With betting odds of 1/100 at the time of writing, Andy Burnham’s quest to be the next Prime Minister looks to be a sure thing.
Keir Starmer resigned from his post on Monday, paving a way for the former mayor of Greater Manchester to assume the keys of 10 Downing Street.
If Burnham is successful in that motion, which will be put to a vote of Labour MPs, his reformist stance could spell bad news for the already beleaguered UK gambling industry.
Against the Odds
It’s possible that Burnham will go unchallenged in his bid to become leader of the Labour MP, with only tentative suggestions that any of his fellow ministers will stand against him.
So he could be railroaded in as prime minister within a matter of weeks, with a blank canvas for ripping up his predecessors’ policy ideas.
Burnham has already hinted at some of his manifesto, with the possibility that utilities such as energy, water and the railways could be fully, or at least partially, nationalised.
Although it’s unlikely he would reform the gambling sector from the ground up, Burnham has previously revealed his allegiance to numerous anti-betting groups.
In 2022, he spoke out against gambling sponsorship in sport in partnership with anti-industry group Against All Odds.
“Gambling sponsorship and advertising in sport has become so normalised,” Burnham said.
“We risk creating a culture where people feel they can’t enjoy sport properly without placing a bet. This needs to change.
“I urge every sports club in Greater Manchester to support the Against the Odds campaign. Together we can relegate gambling sponsorship of sport to the history books.”
The Premier League has instituted its own voluntary ban on front-of-shirt sponsorships; that has now kicked in for the start of the 2026/27 season.
However, gambling firms can still sponsor Premier League clubs in other ways – such as pitch-side hoardings and training kit, while there’s currently no ban on them sponsoring clubs in the EFL.
There could be bad news for land-based gambling in the UK, too.
Although not an outspoken critic of retail betting, Burnham has previously lent his support to a campaign that called for local councils to have more power in preventing applications for gambling venue licences from being approved.
Referring to all-hours adult gaming centres, the would-be prime minister commented in July last year:
“These are high-stakes gambling venues, often open around the clock, targeting some of the most vulnerable in our communities.
“It’s unacceptable that councils have so little power to regulate them despite repeated concerns from charities and local residents.”
His past voting record shows that Burnham was somewhat against greater regulation of the gambling industry, although those votes date back to 2004-2015. However, in most cases, he was simply toeing the line of the Labour Party consensus.
In recent years, free of the shackles of political party fun and games, Burnham has forged his own path – one which has been resolutely against the growth of the gambling sector.
How that will manifest itself in future policies, only time will tell.
It’s quite possible that Burnham will replace the current chancellor, Rachel Reeves. Her tax raid on the gambling industry did not go down well with many, so perhaps a replacement could consider overhauling her hikes.
Wes Streeting is one of the early favourites for the role. He has previously framed gambling harm as a public health crisis, and has also called for curbs on the advertising activities of betting firms.
Unexpected Election
Burnham may not even have time to get his feet under the desk before he faces his first major challenge as PM.
Historically, it can be very difficult for a leader that has not been democratically elected to impose themselves – Theresa May called for an early general election less than a year after taking office in 2017.
Other political figures, including Reform leader Nigel Farage, have called for an immediate general election, although it’s likely that such a move will be resisted by Burnham – the bookmakers have the next general election to be held in 2029 as an odds-on bet.
Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, the process that triggered his run to Downing Street, by more than 9,000 votes. That was a ‘home’ game for the Mancunian, but he’s likely to retain plenty of support in the north.
Labour are 11/8 to win the most seats at the next general election, with Reform 7/4 next best. But no overall majority is also an odds-on chance… confirming the unpredictability of British politics in the months and years ahead.