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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Andy Burnham is just showboating now - AIBU?

111 replies

1u1a · 21/10/2020 22:42

Ok, so he wanted £65 million. He was offered £60 million. But is refusing to take it. Hmm Then he sets up a press opportunity on the town hall steps, where he feigns shock at stooges showing him the news in their phones and tries to pretend he’s only been offered £22 million - even though he has known full well for hours what the deal is - £60 million- and had been discussing it all day.Confused

I mean I was sympathetic with him at first, but now he is just looking daft. Why does he think “the people of Manchester” are any different to “the people of... “ anywhere else? He is tripping over his own ego and his city needs that £60 million.

He will go from hero to zero very fast if the death toll in Manchester spikes out of proportion compared to elsewhere because he was trying to have his moment. Believe me, I am no fan of this govt, but this is ridiculous now.

OP posts:
MootingMirror · 21/10/2020 22:45

I agree. They were never going to get more than £60m because if BoJo gave into him he'd have to negotiate and give in to the Major of every single place put into lockdown. He also had NO negotiating power at all - none. Literally none. He's lucky BoJo gave him the credibility of discussing it because AB had no leg to stand on.
And yes, he looked ridiculous pretending to be surprised - and pretending that they were only getting £22m when he knew that the remainder was being distributed directly.
It's not often two men are in a room and BoJo isn't the most ridiculous looking. It's a shame because I had a lot of respect for AB before this.

ZigZaggyZoo · 21/10/2020 22:48

100% Good on him for negotiating but he didn't know when to stop. It's now looking less like he cares for his people and more like political theatre in his bid for leadership

Rainbowllama4 · 21/10/2020 22:49

Can’t stand the bloke, after his ‘press conference’ the other evening he now looks a fool.

SimplyPizza · 21/10/2020 22:52

YANBU. I used to like him but find him to be a real show off now. Yuck.

JamieLeeCurtains · 21/10/2020 22:53

There's a lot of other threads about this.

Loads. Loads and loads.

Makes you wonder how rattled the Torybots really are.

MootingMirror · 21/10/2020 22:55

@JamieLeeCurtains

There's a lot of other threads about this.

Loads. Loads and loads.

Makes you wonder how rattled the Torybots really are.

Give than 100% of the responses so far have agreed with the OP, it's unlikely to need a bot to create this narrative.
PaxMalmKallax · 21/10/2020 22:56

What’s so special about Manchester that they deserve extra help?? Got no time for Burnham after this

WrongKindOfFace · 21/10/2020 22:58

@PaxMalmKallax

What’s so special about Manchester that they deserve extra help?? Got no time for Burnham after this
The greater Manchester area has a larger population than say Liverpool. That’s why they need more funding,
FamilyOfAliens · 21/10/2020 22:58
Biscuit
Alternista · 21/10/2020 22:59

He’s a dick, always has been. This was never the way to get what he wanted out of Boris; he’s played it all wrong.

MarshaBradyo · 21/10/2020 22:59

Has he still not accepted it today? I missed the update

Original poster
1u1a · 21/10/2020 23:01

Don’t bother with the Torybots nonsense. I didn’t vote for them. I think you’ll find most of their support was in the “red wall. “

I just happen to think this man had made an utter fool of himself and it’s embarrassing to watch..

OP posts:
Anotherthink · 21/10/2020 23:05

Per head they were due to receive less money than other areas so it's inaccurate that he was saying they deserve more than anyone else. There is also some scepticism about whether going into tier 3 would make a difference to numbers considering the area has had stricter restrictions than those currently in tier 2 since the end of July and it's made little difference. Going into tier 3 with the likelihood of that being it until spring, paying the lowest earners only two thirds of their wage, and potentially there being not much difference to levels because the virus is already endemic in the area and schools will continue to stay open. I want schools to remain open but there is a huge amount of transmission there, and people are losing their livelihoods to out on a show that something is being done about it.

AB stood up for the people of Manchester that need a voice, the current government don't think they are worth £5m but happy to spend billions of point on awarding contracts to dubious companies and a track and trace system that has made fuck all difference to this sorry mess.

But AB is the bad one, yeah Confused

The only problem with this is it has detracted from the fact we should have had a national lockdown 3 weeks ago - very costly but would have potentially out a dent in transmission rates.

Guylan · 21/10/2020 23:07

Lisa Nandy yesterday said Jenrick yesterday said only £22 million was available after offering £60 million when Burnham said the absolutely minimum Greater Manchester could manage was £65 million. (Originally asked for £90 million, then went down to £75 then £65 at bare minimum.). Nandy says then govt changed their tune overnight and now saying the insufficient £60 million on table. Govt seem to be playing games.

Some South Yorkshire leaders today said talks with govt were tawdry and a joke. So no don’t agree Burnham was showboating.

