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

Interesting tweet & article re disquiet within Labour concerning Burnham’s leadership style:

https://nitter.net/alexwickham/status/2078406154753827321

It also seems the "Number 10 North" idea might have to wait a while, since the government campus isn't set up for that sort of thing in terms of security.

But it's wild when you think about it. The coup leader decides he's going to move a lot of government functions to his home town, on a site he's been developing with the ruling party's deputy leader (who played a key role in the coup) and his hand-picked successor as mayor.

If this were happening somewhere like Burkina Faso, you'd have UN rapporteurs screaming about warlord corruption. But it's just business as usual for Manchester Labour.

Now that new drilling licenses for the North Sea have been announced - maybe he could still go with Milliband, seeing that oil and gas reserves/climate policies were one of the main issues people had with him?

Though, of course, he's also going to be sensitive to not having a woman in a top job, and for that reason alone he could go with Mahmood....and then put someone in the Home Office who would water down her reforms to appease those that don't like them.

Quite.

He's passed the 'anyone but starmer, we like other northerners' test.

That's it.

That's the sum total of just not being the biggest turkey in town at this point.

Yes. The by-election was supposed to be proof of concept that Labour can win back red wall voters with a positive and inspiring message.

I'm not sure that it really proves much beyond the fact that Labour can win a by-election in Greater Manchester with a candidate called Andy Burnham, when he's pitching himself as the alternative to the most unpopular PM in history, when Labour have been able to deploy the biggest GOTV operation anyone can remember seeing, and when they've been facing a Reform candidate who isn't a professional politician, who's extremely rough around the edges, who's got a Rupert Lowe spoiler candidate anklebiting him, and who's having to face not just a hostile press but a press that's willing to help Labour by spending literally weeks running headlines about his brain farts on the Wigan Warriors forum in 2014.

Try to replicate those circumstances in hundreds of constituencies.

And that's even before Burnham has become PM and had to make some unpopular decisions.

They all have their leaky contacts though I daresay they occasionally make shit up to elicit comments and clicks for the £££.

In return for leaking, a leaker can expect some good press (or a milder version of a negative revelation) from a political correspondent. It’s a murky business. I’ve been there.

Leakiness I imagine.

Why on earth would MOL have the inside track on AB's decisions, which won't be announced until Monday? Does that not seem counter-intuitive?

Apparently she’ll be given the brief to drive ahead on Burnham’s ‘national care service’ programme of reform.

I'm not sure if that's good or bad - I don't really attribute Rayner with getting much done in general or having a vision 🤷‍♀️

I don't know where she stands on the puberty blocker trial but I'm guessing she's probably not going to do anything to alleviate concerns about this cohort of kids being experimented on and she's likely going to continue Labour's record of citing Cass every time someone points out it's not a safe idea.

MailOnline saying Angela Rayner in Health.

If the alternative is Ed Miliband as it seems to be, I’d rather Shabhana takes over from Rachel Reeves.

And that's precisely why it won't fly.

Burnham has to connect with voters.

He has to win over the red/blue wall voters. It's the only way he wins an election. At the same time he has to not lose as many seats to the greens in the south.

So looking like a cheap rent-a-northerner, just isn't going to be good enough. He actually has to rewrite a lot of the narrative and have a credible alternative.

Sound bites and PR are PRECISELY what has alienated huge numbers of voters looking for an alternative to that - who have gone to Reform and the Greens.

And he has very little time to manage to PROVE he can make a difference.

Being decisive rather than fence sitting is one thing voters are looking for. The flip-flopping generally of politicians has been a huge issue for the Torys AND Labour.
Another is substance and being able to hold a conversation about difficult subjects.

I think that would be a shame, and for her certainly. She's doing a good job at the Home Office.

Andy Burnham is a 'nice guy', but he does have a tendency to resemble Robbie Willaims in the video for 'Let Me Entertain You' in more than one press photo.

He looked a little alarmed when Chris Mason asked him a soft ball question in an interview earlier today - as if being fielded with a mildly crictical question was not something he was used to.

After seeing so many posters on FWR genuinely excited by a Labour govt 2 years ago and then seeing them increasingly disappointed by Starmer & Co, I understand your frustration and concern regarding this change of leader.

As for myself, having seen Burnham dancing to New Order on stage after being enthroned as the new Labour leader, I’m increasingly feeling like we’re about to be governed by that character from The Fast Show in the hat & shell suit who thought all things Northern English were ‘Brilliant!’

I don't think that's likely. She seems to stick to her principles, even when it makes her unpopular. She supports Labour Women's Declaration and gets stick for it, but has never backed down.

Shabana Mahmood is tipped to be chancellor, isn't she? Having her close to AB will be good news as she is GC.

I genuinely hope you are correct Red

I’m fed up with public policy vacillating between short-termist tinkering via targets/quangos or cutting govt spending to fund tax cuts.

PFI is terrible in that sense but loading more debt now is really not good either. Our debt serious incredibly high, over £100bn Pa.