Page 7 | To feel utterly miserable about a future with Andy Burnham as PM?

OneWarmHazelQuail · 2026-07-16T00:23:52+00:00

I feel like I'm being stung in every possible way at the moment- £15 a day on tube to work, high mortgage costs, high energy costs, private schooling for SEN child (I was told state wouldn't be unlikely to assist him as he isn't mute or violent). My parents have had to help fund schooling it felt like my only hope as son has behavioural issues. I also have an unsold old home that I have to rent out as it wouldn't sell. Buy-to-let mortgage costs, agent fees, maintenance and tax put me in a loss position. I can't bear what the future holds with Andy Burnham. I have no doubt that he will find new and imaginative ways to keep me in this financial nightmare. I'm literally struggling from food poverty but regarded as rich by policy. YABU- Andy Burnham is actually going to make things better YANBU- I'm screwed

BlueRedCat · Today 07:27

Fleetheart · Today 07:25

I don’t understand what
you are saying? In the 60s the highest rate of tax was 90%. We pay less tax than many of our neighbours. We are bankrupted by Covid, Ukraine and Brexit. We need to pay more tax. We also need to ensure that those who are benefiting from high house prices- ie the very rich- are taxed appropriately. We are a society not just people grabbing the most we can.

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It isn’t just about income tax. It is the total tax burden.

GCAcademic · Today 07:27

Finallyfiohr · Today 03:22

They can solve the issues we have in the country - they just cannot get reelected afterwards and that’s all they care about.

The problem is we the public would rather keep our heads in the sand than face the fact that the country is skint, and so anyone who actually tries to address the issues is universally loathed and booted out.

Take Keir. Yesterday there was a disability campaigner saying how terrible he was threatening to take her pip away. Absolutely no clue about how much damage borrowing more to fund her PIP is doing to the country. See also pensions triple lock. Totally unaffordable but everyone is just pretending it is affordable because no one has the balls yo tell the public the truth.

See also the thread whinging about the proposed land value tax - “I might have to pay more for my £2m house and I might have to move. It’s not fair!” It’s so pathetic. You have big assets. It’s fair you’re being taxed on them instead of yet more hikes to income tax. Grow up.

We saw in the 2017 general election what happens when a government tries to be honest with the public and sort out the triple lock and social care. It’s not going to happen again.

TallSturdyGirls · Today 07:29

SummerPeonies2026 · Today 06:44

It’s interesting that Labour supporters blame ‘terminal decline’ suddenly now rather than acknowledging that Labour are not fit to govern.

Labour have no policies
No plan whatsoever
They came to government with YEARS to prepare, with nothing to offer the country at all apart from encouraging the poor to have more children they can’t afford - another eye watering sum for the tax payers. They have absolutely no idea what they are doing.

It is possible to invigorate the economy. To stimulate growth by cutting the overheads for businesses, making it attractive to hire etc etc. Reverse some of the ridiculous decisions made by Reeves.

Of course it’s possible to produce a growth plan designed to fire up the country and the economy. Slash welfare, get people working.
Bring in policies where working actually pays. Start supporting business and ramp up production..

We are living well beyond our means with the dead weight of millions of healthy people that could be contributing, instead are languishing on welfare. We need to address the ballooning immigration bill that is costing us billions and billions.
So much could be done!

But it won’t be done by Burnham that’s for sure. I actually think Labour hates this country, and are determined to see us all fail. Flat lining the country to the lowest denominator, and into some kind of dystopian socialist hellscape, in line with their woke ideals.

It’s devastating to see them flounder so badly, when we really need leadership, direction and purpose as a country.

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The party that allowed the single biggest economic mistake that will continue to ruin forever is surely the one that hates our country.
The party that broke down the industries of the North with nothing to replace them with hates our country.
The party that sold off our water, trains, buses, gas and electricity to private often foreign investors who have bled them dry must hate our country.
The party, that everytime they govern leave NHS waiting lists much longer than when they started must just hate us.

beAsensible1 · Today 07:30

btl landlords the only ones who think they have the right to their investments only ever going up.

everyone else acknowledge the go up and down and if they need to sell at a loss they sell at a loss.

nvm the fact the rentier economy is part of the reason we are so fucked

concertinacornflake · Today 07:30

Dolphinnoises · Today 07:27

I would imagine it was VAT on school fees

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They don't pay the fees, their parents do.

PatChaunceysFruitCake · Today 07:32

OonaStubbs · Today 05:56

We need a PM that is prepared to tackle benefits culture in this country and get people back to work. That is all.

