Andy Burnham become MP for Makerfield - who be di ex-Manchester mayor wey fit succeed Keir Starmer?

Dem don swear in Andy Burnham as di MP for Makerfield hours afta Keir Starmer resign as leader of di Labour Party.

Dem swear am in few hours afta Sir Keir Starmer announce im resignation both as prime minister and Labour leader.

Former Greater Manchester Mayor Burnham, wey win Makerfield by-election by 9,000 votes last week afta e defeat Reform UK, don confam say im wan succeed Starmer.

Di by-election happun wen Labour Josh Simons stand down to make way for Burnham, wey represent di neighbouring Greater Manchester constituency of Leigh between 2001 until 2017, wen e bicom mayor.

Burnham bow im head several times as e make im way through di Commons chamber and smile as im colleagues dey hail am.

Former health secretary Wes Streeting don announce say im go support Burnham leadership bid.

Streeting resign from govment last month - e say im don lose confidence for Starmer leadership.

But how Burnham take bicom di front-runner for di race for No 10?

Early life: Everton fan and indie music lover

Dem born am for Liverpool for 1970, Burnham grow up for Culcheth, one quiet commuter belt village for Cheshire, near Warrington.

Im papa wey be BT engineer, and im mama wey be GP receptionist na strong Labour supporters and e develop early interest for politics.

Burnham don describe how om bin dey inspired to join di Labour Party at di age of 14. E say na BBC TV drama, Boys from di Blackstuff move am to join as e dey about life on di dole for Liverpool.

E be Everton fan for life. Burnham friends sabi am as a competitive, sports-mad pikin, wey be fast bowler for Lancashire schoolboys cricket team.

For school, di local Roman Catholic comprehensive, im English teacher as e stand to be Labour candidate for mock elections - and e win wit large margin.

Burnham plus im two brothers na di first pipo for dia family to go university. E study English for Cambridge.

For im book, Head North, Burnham bin write say im "struggle to feel part of things" for university and im bin feel like "imposter".

However, di music-lover – wey be fan of northern indie bands like The Smiths and The Stone Roses – tok say im "growing interest for Manchester music give am identity and advantage".

From MP to Greater Manchester mayor

Afta e graduate, e begin work as a journalist, e work for trade magazines including Tank World and Passenger World Management.

For im early 20s, e get im first break in politics, e work as researcher for di late Tessa Jowell, then MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, wey go later go on to be minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Despite im later hatred for Westminster politics, Burnham rise quickly through di ranks. E bicom special adviser to Culture Secretary Chris Smith bifor e dey elected as di MP for im hometown of Leigh, for Greater Manchester, for 2001.

E bin first serve as junior minister under Blair, but e join di cabinet as chief secretary to di Treasury, and later culture secretary and health secretary, under Brown.

Na as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pipo boo Burnham during one memorial service wey dem do to mark di 20th anniversary of di Hillsborough disaster.

Ninety-seven Liverpool fans bin die for di stampede wey happun for stadium for 1989.

For 2010, Brown resign afta Labour party lose for di general election, Burnham bin run to bicom di party leader.

E come fourth out of di five contenders, e lose to Ed Miliband but spend di next five years dey build up im appeal wit di party grassroots.

For 2015, e try again, but Jeremy Corbyn defeat am.

Pipo wey dey criticise Burnham don label am 'weather vane', dem say e dey change im views as di political condition dey change, just to give am beta chance to succeed

E serve for Corbyn shadow cabinet, as shadow home secretary, even though dem see am as Blairite centre-right of di party.

Burnham views don move to di left, as e back di nationalisation of water and energy.

E no dey part of di pipo wey resign in protest for Corbyn leadership for 2016.

Instead, e stand down for 2017 to run to be di first mayor of Greater Manchester.

Burnham win di contest wit more dan 60% of di vote and e dey re-elected by an even bigger margin for 2021.

'Bee Network' and lockdown stand-off

As mayor, pipo hail am for di transformation of di region transport system.

Under im leadership, Greater Manchester na di first area outside London to bring bus services back under public control, as e add dem wit oda modes of transport under di branding of di "Bee Network".

Oda bold pledges include ending rough sleeping for di region by 2020 - although dem miss di target.

Im profile rise further during di Covid pandemic, wen e accuse di Conservative govment of treating di north of England wit "contempt" ova regional lockdown restrictions.

Di stand-off land am di nickname "King of di North".

By di autumn party conference season of 2025, Burnham don dey open about im preparation for di top job, as e no gree rule out say e fit contest for leadership

For January, one potential opportunity for a return to Westminster bin arise wen Greater Manchester MP Andrew Gwynne announce say im wan resign, e lead to by-election for im Gorton and Denton constituency.

However, dem block Burnham from standing by Labour ruling body, with di approval of di prime minister.

By May, di situation don change. Labour suffer a poor set of election results for England, Scotland and Wales, as Reform ride high for di polls and di party see success for Burnham backyard.

Sir Keir bin face increased pressure ova im future, as some MP calls for change and ministerial resignations dey take place.

Josh Simons announce say im go step down as Labour MP for Makerfield to make way for Burnham to return to Parliament.

Dem later select Burnham as di Labour candidate for di constituency and the following month, e secure im return to Westminster.