AIBU to think Andy Burnham might call a general election soon?

I agree

Why would he want a coalition over a majority?

He wouldn't lose. No party is polling sufficiently highly to oust him. Reform would have too small a majority to form a government and Burnham would get first dibs on forming a coalition. The other left wing parties would be falling over themselves to join him to keep Farage out. Don't underestimate the strength of will from all but Reform supporters to keep Farage out. Luckily Farage is doing a lot of the heavy lifting himself in this regard.

There’s a big difference between running Manchester and running the UK. Andy is about to discover this. The stuff about ending infighting in the Labour Party, or a new consensual politics with other parties is laughable. He comes across as so naive. Someone described him recently as ‘parochial’ and that was spot on. “Manchesterism”, please give me a break.

He should really call an election, it’s obvious now that you need the country with you in order to enact change. Labour would lose though, so he won’t.

Very odd, and then a response with another false assumption.

I think they’re missing similar tweets from Labour including Burnham when the last gov changed PM.

What an odd thing to say.

I'd love him to. I run a polling station so it would mean money in my pocket. October/November time would be perfect just in time for Christmas!

He won't though. Why would he risk it when he can carry on like all the others.

I'm really not surprised.

He’s had the scrutiny of voters in Manchester who have voted for him three times. He got a bigger vote share every time.

Hmm yes good question, this and the other hating Britain post seem off.

That’s another issue. As a provincial mayor he has not faced any significant scrutiny over the last few years and he has been appointed to PM so quickly that the press haven’t caught up. You can bet that armies of journalists will now be scrutinising every inch of his personal and political history. I suspect there will be scandals.

I think a failure to understand the UKs electoral system is a good starting point.

Unless you are happy to live in a country where ignorance is not only tolerated but indulged ?

Why do you assume they are not?

I think you are assuming they are British ...

I agree with you - and there is nobody behind him.

When a convicted fraudster and a tax cheat are rumoured to be part of his top team, we know that we are in serious trouble.

No way will he call a GE, why would he enter a race where he is likely to lose.
Like many Z list celebs, he wants his moment in the spotlight.

Many people have made the point that party leaders can and do change mid parliament. But I don't think there has been a situation before where someone shuttled from not even being an MP, to being a PM in a few short weeks. He doesn't even have recent experience of proving himself in a cabinet position, and suddenly he is PM! That's like someone going from medical student to consultant without all the required learning in the middle - unsafe, illogical and risky

No he wont he isn't stupid he has the job he has wanted for sometime and will be looking at how to win the next election with a good and safe majority again

Labour have a large comfortable majority now, Reform are still doing well in the polls, the Greens have picked up the left nut jobs who might have voted Labour and the Tories are gaining support again

Burnham will put Labour into opposition for another decade at least. No one has won an election from the true left for more than fifty years. He has no time, no money and a party famed for factionalism where the infighting is already starting. He has stood for leader twice and the party membership was clear we didn’t want him. Now he has weaseled his way in by dodging any sort of contest. In addition, he is patently not up to the task. From university to successive political appointments he has leveraged his supposedly poor working class background to succeed where in ordinary circumstances he simply would not be there. He talks a lot about imposter syndrome and I think deep down he knows he is an imposter.

What are 'manoeuveres' - you mean politicians acting politically?

Why should a politician not take an opportunity?

Politics is politics - would you rather not have a democratic system?

(As an aside - Manchester haven't been abandoned, they can vote for a new candidate to continue the work. Either Burnham is a man of mystical powers who can never be replaced or he's a politician who can be followed by another mayor.)

He's promising fairer for everyone so who's going to pay for those at the bottom? What's going to be sacrificed, in other areas to get there? We have already done defence. Don't worry, his bank benchers will make sure money finds its way to those they see fit. It's just the hard earning squeezed tax payer that's not going to see the fairness.

Sorry to be a killjoy but, with respect to Burnham’s plan to give people some ‘breathing space’ from the cost of living - the idea that this government can tax the shit out of people, then give you a modest amount back in order to afford the necessities you can no longer afford because of Labour’s high taxes, has got to be one of the most obvious deceptions going.

I’m amazed how many on MN are taken in by this.

Brilliant.

It’s not wrong. No one from Labour posted maybe this criticism is a bit strong for last gov, they were happy to go strong on it. They object now because it’s against their party.

They (and you) will just have to put up with it. It was something they were happy to benefit from.

Hardly. Those of us who have been here a while are used to seeing bollocks posted.