To think Andy Burnham is smug?

[Lyra25]

To think Andy Burnham is smug and presumptuous. Just that really and I have no particular political preference, disillusioned with the lot!

His eyebrows apparently. Very stupid looking eyebrows.

@Justusethebloodyphone He’s certainly machinated and plotted, such is the life of democratic politicians. However, he’s not held a gun to anyone’s head and forced them.

How is that his fault ?

What has he actual said, and what has been assumed, created, summised and made-up by the Media / people on Twitter. ?

Oh.

Exactly, you have to despair for the state of public discourse when people are only interested in "witty" comments about appearances like they are auditioning for a teemu Mock the Week

No prime minister is elected by the voters. That’s not how our system works.

What do you want him to say? That he will be fair to middling for the country?

If by immediate you mean 11 months....

Impermeable? WTF?

We don’t vote for Prime Ministers in this country.

What % of those prime minsters were elected as MPs just days before that?

He will have the mandate of PM because he will have the confidence of the house of commons.

I don't know what is worse the people who hate him because he smiles on the day he is going to be sworn in as an MP or the people who think the way we have done things for centuries is some sort of conspiracy.

He's just been elected by a constituency.
The Labour Party has a manifesto.

But also, all parties have flexible relationships with their manifesto, that's the UK system.

It is ABSOLUTELY not a given. This kind of post is really annoying, and makes me wonder if there are lots of bad faith actors on this thread. Reforms moment has, IMHO, already passed. They got beaten in Gorton, they were soundly beaten in Makerfield and it'll be a long time to the next GE (Burnham would be mad to call one before he needs to, and he's not stupid), but our press do love to talk up their chances a lot. Maybe they like rabble rousers and people who incite rioting because it gives them more to report on, but most people just want stability and a decent life. Not division and hate.

Yes unlike all the other prime ministers we've had that we're surprised to win the job in a raffle.....

Wow you are right. It was much more immediate in my memory.

You had to ruin what was with actually a good point with a random shout of "champagne socialist" didn't you?

None I think, but realistically what difference does this make? He could have been a constituency MP for years and you'd know far less about him than you do.

That was one of the most ridiculous political decisions.

Why wouldn't we?

No.
I think we should have a book on what awful thing he does first.

20-1 take money for his clothes
12-1 have some terrible tax thing revealed
2-1 more shiny shite policies that don't support businesses

I assume it is depressing because people are measuring his smile to see of he is smug and talking about his hair in between people thinking it is a conspiracy that he is going to become PM the way 50% of our 18 prime ministers have came to power.

There is some chat about the benefits of consistency or about manifesto commitments but mainly it has been reactionary bollocks

I think he’s fabulous

Well at least one. Alec Douglas home was made prime minister before he was elected. Not that it actually matters though Burnham is MP the same as everyone else.

Please don't tell me that running in a election matters. No one voted for Johnson thinking that Truss would one day be PM and it's not like she continued on that manifesto either.

Only one time did someone take over where it could have been reasonably predicted at the general election, Gordon Brown.

He would have years of current experience in parliament if he’d been a constituency MP. If you were hiring him as an employee, his CV would not be very strong. He’s been out of Westminster for a decade.

He’s not tested. All the Tory leaders who came to power this way were MPs, most of them were Cabinet members.

We seem to be treating PM as a job anyone can do as long as the vibes are good.