PM Andy Burham: what next for women's (and children's) rights?

I agree, and, from what some are saying on the other thread, it's just not going to be possible to do. So, where is Burnham going with this?

One to watch out for. Women's rights campaigners are going to have to monitor this closely, because we certainly don't want anything written in stone that is detrimental to women's and children's rights, which cannot be challenged later.

Burnham: Britain needs written constitution as country is run differently
The new prime minister has said that a written constitution could be needed for Britain as a "different approach" is taken to running the country.
Speaking this week as he revealed plans for increased devolution, Andy Burnham said the proposals increased the case for a formal constitution because they would change Britain.

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-andy-burnham-keir-starmer-labour-12593360

Will start a new thread on this, as I think it deserves its own discussion.

Sorry, I just can't resist:

Reasons to not trust Andy: Vote for Me, and I'll Be There For You

#33 Did you promise them, five or six weeks ago, that you were looking forward to being their MP, and being around in Manchester to help sort out their problems? Did you, Andy?

"People on whose doors I was knocking only about five, six weeks ago... They did get over to me how tough life was. Can't go for drink anymore. Can't take the kids out. Not having a holiday this year.

"I heard those type of things being said throughout the campaign, and those comments were still ringing in my ears as I arrived in Downing Street," the PM said. [my bold]

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-andy-burnham-keir-starmer-labour-12593360

Well, he bloody forgot he had a wife and children on the day he officially opened No. 10 North, calling it "the best day of his life " so I'm not holding out hope that he has remembered that there even are any women in the Labour Party!

Just been reading through the union boycott thread. I want to hear Andy Burnham publicly denounce the unions for the boycott of the Women's Conference. C'mon, Andy, be a grownup!

https://www.compassonline.org.uk/today-we-launched-mainstream-heres-why/

The list of names of Mainstream won't paste, so here they are (from September 2025):

Mayor Andy Burnham
Clive Efford MP
Paula Barker MP
Clive Lewis MP
Olivia Blake MP
Alex Sobel MP
Dawn Butler MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Dr Simon Opher MP
Chris Hinchcliff MP
Peter Lamb MP
John Denham
Baroness Ruth Lister
Lord Larry Whitty
Baroness Anna Healy
Lord Stewart Wood
Sir Geoff Mulgan
David Ward
Michael Jacobs
Jon Cruddas
Lord Alf Dubs
Fiona Mactaggart
Clare Short
Jon Lansman
John Grogan
Paul Sweeney
Jeremy Gilbert
Glyn Ford

This is Compass (from last year)

7 September 2025
Today we launched Mainstream. Here’s why.

https://www.compassonline.org.uk/today-we-launched-mainstream-heres-why/

"Initiated by Compass, with the support of Open Labour and many others, Mainstream will be an independent vehicle with the sole task of saving the Labour Party from its clear drift to the right and the unintended paving of the way to a Reform government....

But now Labour needs to be pushed from the inside, to ensure that the majority within the party that want to tax wealth, to bring water into public ownership and to ensure that our democratic system is revitalised through the introduction of proportional representation, is heard and heeded. Only then will we unlock the transformation of our country and the possibility of a much more progressive, pluralist future.

This is the mainstream.

[missed out names of Mainstream members- will try to rectify]

And so we’ve set up Mainstream, not because we’ve given up on pluralism and cross-party working, but because we believe in it so much and know that Labour can and must be redirected to become a progressive force once more. A party the electorate will turn towards to back tactically and not turn away from. A party willing to work with others to stop the march of nationalistic populism.

Compass will continue to be the home for Labour, Greens, Liberal Democrats and radicals of no party, for cross-party alliances and big civil society mobilizations on key issues like water ownership and more....."
[my bold underline]

From 17 July 2026

Compass Statement on Andy Burnham’s election as Leader of the Labour Party

full statement here
https://www.compassonline.org.uk/compass-statement-on-andy-burnhams-election-as-leader-of-the-labour-party/

Excerpt:

"...A clear break with the current economic and democratic settlement must be delivered.

This starts with restoring public* *ownership of– not just control over– essentials such as water; ending the democratic injustice of our rotten political system by introducing Proportional Representation and abolishing the House of Lords; and building a new political economy that taxes wealth and not just work, protects both people and planet, and guarantees the essentials for a good life for all.

