To find Andy Burnham’s sudden rise to the top odd?

It's absolutely fine not to pay attention to the news @GarlicBiscuits but it will create some embarrassing moments

Just because you haven’t heard of him doesn’t make him new. I’ve certainly been aware of him for several years.

Well, as you appear to be American (from your spelling of favours), I'm not surprised you haven't heard of him.

To answer your question, nothing qualifies him for the job of leader of the Labour Party, and even less as the next prime minister of the U.K. His ego is the size of the universe though, so he will have no doubts about his lack of ability to run the country.

I agree with you. I had heard of him though. What I find puzzling, I think he ran for Labour leader before and didn't get in. But now he's going to save us. Hope he does.

I haven't checked but that's probably a better record than Truss's. Not that that's setting a very high bar ...

you do make it sound like last week he was just working in the corner shop op. he's hardly a random bloke off the street they've picked by chance

Not very long. He was elected in 2001. Junior minister 2005-7. Chief Secretary to the Treasury for about a year (this is #2 at the Treasury). Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2008 for about 18 months. Secretary of State for Health for a year or so until Labour lost the 2010 election and the coalition took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Burnham

And so it starts....Whatever people's views are on Kier Starmer and the current labour government, the media vitriol and subsequent social media, online posts and mumsnet threads started within the first few minutes of his election. Andy Burnham is not even PM yet but we are getting the same. OP, if you have not heard of him then you have obviously chosen not to keep up to date with the news or politics on even a superficial level, which is fine, but hardly anyone else's fault.

Interesting. Some PP, here and elsewhere, ominously warn that AB is Far Left. Others are equally appalled that he is a Blairite.

He can’t be both. Which is it?

He’s a big character. Labour know they need this. With the likes of Nigel and Zack around - both huge personalities (although very different people!!) it seems the way to the top is to have charisma.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g ah 11 months at Health, 7 months as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Wow!

What is a 'viral meme'?

I don't understand what you're trying to say here. We've had two Labour PMs since Blair, who was the least left-wing of the lot. Andy Burnham is generally considered to be well to the left of Starmer, I believe. I can't for the life of me think why you'd say he will involve us in another war. Starmer has just kept us out of one and that's one of the best-received things he's done.

Though I agree it wasn’t difficult to know who Andy Burnham was before this, I agree on the point of what qualifies him to be leader of the Labour Party and our PM. He has had astonishingly little experience of the hugely complex issues he will need to deal with expertly and swiftly. His speech today was full of the buzzwords from his mayorship and did not contain anywhere near enough of anything else.

For how long though?

You won’t find too many people on here in agreement with you OP as Mumsnet is full of Labour voters. I think Burnham will be a lot worse than Starmer and I’ve been actively avoiding the news so I do t have to hear or worry about any of the awful plans he’s got for the UK.

On the flip side, hopefully this will prove just how awful Labour really are and consign them to history come the next election.

As someone online said….Starmer was knifed in the back for a black T-shirt and a pair of eyelashes.

Just because you hadn’t heard of him doesn’t mean nobody else has. I remember him being an MP prior to being Mayor of Manchester. He was quite high profile and if I remember correctly he was a minister in the last Labour government.
I’d say you’re probably in a minority.
Nice try at a bit of faux outrage though.

No worse than Sunak who had never even been an MP and then started getting ministerial positions straight away in his first term as an MP, then became Chancellor, literally from nowhere, and then pushed out Boris to become PM. A meteroric rise from nowhere.

I think we all know there are hidden people with real power behind the scenes in both major parties who "make things happen".

At least Burnham had previously been an MP for many years, had experience as Mayor of Manchester, and has been a visible face in politics for 20 years or more.

How have you never heard of him 😂 he’s been an MP for years and more qualified than a lot of people in politics

He was Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Health Secretary years ago when he was last an MP.

He’s a viral meme.

I’m very pleased with your sudden interest in politics OP.

Just proves you can start with no knowledge at all and educate yourself along the way.

You are absolutely right to be suspicious OP and the faux “you could just google him” posts are tedious.

He’s clearly being installed to continue what Tony Blair started.

I wonder how long before we’re involved in another war in the middle east? Not long, I’d hazard.

Mark my words - he will be even worse than Starmer. A very dangerous, left wing fanatisict.