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.

I'm afraid this will end badly for Burnham and the country. He would be better just staying a Mayor. He believes all the hype around him. He, in my opinion and a some inside knowledge (too outing to reveal), does not have what it takes to be PM.

Are you quite young, OP? I'd have thought that most people who were adults 20 years ago would remember him, he was on tv loads and often in the news.

He was a prominent member of the cabinet under Gordon Brown (possibly Blair, as well) and did some really good work on the Hillsborough tragedy and on maternity care failures at a hospital that I can't now remember the location of.

He's not my cup of tea (I'm Old Labour and of a Bennite persuasion on most matters) but even I can see that he's very capable and (possibly more importantly) comes across as a relatively normal and likeable person.

Only 30 year gilts. Five and ten years are lower.

I did read his history at some point. I don’t think he’s ever had a job outside politics.

Wrong again. Try harder. Even read people's replies.

Of course it was when Labour were in power, otherwise how could he possibly ever have been a CABINET minister. Cabinet, not Shadow Cabinet.

You’d never heard of a man who has previously been Health Secretary and twice ran for the Labour leadership before, as well as being Mayor of a massive city region who was all over the national news during Covid because of a very open conflict with the government over funding during lockdown?

He hasn’t had a ‘sudden rise to the top’. He’s been rising for decades. If you pay zero attention to political news, I’m afraid that’s on you. Jeez.

Oh, that claim was made about Starmer too. Fangirls, Starmerites etc.🙄I wondered how long it would take for the AB cult comments.

I don't like what AB he has done one bit and I don't particularly like him generally. But I still hope he does a good job and he is infinitely preferable to Farage.

And yet the markets, which are very well informed and sensitive to every possible input, disagree.

It is always good to link to your source

I have linked to that source on several occasions previously - Boris Johnson was not responsible for the 2008 financial crash and aftermath.

But his supporters do get quite ‘overheated’. It isn’t a reflection on him as such. I too hope he does a good job.

No individual was. US irresponsible lending was.

@TemperanceWest I don't like what AB he has done one bit and I don't particularly like him generally. But I still hope he does a good job and he is infinitely preferable to Farage.

In a nutshell. Thanks and yes.

I haven't seen anyone get "overheated". But political discussions on MN are always very lively.

To add, Labour's Chief Secretary to the Treasury left a note during Boris Johnson's first term as London Mayor;

"Dear [incoming] Chief Secretary, I'm afraid there is no money...

This has arisen because Starmer blocked him standing as a candidate in the Gorton and Denton bi-election recently, presumably because he knew then what a threat he would. Labour lost that (very longstanding) seat. He couldn't do that twice and retain any credibility.

How can you never have heard of him until recently? Do you not read or listen to/watch any news?

Only a few months ago it was a big news item that he’d been blocked for standing as a Labour MP in a different seat, and he’s been well known for years now as the successful mayor of Manchester.

I’m in SW London and certainly not the sort of person who’s glued to TV or any other news, but I was well aware of him years ago.

Oh seriously Clav. That one is so old it has grown a beard.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/09/liam-byrne-apology-letter-there-is-no-money-labour-general-election

Is this old saw really still going?
That was a joke.

I think the most amusing thing to me is that apparently all these people whinging about how long it’s been since he was an MP, are somehow forgetting that he took the time he wasn’t an MP to be the mayor that turned Manchester into a place that houses more knowledge-intensive businesses than anywhere except London.

I don’t expect everyone to agree with him, but when you focus on petty things, you look uneducated at best (“he hasn’t even been at Westminster lately! What did he waste his time doing?!?” Uh, the answer to that is revitalizing Manchester as its mayor?)

Every Northerner I’ve spoken to very cautiously thinks he might do good things, and it seems like half the Southerners I’ve talked to just go, “I don’t get this Andy Burnham thing.” So… you haven’t been reading UK-wide news for the last decade? That’s rough. You have a lot of catching up to do before you can share an opinion based on political reality. ♥️

Keir Starmer, actually.

“No individual was. US irresponsible lending was.”
The AI US overspend and hype currently is even worse.
Whoever is PM needs to look at likely fallout of the AI bubble crashing massively.

We need a PM in quickly. No point in wasting time. It is just uncertainty.

Can’t say I am a particular Burnham or Labour or Con fan. Tend to float or vote LibDem.
Am a millennial/Gen X cusp. Had not heard of Burnham until a few months ago. Then he was catapulted into the limelight.

What is most fascinating is that the press started obsessing about him and now he is refusing to take their questions. I rather like that! I would much rather a PM who communicates directly with the public not via the media. So if he gets that right, I am in.
He has big ideas but zero money to spend so exactly how he is going to do this is anyone’s guess. But the fact he was out of the toxic Westminster bubble for some years is a good thing, in my opinion.
The entire of Westminster is run good cop/bad cop Oxbridge style with no real substance and delivery and I am sick and tired of it!

Liam Byrne was not the Chancellor - Alistair Darling was;

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/mar/25/alistair-darling-cut-deeper-margaret-thatcher

If you think he's Far Left i think you need to go back to politics school.
In what way do you think he's far left?!

Why did Alistair Darling spoil the joke?

Liam Byrne left the note you mentioned. I am really not sure why you are dragging all this into a thread about Burnham, though. But please yourself.