To think Andy Burnham will not make Labour any more electable.

[4thweekofjuly]

I think there is little appetite for a new PM and a new Labour leader will make 0 difference to their chances of winning. I also think the best the public can hope for, from any government, is a slow, well managed decline. I don't think there is much of a future in the UK and the public need to accept the social contract is no more. .

Burnham has a job and he should stick with it until his term is over.

I'm no fan of Sadiq Khan, but at least he's not doing what Burnham is doing.

I hope that Burnham doesn't get elected so he can be punished for this behaviour. That would make me laugh.

Hopefully he loses the seat to reform - that would be a laugh 😂

The electorate are thrashing around desperately searching for a saviour, but there isn't one. They're all a bag of self serving shite. They'll vote farage in next, then that'll all go wrong too. There's no one talented enough, gifted enough or bold enough to turn this around. The west is in decline and we're not the only country to be suffering. Whoever gets in is at the mercy of those with more power anyway.

There's no hope of improvement.

"managed decline" and "social contract is no more" is exactly the kind of unambitious miserabilist policy we need to move away from.

One of the reasons people don't like Starmer is because he has no positive vision, it's not even clear why he wanted to be PM, he certainly doesn't appear to be enjoying it.

I think he will be punished as they will not let him win the local election . If I was in that area I’d vote reform. And I hate reform. But I’d do it to keep him out and make him unemployed. And I’d encourage everyone I know to do the same.

I think he will have a broader appeal than Starmer but he will move to the centre which will upset many in the party

I think many will look upon this time badly for Labour and rightly so but if AB becomes leader soonish Labour have a few years to improve the lives for the average voter

AB should have waited all that is going on is shameful and looks like personal ambition leading his decision rather than doing what is right for the country and party. This is the second time in just a few months and then he may not win either a seat or if he does the leadership contest as its party members that decide and we know how disastrous that can be

I would have rather Starmer set the timetable for himself to step down

If Farage and Reform get in at the next election who will people vote for to sort out the even worse mess we will be in then than we are now

It's ridiculous. They've been elected and have until August 2029 to call the next GE. They are doing themselves and us a disservice.

Burnham may be the best of a bad bunch to replace Starmer. However, he won’t turn around Labour’s fortunes or indeed do much for the average person in the UK.

What most politicians fail to mention is that they’re only a tiny wee wheel in the big cog of globalisation. The UK desperately needs investment and innovation.

The UK may be better now trying to build a block of cross party consensus that finally puts the long term interests of the UK first.

I thoroughly dislike Starmer but getting rid of a PM every two years is a disaster. Media are partly to blame with their hysterics. We’re getting worse than Italy now.

I wouldn't blame the electorate of Makerfield if they voted to keep Burnham out.

I’m not even sure he’ll be in the race . It’s not a given he’ll win the bi election , he may not get approval from N?? whoever blocked him last time , it’s not going to be quick to get through these processes and we need an end to this chaos . I am assuming Wes didn’t check he had 81 supporters before resigning as he hasn’t put himself forward .

There should be a general election.
Starmernis horrendous / all his rivals eill be 10 x worse !

He'll probably sell us to the US and we'll be turned into a theme park or child trafficking hub or something.

People I know working in homelessness, transport and autism support in GM really rate his contribution to pulling those areas together. He's very good at making connections and bringing people with him. He's charismatic and does listen to public opinion. I think he could be a good leader of the Labour Party. But I look forward to seeing what allegations and dirt dishing the press do as soon as he looks like he has a chance. They really do hate Labour with a passion.

I think they will because it’s sheer arrogance parachuting in someone new for his own personal career . They have only just voted a week ago . Voters aren’t to be passed around . Also it’s a strong Reform voter base

I work in Manchester and can confirm he has done an amazing job. The place has been totally transformed. Not just since he became mayor, granted but it’s actually unbelievable how different the place is to even a decade ago. It’s quite literally the London of the north. I think he’s brilliant.

God they are all idiots aren’t they. It’s utterly embarassing, burnham trying to quit his main role out of naked ambition, raynor paying her taxes only so she can run, otherwise clearly had no intention of doing so, streeting chucking his role without even checking support, milliband completely delusional and thinking he could even stand a chance with the public.

all of them scratching and clawing their way over one another to try to get the job. Who gives a shit about rhe country if you can line your own pockets and service your own greed.

That would be delicious ( and likely). Wonder what would happen to the Manchester mayoralty? Reform? Green?

I think they will as well. It’s so offensive to the elecorate I think they will turn out to keep him out.

How quickly people forget the disastrous years under a Tory government. Labour have only been in for 2 years. The mess this country is in isn’t their fault.
I do agree that we don’t need a leadership contest at this point . But that ship has sailed. I do feel that Starmer has managed our response to the war in the Middle East well but overall he has been a weak leader - not able to take the unpopular decisions that are needed to turn things round. Maybe someone new will have more steel.
Reform are a joke. Look at Brexit. Look at 5 million pound bribes. They are not interested in this country - they just want to line their own pockets. But they know what to say to feed into peoples fears and prejudices

I don't know Manchester, but this is what I hear, which makes it such a shame that he'll abandon it all for personal ambition, causing even more instability for the country to boot.

I think he probably would make a good PM, but not now!

At what point will the die hard Labour supporters stop bleating it’s not our fault.

it is. It’s the policies. Pretending it’s the tories fault t this point is simply embarassing for you.

Makerfield not Macclesfield. Just throwing that in there

Can't bear this stage with all the absolute nonentities popping up with their stupid letters.

Love, no-one cares. If you don't like the guy you work for have the self-respect to fuck off out of it and return to being an estate agent or whatever.

3 more years. They haven’t done 2 yet.