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.”