Does Andy Burnham Want To Be The New Boris Johnson?

It is a strange question to ask, but I am beginning to think the answer is YES.

The first thing you need to understand is that Andy wants to be Prime Minister. Nearly everyone who has ever stepped foot in the Palace Of Westminster has those thoughts, especially if you have been at the top table of government. He was the Health Secretary under Gordon Brown PM and put his hat in the ring to be Labour Leader several times.

He ended up as Mayor of Greater Manchester because he predicted the future of Labour in the short term once Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader. He jumped from the far-left plague ship before it docked and the people saw what it was carrying. He did not want to be contaminated.

Why would he settle for Mayor and leave Westminster? Let us start with the obvious – it pays better. A Member of Parliament is paid ￡86K, the Mayor gets ￡110K. Spending years in opposition cannot be good for the soul but running the country's second city would keep his face in the Press and give him more experience. Running a city region is like running a country, just on a smaller scale. It puts a lot of experience on his CV ready for when he campaigns in the future for the number one job.

If this sideways step was just a way of increasing his chances of reaching his dream position, then it explains his record as Mayor. He has done nothing. He has achieved nothing. He has spent his time promoting ‘brand Burnham' and avoiding anything controversial. He has not always managed to avoid controversy such as the outrage against the Clean Air Zone which he had to cancel. And the humiliation of Greater Manchester Police going into special measures.

What does any of this have to do with Boris? He was also a Mayor. This role catapulted his name nationwide and even internationally. It turned him into a heavyweight politician with public appeal and a chance of becoming Prime Minister, which he achieved and then failed. He carved a new way to the top job without having to sit on the backbenches waiting for an opportunity to strike.

This is Andy's plan. It is obvious. There is nothing wrong with having a plan to achieve what you want. As a career politician, he is looking after his career – just as you look after your job and seek promotion. And so he should, it is the only job he has ever known.

The question I am pondering is: Will he stand again for Mayor in May 2024 or jump back to Parliament ready for a Labour government?

He has stated he will run again. What lies behind this statement? Do we believe him?

History shows us that once a politician says he is not running again they lose their power and authority immediately. Why would anyone take any notice of you if you will be gone soon? If he plans not to stand he will not inform us until he is ready and has his ducks all in a row.

Will he be allowed to go back to Westminster? To become an MP he needs party support and if he wishes to sit on the front bench in the House Of Commons then he needs the support of Keir Starmer.

Would he get such support if he asked - as he asked? I do not know. But let us think for a moment what we would want if we were Keir Starmer. Would we want a popular, TV-friendly, intelligent potential future Prime Minister standing right behind us? Every Prime Minister faces constant betrayal and shenanigans – they occupy the seat that everyone else desires.

I may think that Andy Burnham needs replacing as Mayor for he has many of the wrong policies. But let us be honest, he seems to be the best politician that Labour has got. He is not one of the far-left lunatics, he has kept out of the culture war, never mentions the trans issue, and comes across as friendly and professional.

No leader who struggles to make a connection with the public and comes across as awkward on TV needs a Brutus figure watching his back.

Where does this leave Andy? He either wants to go back to Westminster and cannot, or he really wants to stay in Greater Manchester to continue his mayoralty. Only one of these seems a reasonable scenario.

What would Boris do? He would continue getting on the telly regardless of the news agenda. He would have an opinion on everything safe to do so. He would jump onto any popular bandwagon such as women's football, but never mention the serious issues he was actually responsible for such as knife crime. He would comment on national issues as if he was the opposition leader to cement such thoughts in the minds of the populace. He would play the long game but be ready to pounce if the opportunity arose.

This is exactly what I meant by the title of this article. Boris highlighted a new path to the top and other politicians took notice. Andy is using Greater Manchester as a staging post for his final push for greatness.

Andy may or may not be successful – most politicians are not. But the only guaranteed loser is the region itself for it does not get the governance it needs because the career of a politician takes priority. It only gets what is good for the overlord – the more things change, the more they stay the same.

A public servant cannot serve two masters. They have to choose between serving themselves or the people. It is that simple.