CatMagic · 21/10/2020 23:09

£8 per person is reasonable, yeah.... Nottingham have greater Covid risk so why isn't it in lockdown? Nothing to do with it being a Conservative consistency eh? 108 million spent on PPE supplier (given to friends) with no legitimate background. 12 billion paid out to a track and trace app that's an embarrassment, which includes 7k per day for consultants, and which doesn't work properly? And you're moaning about THIS?

MoiraRoseisupSchittCreek · 21/10/2020 23:10

I just happen to think this man had made an utter fool of himself and it’s embarrassing to watch

Oh ok, thanks for letting us know.

GiantKitten · 21/10/2020 23:11

Ok, so he wanted £65 million. He was offered £60 million. But is refusing to take it. hmm Then he sets up a press opportunity on the town hall steps, where he feigns shock at stooges showing him the news in their phones and tries to pretend he’s only been offered £22 million - even though he has known full well for hours what the deal is - £60 million- and had been discussing it all day.

Discussions had stopped at 2pm when Jenrick walked away. At that point the offer was still £60m.

This is his own tweet this morning in response to a typically snide one from Nadine Dorries saying roughly what you said Hmm

it was the moment I was informed we were getting £22m and nothing more. That was before the £60m was put back on the table. You are right, though, that I received a phone call at 2pm to say the Government was walking away from negotiations

Merseyside population is 1.4m, Gtr Manc 2.8m. You don't think that Manchester might need more? And the Govt was dictating what they could use it for (as with Tfl money for London now & Johnson's lies in the Commons today).

Mallemo · 21/10/2020 23:13

Good on him for standing up for the poorest in society in an area of high poverty rates at the best of times!

raddledoldmisanthropist · 21/10/2020 23:22

£5m between 3m people is fuck all. If GM is going to get the £60m anyway he loses nothing by haggling. I don't think the people of GM will be upset at hom for trying.

How much have we pissed up the wall on subsidising expensive houses through the stamp duty break or paying people to go to restaurants? Track and trace has cost £10 billion- local health boards could have done it for a fraction of that and used the rest to help their regions.

Original poster
1u1a · 21/10/2020 23:28

He wasn’t offered the same as Liverpool or Lancashire though - the offer was proportional to the larger population of Manchester. Just like it will be throughout the country when most of us inevitably move to Tier 3. You can’t offer higher amounts per head to some areas than others. I can’t stand this govt, but even I have to give them this . I think he saw an opportunity to be “man of the northern powerhouse,” but he’s fallen flat on his face like a div.

OP posts:
AndyBurnhamIsAwesomeYay · 21/10/2020 23:29

IMO Andy Burnham is standing up for the people on low incomes and small businesses. He is trying his best to be an advocate for the people of Greater Manchester which is his job. I don’t agree he is doing it out of self interest at all.

ConiferGate · 21/10/2020 23:30

I’m no fan of BJ and the govt, they’ve brought the showboating on themselves through 1) incompetent and corrupt leadership and 2) exposing their weakness as populist govt, so it’s no surprise people are taking advantage of the opportunity to publicly raise their own profile.

However, I’m sick of seeing AB now and yes I do believe he’s showboating. He said he’d support a national lockdown over taking T3 in Manchester because Manchester would get more money that way, despite the fact that half of England doesn’t need a lockdown to that degree and there would therefore be widespread unnecessary suffering. So the fact that he’s willing to throw others areas under the bus to get what he wants rather undermines his argument.

Secondly, it infuriates me that the local politicians have now started peddling the line that the only reason they had big rise was because they came out of lockdown too soon to suit London... that’s not entirely true, they have to take responsibility for community spread, it doesn’t spread itself. Again just political wrangling trying to blame boris for something they could have controlled better.

ConiferGate · 21/10/2020 23:33

I think AB is realising that a lot of mistakes have been made in Manchester and his head is on the chopping block unless he is seen to be strong arming boris Johnson and blaming the Tories (in part because he’s probably trying to get in a preemptive strike before they blame him for their incompetence!

SheepandCow · 21/10/2020 23:34

@Mallemo

Good on him for standing up for the poorest in society in an area of high poverty rates at the best of times!
I didn't realise he was asking for help for the people who had to claim benefits before Covid. Just like with Covid related job losses, through no fault of their own.

You know - the poorest in society. Very well done him for doing that if that's the case. Until now these people (in Manchester and across the UK) were completely overlooked. To the extent that I received a petition to sign last week from a campaign organisation asking to keep the extra £20 a week Covid related UC claimants were given. The petition ignored the poor sods left to languish on a paltry £74 a week because of getting made redundant or ill pre Covid.

Wtfdidwedo · 21/10/2020 23:35

Why does he think the people of Manchester are any different to the people of...anywhere else? He is tripping over his own ego and his city needs that £60 million.
Well his job is to stand up for the people he represents, good for him. The government can find money when they want to, just not for the poorest people. The public sector piss so much money up the wall every day. I don't think we should be angry for one man demanding more money for hard hit people. I think we should be demanding that all our elected representatives do the same.

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