Oh Andy, Andy, Andy.. just Why?

Yields went higher under Sunak and are higher now, Truss is not the issue, it is years and years of refusal to balance the books to try and keep everyone happy, people didn"t notice when they thought their house was making more than them every year, they will notice now though.

@Visiblyabove25 I think most people are really clear on who he is and what he stands for
@KeepPumping What does he stand for?

Well I wanted to know the answer to this - I don't think most people do know - so, like others I was perplexed by Burnham's obsession with 40 years ago. This was the Thatcher years - so it didn't add up.

What I have realised is - it is all about Andy, always. He always refers everything back to him. He is speaking about himself - this was his revelation - when Neil Kinnock gave a powerful speech at the 1985 Conference.

https://archive.ph/rPQzK

ETA: when young Andy committed to joining the Labour party.

Yes, it will soon start to annoy people, it is already TBH. In Manchester they did deals with developers to throw up lots of flats for young trendies, all just overpriced shite, pure bubble-omics.

Badenoch did a u-turn with her shadow cabinet reshuffle, appointing the Truss mini budget architect as shadow chancellor is shall we say interesting.

Burnham does not have concrete experience of how growth works, in fact he left Manchester with the highest debt of any combined authority in England.

I think it is Burnham who will have to adapt his style quite quickly. Today proved how out of his depth he is. Good humoured and likeable will not help at all with the bond market and borrowings he needs to get his act together quickly. The rhetoric about Manchester will soon wear extremely thin.

Yes he pretty much said the same. It was a good, blunt interview.

They won"t do it though, the bond market will have to do it for them, should be fun?

What does he stand for? To me at the moment it looks like - Ex-PM pays better on the global speaker circuit than Ex-Mayor of Manchester so I"ll go for that next, even though I failed twice previously to get the job and it will cost the taxpayer 5 million to get me the gig.

Yes generally to both posts below I was listening to Jim O’Neil, who said no thanks to chief economic advisor role who pretty much said get on top of spending -

Lord Jim O’Neill said earlier that the Prime Minister must “get real” and cut public spending in order to ease pressure in the bond market.

Reform niggled him today over youth unemployment in Manchester, that is a basic thing he is weak on, how is he going to manage UK wide youth unemployment? Bond market looks restless, a currency crisis on his watch would probably force a GE IMO.

I don’t think he is an empty vessel though, that’s the thing. I think most people are really clear on who he is and what he stands for. I think the big, legitimate question is how he affords that vision in the current economic climate - but actually I think the Conservatives (and Reform for that matter) would have the same problem. And if Kemi was planning on painting her party as the fiscally competent ones, then I think she may have made a misstep in the appointment of her new Chancellor.

I agree - this was a very strong question.

I would add though, another point of difference between Andy Burnham and Keir Starmer, is I don’t think Andy Burnham will be as resistant to internal party friction - I think he genuinely relishes robust political debate.

Although, we’ll have to wait and see where defence spending actually ends up after the budget.

You’re lucky really he’s only been in Gov a few weeks - I’ve had the SNP for the last God knows how many years - free bus for kids, free schillbags for P1s, free prescriptions - shit nhs, no jobs,worst drug problem in Europe, can’t build a ferry ,shit schools it’s despairing

Just fix economy and jobs stop all this pussyfooting - it’s embarrassing, school bags for P1s so youre branded the poor kid with the crap Gov issue school bag🙄

Not sure about that. If he’s just another empty vessel his personality may wane with the public.

Obviously it’s just the first go, but his lines on Thatcher etc will tire easily. Especially when there’s current issues that need attention.

This is my nomination for the best at PMQs today. Someone who has the nation in mind not just party political. And please can we have an answer to this question Mr Burnham, you are not making it clear

3% Defence Spending by 2030 - YouTube

Typical of PMQs though, no? Kemi must know there aren’t going to be any answers on the specifics of defence spending or welfare cuts before the budget, so why waste her questions asking? I think the fact that she’s fell back on such a predictable, and easily deflected line of questioning, does show the Conservatives haven’t nailed the best attack lines to actually rattle Andy Burnham, yet.

It’s hardly surprising he mentioned Greater Manchester, though, is it? Surely it’s a good thing to have a Prime Minister who has concrete experience of how their vision for growth has already worked in practice?

I actually don’t think either Andy Burnham or Kemi Badenboch were at their best. I think he came over as good humoured and likeable - which is what most people already think. But it didn’t have the oratory flair I think he’s capable of at his best.

I still think Kemi is going to have to adapt her style as the weeks go on. I do think she’s a strong speaker, but she can come across as supercilious and blinkered, and I don’t think that’s going to work as well opposite Andy Burnham as it did opposite Keir Starmer.

I don’t agree particularly although I might on the Burnham over Starmer. But he has three years, maybe.

I wouldn't say a few levels @KeepPumping -maybe one level and soon to fall a few levels.

I think that the proof will come if it is substance not just better presentation.

LOL, still a few levels up from Starmer though?

All she does is parrot Reform policy, she might as well just join them.

What an affliction for someone in public life.

If the voice had been lighter and I couldn't see him, I would have thought it was a child learning to read.

He’s always spoken like that. And speaks like that when he’s thinking yo buy a bit of time.

Good point but that first answer is so empty and typical of Labour. Ok no answer then.