To think Andy Burnham is smug?

This isn't how the UK system works. We have a parliamentary system by design.

Why would burnham be mad to hold a general election? Might give the rest of the country to have a say about who they want in charge, not just the 14,000 makerfield constituents.

@VividPinkTraybakePotential upside to this is people see how important the role of major is in the big MBCs. And the point about him having on the ground experience is excellent.

Fair enough re the smile and hair!

Did he ever say there wouldn't be a contest? Or is that just what's happening? Is he stopping anyone else from standing?

My point was you describe him as unelected. Clearly he is as elected as any other MP.

Oh don’t worry, I’m pissed off at all the tone deaf MPs who plotted and encouraged this too!

....

How often does that little vignette at the end play in your head?

I’ve never claimed to have any sort of political knowledge - unless knowing the fiscal rules is special political knowledge in which case, hey, maybe I could stand to be PM.

I couldn’t care what he looks like. I just don’t want him to fuck up the economy any more than it already is. He said stuff during Makerfield that he had to backtrack on. He’s known for saying different things to different people depending on who he’s speaking to at the time.

How long was Starmer in the cabinet before he became PM? And Blair?

I think that's part of the problem, there is a still a stigma of town halls and councils and opening county fetes.

I mean after all half the people here will be arguing that the next PM should be a man who has never held governmental office in his life. And I bet the argument will be oh he's an outsider, isn't that refreshing.

Or Badenoch, someone who was in the cabinet roughly the same length of time as Burnham was but without the executive experience in between.

I find him incredibly obnoxious!

He was Health Secretary for less than a year

Have you been hiding under a rock?! Everyone knew that a vote for him, was a vote for him swanning into the top job in downing street.

Yes, that is exactly the word that always springs to mind when I see him. I could be wrong, but I suspect he's so proud of his 'working class roots' and probably plays the part of the 'cheeky', 'lovable' scouser (just as others, like Rob Beckett, play the part of the 'cheeky cockney'...christ it's so tedious).

I remember seeing an interview with John Lennon in which he went on about being working class and being brought up to fear and hate the police. In reality, of course, he was raised by a nice elderly aunt in a lovely semi-detached house with a bay window. I bet Burnham smugly goes on about being a working class northerner when he's at some godawful London dinner party. And no doubt the other guests are thinking "oh, f- off Burnham, you went to f-ing Cambridge University."

For someone with such seeming political knowledge it is amazing that you are still arguing this is in anyway against the constitutional norms.

We will see what sort of P.M he will be but he is becoming PM by having the confidence of the majority of MPs in the House of Commons..same as it ever was.

Still at least your objections are more than he looks smug, I appreciate that

Yes these are fairly new positions here. The roles cover all aspects of domestic policy really.

Understanding how things work on the ground is potentially more useful than having a Westminster -centric background.

Lots of other countries use being a Mayor as a step to major political office. One of the things AB has done as mayor is to try to work in a cross party way - let’s hope he can do that at Westminster.

We’re on MN where every day women are worrying that being out of the workplace for ten years puts them at a disadvantage. That’s how long it’s been since he was in the cabinet. Comparing him to Home who was Foreign Secretary the day before he became PM is just daft.

Being mayor of Greater Manchester is not the same thing at all. It’s often been quoted that he stood on the shoulders of giants such as Howard Bernstein who laid the foundations for the economic rebirth of GM.

He's just been elected by the people of Makerfield so he's not unelected.

Oh god, I absolutely can't stand him. He's an unbearably smug, career politician who hasn't worked a day in his life out in the ' real world '. Just because he dresses and talks like ' us', does not make him a man of the people. Beyond fake. How the people of makerfiekd can't see they were being played and exploited is truly beyond me. Well thank you, down to you we're stuck with a unelected prime minister who's in it for the money and prestige and doesn't give a stuff about us. Cheers for that.

@op I have to agree 100% smug. Whoever takes on the job, has a task, due to the situation being a total shit-show

Not in the first message where you stated that the difference between home and Burnham was cabinet experience you didn't

I have no clue how it'll go, neither do you.

I'm just enjoying all the made up objections!

Andy Burnham has probably more experience than most PMs have. He was an MP for about 15 years before resigning, he's had many roles both in the shadow cabinet and in government including Health secretary. He's been the Mayor of one of the biggest cities in England for several years and been a great success.

He's hardly a 'have-a-go-Joe"