Burt was born at Murton Row, North Shields, the elder son of a miner. He had little formal education and worked in the mines while imbibing the spirit of trade unionism from his father, Peter. In An Autobiography (1924) he looked back at his working life in the '50s. From the age of ten, he worked as a trapper, donkey-driver, putter and hewer in a number of pits. During the Cramlington evictions of 1864, Burt tells us that he:

'Called the miners together and harangued them from the pit-heap, pointing out the folly, hopelessness and peril of resistance, and urging them to keep the peace. I further advised the occupants of the colliery houses to desist from barricading their doors and windows and submit in peace to the inevitable.'

This had no effect and a detachment of soldiery from Manchester had to be brought in before the candymen could do their work. Burt became an ardent student and later gained the reputation of being one of the most cultured men in the House of Commons. He was appointed secretary of the Northumberland Miners Mutual Confidence Association in 1865 and remained in the post until 1913. In trade disputes, Burt was noted for his conciliatory methods. In 1873 he was elected Lib-Lab MP for Morpeth, the first working miner to be elected to parliament, and retained his seat until his retirement in 1918. He seldom spoke in the house but was effective when he did. His name is associated with the Employers' Liability Act (1880), factory and mine safety legislation, and amendments to the Trades Union Congress held in Newcastle in 1891 (attended by Beatrice Webb). Burt was also president of the International Peace league 1882-1914.
His books include Howkie Gan te Parliament and Morpeth Hubbuboo. On Northumberland Road in Newcastle stands Burt Hall, with a statue of a miner in the gable, modelled on Ralph Hedley's painting Going Home. It makes a fine memorial to Burt.