None of this will be possible without ending the culture of hyperfactionalism that has so devastated the Labour Party.

They must understand the nature of our two-bloc, multi-party politics and learn to form alliances in a spirit of radical pluralism.

They must build the ideas, culture and deep political organisation needed to create change in a permacrisis world and confront the forces of orthodoxy....
[my italics]

A reminder: A member of the Compass Board is Neal Lawson, a key Burnham strategic advisor.

Just copying over for traffic:

Unions boycotting Labour Women's Conference

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5560214-sexist-unions-boycott-labour-womens-conference

thanks @fromorbit

Just copying this across from the Conversion Bill thread

Thanks to @fanOfBen

Free Speech Union is running a petition to try to get the Conversion Practices Bill stopped Apparently Burnham is thought to be going ahead with it - but he has plenty on his plate and maybe it wouldn't take much obvious opposition to get him to give up on it.

Stick fsu conversion practices petition into a search engine and it should come up: headline is Stop the Conversion Therapy Ban. [my bold]

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-andy-burnham-keir-starmer-labour-12593360?postid=12138539#liveblog-body

Bridget Phillipson appointed Labour Party chair

The announcement of Phillipson's appointment said: "A central focus of Bridget's role will be ensuring the Labour Party is prepared to fight and win the next general election, which must take place by 2029.
^^
"This includes modernising the party for a new digital campaigning environment and ensuring Labour has the organisation, talent, infrastructure and policy platform needed to secure a second term in government.
^^
"Bridget will also work to strengthen engagement with Labour members, affiliated trade unions and local parties across the country." [my bold]

------

This will be an interesting test for Bridget!

Either Bridget is a committed activist, and therefore will need to temper her activism, in order to get Labour to the point where they sound reasonable, measured, competent, and able to defeat Reform

or

Bridget isn't a committed activist, and yet now has to try to work with the committed activists in all the affiliated unions, in order to get Labour to the point where they sound reasonable, measured, competent, and able to defeat Reform

Rock and a hard place? Very clever, Andy. Looks like he's setting Bridget up to take the fall.

Politics latest: 'Best day of my life,' says Andy Burnham as he opens new No 10 North | Politics News | Sky News

'Best day of my life,' says Burnham as he opens new No 10 North
Andy Burnham has just given a speech to staff at the new Number 10 North office, saying: "I cannot tell you what a proud moment this is. I think this might be the best day of my life."

Well, that says a lot: not the day he met his wife, or the day he married her, or the births of his children. No. The opening of the Number 10 North office.

Careless, unthinking man, carelessly reading a stupid line that a useless speechwriter wrote? Wishing halfway through that he had changed that line?

Or does he not think about his wife AT ALL?

Reform still ahead in first Sky/YouGov poll since Burnham became PM

Reform UK are still ahead in the first YouGov poll since Andy Burnham took over as prime minister.

The poll for Sky News and The Times has Reform first on 23% (no change from the previous poll), with Labour second on 21% (+1).
The poll was conducted from 23-24 July.

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-andy-burnham-keir-starmer-labour-12593360

Was just thinking: I bet Bridget wishes now that she had laid the guidance before Parliament earlier. The guidance comes into force on 5 August, and now IF Burnham decides to make any kind of statement about it (he won't), he'll do it while everyone is on holiday or doing something much more interesting than reading the news. So, less public fallout for Andy.

If she'd done it earlier, and set the enforcement date earlier, more people would have noticed! More awkward questions for Andy. Now, by the time he returns from holiday, it will be old news.

Bad move, Bridget. And he screwed you over. Oops.

True. But the Harper case was about a male police officer, whereas all those women who were killed were just...women. (typical Labour)

I'm very glad this will be reviewed.

From Janet Murray's article in the Telegraph (the gift link is at the top of this MN thread link)
Janet Murray is beginning to wonder what was the @#£%&@ point? | Mumsnet

Whether Andy Burnham understands the extent of the problem remains to be seen. Does the new Prime Minister have the guts to challenge Whitehall and other influential institutions still in thrall to gender ideology?

THIS is what I'm waiting to see. Action on this. I'm glad to see that others are also watching him.

ed. Telegraph not Times.