Do you want a change of leader?

Proven is a previous career is irrelevant. The public wants a Prime Minister who can deliver and Starmer has failed to do that. Time to step aside for someone new or call a general election.

They all U-turn - remember the fast backtracking of Farage and Badenoch over their previous jingoism regarding the Iran war. Starmer is proven in his previous career - from an ordinary background but has achieved a lot, and continues to if people would look at the facts. The perception of 'dull' as opposed to the more flamboyant Burnham is presentational and superficial - everyone wants a celebrity now.

The constant U turns highlight just how weak Starmer is (was) as a leader. It's interesting how many people continue to equate 'dull' with 'competence' though.

Indeed

people talk about AB as if he is some kind of saviour or Messiah! He def is neither, and I generally support him.

he’s about to find out how hard it it to be PM and lead such a fractured Labour Party and nation

I agree that a combination of Starmer and Reeves are making the country worse by mismanagement of the economy. They are both dull but also incompetent worst of both worlds.So many U-turns show there’s no plan. I think the soon Burnham takes over the better. He’s biggest decision is who will be an excellent Chancellor as that’s a tough job.

I want dull and boring and responsible leadership. I'd stick with Starmer until the next GE personally.

Sadly I think this is playing out exactly as predicted before the last election. Country has been fucked by Brexit/Tories/foreign interference for years. Labour get in and can't fix everything in 5 minutes - but they are progressing.

More interference to whip up anxiety about what 'they' are going to tax next. Sensible talks about alignment with Europe treated as some 'betrayal" of the Brexit unicorn.

More PM changes. More chaos. Next GE people want more certainty and the right wingers will promise that...and lo and behold Reform get in. And then they gut the NHS, employment protection, renters rights and the rich and influential can relax knowing we're too busy fighting for scraps to turn on them again.

I would have been thrilled with some dull competence.

But it's a double double whammy to find we got both dull and incompetent in both PM and CotE.

I think he needs to go tbh. I voted for Labour under Starmer in the GE and have always voted Labour, but I think a lot of people, myself included to a degree, are moving away from the left at the moment. I wouldn't want another Labour government if there were another GE.

I don't believe Andy Burnham will do any better than Starmer, except that he will probably get rid of Rachel Reeves which I think would probably be a good thing.

Meanwhile in the US you have a near lunatic in charge and apparently nobody can do anything about it for four years. I’m not sure that approach is recommendable either

I agree with you. Starmer is not exciting or particularly dynamic but he is quietly getting on with the job. Change is taking time- of course it is, we are in a mess post-Brexit, post-Covid and post-long Tory rule. Everything is going to take time to fix (if it can be fixed at all). Changing leaders often is really disruptive and feels like it takes us back to square one every time.

I am an Andy Burnham fan generally but as a voter am a bit pissed off that we might now end up with a reform mayor. He’s been a fantastic Mayor

I don’t really get the hatred for
KS. Immigration figures are down, economic figures are ticking up, but I guess not quickly enough
I don’t think a revolving door of prime ministers is a good thing, whichever party is in power. It takes years for any single government to be able to make an impact.
KS should be allowed to finish his term IMO but it looks increasingly unlikely

Absolutely agree, 25 thousand people in a town/ constituency that, with no disrespect to its residents, most people had never heard of until it’s MP stepped down, have effectively changed the course/ remit of the government. No fan of Trump, but at least the US system stops anything like this happening short of total incapacity to do the job for whatever reason

I’m baffled by the Starmer hate. He’s a Labour version of Sunak, solid and a bit boring. He’s no Truss or Johnson or even Corbyn - I can understand why people hate them even if I don’t agree with their point of view.

Labour turned on Starmer the moment his popularity dipped.

If Burnham starts to be unpopular, the same will happen.

Mark my words.

You'd think after the endless psychodrama cycles of the Tory leadership, people would be happy with a bit of dull competence. I know I would prefer it. If we must have a new PM, I hope Labour present a united front and a smooth transition and keep Keir in a key ministerial role.

Thanks @Arewethereyetarewe I'm glad you started this thread. I sent an email to my MP a few minutes ago.. for the moment, at least, if feels right to say:

Keep Keir

Most people I know want the combination of Starmer and Reeves gone as soon as possible. Hopefully, he will resign tomorrow.

No! I don’t know anyone who really does! I don’t understand why steady (boring) Starmer is being pushed out. He was voted in and should stay put and AB can FO back to Manchester thank you very much!!!

No, definitely not. AB will not be able to change much except by going way further to the left and his own ego would stop him from doing that if he thought it would make him unpopular. Plus the country’s standing on the global stage would be damaged by that. And I’m utterly fed up of being told by the media (principally the drama queen Chris Mason who seems to exaggerate everything to justify his job at the BBC) that I do want a different leader. Running a country is not straightforward and policies take time to take effect. I can see that as can most people. Why can no one take a long term view? Also why is the intelligence of the British public insulted at every turn by a media who tell us what “we” want? Please let KS stay.

Im No Starmer fan or Labour voter but this whole Andy Burnham coronation (if it happens) stinks to me. But most of all I wish politicians on all sides would stop messing about and thinking about their own power and address the serious issues facing the UK!

Completely agree. Im
also quite impressed how he’s stood his ground with the orange toddler.

How do people expect "stability" to happen, when two-thirds of the country and half the Labour party hate Starmer and he spends all his energy defending his ridiculous position?

What do you want, stable incompetence and permanent decline, that kind of stability?

General election has to happen. The cracks are too big to be papered over.