels and the scrollbar width. Images within these elements have a width of half the viewport minus 40 pixels and the scrollbar width, with a left margin of 18px, auto height, no padding, and a top margin of 10px.
On screens wider than 71.25em, the pseudo-element is positioned 4 pixels higher. For screens over 81.25em, the pseudo-element shifts 20 pixels to the left, and the image width adjusts to half the viewport minus 90 pixels and the scrollbar width, with a left margin of 12px, a negative top margin of 10px, and a top padding of 21px.
In dark mode, the pseudo-element uses a white frame background image. Additionally, if the figure has the class “is-first-image,” these styles also apply.For iOS and Android devices, the first image in the main media section of feature, standard, and comment articles has specific styling.
On smaller screens, the image spans almost the full viewport width, accounting for scrollbars and a 20px offset, with no left margin and 10px padding.
On medium screens (61.25em and above), the image width adjusts to half the viewport minus 30px and scrollbar width, with a 5px left margin, auto height, and 21px top padding. The container has a fixed max-width of 620px and full height. The pseudo-element before the image also spans half the viewport minus 20px and scrollbar width, aligned to the left with full height.
On larger screens (81.25em and above), the image width is further reduced to half the viewport minus 70px and scrollbar width, with a 5px left margin, auto height, a -10px top margin, and 21px top padding.For iOS and Android devices, the following CSS rules apply to various article containers (feature, standard, and comment):
On screens with a minimum width of 46.25em:
– The first image in the main media area is shifted 20px to the left.
– The caption button in the main media area is positioned 45px from the bottom.
On screens with a minimum width of 61.25em:
– The main media area is set to a grid area named “portrait,” with a maximum width of 620px and automatic height.
For figure elements within the furniture wrapper:
– They are positioned relatively with no top margin.
– The inner figure container is absolutely positioned 15px from the top and 20px from the left, with a width equal to the viewport width minus 40px and automatic height.
– Images inside the figure inner container fill the entire width and height, using object-fit: cover to maintain aspect ratio.
– The caption button is placed 24px from the right and 20px from the bottom.
On screens with a minimum width of 46.25em, the inner figure container rules also apply.For Android devices, the inner figure element in feature, standard, and comment articles is set to 680px wide, with automatic height, and positioned 10px from the top and left edges. The caption button is placed 25px from the bottom.
On screens wider than 61.25em, figure elements on both iOS and Android adjust their width to half the viewport width minus 20px and the scrollbar width.
For both iOS and Android, the standfirst section in these articles has no top margin, 8px top padding, and 10px right padding. The standfirst’s before pseudo-element is hidden. Text elements inside the standfirst—such as paragraphs, links, and list items—use a 20px font, normal style, medium weight, 115% line height, and no bottom padding.
On wider screens (min-width: 61.25em), the standfirst in feature articles on Android…This CSS code defines styles for article layouts on iOS and Android devices. It sets the grid area for the standfirst section and adjusts meta information padding and positioning. A horizontal line is added below the published date, with its width and color adapting to screen size and dark mode preferences. For larger screens, the meta section is displayed as a block, and the line width is reduced. In dark mode, the line color changes to a darker shade. The code also includes adjustments for the meta and keyline elements on iOS devices.On iOS and Android devices, the following CSS rules apply:
– Hide the meta and keyline elements before the furniture wrapper in feature, standard, and comment article containers.
– Hide rich link elements in the furniture wrapper for the same containers.
– Hide the cutout container in the comment header for these article types, with important priority.
– Set the background color of article and feature bodies to a light pink (#fff4f2) with a 6px top margin.
– Style horizontal rules (hr) with a height of 1px, no border, 3px bottom margin, light gray background (#dcdcdc), 150px width, no left margin, and 48px top margin.
– Apply a drop cap style to the first letter of the first paragraph (without span elements) or the paragraph following an hr. This uses specific fonts, a size of 111px, uppercase text, left float, 8px right margin, and a color based on CSS variables.
– Make h2 headings with strong or b tags use a medium font weight (500).
– In dark mode, change hr background to dark gray (#606060), adjust drop cap color, and remove underlines from paragraph links.
– For the first paragraph after an element-atom, set the first letter to medium font weight (500).
The CSS also includes similar rules for comment bodies, though the provided text is cut off.When Andy Burnham spoke at a gala dinner this week, he was as reserved as possible during a time when rumors about his future plans were swirling. “I love this job,” said the mayor of Greater Manchester. “I’m very happy where I am. I have no ambition to be… ambassador to Washington.”
The joke drew a big laugh. Burnham has never pretended he doesn’t want to become prime minister. But he also avoids the typical ambitious politician’s line that there’s no opening for the role.
