To think Andy Burnham needs to start to show us he can talk about more than "the north" and "buses"

[joeymaynardssandwiches]

I want to get behind Andy Burnham, I feel he's got the potential to be a great counterpoint to the rise of reform. And I do know it's "silly season" in politics and with parliament closed I guess there's a limit on what initiatives can be announced

But so far it feels like he hasn't broken away from being a northern caricature who just bangs on about buses.

I'm a "northerner" (who always thought of Manchester as the part of Midlands ) but I can only do my job in the south and I can assure Andy there are big pockets of deprivation in the south too.

And I am all for public transport, and investment in it. But it just feels like a real "low hanging fruit" approach for his first few weeks and I want to hear him talk about thornier and less uncontroversial issues.

And admittedly I haven't been reading every news story in depth as I have been busy with the kids so he may have discussed other things. But that is my overriding impression at the moment and it feels a bit frustrating

I would say that it's better than drowning on dangerous boats with substandard life jackets.

I do take your point, but to be honest, I think this idea that he’s in some way unaware of the deep deprivation in communities across the country will quickly evaporate on contact with reality. I’ve already seen news reports of him at a farm in Cornwall talking about rural deprivation; I’ve seen him in Bath talking about how defence spending will benefit the Southwest economy; and just today the Chancellor has been all over my news feed, talking about funding to reopen a mineral mine near Plymouth. All that is going to start cutting through - especially in those places themselves, where I’m sure it’s all over the regional news.

I do think Andy Burnham has very, very big potential pitfalls ahead, and I’m sure the budget will be a massive test of whether his current popularity is superficial or sustainable. But at the end of the day, I don’t think his being Northern will have much to do with it.

I don't see much difference either. There would be a different attitude from some if this was happening under another government. But fine for Labour.
French riot police funded by UK taxpayers used teargas on asylum seekers in an attempt to stop them from boarding a boat in which three women were later found dead, a charity has claimed.Footage and photographs seen by the Guardian show CS gas canisters being fired towards groups of people on Plage du Braek near Dunkirk at 4am on Thursday. At 6am, three women were found dead in a boat near the same beach.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/30/small-boat-deaths-channel-crossing-attempt

That’s not much of a selling point for the asylum system many seem to want to keep. Whether they’re physically curtailed on the beach or not.

Exactly. Labour posters sell it in as a nicer process and the far right lines on top. Of course it’s not nicer.

It’s just their party so no scrutiny, just promotion.

I am confused now. So you are advocating for letting as many small boats in as possible? We shouldn’t stop them?
Small boat smuggling is a crime. The only people who benefit from it are the smugglers. Being confronted by police may be scary but not as scary as drowning in the middle of the sea. The more people are prevented from this journey, the more lives will be saved.
Anyway, where did you get women and children from? I thought they were all men coming here for benefits and to rape. No?

It’s all a terrible system. Whether it’s tearing into people on the beach and causing fear there or it’s women and children crushed on a boat to get here. Or they drown on the way.

Citizens who live where it’s been resolved would never vote to go back to that chaos and danger, even people on the left.

Re your last question if you read the pp you’ll see a minority are women and children, but they’re more likely to be at risk hence the deaths in that report.

I think he has to understand that one of the pressure in the south east though is how many hard working dual income families are essentially in "housing poverty". Above the benefits threshold but with zero quality of life after housing is paid for. On paper they maybe look wealthy and ripe for taxing more based on their incomes but the reality is that their social housing neighbours claiming benefits have a much nicer lifestyle. I think it's that lack of any suggestion he understands what life in the south is like for those earning less than £100k/year that grates. So many of my younger colleagues at work have eyewatering rents/mortgages- so suggestions the "south" is some how prosperous feel really tone deaf. There's a different type of struggle.

So what concrete alternative is Kemi proposing? Tell me more.

It’s all there for you. Ik how open you are to Kemi’s policies. Enjoy.

So you are not able to provide any. I thought so. Empty words as usual.

She doesn't need to propose anything, she's not in government. The opposition parties will release a manifesto for the next general election.

Her job is to hold the government to account. It's all on Labour rn, as they're in government.

Tbf you seem like one of the most dedicated Labour posters and even googling is too hard. It is there though.

It won’t make Burnham disappear into ash if you read it yourself ;

@Nuthatch26 @EasternStandard
So basically there is nothing.

I think sensible policies to both manage people seeking asylum into those with a legitimate case and those without AND cracking down on the often very unpleasant smuggling gangs who profit from human desperation would be welcomed by most people. Certainly by me.**

However, what I don't see the point of are policies that are cruel just for being cruel (painting over children's murals) or wildly expensive for little return (the Rwanda scheme) or counterproductive (not processing claims) or unpractical (anything that equates to the UK Navy invading France for example). The problem is the people pushing those policies like to suggest anyone objecting to them as wanting uncontrolled immigration. But that's a straw man. It doesn't actually mean that anyone doing actual work to "smash the gangs" or return failed asylum seekers is a "hypocrite" because they didn't previously support wild schemes to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, or invade France or whatever. I am not a natural Tory voter. But if the Conservatives had put in place sensible policies to address irregular immigration I would have agreed with those. And some of the things they did were sensible and I did agree. But other ideas put forward by them and other parties were either mad, unworkable or cruel for the sake of cruel.

Having said for years that Labour will allow unrestricted immigration/that Labours ideas for restricting immigration won't work the right are now angrily insisting that the actual fall in immigration (including irregular immigration) under Labour is a sign of Labour hypocrisy because it's not what they said Labour would do.

**As an added bonus (for me) we could try to stop the causes of refugee movements in the first place- not bombing peoples homes would be a start although that's not only up to the UK.

😬
can you look stuff up? or does something bad happen to Labour

No there isn't 'nothing', but why should we go and find it for you?
And why are you trying to blame the opposition for what Labour are doing today?

Yes there is nothing. The conservatives are just milling about Westminster enjoying the free bar.

So are you more the get the French police on the beaches with tear gas route?

@Nuthatch26
So you don’t know.

I thought so.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8jm11lmx71o

This article caught my eye after seeing an interview yesterday. I believe the young guy claimed that there was an accusation of witches and the individuals were beaten and thrown overboard. It did make me wonder if they were women. I’ve read accusations of women being raped aboard these vessels so it doesn’t surprise me that women are reticent about making the journey.

You’re right! You’re right! You’re correct! You’ve won! Hopefully that ends it 😜

It’s a bit old hat isn’t it? This Labour inability to look stuff up and expect others to do it for you.

Well they could if they wanted to in theory. They don't have to come up with policies until we're asked to vote again.
Labour can't get out of opposition mode. They still need someone to blame for their own ineptitude, except they are now in government with all the power. 🤷‍♂️