"He's One of Us": How Burnham's Image Won Makerfield
03/07/26
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THE NEXT PRIME MINISTER?, IMAGE: EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
The result is in, and Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield by-election, beating Reform’s tweet-tainted Robert Kenyon by over 9,000 votes. Such a win at 55% of the vote in a colossal turnout is something that even Labour’s biggest critics will commend and confess that it’s only something Burnham could have achieved.
Throughout this campaign, as much attention has been on Burnham’s policy hopes to change the Labour Party, significant focus has rightly been paid to him as a person and the personality he will bring to the highest political office if he is successful in a Labour leadership contest. Hailed by some as Labour’s Boris Johnson, he is seen as a refreshing figure who was elected with the intention of bringing his dying party back to life; Burnham’s personality must not be overlooked as a central factor for his emphatic victory and will tell us what might be in store for Labour’s future.
It’s safe to say that Burnham’s image throughout this campaign has been one of relatability, attentiveness, and a representative-to-be for the north of England. “He’s one of us” was the quote plastered across campaign literature on polling day, a quote from local butcher Peter Caim, summarising the influence of Burnham’s relatability with the people of Makerfield at the polling stations. And this certainly wasn’t just a one-off; over the last month, @burnham4makerfield on Instagram has reinforced this similar sentiment with videos of constituents reinforcing the locality of Burnham and his connection to the local area. Burnham’s reliability made him a candidate so many could trust to represent the people of Makerfield with pride, passion, and genuine human connection to its people.
'MANCHESTERISM' WAS DEFINING IN MAKERFIELD, IMAGE: SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT
His reliability also bled through in his own personal passions like music, something I experienced first-hand when I had a brief conversation with the Labour hopeful. When meeting campaigners, Andy Burnham noticed the Richard Ashcroft t-shirt I was wearing, commenting on how much he liked it. It would be wrong to say that I didn’t wear it intentionally when visiting the south of Wigan (Richard Ashcroft’s hometown), but what I noticed in those moments was how much Burnham was genuinely a man of culture and love for the area he lives and would soon represent. Music would come to be a recurring theme of Burnham’s relatability throughout this campaign, with playlists and more being made by his team. Beyond the relatability of this, to put it simply, I couldn’t see many other politicians doing the same.
Burnham’s personality was also key to his success, as it is one that he had built a reputation for with constituents. On the doorsteps, one voter in Hindley told me a story about how, when Burnham was MP for Leigh, he always remembered her. She also went on to tell me about the help he provided her daughter. Many voters in Makerfield had already made up their mind about voting for Burnham from day one; he had already built up a reputation as an effective local MP who was there to support his constituents.
Whilst a case can be made that Burnham’s ‘King of the North’ image might have proven successful for him in any constituency he was to contest, this likeable and refreshing image was vital in this election for Burnham for two reasons. Interestingly, neither of those reasons (Nigel Farage and Keir Starmer) was competing in Makerfield.
OUTGOING PRIME MINISTER STARMER, IMAGE: NUMBER 10
Burnham’s relatability whilst curating himself as a leader-to-be has paid off exceptionally well in the fight against Reform in this election. With Reform’s candidate tainted by past misogynistic tweets in the past making Burnham instantly the preferred candidate for some, Burnham’s personality in this campaign also helped place him as a viable opposition to Farage for Labour members and others alike. Whilst Farage has built his political career on the claim that he is a man of the people, Burnham’s victory has by some margin begun to dismantle that claim. Burnham grew up in Leigh and has shown the people of Makerfield that he can be a firm representative for the struggles of the north and champion of the working-class, simply because he has shown that he is authentically one of them.
But what Burnham has really shown throughout this campaign is that he can be a viable alternative to Starmer. Makerfield has drawn so much attention because Burnham is expected to challenge Starmer for Labour leadership. Whilst his likeable personality has helped him garner support from those in Makerfield, it has also begun to show Labour members and others across the country that Burnham can become the relatable figure the Labour Party is desperate for. Whilst Starmer is a serious and capable politician, lapses in judgement over the last two years have left Starmer appearing far too distant and technocratic. Throughout this campaign, Burnham has carried a warmth which has seemingly translated into votes. The question is now whether Burnham can reignite the popularity of the Labour Party.
What Makerfield has shown is that personality politics is not a superficial concern for voters, but often the deciding one. Andy Burnham won this by-election because of the character he has curated over the last few decades in politics. His authenticity, relatability, and deep roots as a northern man have placed him as the preferred man to represent the Makerfield constituency. If Burnham does go on to mount a leadership challenge, he will carry with him first-hand proof that Labour can win again, but it might just take someone to remind the party who they are and who their base is: people like those in the constituency of Makerfield.
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