I don’t disagree with you but the lower hanging fruit is the £8billion per annum of fraud and error at DWP.

In terms of benefits I’d focus immediately on getting this down as increasing numbers in employment is a longer term fix.

hattie43 · Today 07:33

Meadowfinch · Today 07:00

Because gdp is generated by private businesses. Not the councils or the nhs. By individuals having the guts to risk their financial security to set up companies and build something from nothing and then employ people.
17,000,000 people in the UK are employed by small privately owned businesses. That's 60% of our work force.
Labour has made it almost impossible for those small businesses to survive. They certainly cannot flourish. They may limp along but Labour is hobbling them, discouraging new ones from starting up, making it more likely existing ones will fail or owners will give up and retire.

What sane person would start a business under Labour's NI/minimum wage/ business charges for electricity/business rates ?

Edited

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It’s not just small businesses that are being screwed what about Landlords . Higher taxes , spectre of NI on rental income , increased reporting of taxes more accountancy costs , renters rights , licensing schemes , every which way they are taking more and more . People talk of Landlords as being some vast property owing moguls but so many are one property accidental landlords or those who thought a small property would enhance their meagre pension . They would give anything to be able to give up but have unsellable flats .

Farmers have been unfairly targeted aswell .

Pedallleur · Today 07:34

ruffler45 · Today 07:04

We need a PM to make some hard decisions to stop the decline of this country, Starmer wasn't the man and I dont think Burnham is the man.

And the previous 4 PMs? What were they doing. At least 2 of them (Boris/Truss) actively assisted the decline with Brexit and flawed economic decisions. House prices, buy to let, NHS were issues that have been ongoing for longer.

SummerPeonies2026 · Today 07:34

TallSturdyGirls · Today 07:29

The party that allowed the single biggest economic mistake that will continue to ruin forever is surely the one that hates our country.
The party that broke down the industries of the North with nothing to replace them with hates our country.
The party that sold off our water, trains, buses, gas and electricity to private often foreign investors who have bled them dry must hate our country.
The party, that everytime they govern leave NHS waiting lists much longer than when they started must just hate us.

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Do you know why they had to be sold? It’s like you have amnesia!

We were forced, after an IMF bail out to make drastic cuts as a country when Labour bankrupted us the last time.

The only way was to privatise. You may not like it, but utilities do not run themselves with a magic money tree. Labour were responsible for the last shit show, and they are now responsible for the current one - again. It’s so depressing.

concertinacornflake · Today 07:35

OneWarmHazelQuail · Today 07:22

I have an asset on paper that I am unable to sell.

The SEN situation is bad enough that my husband and I, at our lowest ebb, both contemplated suicide. People often underestimate how difficult SEN situations are. I've done courses through the council, the autism charity, we pay for private therapies. The schooling is out of pure desperation.

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No one doubts this. You are right it is horrendously difficult.

People are questioning your lack of recognition that you are a long way from the bottom in terms of finances - what about those with SEN children in insecure employment, insecure housing and without parents able/willing to pay for private school, who can't pay for therapy?

Your post was phrased as being entirely about your personal finances, but really your issue is social support has been withdrawn from everyone.

DreadedInn · Today 07:35

I’m so sorry that I took this quote from a pp and not their name. Just too fucking frustrated I guess, but this…

“Politics in this country is run like a live action role play for bored first year politics students”

EasternStandard · Today 07:36

CurlewKate · Today 07:14

People always seem so shocked to discover that public services cost money!

Or that over taxing people and businesses leads to behaviour change and job losses.

Bullandbear · Today 07:36

There is some serious naivety on MN.

If any of you think you will prove immune from what’s coming from a Burnham government,
you are sadly mistaken.

SummerPeonies2026 · Today 07:38

Bullandbear · Today 07:36

There is some serious naivety on MN.

If any of you think you will prove immune from what’s coming from a Burnham government,
you are sadly mistaken.

I agree, some haven’t the first idea. Really no idea.

Rpop · Today 07:38

WanderingStar26 · Today 03:28

Exactly - it’s a poisoned chalice and I’m not sure why anyone would want it. In the age of instant gratification he’ll be given 5 mins by the media and ergo the public, before he’s driven out. And Reform will lap it up because of course their harebrained ideas are actually what we need, and it will just add fuel to their fire, for the knuckle dragging roundabout painters anyway.

The reality is the country is screwed, and it will take generations to sort out. A different PM every season isn’t going to help that. I feel sorry for Starmer, he certainly wasn’t the worst PM we’ve had and he didn’t deserve what happened to him.

