rReporter ROBERT JOHNSON spent a day with Leigh MP Andy Burnham and found out that it can be pretty hard work in the House of Commons.

I WAS due to meet Andy Burnham at 10am in the central lobby of the House of Commons - but he was late by nearly an hour.

The Leigh MP had been busy in a Health Select Committee meeting and was rushing over to meet me just before the famous Big Ben chimed 11am.

The day started in earnest as we took a behind-the-scenes look into the working day of the 34-year-old MP. We started the day just after 11am, with a cup of tea. We talked informally about his life as MP for Leigh, the Sports Village project and balancing his personal life with his professional career.

"I love the job. I was a bit overawed at first with all the MPs, but it's like any other working place. I just want to give something back to Leigh," he said.

The working week for Andy Burnham starts on Monday morning with his weekly trip down to the House of Commons via a three hour train journey to London Euston. From Monday to Thursday, he spends his time in the House of Commons conducting his parliamentary business.

On Thursday night he will take a train home to his home in Golborne but his week has still yet to finish.

Every Friday he will be in his Leigh constituency carrying out vital public appearances and work in the area. On Saturday mornings he holds a series of drop-in sessions for local people. And after that he has the rest of the weekend to spend with his wife and two young children - and sometimes indulging in his love of football and Everton Football Club.

But normally he likes to spend quality time with his young family.

"It's tough being apart from my wife and two children. I just love coming home and being with them at weekend," he said.

After 15 minutes chat over tea it's back to the grindstone. Andy Burnham heads for the House of Commons for a debate on education and the hot issue of university tuition fees, while I observe from the gallery seat.

At 12.30pm we head over to a press conference which Andy Burnham is keen to promote and get involved with. The press conference is on the launch of Tackle Learning - a project which involves Rugby League and Union to use the sport in the classroom.

We mingle with dignitaries from the RL and RU world, as well as MPs and the Further Education Minister, Ivan Lewis. The Rugby Union World Cup is on display and England player Jason Leonard is there, as well as Rugby League ace Adrian Morley.

But Andy Burnham is busy networking in the packed press conference, which is on the verandah of the House of Commons - adjacent to the River Thames.

He talks to the Chief Executive of Rugby League, Richard Lewis, about the Leigh Sports Village - promoting the project and the town.

After an hour the press conference is over and we retire to the Strangers restaurant in the House of Commons for some lunch.

But Andy Burnham gets an urgent message on his pager to see Education Minister Ivan Lewis in his office. Twenty minutes later he returns with a big beaming smile.

"We've got £11million for Wigan and Leigh College," he said happily. He had just been told by the Education Minister that the Leigh campus would receive the cash as part of the Leigh Sports Village project - a vital and important step in the scheme.

By 3pm our day is nearly over - except to call over to his parliamentary office in Portcullis House - the Old Scotland Yard.

As he walks down, he rings up the Leigh Journal office and tells them the news of the funding breakthrough. "£11million, what do you think of that?" He said into his phone.

By 3.30pm we had said our goodbyes before he headed home for a meeting with the North West's Labour MPs on the same night.

But not before he went over to the Home Office to see Home Secretary David Blunkett....