Andy Burnham, you may have heard, is a proud northerner. And rightly so; not only is the North of England the birthplace of industry, home to Britain’s most beautiful landscapes and a cultural beacon, it is the place where our next prime minister laid the foundations of his rise to power.

By escaping Westminster’s years of post-Brexit conflict and the torrid Corbyn saga, and building his own powerbase on a reputation for positivity and effectiveness, Burnham played a canny long game which has now swept him into Downing Street uncontested. It’s a remarkable story of biding your time then striking to devastating effect at the right moment.

Being “King in the North” (and not, as some in Westminster continue to misquote Game of Thrones, King of the North) has carried him a long way. He is now at the peak of his powers, with Labour’s biggest beasts all vying for his approval as they nervously await the decision on who will get what job in the Cabinet. But, having won the top job on a Northern platform, he must now find a way to govern for the whole nation.

There are compelling political reasons why he must now extend his attention, and his identity, well beyond his own heartlands. There are many Labour MPs who represent seats in the Midlands and the South of England – as well as Wales and Scotland – and he has to find a way to........

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