Andy's first U turn

There is a difference between 'a source in no10' 'a spokesperson from no10' and 'Andy Burnham'.

I think it was always obvious the PM would seek a route to prevent the release, if possible.

In the meantime, there's discussion of the issues.

Politics is complicated. Voters get disappointed if they expect simplicity.

Journalists didn't report it as government policy, they reported something no.10 had said.

Politics is a lot of noise, only some of it is official noise.

A briefing from no.10 is not a statement from the PM.

I agree there's been confusion here, but this is not a policy U turn really - no fixed policy was announced.

I think he knew that.

Yet when Keir Starmer listened to concerns and acted, whilst trying to clear up 14 years of Tory mess, … all we heard was Oo u turn, u turn, u turn!

Burnham’s wanted this gig for 10 years; plotted a coup against Starmer for at least a year (possibly longer); and got what he wanted. Perhaps he’s now realising it’s not that easy!

Absolutely this.

A man listens to concerns and acts. When having to clear up a mess left in the main by three of the worst government ministers ever (Chris Grayling, Dominic Raab and Liz Truss were all Justice Secretary).

I may disagree with some of the way it is done, or want alternatives to be considered, but don't call this a U turn.

He's made lot of U-turns from his original witterings. Thats what politicians do.

I don’t entirely understand your point, but if you mean that some people are turning on him reflexively and for no other reason, I agree.

The difficulty Burnham starts with, though, is that he ran around begging to secure a by-election, walked away from his mayoral term and engineered a coup against Starmer. That’s all perfectly within the ‘rules’ but it leaves an unpleasant taste in many mouths, including Labour supporters’.

It’s not hard to see why his manoeuvring leaves him open to being thought a gobby snake oil salesman who’s ridden into town. But he has his chance to disprove that.

I like him. He is trying to make changes that help people. That seems more than any of the last bazillion prime ministers have done.

Wow, it hasn't taken long! A few weeks ago he was a cross between Superman and James Bond, and it was hard to find someone who didn't like him. Well you'd better give him a chance, unless you'd like to see another leadership fight?

It’s been a while since Burnham was in Westminster one thing that has changed is the extent of SM and its ability to shape policy via backlash.

He will probably learn just speaking as he makes up his mind along the way isn’t as possible with that scrutiny.

TBF, establishing political talent takes a while. There may be some reputations to be made over the next three years.

Even so, I do agree that both Starmer’s and Burnham’s cabinets look pretty amateurish.

Cooper is a big-hitter IMO, but she’s been demoted a long way down. God knows why she agreed to take health and social care. It’s a pretty ignominious appointment after Home and Foreign Sec.

I think AB is a decent bloke trying to do good. Good MP, ok Mayor but Prime Minister? I'm not so sure. Saying that, he's exposed, where are his Cabinet big hitters? His Jack Straw, Barbara Castle, Dennis Healey or Robin Cook. He's not supported by any great talent, which I'm sure he's finding out quickly.

14 years of Tories
Brexit
Ring wing media

Everytime Labour PMs are put under scrutiny, these are wheeled out. You don't think out loud as PM, when you've got millions of citizens' welfare at stake. He's not thinking how to build his next bus station.

Backtrack Burnham. He's already showing he's out of his depth. He's going to get a real taste of what it's like being pressurised from all quarters while juggling hot potatoes.

AB seems a bit exposed on this. Why aren't the Justice Minister or Prisons Minister making any statements to back AB up? Why aren't they (whoever they are) taking the lead on this?

But AB is having to correct previous Tory gvts' mistakes, not his own

He has been thinking aloud, which some people see as a weakness. People who worked with him in Manchester said "He won't take 'No' for an answer". This seems to be an example of that mindset.

He can't even ban disposable barbq.

If you can’t see why your political hypocrisy is a problem then I don’t think any political thread is for you.

Politics is the art of the possible, it’s about making things work. Sometimes, that can be a bit messy and sometimes you can’t get things to work out how you want. If you add on top of that ridiculous constraints, like never changing your mind, never fudging the edges to get good policies through you may as well have a dictatorship.

The point: is AB doing what is in the public interest? Is what he is doing legally possible?

He may have initially been told it couldn’t be done and then pushed for a different response from a different civil servant. legal opinions differ - you must know that. On new advice he changed his stance - this is a very reasonable thing to do. You are howling about a U turn when he is now probably doing something you actually want!

Its madness.

I am not a labour supporter, but I am willing to give him a chance - hence “watching closely”.

It is such early days but thankfully we have moved away from Starmer, who adhered to Whitehall bureaucracy and managerialism.

Burnham had to push back because he hadn’t learned to ‘hold his tongue’ but he will be judged on what he did next, push Whitehall for change. He now has to deliver.

My faith in Labour is very shakeable. There was much I didn’t approve of during Starmer’s term and I was very vocal about it. Glasses and suits donations, the winter fuel debacle, the Mandelson appointment just off the top of my head. I’m definitely not going to criticise a new PM doing his level best to navigate a complex situation.