Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester, has emerged as a top contender to replace British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, should a leadership challenge unfold.

Often referred to as the “King of the North,” Burnham has held the mayoral position since 2017 and is currently the most popular figure in the Labour Party, according to a YouGov ranking.

With Starmer’s premiership in crisis amid a string of high-profile resignations and dozens of lawmakers calling on the Labour leader to step down or set a timeline for his departure, thoughts are turning to who could govern in his stead.

A poll wrapped in early May showed 42% of Labour members would pick Burnham as their preferred choice, should a leadership contest take place. But he faces a key stumbling block—he’s not currently a Member of Parliament (MP) and thus not in a position to launch a challenge.

On Thursday, Burnham was gifted a possible route of return when Labour lawmaker Josh Simons stepped down to make it possible for him to run in a by-election in Makerfield, Greater Manchester. 

“I grew up in this area and have lived here for 25 years. I care deeply about it and its people. I know they have been let down by national politics,” Burnham said as he announced his run.

Burnham framed his potential return to Westminster as an opportunity to bring “the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the U.K. and make politics work properly for people.”

Burnham has not explicitly stated an intention to launch a leadership challenge. TIME has reached out to his office for comment.

The Manchester leader attempted to become an MP and return to parliament earlier this year, but was blocked from standing in a by-election by Labour's decision-making body, the National Executive Committee (NEC)—a move some lawmakers have since labeled a “mistake.”

The NEC approved Burnham’s latest request on Friday.

Still, Burnham’s path back to Westminster is far from straightforward.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage—who celebrated his party’s wins in last week's local elections that delivered staggering losses for Labour—has pledged to “throw absolutely everything” at the race.

By-elections are “ordinarily an effective and solid route” back into the House of Commons, Dr. Andrew Roe-Crines, an associate professor of British politics at the University of Liverpool, tells TIME.

“The problem here is we're not in normal circumstances. We're just off from local elections, in which Reform performed very effectively and Reform have already made it clear that they intend to throw everything they've got at the by-election,” he continues. “So it's going to be tricky. It's not as straightforward as it has historically been.”

Another complication Burnham faces is that of Wes Streeting, who resigned as Health Secretary on Thursday and is viewed as another top contender to challenge Starmer.

Streeting is also reportedly set to launch a leadership contest in a bid to replace Starmer as Prime Minister. His office has not yet responded to TIME's request for comment.

But Burnham has received vocal support from many Labour lawmakers, such as Clive Lewis and Liam Conlon, with some believing his return to Westminster is a must. 

Here’s what to know about the Manchester Mayor who is commanding the attention of the U.K.

Burnham is a veteran politician but has twice failed to secure leadership of the Labour Party

Burnham, 56, is currently serving his third term as Mayor of Greater Manchester, having first been elected in 2017 before winning re-election in 2021 and 2024.

But his political career stretches back to the House of Commons, where he is now seeking to return.

Burnham was first elected to parliament in 2001 for Leigh in Greater Manchester under former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Over the years, Burnham has held several other government positions and aligned himself at different times with Blair, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Steven Fielding, an emeritus professor of political history at the University of Nottingham, describes Burnham as a “pragmatic politician, not ideological.”

This lack of strict ideological leaning has enabled Burnham to position himself as someone who is viewed quite favorably from multiple factions within the Labour Party. 

“He's able to plug himself into these contrasting ideological perspectives with ease,” Roe-Crines adds, noting that while supporters of Burnham could frame this flexibility as a strength that allows him to adapt to the changing political landscape, critics could argue it suggests he “lacks conviction.” 

Either way, Burnham has been building up to this opportunity for many years and has had two unsuccessful runs for the Labour leadership—losing out to current Energy Secretary Ed Miliband in 2010 and Corbyn in 2015.

Burnham is a leading figure in the north of England—but can he translate that success to the rest of the U.K.?

As Mayor of Manchester, Burnham has become one of the strongest advocates for northern England, regularly putting local issues at the center of national debate.

In 2020, Burnham urged the government to release funding to house all homeless people in Greater Manchester as the COVID crisis unfolded. 

During a speech earlier this year, Burnham described what he called “Manchesterism,” where he placed fiscal autonomy of regions in the U.K. front and center to deliver true economic growth.

Roe-Crines explains that during his time as mayor, Burnham has managed to “carve out his own distinctiveness and political record” and has built a “reputation for high levels of competence and likeability in Manchester.” 

Burnham clashed with Boris Johnson’s government during the COVID-19 pandemic, resisting pressure for stricter lockdown restrictions on businesses and households without more financial support for the people affected.

One of his most high-profile achievements has been the effective nationalization of buses in Greater Manchester.

Fielding says the reforms have “made public transport more accessible” and helped to stabilize fares.

However, experts tell TIME that he could have difficulty translating these successes into broader national initiatives.

“This is an entirely different ball game,” says Roe-Crines. “An existential problem with the Labour Party at the moment is its understanding of the country and its ability to recognize the wider national and geopolitic, political, global changes in politics.”

Burnham has also become a prominent advocate for devolution—the transfer of powers from central government to local authorities.

In 2024, Burnham co-authored a book alongside Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, arguing that inequality is best addressed by devolving more power to local governments that better understand the needs of their communities.

Fielding says that devolution could be “one of the defining aspects of Burnham’s premiership,” if he were to lead Labour in its next phase.

What has Burnham said about U.S. President Donald Trump?

The relationship between the U.K. Prime Minister and the U.S. President is one of paramount importance.

If a new leader does move into Downing Street, it will likely fall on them to repair the splintered Westminster-Washington alliance. The long-called “special relationship” has become increasingly strained amid the fallout of the Iran war, with President Donald Trump and Starmer sharing core disagreements.

While Burnham has criticized Trump over the years, he has taken a more measured approach than some of his peers. 

In a 2016 interview, after Trump won his first presidential election, Burnham said he found Trump’s rhetoric troubling, but he suggested politicians should shoulder the blame for Trump’s success rather than the voting public. 

“We have to look closer to home, and say, well, how about the parties that have represented the areas that are feeling this? Are we doing enough in representing them, and what are we doing to respond to their concerns?” argued Burnham.

He specifically called on lawmakers on the left to engage with “working class communities that feel that politics hasn’t worked for them.”

During Trump’s first term in 2017, Burnham rejected the idea of potentially meeting the President during his U.K.visit, framing his decision “as a matter of principle” due to Trump re-posting videos shared by far-right figures in Britain.

More recently, Burnham has expressed concern about Trump’s return to office.

Speaking to The London Economic last year, Burnham said Trump had brought “instability to the world” and criticized Reform leader Farage—a long-time Trump ally—over his views on the National Health Service (NHS), saying the U.K. does not “want a U.S. style health system in this country.”