Mr Burnham has followed the time-honoured path for career politicians. University (a degree in English from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge). Then a “researcher” for Tessa Jowell, a spell with a quango - the NHS Confederation in 1997; an administrator for the Football Task Force; a “special adviser” before being selected to contest a safe Labour seat (there were once such things) in 2001.
On to serving as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Home Secretary David Blunkett then PPS to Education Secretary Ruth Kelly. Then followed a number of ministerial positions under the Blair and Brown government. His first shot at the party leadership came in 2010 when he came fourth of five runners. A second shot in 2015 saw him come a distant second to Corbyn.
He’s since, of course, moved on to greater things, joining the bandwagon that is the elected Mayors, so beloved of politicians eager to have a second career path open to them. With a decent stipend of £110k, a comfy office, lots of lackies to do his fetching and carrying, no doubt plenty of perks and very little to bother him, he can make the kind of noises that all local politicians make, slagging off central government and anybody else who they believe will make them look useful to their gullible electorate. There’s no way Mr Burnham’s hat will be thrown into the ring for a third shot at a dead end job that is Leader of the Labour Party.