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Today in Focus

Andy Burnham’s (third) bid for the Labour leadership

26 May 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 1.313 The Guardian

This is The Guardian.

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Chapter 2: What is Andy Burnham's current political situation?

8.504 - 33.062 Nosheen Iqbal

Today, the Mancunian candidate, Andy Burnham. There's been weeks of talk about Andy Burnham being the hottest thing in British politics. After months, or let's face it, a whole career, of building up to this moment, the Mayor of Greater Manchester is fighting to win.

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33.622 - 40.491 Andy Burnham

I'm in the campaign. I'm fighting to win it with your support and with the support of the great people of this constituency.

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41.192 - 48.06 Nosheen Iqbal

First, in the Makerfield by-election. And then, well, to become the next Labour Prime Minister.

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48.327 - 53.615 Andy Burnham

A vote for me in this by-election campaign is a vote to change Labour.

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56.059 - 87.425 Nosheen Iqbal

Burnham mania is a real thing. He consistently polls higher than any other Labour politician. He seems likeable. He can talk to people. He's got great eyelashes. But behind the hype is one small question. What does Andy Burnham actually believe in? In October, Burnham said Britain shouldn't be in hock to bond markets when deciding how to spend money. More recently, he's been walking that back.

87.846 - 91.671 Andy Burnham

I have never said you can just ignore the bond markets.

Chapter 3: Why is Andy Burnham considered a potential Labour leader?

92.693 - 95.998 Andy Burnham

I said that politicians have placed Britain in hock.

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97.04 - 99.864 Nosheen Iqbal

He once said that he wanted the UK back in the EU.

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100.385 - 105.132 Andy Burnham

I'm going to be honest, I'm going to say it. I hope in my lifetime I see this country rejoined.

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105.635 - 109.719 Nosheen Iqbal

And now, as Makerfield looms into view, it's not so much his thing.

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110.239 - 114.863 Andy Burnham

The last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments.

115.784 - 123.631 Nosheen Iqbal

And if he thought Andy Burnham would be Labour's liberal voice on immigration and asylum... We've always played a part in terms of welcoming people in the past.

123.651 - 126.053 Andy Burnham

We stand ready to do so going forward.

126.454 - 131.839 Nosheen Iqbal

Well, it turns out he now backs the Home Secretary's tough crackdown too.

132.299 - 135.642 Andy Burnham

I've said, you know, the thrust of what she's doing is right.

Chapter 4: What beliefs and values does Andy Burnham hold?

319.562 - 345.28 Andy Burnham

It is a vote to give the people here in these communities who supported us through the years, it's a vote to give them the party back that they used to know. That is what this is a vote for. A party. a party that is solidly, solidly on the side of working class people and working class communities.

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346.201 - 365.479 Josh Halliday

Another thing that he does, which hasn't had much of a show in politics in recent times, and it's not yet come up in this by-election, but I think it probably will do, is that he is quite unusual for a person on the left of politics because he can articulate a progressive form of patriotism.

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366.37 - 381.46 Andy Burnham

I love this country, our country. I feel proud to be British. I don't subscribe to the current fashion of putting more narrow loyalties first. I am British before I am English.

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381.862 - 389.876 Josh Halliday

He kind of does that really convincingly. He can articulate this sense of, you know, being a nation of, you know, inclusion.

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390.257 - 396.428 Andy Burnham

I love what Britain has always stood for as a country, for the underdog against the bully.

396.847 - 417.202 Josh Halliday

not shying away from, you know, the flag, which has become a divisive topic in politics, reclaiming St. George's flag as a kind of, you know, symbol of pride rather than division. He can do it in a way that doesn't feel kind of stilted and awkward. You know, when you get cabinet ministers saying, I have St. George's flags in my home and you just don't believe them.

417.362 - 418.323 Nosheen Iqbal

You just cringe as well.

418.343 - 435.628 Josh Halliday

Yeah. I mean, well, he's a politician that, you know, does go to the football, does enjoy a pint. He seems normal. He seems normal.

437.093 - 444.605 Nosheen Iqbal

Josh, that is Andy Burnham now. But can you tell me how he got here? You know, what was his early life like? How did he get into politics?

Chapter 5: How did Andy Burnham's early life shape his political career?

661.21 - 680.539 Josh Halliday

So it's personal for him? It's really personal, yeah. So when he spoke at Anfield on the 20th anniversary, he was there as the representative for the UK government. So it was an incredibly tricky position for him to be in personally because of the deep hurt that many in Liverpool felt towards the government still at that time.

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681.139 - 683.463 Nosheen Iqbal

They felt they hadn't seen justice for the victims, right?

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683.483 - 683.904 Josh Halliday

That's right.

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683.924 - 686.948 Andy Burnham

But today, as the Prime Minister has asked me to convey...

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687.046 - 690.07 Josh Halliday

But it's a very striking moment when he starts to talk.

690.09 - 698.26 Andy Burnham

96 fellow football supporters who died will never be forgotten. And he asks us to think at this time.

699.922 - 716.062 Josh Halliday

The crowd starts chanting over the top of him, Justice for the 96. And he stops and steps back and sort of lets that moment unfold. Justice for the 96!

716.082 - 716.462

Justice for the 96!

726.078 - 750.142 Josh Halliday

And I think in those kind of seconds was kind of a pivotal moment in his political career because he was hearing people, he was there facing up to it as a member of the government of the day. The following day he spoke to cabinet in government and basically kick-started the process for excavating the Police records exposing the injustice and the cover-up.

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