‘Total class act’: Marie-France van Heel is poised to be a very different PM’s wife
The former marketing executive is expected to play a big role in promoting the UK and could be the most influential spouse in No 10 in yearsSarah Brown called Gordon...
By Alexandra Topping Political correspondent · The Guardian World
The former marketing executive is expected to play a big role in promoting the UK and could be the most influential spouse in No 10 in years Sarah Brown called Gordon her hero , Samantha Cameron insisted David was “incredibly funny” , while Akshata Murty said Rishi was her best friend . When Marie-France van Heel spoke about her husband, Andy Burnham, in a rare public interview a decade ago, she joked that she had noticed his “good looks … and monobrow”. The spousal humanising of a party leader is a well-worn political tool, but van Heel is likely to be a very different prime ministerial partner. The former senior marketing executive is poised to play a more significant role in promoting Britain than any other spouse in the last two decades, stepping up her political engagements after stepping back from her own corporate career. Continue reading...