Andy Burnham is just showboating now - AIBU?

[1u1a]

Ok, so he wanted £65 million. He was offered £60 million. But is refusing to take it. 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.

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.

Some seem to have forgotten that the furlough scheme was still in place during the entire time that Leicester was put into local lockdown. That scheme is being gradually wound down and ends in 10 days time. All AB was asking for is that the same furlough scheme be put in place so that employees got 80%, not 67%. And he was asking for this to be nationwide, not just for the people of Manchester.

@nosswith

Notice how no part of the west Midlands with a Tory Mayor is in tier 3. Or some Tory constituencies with higher than average levels being in tier 2

In principle yes but Dominic Raab’s constituency is an exception, it’s the only Surrey area to be in T2

I agree, Conifergate. I was torn, watching AB speech. In the great tradition of rousing public speaking, my red student heart cheered him on. My older and more pragmatic self was thinking that all of it was ammunition for Bozo and friends that they would be using to undermine opposition from the moment AB stopped speaking. Not the way to deal with these people.

I'm going out and rubbing myself over rich people, I'm a cleaner so I can do that!

@saracorona wtf???

His actual words on Andrew Marr were - “I’m not sure a letter from Southern Conservative MPs is going to cut much ice with us.”

It’s on YouTube (Andrew Marr last Sunday). This was in response to Marr’s comment that MPs from Norfolk, Suffolk and Devon had written to him to say that many other regions have been suffering as well.

Prior to this, he was arguing that there is Conservative support in Manchester for his requests.

My point is - why is it relevant that these particular MPs were “Southern.” Apart from the fact that Norfolk and Suffolk are not particularly Southern anyway , none of these areas are wealthy in comparison to Manchester.

As I say, I do think his mask slipped there and this reeks of an attempt to stoke division which is the last thing the country needs right now. Its a shame.

Burnham was asking for 80% wages for people working for businesses forced to close.

Do you think that's unreasonable? That was the furlough amount in March. What's different now?

@conifergate

I think it will play out badly for Manchester. And all the devolved areas. Scotland, Wales and NI. And just all of us in general.

Covid is just an opportunity.

The Andy Burnham story is very very similar to one in the last day or so about the devolved assembly and one about business leaders concerns and EU talks.

Theres business opportunities for the very rich in disaster capitalism. The government has an ego and doesn't want to listen to representatives of anything. It wants to exploit the situation for personal financal gain.

The Tory Manifesto has a pledge for constitutional reform which Gove is very very up for. He has a major problem with the peace settlement in NI and the devolved governments and will happily see them abolished. The government wants increased centralisation and removal of local politicial voices because it hates being challenged. For various long term reasons we will see lots of councils go bust and be blamed for financial mismanagement rather than being slowly defunded. This will remove local voices about what happens to your area (so all that planning stuff on green belt will just happen).

Its really bad for anywhere with any level of deprivation. It removes any level of public voice against big businesses moving in.

Things like Manchester airport which is in part council ownership to generate funds for the city will be sold off to generate profit for private individuals.

In this sense Andy Burnham will have done nothing wrong but highlight what is the next big upcoming political story. Whether he stood up or not will make no difference in the long term because of what the government ambition and plan is. He is a but a noise in that. I think in years to come his speech will be viewed differently as more a voice of powerlessness against a government which has interest in the public and is for the oligarchs by the oligarchs.

We are drifting away from liberal democracy into a new form of authoritarianism, similar to the Russian system of government where there is a veneer of the public having a voice but its all about the governing elite.

This is the natural conclusion of where politics in this country has headed for the last 4 years. I know people will think im being ridiculous and over dramatic, but there is a managed decline going on and there is a major issue with MPs having major conflicts of interest with their personal finances.

People won't realise whats happened fully until it has. At which point hindsight will be 20 - 20 and this post wont seem ridiculous at all.

Please remember it when councils start going bankrupt and private companies are brought in to manage areas without local representation....

Parts of West Yorkshire have also been in stricter local lockdowns since July, we seem to be left out of general discourse just like Leicester.

I completely agree with red and it's terrifying. I can't believe people are still trusting what the tories are saying at this point to be honest.

@ThomasHardyPerennial

Parts of West Yorkshire have also been in stricter local lockdowns since July, we seem to be left out of general discourse just like Leicester.

Thats down to a lack of leaders who are able or willing to attract the attention of the media outside their area.

The Manchester Evening News is also particularly good as a one of the very few remaining regional newspaper with influence outside where it circulates.

@SheepandCow

From a quick look I see tier 2 support packages have not yet been detailed.

Tier 2 includes (often overlooked when there's talk of 'The North') very deprived NE areas like Sunderland and Middlesbrough.

We don't yet know how much they'll be getting. Perhaps wait and see before jumping on it as an example of supposed special treatment.

Who knows perhaps it will be consistent with what everywhere else has so far been offered.

I hope people aren't suggesting these tier 2 areas shouldn't be given support.

I hope non restricted but still impacted economically areas like Cornwall are also given fair support.

Anywhere in need should get help.

You keep referring to Cornwall. The tourism leader in Cornwall has said how good their summer was and the end of this year is looking to be 'stonkingly good'. They definitely don't need as much support for support as other areas of the country still under strict restrictions.

Plus most Cornish people don't want anyone from 'up country' being in their precious county at all at the moment, most complain about it during summer anyway. Can't help them if they don't help themselves.