Andy Burnham…

[CurlewKate]

What specifically is it that makes people think he would be a good leader of the Labour Party or Prime Minister? Actual practical reasons. I’m not saying he wouldn’t be-and I like the fact that he’s on the Left and he has an appealing way with him. But apart from that, what would he bring to the job? Not being Kier Starmer doesn’t count!

He comes across as being more human than most politicians. Less polished, more real.

Just a hunch, and I’m no expert, but I see him as someone that appeals more to the traditional, grass roots Labour voters, even those who have defected to Reform due to feeling disillusioned and disconnected from the current Labour Party.

Hard working dedicated political career ad intelligent. He is passionate about politics and this shows

Is able to connect with people, he is charismatic (not to levels of Blair or Johnson) this is very important for party leaders. Rarely do party leaders who connect with large numbers of voters on a personal level in some way do not lead their party to success. Starmer is one of the exceptions but this was more to do with the Tory party downfall.

Unfortunaly I think he shall prove to Starmer it was a mistake to block him, and confident he will be party leader before the next election

So- basically, he’s a nice guy. Is that it? Any solid achievements?

He can't be the Labour leader without being an MP. And Starmer will block that each time. Doesn't matter how angry the Leftists in the PLP get.

He's basically the only realistic candidate for those on the left of Labour. Streeting is more middle, like Starmer.

Corbyn's gone, Abbot's a no hoper, John McDonnell clearly doesn't want to try.

And Burnham isn't tainted with actually having had to do anything except say "Manchester is great!" a lot.

Just Google him. He’s been very successful as mayor of Manchester- he’s popular and has made lots of positive changes. He’s won 3 (I think ) mayoral elections.

I think most people like him because he isn’t currently in government. If he was prime minister tomorrow, his popularity would fall. Just like Starmer’s - he didn’t, in my opinion, fundamentally change the day after the general election, but his popularity dropped off massively. Not being PM is the biggest boost to your ratings.
If Farage ever gets made PM (god help us), his ratings will drop like a stone as well.

Looking at his work history is sobering. Joined Labour at 15... special advisor... Tessa Jowell.. blah blah. Another career politician.

I do think not being Starmer is a huge tick in his favour.

Style over substance.

Take a walk around Manchester, lots of shiny sparkly immense skyscrapers surround the city centre, all gleaming, they look fantastic in sunset images and creating that big city feeling type backdrop. Street level though is a whole other world, homeless and addicts on many corners, gangs of undesirables roam the shopping centre. Piccadilly Gardens is like something from a zombie film. It’s jarring to say the least.

TBF we have been saying this about Piccadilly Gardens since the 1980s and probably before though..

What positive changes would you say that he has made for Manchester?

It boggles my mind how the “new Manchester” landscape is credited as being anything to even do with Andy Burnham.

He literally has had nothing to do with the growth in Manchester, but people seem to think he has single handedly gone out and built skyscrapers!

His main achievement seems to be that he’s done something about the buses (though what I’m not sure as they are generally unreliable).

He is popular with Mancunians as people see him as a grass roots politician for some reason - but he is a Liverpudlian from Aintree and went to Cambridge!

Im pretty sure most Mancunians assume he’s from Manchester and this forms their opinion of him. Sorry guys - he’s a scouser!

I am aware of that, But Starmer but there is quite some time before the next election and keeping Burnham back will prove difficult for him and will not reflect well on the party or him.

He isn't so far to the left of the party like Corbyn though no doubt this rumour shall now be put about

Andy Burnham has done a huge amount to combat homelessness and gives his recent pay rise to a homeless charity every month

He has made the voice of Manchester and other northern cities heard and spoken up strongly for things like better rail connection between them.

This is it - people always want what they can’t have:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/23/andy-burnham-labour-king-westminster-crown

With the current structure of the NEC, they will always vote with Starmer. It's in their interests. And Burnham cannot run for selection for a seat unless they let him. Which they won't.

It also relies on a suitable seat becoming available. Which really means a seat in or near Manchester or Liverpool. If he runs for one further away he'll just be seen as the career politician he is.

He’s on the left this week. It’s KEIR by the way

OK - he's quite appealing and seems genuine - but with the world as it is at the moment we need a statesperson who can behave appropriately on the international stage and Starmer better fits this bill.

Fantastic constituency MP who did so much to bring about change. Manchester is attracting young people as a great place to live and its economy is doing better than anywhere else. Deregulated buses and capped the fare. Extensive plans to develop public transport. Essentially recognised that public transport in the north needed to improve in order to bring parity with the situation in London. Has introduced plans to change the centre of greater Manchester cities and towns such as Stockport and Bolton to move away from the failing retail model to residential and leisure. This is already starting to work.
state school lad who made it to Cambridge.

Also worked as a hospital porter before he took the minister of health job because he wanted to know how things worked in the NHS. Gives some of his mayoral salary to charity.

Why? Because Starmer is from London?

Welll.....

Boris Johnson completely ripped off all his policies in his speech launching his election campaign (in Manchester) a few years back. It was jawdropping what Johnson did with his manifesto pledges. Burnham could have done him for plagerism.

This went down well with the electorate. Especially those in Manchester who feel that Burnham has done a good job over a number of key policies (particularly transport).

Johnson then did fuck all on those policies and that pissed off voters and this one a turn thing that flipped a lot of seats in the northwest back to red.

So I would say that Burnham has probably got the measure of the public AND he's managed to deliver on those same key policies.

Affordable public transport is such a major issue for the North. Londoners don't get it.

Don't get me wrong, Burnham is far from perfect and there are LOTS of issues in Manchester, but I'd probably vote Labour on the basis of him getting the leadership role at this point. Right now I think all the parties are a show of shit - Burnham at least has something worthwhile on his resume for PM.

For me, it is that he listened when he got booed about Hillsborough, didn’t act with contempt towards or dismiss those booing, realised the victims had been failed and did something about it. Listening to ordinary people, acknowledging mistakes and taking action as a result is far too uncommon in British politics. I’ve been impressed with him ever since.

Summarising someone’s career as “blah blah” doesn’t really answer the question.