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.

You won’t find too many people on here in agreement with you OP as Mumsnet is full of Labour voters. I think Burnham will be a lot worse than Starmer and I’ve been actively avoiding the news so I do t have to hear or worry about any of the awful plans he’s got for the UK.

On the flip side, hopefully this will prove just how awful Labour really are and consign them to history come the next election.

For how long though?

Though I agree it wasn’t difficult to know who Andy Burnham was before this, I agree on the point of what qualifies him to be leader of the Labour Party and our PM. He has had astonishingly little experience of the hugely complex issues he will need to deal with expertly and swiftly. His speech today was full of the buzzwords from his mayorship and did not contain anywhere near enough of anything else.

I don't understand what you're trying to say here. We've had two Labour PMs since Blair, who was the least left-wing of the lot. Andy Burnham is generally considered to be well to the left of Starmer, I believe. I can't for the life of me think why you'd say he will involve us in another war. Starmer has just kept us out of one and that's one of the best-received things he's done.

What is a 'viral meme'?

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g ah 11 months at Health, 7 months as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Wow!

He’s a big character. Labour know they need this. With the likes of Nigel and Zack around - both huge personalities (although very different people!!) it seems the way to the top is to have charisma.

Interesting. Some PP, here and elsewhere, ominously warn that AB is Far Left. Others are equally appalled that he is a Blairite.

He can’t be both. Which is it?

And so it starts....Whatever people's views are on Kier Starmer and the current labour government, the media vitriol and subsequent social media, online posts and mumsnet threads started within the first few minutes of his election. Andy Burnham is not even PM yet but we are getting the same. OP, if you have not heard of him then you have obviously chosen not to keep up to date with the news or politics on even a superficial level, which is fine, but hardly anyone else's fault.

Not very long. He was elected in 2001. Junior minister 2005-7. Chief Secretary to the Treasury for about a year (this is #2 at the Treasury). Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2008 for about 18 months. Secretary of State for Health for a year or so until Labour lost the 2010 election and the coalition took over. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Burnham

you do make it sound like last week he was just working in the corner shop op. he's hardly a random bloke off the street they've picked by chance

I haven't checked but that's probably a better record than Truss's. Not that that's setting a very high bar ...

I agree with you. I had heard of him though. What I find puzzling, I think he ran for Labour leader before and didn't get in. But now he's going to save us. Hope he does.

Well, as you appear to be American (from your spelling of favours), I'm not surprised you haven't heard of him.

To answer your question, nothing qualifies him for the job of leader of the Labour Party, and even less as the next prime minister of the U.K. His ego is the size of the universe though, so he will have no doubts about his lack of ability to run the country.

Just because you haven’t heard of him doesn’t make him new. I’ve certainly been aware of him for several years.

It's absolutely fine not to pay attention to the news @GarlicBiscuits but it will create some embarrassing moments

Depressing, isn't it. Farage and Polanski are both such obvious charlatans.

I'd heard of him but he was never as high profile as some people on here are making out.

I only really knew him as the bloke that kept trying to be Labour leader and always losing by a very high margin.

This.

How have you not heard of Andy Burnham? Have you been living under a rock?

Thanks so much for letting me know that Chief Secretary to the Treasury is No 2.

I am more concerned that he appears to be bringing back 'hasbeens' from the past. Emily Thornberry, Andrea Eagle, James Purnell. Do they not have any new talent on the present benches?

Funny how northerners - defined here in the London sense as ‘anyone north of Watford’ -are all supposed to know who Sadiq Khan is.

It's actually extraordinary. There are 403 Labour MPs inside the House of Commons.

When Starmer stepped down there was no one already an MP who wanted or felt able to step forward.

Instead they summon from the wilderness Andy Burnham! Last an MP nearly a decade ago. Like the desparate throw if the dice.

Next time maybe they will choose Harry Styles ! Same sort of desparate thinking.

You don't follow politics and you have just discovered Mumsnet? What a happy coincidence. Lots of political savvy posters are here to help you out @GarlicBiscuits . Enjoy!