The UK's next PM has a carefully curated image. Not everyone is buying it

Andy Burnham, the UK's prime minister-in-waiting, dons his "Manchester clothes" at an event last week. (Reuters: Temilade Adelaja)

Andy Burnham is sitting in a room, a guitar on his lap, chatting to one of his idols about music and Manchester.

The video with Aziz Ibrahim, of Simply Red and Stone Roses fame, was posted on Mr Burnham's social media accounts in April. In it, they strum some chords and discuss Northern England's nightlife in the 80s.

It's what we have come to expect from the United Kingdom's prime minister-in-waiting.

For some, Mr Burnham's casual communication style is refreshing.

Others say it's a carefully crafted facade, disguising the fact that he's a ruthless Labour Party lifer.

"It's how he operates, that is how he works, and I think that it serves him really well to get him where he is today," his long-time political rival, Laura Evans, told the ABC.

"He doesn't want to get in front of the media. He doesn't really want to answer questions about the real stuff that matters.

"There is a lot of great marketing, but where are the facts?"

A Labour Party leadership contest that will decide the UK's next prime minister begins today. So far, Mr Burnham is the only candidate.

People in Manchester, where Mr Burnham has served as mayor for almost a decade, know him well.

If, as expected, he remains unchallenged, the rest of the world is about to meet the man they call "the king of the north" too.

Laura Evans, a political rival of Andy Burnham's, is not buying into the hype. (ABC News: Alex Parsons)

While Mr Burnham has a long history of interacting with the media and being questioned by voters, he has been criticised by some for not holding an official press conference since he returned to national politics via a by-election last month.

The morning after his victory in the constituency of Makerfield, in England's north-west, he gave a speech to cameras at a local football ground but literally ran from reporters on its conclusion.

Ms Evans, who unsuccessfully stood against Mr Burnham in two mayoral races as the Conservative Party candidate, insists she's not a "sore loser" and concedes her old political foe is a talented communicator who has an innate ability to connect with voters.

But she attributes much of his success to "telling people what they want to hear" and ignoring key requirements in local governance.

"Basic things like keeping the city tidy, he hasn't done," she said. "It's grubby, it's untidy, and there is a clear sign of failure here.

"That doesn't resonate with a man who's got pride of place or is able to delive