Instead, he’s more straightforward: he wouldn’t have run twice for Labour leader if he didn’t want the job. Over the years, he’s made it clear to Keir Starmer that he hopes to succeed him someday.
But no one—including Burnham—expected the question to arise so soon. Starmer’s government has seen a sharp drop in popularity, Nigel Farage’s Reform party is gaining ground, a major rebellion in the Commons over welfare has weakened the prime minister, and three scandals in two weeks have led to the departure of a deputy leader and an ambassador.
After a summer dominated by Farage, more MPs are starting to believe their best hope lies with Burnham. Support ranges from socialist MPs who appreciate his anti-factional approach, to centrist newcomers impressed by his work on growth in Greater Manchester.
“His politics are now firmly at the progressive heart of the Labour party,” said one party insider.
His closest political ally these days, Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool city region, says the past seven years have shaped Burnham into the leader he is now. “I’ve known him for 18 years. I saw how he began to…”After leaving Westminster, his politics began to take shape,” he said. “Before that, he was still being shaped by politics.”
Neal Lawson, head of the think tank Compass—which co-founded the new Labour group Mainstream, endorsed by Burnham—said the mayor now “seems confident in who he is and what he believes. That’s appealing whether you’re on the left or the right.”
He believes Burnham is the most credible successor if Starmer fails. “No leader is perfect, but given the threat of the far right and Labour’s decline, a good leader is enough,” he added.
Allies say Burnham is prepared to run and is simply waiting for the right moment.
Burnham vs. the Party Machine
There are still major obstacles for the so-called “king of the north” to lead a campaign south to Westminster—but opportunities may arise. Burnham would first need a parliamentary seat to launch a potential leadership bid.
One seat had been identified. The Guardian understands that Andrew Gwynne, the MP for Gorton and Denton—who was suspended from Labour and now sits as an independent—applied for medical retirement from the MPs’ pension fund due to ill health. However, sources say he did not follow through with the claim. The reason is unclear, and Gwynne has not responded to requests for comment.
Burnham reportedly told a well-placed MP earlier this year that he and Gwynne had reached an agreement. But his allies deny any discussions with MPs about stepping aside for him. “There is no pact,” one insisted.
Parliamentary sources suggest other opportunities may emerge, with at least two Manchester MPs—removed during the reshuffle—reportedly unhappy with the leadership. “You close one door, another opens,” a source said.
The next challenge is even greater: Burnham would have no guarantee of nomination if he tried to return to Westminster via a by-election.
Burnham’s ambitions aren’t the only reason he’d face a struggle. His relationship with the prime minister is deeply strained.
Starmer was Burnham’s deputy when he was shadow home secretary. In 2020, Starmer traveled to Manchester to ask for support in his leadership bid, according to Tom Baldwin’s biography of Starmer. Burnham declined, feeling he should back one of the local MPs running—Rebecca Long-Bailey or Lisa Nandy.
Starmer, who friends say dislikes asking for favors, was furious. The relationship never recovered and worsened during the 2021 Labour conference, when Starmer was struggling amid the Tories’ “vaccine bounce.”
Burnham’s face was everywhere, hinting at his leadership ambitions. “It was intolerable,” an aide said. At the time, Burnham responded that those offended should “be less sensitive, I guess,” about his efforts to discuss the party’s lack of vision.
Now, as Starmer’s government faces a rising right-wing challenge, Burnham has been at the forefront of launching Mainstream, calling for “a more inclusive, less factional way of running the party.” While aimed at reforming Labour, it could also serve as a platform for a leadership bid.
Another complication: if a by-election occurs, Burnham’s selection as a candidate would be decided by Labour’s national executive committee.
Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, has tightly controlled candidate selections so far. But blocking Burnham would provoke far greater controversy—especially if Lucy Powell, a close ally of Burnham, joins the NEC.Andy Burnham’s fate would ultimately be decided by a three-person National Executive Committee panel, which critics say could be stacked with loyalists to block him. “Of course it’s possible to stop him, but they’d take a huge political hit by doing so,” one skeptical MP noted. “Letting Burnham in after caving to pressure from their own complaining MPs, only for him to launch a leadership challenge, would be typical of this inept No. 10.”
Even if Burnham wins the selection, Reform UK could still take the seat in the current political climate. The mayor’s allies remain confident. “Andy is a heavyweight in his own right,” one friend said. “People in Greater Manchester know he’s on their side, regardless of how they feel about the national Labour party.”
As a young political adviser and later a minister, Burnham was seen as a Blairite, but he began shifting left under Ed Miliband’s leadership. “He’d complain that we were too focused on Hampstead and not enough on Hull,” a colleague recalled.
