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Andy Burnham, who took office Monday as the United Kingdom's prime minister, is bringing a notable Austin connection to 10 Downing Street.
A little more than a year ago, Burnham, who served for nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester, a large metropolitan area in northwest England that includes the city of Manchester, signed an agreement making Manchester a "Friendship City" with Austin - a designation intended to strengthen ties between the two regions. Burnham was elected to a third term as mayor in 2024, and represented about 3 million people.
During a ceremony at Austin City Hall in June 2025, Burnham and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson exchanged Austin FC and Manchester United jerseys and discussed renewed partnerships between the University of Manchester and the University of Texas. Burnham also joined local Austin musicians in song.
On June 4, during an official visit to Manchester, Watson signed an agreement with Greater Manchester's deputy mayor, Kate Green, to upgrade the partnership to a formal "sister city" relationship, the closest partnership Austin can form with another government. Greater Manchester is Austin's 14th sister city.
"Today's signing unlocks opportunities for Austin and Greater Manchester in economic development, innovation, science and technology, education, tourism, arts and music, and urban development," Watson said of the "sister city" partnership, according to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
"Connecting with international partners brings massive wins straight back home to Austinites. The high-wage jobs we're creating don't just boost our quality of life – they attract funding for medical breakthroughs and green tech, bring microchip manufacturing back to the US, and pay for the parks, roads, and city services we use every day," he said. "Plus, this global attention keeps our iconic live music and arts culture thriving. As we mature into our role on the world stage, we're focused on growing these benefits for our entire community."
Burnham was absent from the ceremony in Manchester last month because he was campaigning for a seat in Parliament. The campaign marked a return to national politics for Burnham, who had previously held some of the highest positions in British politics, including serving as health secretary in Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Cabinet and as a member of Parliament representing Leigh, a town in Greater Manchester. A member of the center-left Labour Party, Burnham left national politics in 2017 to return home to northwest England as mayor.
Last month, Burnham won a parliamentary election to represent Makerfield, another constituency in Greater Manchester. He defeated Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon in the British equivalent of a special election. The constituency has been represented only by Labour members of Parliament.
The race drew international attention because Burnham confirmed before winning the seat that he intended to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party. Dubbed the "King of the North" by his supporters, Burnham was widely viewed as a favorite to succeed Starmer. He won the seat Friday after running unopposed.
On Monday, King Charles III formally asked Burnham to form a government, becoming the United Kingdom's seventh prime minister in a decade.
Burnham now takes office at a particularly fraught time for Britain's governing Labour Party, just 13 months after helping launch Austin's partnership with Greater Manchester.
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