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

We need to start selling life vests. We’d make a killing!

If you think he’s only talked about buses and the north then you’ve not been paying attention

@EvangelicalAboutButteredToast
I don’t think Poland are using life vests to stop immigration. But sure, if you think it’s going to help, then why not.

He’s also been outspoken on homelessness including families living in hostels. I think you’re being disingenuous and trying to drag him down for some strange reason. He’s doing a great job, as always.

Every little helps!

Labour are scrabbling for ways to control the border wherever it comes from. They’ve gone from refugees welcome under Cooper to Mahmood we’re hardline but it’s ok because Denmark said it first.

If Burnham can’t deal with it he probably knows he’ll be out. Hence the effort.

its the back benchers that block every attempt. If you are a party with a hard left looney fringe you cannot get any reforms through. All they will sign off on are tax increases.

I was actually talking about Polish far right in response to another poster.
However, the number of small boat crossings has reduced a lot since Labour came to power so they must be doing something right.

They’re smashing the gangs!!!

They’ve convinced the French police to rouse up some trying to cross so it’s not far off barriers used by the Polish.

Whether it lasts I guess we’ll see.

But literally no one is saying that - I certainly haven’t said that - I’ve continually said things along the lines of, “so far” and “the question will be if he can keep it up”.

I just find it really bizarre, this sort of disingenuous, doing down of a leader who has had five weeks in office, who has - in many peoples opinions, across the political spectrum - got off to a good start in terms of setting out a vision and injecting a bit of positivity into our political discourse, certainly compared to his recent predecessors.

@EasternStandard
Just to add. We cannot compare UK to Denmark. Denmark has always been a closed country with a very strict immigration/ asylum criteria. In 2022 they passed a bill making an exception for Ukrainian refugees only. Basically any Ukrainian who needed a refuge, was welcome for obvious reasons.
Now they have reached their capacity as they are a small country with around 47000 Ukrainian refugees. Therefore they tightened the criteria for Ukrainians’ eligibility, but the criteria are still much more relaxed than for other refugees. They don’t want to get rid of the current Ukrainians and majority of population view Ukrainians as positive contributors to the society.

@EasternStandard
And it is a bad thing because?
Yes, Polish ‘leftist ‘ government has been doing well since they came into power in 2023. No more dodgy visas!

Is that bad?

Ok so good if it’s Labour, whatever it is, got it.

As for not comparing to Denmark in your pp Labour have done exactly that to sell in Mahmood’s policies.

He’s a professional northerner. So tedious.

however, he’s trying to say placatory things about the thug invasion so that people don’t vote for Nigel. Essentially he lacks conviction about anything but his persona as a down to earth man of the mundane.

But what does being “a professional Northerner” mean?! That he speaks with a regional accent? That he’s had an unusually successful political career in one particular place, and now talks passionately about his achievements there so that he can replicate those achievements across the country as a whole? That he’s deeply patriotic, and proud of the place he comes from? Since when was any of that a bad thing?!

It’s such a tedious attack.

If only we have a leftist leader who gave a shit about their tax paying nationals. Coeeee Andy; we’re over here 👋👋👋👋🙋‍♀️

I think your advert for him was an attempt to disagree with me. We can see you like him. Maybe you can allow other people to have different views from you without the side swipes ?

<whispers> it’s another one of those pesky things that sound good but aren’t true. Growing the economy, smashing the gangs, looking after working people …

The voting in the leadership election was an absolute shit show. Lots of political posturing and tactical voting, none of it was about the best person for the job. Badenoch may have ended up as the winner but she only got support from 1/3 of Tory MPs, with only a single vote between her and Jenrick going into the final round. Her share of the vote in the final round was the lowest since this system was introduced. It was far from a resounding win.

Her favourability ratings rose strongly against Starmer, her acerbic manner was perfectly pitched against his mild manner, he was no match for her. But she lacked substance and that shows in the polling since she came up against Burnham. Her unfavourable ratings in the last 18 months are stubbornly high, the only current party leader who has been more unfavourable is Nigel Farage. Zac Polanski has lower, but similar unfavourable ratings as she does. It should,be noted though, that nine of this has transferred to an uptick in support for the Conservative Party, just for her as a political leader.

I have no idea what the reasoning is, why other people don’t like her. I heard her do an interview with Matt Forde and she comes across as a smart, interesting, quite principled person. However, on a political level, I don’t see much of that. It’s all about scoring points. If we saw more of her real personality, maybe that would help. I am sure there is a group of people who would not vote for her because she is black, or because she is a woman, or both, but I guess we will never know because very few people would admit it.

I think this is true. The party itself is a fail for the country, unless you count pauperising the middle class as a success. Mind you.. cheaper bus fares, eh.

I think you’re saying his party are saying an awful lot of things that sound good, don’t actually hold up to scrutiny when pushed by a strong interviewer, but are bland enough to be acceptable by most people.

The thing that makes me laugh is the middle class are propping up the whole country yet they’re villainised. My partner is out at work right now, has worked since a graduate, has a life limiting health condition that makes him feel like shit yet still goes to work regardless. Never claimed a benefit in his life, is an amazingI family man, never moans about politics and yet every opportunity the fuck him over for tax. It absolutely incenses me. Meanwhile the perpetually feckless are out there relentlessly gaming the system and raking in hand out after hand out. I am fuelled by rage nowadays and I know it.

I do like Andy Burnham - but I really don’t have any problem at all with people not liking him, and certainly not with people with critiquing his policies. There’s been some really interesting discussion on this thread.

What I really hate though, is the term “professional Northerner”. I think it’s patronising and classist, and I genuinely don’t understand what it means as a political attack, other than “we don’t think people with Northern accents, who love and care about the place they’re from, should be in power.”