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. .

Move to the centre? Have you looked at what he was like as a cabinet minister? He was probably to the right of Starmer on everything except immigration - and only that because it wasn’t an issue.

Don't be silly. Too much right wing media. Starmer isn’t radical enough for me, but there have been positive changes (just today, growth better than the rest of the G7 and reduced NHS waiting lists)

He wasn’t like that when he was last in government though.

It is the Makerfield MP Josh Simmons not Macclesfield. I live in that constituency and think Burnham is taking a huge risk by giving up his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester for a seat that Reform are very likely to win.

What have the local election votes last week got to do with this?

It was hard to see what he really thought as a cabinet minister. If I remember right he kind of went with the flow of opinion … I don’t recall particular conviction, probably why the Labour members rejected his quests for leader when he was soundly beaten by Corbyn and Milliband. Granted over 10 years have gone and he’s done a great job in Manchester but it’s not a like for like job

Why would the locals vote for him knowing he is only standing for the role so he can make a leadership challenge? It's arrogance at its finest!

Quite honestly they deserve it. The voters shouldn’t stand for it .

The Tories were still blaming it on Labour after 14 years…
Do you really think 14 years of self serving incompetence and stupid austerity can be unwound so fast?

He isn't being parachutes in though. He lives in the area and his children attended local schools. His current role of Mayor of Greater Manchester also covers the Makerfield constituency.

Didn’t Burnham get a shed load of money to change Manchester?

Because no voter will actually want to vote for the policies that will create economic growth. Any political party that has those policies will always be a candidate and never an elected politician.

@Sewciopathso this has nothing to do with him wanting to be PM? He just all of a sudden desperately wants to be MP of Makerfield? Come on!

Andy Burnham is more left wing than Starmer. I voted Labour as Starmer is a centrist but I sure as heck didn’t vote for anyone left of centre like Andy Burnham. (And if you don’t think he’s a lefty the bond markets would disagree with you).

If there’s a vote we’re going to get someone left of centre as that’s who the Labour members want. Many non-Labour members who currently vote Labour like me will never vote Labour again - who wants to risk it if we might get a lefty in? The economy will tank (because the bond markets have that sort of power) there will be a general election and Labour will be in the wilderness forever.

Or Starmer could start actually taking hard decisions and growing the economy, making things much better for everyone.

Actually I’m not a labour supporter. I’ve not voted for them for many years. I do believe that you can’t reverse many years of mismanagement under the Tories in such a short period of time- especially in the current climate. And labour have definitely got things wrong, and haven’t been dynamic enough .
But the idea that Reform will have any interest in sorting things out for ordinary people is completely ridiculous. They are a dangerous group of self serving psychopaths

These 2 elections will be very expensive for the tax payers. Labour are so arrogant.

A Prime Minister and indeed a Labour leader brought up outside London and the South East? Since Gordon Brown, we have had so much London centric leaders, it would make a change to have someone from the north of England.

Also someone who has actually delivered something, as opposed to the likely alternative of former student union leader.

I didn't say that wasnt his goal, but parachuting usually implies someone with no connection to the local area or people.

He’s done a bloody good job in Manchester and it’s one of the fastest growing and economically viable cities, he’s generally well liked and he’s got stuff done and he’s visible.

@cardibach The Conservatives were not all incompetent. May’s negotiation with the EU was far better than the one we ended up with. The most incompetent people around here are the electorate. They expect a quick fix in the light of the Covid costs and world upheaval affecting oil prices. Burnham can fix neither and the chancellor already had seen her fiscal headroom slashed with increased borrowing costs. Most of the population have no idea about anything economic and bay for blood. Most people seem economically illiterate. We cannot afford what Burnham will be told to do and neither can our DC. We need long term plans, not quick fix, over promising, leaders who are out for themselves.

I think he's great.

Andy Burnham stood in front of me and thousands of others at the Hillsborough memorial service at Anfield and listened. He was instrumental in pushing for the release of documents and calls for an inquiry which lead to the original inquest verdicts being over turned and a new inquest ruling the 97 men, women and children were unlawfully killed. There had been a cover up for 20 years when he walked out at Anfield and he listened and he acted. I will always respect him and be grateful to him for what he helped do for our families and our city. I think we would be lucky to have him as PM.

@tttigress in comparison to the Tories! And Starmer doesn’t want this. A few people have been stirring the pot and the media get hold of it and stir it even more!

Oh give over - the “Labour haven’t had chance..,,” rhetoric has run out of time, Starmer is incapable of commanding the respect of the country or even his party. He’s overseen economically disastrous choices, his government have done nothing to improve life for anyone. Starmer is spineless, I wouldn’t trust him to lead the proverbial piss up in a brewery - he’s a wet blanket. At least Burnham has charisma. A leader needs charisma, I like Burnham he does seem to have much better leadership skills and done a lot for Manchester.

You could read his actions either as the actions of a shamelessly selfish megalomaniac or the actions of someone decisive who sees the desperate need to replace the leader for the good of the country.

But quite frankly the whole thing is just a mess. We need a general election assp.

His current GM mayoral area covers the constituency and he knows the region, he’s got a good reputation as Mayor and as they’re living in an area where people will have seen what he’s achieved in Manchester he’s got a good chance.

All MPs have a constituency irrespective of what other government roles they hold, I don’t think that’s a reason not to vote for him in itself.