During the 2014 reform of leadership election rules, Burnham pushed hard to lower the nomination threshold from 20% to 10% of MPs, arguing the higher bar would block his own future bids. This change also inadvertently enabled Jeremy Corbyn to run.
Burnham’s 2015 leadership campaign was a sharp rightward turn that supporters now find “almost painful to recall.” He launched his bid at Ernst & Young alongside Rachel Reeves—now Keir Starmer’s chancellor—and told business leaders that entrepreneurs would be “as much our heroes as the nurse.” He pledged to drop the mansion tax and called for an early EU referendum.
This proved a miscalculation. Some believe his backers, worried he was seen as too left-wing, encouraged MPs to also nominate Corbyn—positioning Burnham as the centrist alternative. The plan backfired when Corbyn won.
Burnham was the only losing candidate to serve in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, remaining loyal during the 2016 mass resignations aimed at ousting the leader. That same year, he left Parliament and successfully ran to become Greater Manchester’s first mayor.
Over nearly a decade, Burnham has made devolution a success story for the city, which is now one of the few economically growing regions in the country. He used new transport powers to create the publicly controlled Bee Network bus system, designed for users rather than profit.
His handling of the Covid crisis, fiercely defending Manchester’s interests, cemented his reputation as an independent thinker and fighter.
Burnham’s longstanding advocacy for Hillsborough disaster victims also shaped his political identity. Skeptics note he only took up the cause after being booed at a memorial service at Anfield as culture secretary, while the government still resisted a full inquiry. Burnham acknowledges this was a turning point; he raised the issue in cabinet days later, starting the process that led to the unlawful killing verdict.
In Parliament, Burnham retains close ties with high-profile MPs like Louise Haigh and Ellie Powell, as well as cabinet friends such as Lisa Nandy and Jonathan Reynolds. He enjoys strong loyalty from MPs across Greater Manchester, Liverpool, and surrounding areas.
The Socialist Campaign Group has long warmed to the idea of a Burnham leadership run.A group of MPs—once known as Corbynites—supports Andy Burnham. However, other Labour MPs, particularly newer members of the Labour Growth Group, are drawn to the idea of a popular northern leader who has experience running a major city with strong economic growth.
Yet, these same MPs could be put off by any close ties to the more left-wing faction. Next week, Burnham is scheduled to appear at a Labour conference event alongside key left-wing rebels, including Clive Lewis, Nadia Whittome, and Rachael Maskell.
A senior Labour source cautioned, “The hardcore welfare rebels already back him—he needs to quickly build a broader coalition within the Parliamentary Labour Party, or he won’t even remain an MP, let alone gather enough support for a leadership challenge.”
Many of Burnham’s friends believe that if he returned to Westminster, he would find the constraints of Whitehall deeply frustrating. Steve Rotheram remarked, “I wouldn’t do it for anything. The Westminster bubble isn’t a healthy way to do politics—too many distractions, too many lobbyists. But having our experience is a real advantage. If Andy ever decided to come back, he’d have the motivation to change that, to transform how politics works in this country. It’s a big decision for him, given where he is now.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Andy Burnham presented in a clear and natural tone
General Background
Who is Andy Burnham
Andy Burnham is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017 He is a former Member of Parliament and has held several senior positions in government
What did Andy Burnham do before becoming Mayor
Before becoming Mayor he was the MP for Leigh for 16 years He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Health and later as Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport under Prime Ministers Gordon Brown and Tony Blair
Why is he sometimes called the King of the North
Its a nickname he earned for his strong advocacy for devolving more power and funding from London to Northern England particularly during the COVID19 pandemic when he publicly challenged the government over support for the North
Policies Stances
What are Andy Burnhams main political priorities
His key priorities include
Devolution Fighting for more decisionmaking power and funding for Greater Manchester and the North
Public Transport Creating an integrated Londonstyle transport system for Manchester
Housing Tackling homelessness and improving housing standards
Health Social Care Reforming the social care system and integrating it with the NHS
What is his stance on Brexit
Andy Burnham supported remaining in the European Union during the 2016 referendum Since Brexit his focus has shifted towards ensuring the North of England gets a good deal and sufficient funding to replace what was previously received from the EU
Has he ever run to be leader of the Labour Party
Yes he ran for the leadership twice in 2010 where he came fourth and in 2015 where he came second to Jeremy Corbyn
Role as Mayor
What does the Mayor of Greater Manchester actually do
The Mayor has powers over key areas like transport policing fire services housing and planning for the entire Greater Manchester region They set strategies and budgets to improve the area
How is he doing as Mayor Is he popular
He is generally considered a popular and highprofile mayor He was reelected with a significant majority in 2021 His handling
