LONDON — Andy Burnham replaced Sir Keir Starmer as UK prime minister on Sunday, 20 July 2026, drawing renewed attention to his personal life and his wife's corporate ties. Burnham and Marie-France van Heel met at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge in 1989. Van Heel, born in January 1970, appeared on ITV's Blind Date in 1992 before the pair married in 2000. They share three children: Jimmy, Rosie, and Annie, with their eldest daughter Annie a Cardiff University graduate.
Van Heel serves as chief marketing officer at Iduna Infrastructure. During Burnham's tenure as mayor of Greater Manchester, he declared his wife's role and recused himself from decisions involving the firm. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority confirmed he met all legal obligations regarding declaration of interests.