Andy B’s speech

Andy is growing on me. Not enough that I’d consider voting Labour at a GE, but I like him.

Oh, I’m glad there’s a thread on this - I was looking for one earlier and couldn’t see one! I thought it was extraordinary. I’ve been really quite disillusioned about politics over the last few years, and this speech genuinely reminded me that politics can be a force for good. I know the proof will be in the pudding, but I found it so refreshing to finally hear some big ideas, a kind of moral clarity and a politician actually telling us what they’re for, instead of just sniping about what they’re against.

I thought it was fantastic 🌹

I will always be a Green voter but Labour have really impressed me since Andy took office. With Kier, I thought that the Liberal order was on the verge of collapse and that the right would get into power and undo everything that we have worked so hard to achieve, but I think Andy Burnham will do enough to buy us another 20-30 years and long enough to change the demography of the country and secure a left wing/socialist government forever.

I'm certainly feeling a lot more optimistic about the future now.

Most hopeful I have felt about politics and the future for ages.
What a difference to KS who was a decent enough man but not a natural leader.

It felt like a speech by a Labour prime minister. Which is refreshing. He is comfortable with himself and with the Party. On the triple lock , all the parties are in agreement it had to change. Farage wants to scrap the pension anyway. On PR , I hope they don't go for the dogs dinner AV with top ups etc. I'm biased being in Ireland but I can't see past the Single Transferable Vote. It is transparent, no top ups or opaque lists. Keeps the constituency link.

Andy Burnham will be at the mercy of events thanks to the president of the US alas. But he has named a lot of the problems . Speaking it out loud takes a lot of the fear away.

The speech covered everything that we as a family have been saying for years, we finally felt understood.

I agree it made me cry too. I've seen criticism of the speech because it doesn't sufficiently address what exactly should be done.

but in my view, you cannot get to a correct prescription if you haven't first got the right diagnosis.

and I think A B speech pointed out much of what is wrong (the diagnosis) and outlined how we might put this right (the prescription).

it was the speech I longed for after the Labour Party was elected. It's taken over two years, but I got the speech, full of passion and commitment, I wanted.

I thought it was really good. It was great to see emotion too, made him much more personable. I thought he spoke really well and from the heart. One of the best speeches I’ve seen in recent years actually.

Taking the speech as a whole, I loved it. I think it’s among the best and most passionate political speeches I’ve ever heard. I never forget Neil Kinnocks speeches and Burnham’s made me feel similar.

In terms of detail, I’m not sure about his and Lucy Powell education path changes as I fear some young people will lose opportunity at 14 when perhaps the issue could be quality of existing education. I’m also not convinced about voting reform - I’m in Scotland and our system throws some odd results.

I believe his personal commitment to the social care system and I really really want whatever comes in to be a success.

I was not a Burnham fan and I hated the method of him getting to PM. I was sceptical and am not usually someone swayed by charm. I could not however help myself here though because I liked the substance and vision. I’m also a bit lapsed Labour because of things like their treatment of Rosie Duffield and certain women’s rights issues but I hope I can find my political home again soon.

As for the triple lock - as long as his reforms increase the base pension to something that is livable on as the starting point, it will have done its job. Not sure how it will work in Scotland where there’s already free social care as far as I know.

Finally, yes, it made me cry.

What did you think?