The Manchester Years: How Burnham's Rebirth as 'King of the North' Set Him on Road to No 10 Andy Burnham's improbable rise to prime minister has left many questioning how he pulled off this coup.
Few predicted that the politician who had plotted his escape from Westminster in 2016 would trade in his Greater Manchester mayor's office for a seat at the top table in Downing Street.
Burnham's journey to No 10 began with a calculated gamble: leaving parliament and running for the newly created role of Greater Manchester mayor.