To find Andy Burnham’s sudden rise to the top odd?

[GarlicBiscuits]

A few weeks ago, I’d never heard of this man. A few weeks ago, he wasn’t even an MP.

Yet suddenly, he’s everywhere and going to be our next prime minister? What qualifies him for this role? It seems that all the Labour MPs love him. Why?

The whole situation is very odd to me… I’m not sure it’ll do Labour any favors at all.

Yes, he had a very important job outside of politics. Which is why he had already been knighted. I think he will be appreciated in an important job in the international arena.

Stop trying to derail the thread!

What's wrong Clav? Worried your man Farage might have run out of road?

Well Burnham has no money to spend - so from that point of view, it is relevant.

I think Burnham could do worse than appoint him as Foreign Secretary.

He wants Britain to get working and hopeful again and will start with the fat cats in Westminster having to deliver and actually work rather than just bullshit and argue. At least, that is what I heard.

I always think of Starmer in Bucha, Ukraine, and think how he would be an eminent legal mind to have on the world stage re: war crimes. My feeling is he would represent the UK really well in that way.

Who do you mean ?
Are there any fat cats anywhere in the North I wonder ?

some speculation that David Miliband could come back from the US, be elevated to the Lords and become Foreign Secretary

I'm not sure that is such a good idea - he failed last time;

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/30/why-anyone-disastrous-david-miliband-second-chance/

Immature all round, apparently:

https://metro.co.uk/2013/02/08/labour-mp-david-miliband-caught-napping-on-tube-with-his-trouser-zip-undone-3398887/

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/2010/jan/11/harsh-words-for-david-miliband

Nail on the head as to what's needed to turn the country around. We need to get people working again, it's the ONLY way to grow the economy.

I'm voting Conservative!!

eminent legal mind

I would describe Keir Starmer as a plodder.

Of course, that’s known, ik this from your posts.

@GarlicBiscuits
This is a short article to get you up to scratch before the recent re-emergence:

When Burnham lost the 2015 leadership race to Jeremy Corbyn, he was not a household name to those outside of politics.
Then in 2017, the job to become Greater Manchester’s first mayor came along and he sensed the opportunity for an alternative political career path

Why Andy Burnham's winning formula might not work outside of the North

Wasted vote😄

Apologies, but going by some of your recent posts I genuinely thought you had switched allegiances to Farage.

What are you talking about?

Would you like to try again?

As I recognise yours after your hiatus.

PS.

I do agree that he’s held cabinet posts however, I am concerned that somebody unelected as PM, when the country is in the state it’s in and with no recent parliamentary experience is not necessarily the best person to get us out of the mire that we’re in at the moment.

The problem with the Tories is that after Brexit all the good and competent ones left or were pushed to the back and the real losers took over. That does not mean the Tory Party is finished for good. Small c Tories represent Britain at large. In fact, Labour are selling the story that the Tories are finished so they can take over the centre ground. But that will piss a lot of old school Labour off as well.

I would return the favour but it would be a veeeeeery long list of initials!😄

Let's all make a date in a couple of years time to discuss this again. I grew up with stories like the hare and the tortoise ...

Trouble is that we've had three "annointed" prime ministers who previously DID have high cabinet positions, being Chancellor, who turned out to be unpopular and short lived PMs leading to their parties losing the subsequent GE, i.e. John Major, Gordon Brown and Rishi Sunak. Holding "high office" experience is certainly not an indicator of becoming a successful PM.

Wasted vote

Definitely not - my MP is the Shadow Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology.

I genuinely thought you had switched allegiances to Farage

Pragmatic - coalition/electoral pact, although I do admire Farage for his anti-EU efforts.

Well, they do say familiarity breeds contempt.

so you haven't ever paid any attention to politics but now you've suddenly woken up Can't help but wonder what's prompted this

The Tories aren't finished, but they can't win on the basis of one person alone, i.e. Kemi. No one else seems to get any media presence and she can't be a "one woman show" if they think she can win the next GE. Whether it's intentional to keep putting her up in preference to anyone else, or whether there currently isn't much alternative "talent" in the Tory party, they need to make changes. We should be seeing and hearing from far more shadow ministers and they should be being trained in media matters to start making more of an impact. I struggle to think of who the Tory shadow ministers are as we seem to see/hear so little from them - it's always Kemi.