UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has revealed that his wife initially opposed his decision to seek Britain’s top job, reminding him that Labour members had already rejected his leadership ambitions twice before.Speaking on the How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, Burnham said his wife, Marie-France van Heel, had to be convinced before he entered the Makerfield by-election, which ultimately paved the way for his move to Downing Street.Recalling her reaction, Burnham said: “She was like, ‘What? Not again. They told you twice they don’t want you. Why are you doing it again?'”He added that she has always been candid when discussing his political setbacks.“She’s quite blunt in telling me about my failures in past endeavours, and she doesn’t hold back, and there’s no soft landing there,” he said.Burnham said the hesitation came from concern rather than a lack of support, explaining that his wife did not want to see him endure another unsuccessful leadership bid.“She didn’t want to see me go through it all again and then end out on the wrong side, at the end of it,” he said.
Long political journey
Burnham previously contested the Labour leadership twice, finishing fourth in 2010 and second in 2015. He later became Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017 before returning to Westminster through the Makerfield by-election and eventually becoming prime minister.During the interview, he said he and his wife have always been open with each other about the demands of public life.“We’ve always just had honest conversations about it. She knows why I’m in politics and what I’m trying to do. It is about changing the country to make it fairer. I know that sounds a bit corny to say, but it’s exactly why I’m doing it, in the same way that I stood to be mayor of Greater Manchester,” Burnham said.
Who is Marie-France van Heel?
Burnham married Marie-France van Heel, known as Frankie, in 2000.Raised in the Netherlands and Belgium, she later moved to the UK to study at Cambridge University, where the couple met. She is currently the chief marketing officer at Iduna Infrastructure and previously served as chief strategy officer at the London-based agency Heavenly, according to The Independent.Throughout Burnham’s political career, she has seen him serve as MP for Leigh, Health Secretary, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and now Prime Minister.
