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Original poster

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

664 replies

Mywishistoclimbthe3peaks · 20/07/2026 00:56

To think Andy Burnham will call a general election before Christmas? Yes it would be a massive roll of the dice but,

Reform - don't have the numbers for a GE and there's all frog faces suspicious money bringing him a lot of heat.

Torys - kemi doesn't have a lot of depth, I feel and she hasn't changed much in the polls. She's good at the dispatch box but let's face it anyone could stand up and insult the other side.

By calling a GE Andy would have his own mandate and break the deadlock of the back benchers.

Not being unreasonable = he needs to call a GE

Your being unreasonable = Robotic Kier and Ratchet Reeves have gone and Andy just needs to get on with it now.

OP posts:
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concertinacornflake · 20/07/2026 13:49

BermudaRhombus · 20/07/2026 13:41

It’s about pure self interest above public service. In that respect Burnham is the same as Farage.

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Its lazy to dismiss all politicians as the same.

Burnham's policies and Farage's policies are not the same, and I'd bet their total hours clocked in the office differ too.

You seem to think politicians should be apathetic and quiet, but how would that work?

AlwaysExtraHot · 20/07/2026 13:48

concertinacornflake · 20/07/2026 13:28

Can't imagine anyone who wasn't ambitious making a good PM. Is being ambitious now a bad thing?

As for egotistical - what does this even mean in political terms? How can someone say 'vote for me' without making it about themselves to some extent?

I don't understand what people want - someone who stays silent and never asks people to vote for them? Confused

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I don't understand what people want - someone who stays silent and never asks people to vote for them?
Someone who doesn't go on manoeuvres every time there's a sniff of a possibility of a job in Westminster.
And who doesn't abandon an electorate who voted for them for the chance of getting said job.
Would be nice.

ruethewhirl · 20/07/2026 13:47

LagerLady · 20/07/2026 11:53

The UK doesn't want socialism. If AB moves Labour to the left, he is doomed to lose the next election.

Not necessarily. Sorry to break it to you, but poor people have the vote too. (Imagine that!) If he is able to bring about some improvements for those at the bottom of the heap, he will be backed.

ruethewhirl · 20/07/2026 13:46

CagneyLacey · 20/07/2026 10:11

History shows us that Burnham is likely to benefit from an initial bounce in polling, but it will likely prove short lived.

Hopefully, he will try to shoehorn a GE in during this period, and the electorate can then consign socialism to the bin.

What a wretched government this has been.

Edit: the summer recess will also help Burnham mitigate some initial scrutiny….

Edited

If you want to 'consign socialism to the bin'(!), what do you suggest we put in its place, given the destruction the Tories have wrought?

LuckyHazelFox · 20/07/2026 13:44

BermudaRhombus · 20/07/2026 13:41

It’s about pure self interest above public service. In that respect Burnham is the same as Farage.

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Crikey , you're going to get them clutching at their pearls.

BermudaRhombus · 20/07/2026 13:41

concertinacornflake · 20/07/2026 13:28

Can't imagine anyone who wasn't ambitious making a good PM. Is being ambitious now a bad thing?

As for egotistical - what does this even mean in political terms? How can someone say 'vote for me' without making it about themselves to some extent?

I don't understand what people want - someone who stays silent and never asks people to vote for them? Confused

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It’s about pure self interest above public service. In that respect Burnham is the same as Farage.

BrownBookshelf · 20/07/2026 13:38

EasternStandard · 20/07/2026 12:06

It’s really not you just don’t want to hear it. Oh well Labour are feeling the brunt of SM now instead. Enjoy.

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It really is.

Labour did not set the scene for what is happening now, whether you mean criticism of changing PM without a GE, increased use of social media or any other strangulated definition you might come up with because you didn't phrase yourself very well.

Labour are indeed feeling the brunt of social media, which is a different point and does not affect the fact that your claim was wrong.

CagneyLacey · 20/07/2026 13:38

LuckyHazelFox · 20/07/2026 13:32

Which tells me the winners are already identified. If only he had it in his power to make everyone happy.

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Right.

He might be a good bloke, he might not - it’s academic to me. His ability to enact policy which addresses the UK’s structural issues are what interest me, and no, that’s not via ‘who can we tax to pay benefits to others’.

If he turns out to be another weak, uninspiring, duplicitious, back bench/union sop, then he may as well jog on now.

Oh, and enough with the bullshit fringe issues - very few of us truly care.

LuckyHazelFox · 20/07/2026 13:34

concertinacornflake · 20/07/2026 13:28

Can't imagine anyone who wasn't ambitious making a good PM. Is being ambitious now a bad thing?

As for egotistical - what does this even mean in political terms? How can someone say 'vote for me' without making it about themselves to some extent?

I don't understand what people want - someone who stays silent and never asks people to vote for them? Confused

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The Tories and Reform are always referred to as egotistical or similar such phrases.

NorthernJim · 20/07/2026 13:33

He won't call a GE, it can only lead to reducing Labour's majority from their current one.

LuckyHazelFox · 20/07/2026 13:32

CagneyLacey · 20/07/2026 13:30

I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you and I want to be honest with you, we have not been good enough and we need to be better. We will be,” Mr Burnham told the nation.

