'King of the North' Andy Burnham still has his eye on the prize - in Westminster.
The Labour Party is now running neck and neck with the Tories in terms of popularity according to the polls.
Keir Starmer has got the party back on track after it was trounced at the last General Election.
But Mr Burnham, despite his vocal spats with the government for allegedly ignoring the regions, has revealed he still has ambitions to "one day" be leader of the Labour Party.
But he says he is not "plotting" a coup.
It is some turnaround for Mr Burnham who, when launching his mayoral manifesto with an Oasis, Stone Roses, and James soundtrack, told the Manchester Evening News: "I've just come to the conclusion that Westminster isn't going to correct itself. It does need people to step outside and say it's not the only show in town."
He also said at the time he wanted to make sure Labour in Greater Manchester "is its own voice" rather than a "wholly-owned subsidiary".
Asked if the Mayor's office was a convenient stepping stone he said: "Absolutely not. I'm very invigorated by this whole thing now. I feel 100 per cent I am doing the right thing".
And a year in to his post as Mayor of Greater Manchester he said: "I've not spent on day missing Westminster. I really haven't. I'd tell you honestly if that was the case but I look back actually and I just kind of feel the reasons I decided to leave have become even more apparent. Institutionally it is not set up to deliver for the north. And I think that's become more and more obvious to people."
If he did get the top job it would be at the third attempt after two previous failed attempts.
Speaking at an event organised by Jewish charity Limmud in Manchester, Mr Burnham said he’d consider giving it another go.
According to the Jewish Telegraph Mr Burnham said: “I'd be lying if I said I didn't have aspirations [to lead the party].
“One day, if it became possible, but I'm not sitting here plotting a way to do so. I wouldn't say never"
After serving as Culture Secretary and Health Secretary under Gordon Brown in 2010, the former MP for Leigh, came fourth in the contest to replace Gordon Brown. He missed out to Ed Milliband.
Five years later his popularity amongst the rank and file rose - but it was still not enough. He came second to Jeremy Corbyn to replace Mr Miliband.
He embraced the ultimately disastrous new regime by becoming Shadow Home Secretary in Mr Corbyn’s top team, which he quit in 2016 to run for Mayor of Greater Manchester.
During lockdown Mr Burnham's profile has been raised massively being nicknamed "King of the North" after standing up for Manchester in tense spats with Boris Johnson over lockdown support.
As recently as November he said of Westminster : "My mum always says the real me comes out when I am tired and angry… I just thought, what’s the point of my role if this is the way we are treated?”
Later, Mr Burnham appeared to walk back some of his comments, saying they had been taken out of context.
He tweeted: "It’s still the case that I expect this to be my last job and I can’t see how it would happen.
"But asked if I had the aspiration I couldn’t deny it. I have tried twice after all!"
