𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Andy Burnham quipped that he is “probably going to be in trouble at home over the weekend” after a risky comment during the launch of the northern branch of Downing Street. Burnham, who became Prime Minister on Monday (July 20) following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer, was in Manchester today to talk up his vision for No 10 North, a newly-opened outpost in Manchester he is planning to work from each week.

The move is part of his stated ambition to decentralise political power, so high-level decisions of national importance are not solely made in Westminster. The new PM, 56, gained national attention as the long-time mayor of Greater Manchester, and was effusive about the spotlight being shone on the North West as he addressed staff there. The Labour leader told them: “I cannot tell you what a proud moment this is. I think this might be the best day of my life.

“I’m not joking. I know you think I am, but I’m not. Things are just completely coming full circle here, for me to be here with you all in the heart of Manchester this Friday morning at the end of a fairly big week is just everything to me.”

But later, he appeared to acknowlege that his enthusiasm may have gotten the better of him.

Speaking as he opened a meeting of the National Economic Council at No 10 North this afternoon, saying: “I described this earlier as the best day of my life, and I think I’m probably going to be in trouble at home over the weekend because my other half might have some other views about what should be the best day of my life.”

“But it is something huge, really, because I left this city in 1991 because I couldn’t find anything to do,” he added, as per Sky News.

“There was not a job I could find here, and it’s the story of so many people in Britain having to leave the place where they belong because there wasn’t opportunity, and then having to go somewhere else.”

He added: “And here we are, 35 years on, as the centre of government lands here in the north of England.”

Mr Burnham met his wife Marie-France van Heel, also 56 and whom he calls “Frankie”, while the pair were studying at the same Cambridge University college in 1989.

They married in 2000 and have three adult children together, Jimmy, Rosie and Anne-Marie.

Ms van Heel is a successful marketing executive, currently serving as chief marketing officer of UK-based green infrastructure development firm Iduna.