Sorry, Andy, but it’s not within your power. You are constrained by your back benches and their welfare constituents, the unions and most importantly, the bond markets.

Which tells me the winners are already identified. If only he had it in his power to make everyone happy.

CagneyLacey · 20/07/2026 13:30

I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you and I want to be honest with you, we have not been good enough and we need to be better. We will be,” Mr Burnham told the nation.

Sorry, Andy, but it’s not within your power. You are constrained by your back benches and their welfare constituents, the unions and most importantly, the bond markets.

concertinacornflake · 20/07/2026 13:28

BermudaRhombus · 20/07/2026 13:21

There’s an argument for calling a general election soon so he can capitalise on Nigel’s current weakness around funding and also deprive Reform of more time to prepare. However, I don’t think he’ll call one because the most likely outcome would be a vastly reduced majority (assuming he could even win it). He has ambitions for major changes and he’ll need the existing majority to force that through. He’ll also want to hang on to power for as long as possible because being prime minister is all he’s ever wanted. He is ambitious and egotistical. I’d love to see him out before Christmas, but it’s probably too much to hope for. We’ll be stuck with him until the public send him packing is 2029.

Can't imagine anyone who wasn't ambitious making a good PM. Is being ambitious now a bad thing?

As for egotistical - what does this even mean in political terms? How can someone say 'vote for me' without making it about themselves to some extent?

I don't understand what people want - someone who stays silent and never asks people to vote for them? Confused

Binnyforthewin · 20/07/2026 13:26

LagerLady · 20/07/2026 13:25

Poor old Larry the Cat, he must be getting fed up with this.

Larry going to hate having to move between London and Manchester every few days.

LagerLady · 20/07/2026 13:25

Poor old Larry the Cat, he must be getting fed up with this.

LagerLady · 20/07/2026 13:22

He just wants to squeeze the middle a teensy-weeny bit more.

BermudaRhombus · 20/07/2026 13:21

There’s an argument for calling a general election soon so he can capitalise on Nigel’s current weakness around funding and also deprive Reform of more time to prepare. However, I don’t think he’ll call one because the most likely outcome would be a vastly reduced majority (assuming he could even win it). He has ambitions for major changes and he’ll need the existing majority to force that through. He’ll also want to hang on to power for as long as possible because being prime minister is all he’s ever wanted. He is ambitious and egotistical. I’d love to see him out before Christmas, but it’s probably too much to hope for. We’ll be stuck with him until the public send him packing is 2029.

Original poster
Mywishistoclimbthe3peaks · 20/07/2026 13:20

A week is indeed a long time in politics especially in these times. Andy has been in politics for a long time he's shown over the past year he can play the tactical game. Maybe he's already moved things behind the scenes with the party to get things moving in a forwards direction. Time will definitely tell, I am willing to give him a chance like I do with every PM.

OP posts:
Binnyforthewin · 20/07/2026 13:18

AlwaysExtraHot · 20/07/2026 13:12

Thank you. Yes, it doesn't sound from that as if he's planning a GE.

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Of course he isn't. He's an intelligent man. He knows he would lose a general election.

HandPulledNoodles · 20/07/2026 13:17

RedRiverShore6 · 20/07/2026 13:12

Apart from with Labour it's levelling down

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How so? and how would other parties differ?

RedRiverShore6 · 20/07/2026 13:12

Mywishistoclimbthe3peaks · 20/07/2026 12:57

He doesn't need a GE to shuffle his cabinet he can do that at anytime really. Reform are bluster at this time, yes they are in front on the polls but in practice don't have the party numbers to run in a GE.

Just watched our new PMs first speech. Sounds very much like the Torys leveling up which I do agree with.

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Apart from with Labour it's levelling down

AlwaysExtraHot · 20/07/2026 13:12

EasternStandard · 20/07/2026 13:10

He talked about revolving PMs and the public not liking that, and a ten year plan. So I think he will want to try and settle in and do that.

A GE is such a big upheaval and even if he’s up in the polls May shows that a period of campaigning can deliver an unexpected outcome.

Although a week is a long time in politics so you never know, but I’d say his intention today is to not call a GE soon.

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Thank you. Yes, it doesn't sound from that as if he's planning a GE.

BoredZelda · 20/07/2026 13:11

No, and he doesn’t need to despite what all the supposed “experts” will post on Facebook.

LakieLady · 20/07/2026 13:10

SuziQuinto · 20/07/2026 12:23

Goodness me, how long ago did Michael Foot wear that? 45 years maybe?

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And it wasn't a donkey jacket, it was a short Loden coat.

EasternStandard · 20/07/2026 13:10

AlwaysExtraHot · 20/07/2026 13:06

I haven't listened to the speech. Can I ask why you think that?

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He talked about revolving PMs and the public not liking that, and a ten year plan. So I think he will want to try and settle in and do that.

A GE is such a big upheaval and even if he’s up in the polls May shows that a period of campaigning can deliver an unexpected outcome.

Although a week is a long time in politics so you never know, but I’d say his intention today is to not call a GE soon.