Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has staked his political future on winning the Makerfield by-election - and, potentially, a tilt at becoming Prime Minister.

But who is Burnham, and how did he get here?

In this special episode of Northern Spin, co-hosts Chris Maguire and Frank McKenna profile the man dubbed the King of the North.

They discuss:

• How Boys from the Blackstuff changed the direction of his life

• His lifelong love affair with music, Everton FC and politics

• Why Hillsborough became a personal crusade

• Walking away from Westminster after losing two Labour leadership contests

• Becoming Greater Manchester Mayor and building the King of the North brand

• Standing up to Boris Johnson’s government during Covid

• His successes and failures as Mayor

• Why it’s sh*t or bust for Burnham and Labour in Makerfield

Northern Spin is a joint production from BusinessCloud and Downtown in Business. It is produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

Chapters:

00:55 – The Man Behind the Mayor: Who Is Andy Burnham?

02:42 – How He Became a Great Communicator (He Wasn't Always)

04:23 – Born in Liverpool: Burnham's Origin Story

06:07 – The Hillsborough Moment

07:42 – Why Liverpool Was So Angry - and What Burnham Did About It

10:37 – Turning His Back on Westminster: Why He Chose Manchester

12:20 – First Day as Mayor

12:47 – Giving Away 15% of His Salary

14:56 – Winning Over a Room of Skeptical Business Leaders

18:11 – Stuck on the M6 but Still Shows Up

21:33 – Great Communicator or Instinctive Politician? The Key Difference

25:47 – Getting it right

28:19 – Soft Power & What It Means on a National Stage

31:10 – Andy's character

32:57 – Why He Hates the Word "Celebrity"

33:30 – The Quote on His Office Wall That Explains Everything He Does

34:31 – Why He's Going Back to Westminster - and Why Now