Hear me out – Andy Burnham is Labour’s Boris Johnson

It may not be the most obvious comparison, as the two men have little in common, but there are some similarities worth discussing, writes Marie Le Conte

Next stop, Westminster? Greater Manchester mayor’s, Andy Burnham (PA)

What or who comes to mind when you think of Andy Burnham? Do you think of the north of England? “Twenty-four hours to save the NHS”? Biscuits and gravy, perhaps? How about Boris Johnson?

It may not be the most obvious comparison, as the two men have little in common, but there are some similarities worth discussing. Last week, a poll run by Sky News found that 69 per cent of Labour members believe that the mayor of Greater Manchester would be a better leader than Keir Starmer.

On the same day, the New Statesman published a long interview with him, in which he said he wouldn’t rule out returning to Westminster and running for leader again. It felt like the logical conclusion of something that had been a long time coming. Burnham had run for leader twice as an MP and lost both times, but his popularity has been growing steadily since he left the Commons.