To be sick to death of Andy Burnham already

[Viviennemary]

I'm sick to death already of seeing Andy Burnham and hearing his voice. And he isnt even PM yet. Come back Keir Starmer. All is forgiven. I dont know how I'm going to suffer 3 or four more years of him in charge. Playing the part of the working class hero who is going to save the country. Give me strength.

Yes maybe it was just for loyal Labour, which everyone in that room would have been. Although it was aired to everyone else and the 70s idea and using Thatcher as a bogey woman sticks but it’s not current at all.

And the 70s were politically difficult and ended on the winter of discontent.

That’s just not true. There were quite a few Labour MPs who were itching to take over from Starmer, and they made preparations to do so. He calculated, rightly, that none could gather enough support in the party to oust him. He was vulnerable to a newcomer, not a sitting MP.

If Burnham had not had a compliant MP mate to stand down or had lost in Makerfield Starmer would still be PM.

He doesn't place much importance on the markets. This is an accident waiting to happen. I feel very sorry for the working families and business owners that are about to suffer. SME businesses are already on their knees.

@BIossomtoes

Same thing that happened with Starmer: the PLP wants left wing stuff (benefits, net zero, Palestine…) but the gen pop wants right wing stuff (immigration, CoL, defence spending…)

So the watered down measures and the U-turns and the PLP’s revolts and the policy making based on opinion groups and polls is not gonna stop.

He is trying to find a 3rd way and find stuff that may appeal to both, like manchesterism, but it won’t be enough, and it will be at the periphery of the core issues that need addressing.

His cabinet won’t be talented enough, he has no real plan, conviction, time or legitimacy, and I fear for foreign affairs and the budget.

All the goodwill he is getting inside Labour is coming from a position of despair and frustration, it’s the honeymoon phase, everyone is getting OTT because they so want to believe it’s gonna be alright, it’s gonna pop like a balloon at the first hurdle. It’s not an hommage to his talent, it’s a show of fear.

I hope he can manage the renationalise the utilities companies and the train network, that would be good for the country and a true legacy.

Fantastic post but I disagree on renationalisation.

Presumably you are aiming this at older Labour supporters on the thread. There could also be people reading this who are struggling with serious, life-limiting illness. Shame on you.

Why, though? We don't vote for a PM, we vote for our MPs, or party.

There have been numerous mid-term changes of PM in my lifetime, and I don't recall there being this much fuss when any of the previous ones happened.

Give over. That's the second time on this thread you've misread a post and put your own slant on it.

Great post.

Give over. I know that poster of old and how they speak about certain Labour supporters of a certain age on MN. They don't need you to jump to their defence!

Whatever you think about nationalised utilities, there isn’t the money to do it. And that’s assuming we’re only talking about water (in fact sewage for the most part) and power. Telecoms would never be renationalised, or BA, or the oil industry.

Interesting take, I’ll remember this if you’re right. The happy mass-selfie loving Labour MPs are likely to get a chancellor more to the right than the last one.

I was really referring to the main body of the post.

We also take on the debt as taxpayers. Thames Water alone is running at £18.5bn in debt.

Sure. I thought that. I was just pointing out that one part of it is pie in the sky.

Yes, if Burnham had lost in Makerfield Starmer would still be PM. And rightly so, as a Makerfield loss would have disproved the theory that Burnham had the personal support to beat Reform.
How long Starmer would have lasted in this case is unknown. No other MP set out their stall once they knew the person they considered best (best to beat Reform within the context of a populist environment) was an option.

Yes, renationisation is going to take time and a lot of money with the contacts involved. More big bold promises.i wonder where the money saved on the digital ID scheme is going to go 🤔

It's not a serious comment from me but there have been several petitions like that since Labour was elected. Farage promoted one and it was supported by posters on MN.

I thought it fitted in with some of the thinking of this thread

I wasn't defending her - I was pointing out what I see.

In the same way posters were sure Starmer was staying, that was Labour mn. It wasn’t correct though.

It is what has been going on in the PLP that is important, I keep saying this but Louise Haigh is one to watch:

The former Transport Secretary, sidelined by Keir Starmer, reveals she's been working with Burnham on a plan for government for at least a year, and has already seen the prospective Prime Minister make tough decisions. Also - bringing hope back to politics (11 Jul, BBC)

Some posters were sure Starmer would stay, some posters were sure Starmer would go, some posters wanted Starmer gone from day 1, some posters were indifferent, we could go on and on.

The Left or what ever you like to call us is a broad church, as is MN

She was sidelined with good reason though.

Nice try but how could I possibly know the age and health of posters.

I don’t scan back through threads looking for intel on posters - like some.

Sure. I didn’t see any Labour posters agree he’d be gone.

Most were vocally against any suggestion. They got it wrong though.