Voters welcome Burnham as 'northern PM'
BBCWhen Andy Burnham becomes prime minister, he will be the first holder of that position to have been born in the north of England for more than half a century.
The previous PM with a northern address on their birth certificate was Harold Wilson.
Wilson, born in Cowlersley, Huddersfield, is remembered in the town in a number of ways, but the most striking visual reminder is the statue of the politician outside the distinctive neo-classical train station.
Coincidentally, as PM, both held seats in the north west, with Wilson in Merseyside and Burnham in Greater Manchester.
Ahead of Burnham's inauguration, BBC Yorkshire's Spencer Stokes walked around with a cut-out of the self-proclaimed 'King of the North' to ask those in Wilson's Huddersfield what they think of the incoming prime minister.
Robert Pogson, 74, has lived in Huddersfield all his life and is pleased to see a northerner in power.
Pogson once lived on Warneford Road in Cowlersley - where Wilson was born, in a terraced house in 1916.
While serving two stints as PM between 1964-70 and 1974-76, Wilson represented the Merseyside seat of Huyton - just 15 miles (24.1km) from Burnham's home village.
Pogson agrees that Burnham being northern makes a difference to his political outlook.
"He'll do things for us up here that southerners don't even think about.
"They talk about the Northern Powerhouse, I've seen no evidence of that but he may make it happen."
Pogson still holds a soft spot for Wilson, who died in 1995.
"He was just a northern lad, born and bred in Huddersfield, made it to be prime minister, what more can you say about him?"
James Byrne agrees that Burnham will be a step in the right direction for the country, adding that the policies seen in Manchester excite him.
"He's a good man, I like what he's done in Manchester, I like "Manchesterism" and I like the idea that he's bringing forward."
Manchesterism has come to represent what Burnham has overseen in Manchester during his nine-year tenure as mayor, including greater devolution.
It has seen Manchester become one of the fastest-growing economies in the UK, while Burnham himself has described his political position as "business-friendly socialism".
Byrne adds that the new prime minister is "no doubt" a change for the better.
Despite the encouragement from Wilson's hometown, some aren't quite sure on the incoming prime minister.
Angela Hall is one of them, adding that she thinks Burnham is merely "just another prime minister" and is not a fan of either the man or the party he represents.
"As a person, he probably means the best but I'm not keen," she adds.
Him being a northerner will not make a difference, according to Hall.
"I very much doubt it. In London it's completely different from round here, but I don't think it would make a difference."
Fifteen miles away in Barnsley, where the electorate turned their backs on Labour in the recent local elections, voters have given their thoughts.
Andrew Orchard, 78, a former university lecturer, says Burnham is an improvement but worries than he is not "strong" on immigration.
"That worries me greatly. I'd like him to get the immigration problem under control. They seem to be open for anybody who wants to come in."
While Elizabeth Orchard thinks Burnham should call a general election.
"I would like the people to decide whether they want him. He's almost got in by default."
She thinks Burnham should seek to address the issues in the NHS and police regarding funding and staffing.
"The police just aren't there, they haven't got the manpower," she adds.
Mother-of-two Hannah Needham, 33, wants Burnham to prioritise childcare, especially for working parents to make "their lives easier".
While Jeanette Ayton wants him to "fix" the NHS and get rid of privatised services across the country.
Ayton, a former member of the Labour party, says: "I have a whole long list. I want him to sort out welfare and elements of climate policy.
"I had great hopes when Labour was elected last time, and only left the party during the course of this current parliament."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