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Totally and utterly. People seem to prefer a clown with a strong personality. I’d rather a sensible and intelligent person with morals.

DreadedInn · Today 07:38

Bullandbear · Today 07:36

There is some serious naivety on MN.

If any of you think you will prove immune from what’s coming from a Burnham government,
you are sadly mistaken.

What fucking Burnham government? We’re not the US. He is not Trump. It will be a Labour government with the same backbenchers who were there before.

Squirrelsarecleverbastards · Today 07:38

concertinacornflake · Today 07:18

The horse should be before the cart, what do you mean?

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Placing the importance of social spending ahead of the need to grow the economy.

BlueRedCat · Today 07:40

EasternStandard · Today 07:36

Or that over taxing people and businesses leads to behaviour change and job losses.

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Which is really sad. I have to make 2 people redundant next week and honestly it’s just awful. We’ve had to restructure to cover the business rates increase. I think that’s being replicated all over the country now…

SummerPeonies2026 · Today 07:40

DreadedInn · Today 07:38

What fucking Burnham government? We’re not the US. He is not Trump. It will be a Labour government with the same backbenchers who were there before.

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And that hasn’t worked out very well has it!

The same old codgers with no clue squatting in the halls of government.

DreadedInn · Today 07:40

We will continue to have a Labour government as we had before. You may or may not want a Labour government, but Burnham is not going to suddenly change everything.
He is a mouthpiece

Bullandbear · Today 07:41

DreadedInn · Today 07:38

What fucking Burnham government? We’re not the US. He is not Trump. It will be a Labour government with the same backbenchers who were there before.

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Be serious, please - Burnham installs his own cabinet.

You mean the same student backbenches who nixed 5bn from the welfare budget?

Fucking clowns.

TaffetaAndSobranie · Today 07:41

Pedallleur · Today 07:34

And the previous 4 PMs? What were they doing. At least 2 of them (Boris/Truss) actively assisted the decline with Brexit and flawed economic decisions. House prices, buy to let, NHS were issues that have been ongoing for longer.

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Let's go back to Blair that seems to be when the rot set in. Then chaos ever since .
Op I'm dreading it also and I'm pretty much in nmw he's not helped me (starmer) and put my job at risk with ni rise

concertinacornflake · Today 07:41

PatChaunceysFruitCake · Today 07:32

I don’t disagree with you but the lower hanging fruit is the £8billion per annum of fraud and error at DWP.

In terms of benefits I’d focus immediately on getting this down as increasing numbers in employment is a longer term fix.

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Tax gap, including non-compliance and evasion costs something like £50 billion.

thepariscrimefiles · Today 07:41

SummerPeonies2026 · Today 06:03

Labour has crashed the economy spectacularly.

There has been a bloodless coup to install a far left Corbynite. It’s no wonder you are so miserable op, every working person will feel like you. The only posters on here celebrating this development will be the freeloaders on benefits.

The silver lining will be that Burnham has no mandate, he does not have the consent of the people, so unless he is utterly flawless and has a master plan to genuinely salvage the country from this carnage he will be out - and we will have a General Election much sooner than anticipated.

Edited

You obviously live in a fantasy world where anyone that doesn't kiss Nigel Farage's or Rupert Lowe's fascist arses is a 'far left Corbynite'.

In what universe has Labour crashed the economy? Do you mean like Liz Truss did where we could see the impact in real time when fiscal shock that followed her disastrous budget triggered a violent repricing in long-dated government debt, sending yields sharply higher and forcing emergency intervention from the Bank of England? Remind me when the Bank of England had to urgently intervene following a budget from this current government.

Andy Burnham is on the soft left of the Labour Party, although of course hard-right people like you will label him as some sort of Marxist.

TallSturdyGirls · Today 07:41

SummerPeonies2026 · Today 07:34

Do you know why they had to be sold? It’s like you have amnesia!

We were forced, after an IMF bail out to make drastic cuts as a country when Labour bankrupted us the last time.

The only way was to privatise. You may not like it, but utilities do not run themselves with a magic money tree. Labour were responsible for the last shit show, and they are now responsible for the current one - again. It’s so depressing.

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Thatcher's ideology was focused on competition, small state and breaking the unions. How anyone thought that having private transport or utilities is a good thing is beyond common sense. I could understand it for more agile markets but how competition is expected to prevail on commodities with such little room in a clunky market is ridiculous. As we have been shown.