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.

And there it is - the post of the thread, that really gets to the essence!

😎

Thanks 👍

It’s a game they all play. It’s tiresome, but I like to think that at least some voters can be better than that, act and argue consistently and show them up.

First paragraph is a bit harsh isn't it.

Don’t take my word for it.

Feel free to read Jennifer Williams article in the FT - she covered him for ten years.

I'll do that.

And that’s our problem as a nation… writing people off before they’ve started. I accept you can have reservations and doubts about someone, but if we don’t drag us out of this endless depressing negativity, we’ll continue to be dragged down as a country.

Yeah, sorry - but look, Starmer and Reeves came in on a wave of negativity, do you remember?

As to Burnham, he’s clearly keen to avoid his predecessor’s mistake on that front, but I have no reason to believe that he will be anything other than an unmitigated clusterfq.

Call it a hunch.

I just can't believe some of the views expressed here. It's what I might expect from my 94 year old DF.
Just give him a chance before you pile in with your negativity and cynicism!
I'll judge him on what he does, not what he says, but so far I like the priorities he's set out.
I may be a Londoner, but I'm completely behind him when he says we need to support growth in every region. Our northern cities have great heritage, culture, skills and dynamism that we - the whole of the UK - need to harness. It's madness not to and it would be to the benefit of London. And when he says every region I take him to include those parts of the South that are struggling also.
Bring it on Andy

Starmer and Reeves tried negativity and they blew their tenure.

Burnham might avoid that but the gap between expectation and actual funding available will have to be seen.

I’m now expecting a full blown financial criss tbh.

I think you've contradicted yourself there.

AB was the best choice because the other 400 were bloody useless. Think about it.

Well at least it will ensure we dont have another Labour government for a while after this bunch of lefties ruin the economy with their daft ideas.Andy Burnham got in by the back door. I wouldn't have voted Labour with him in charge. Liz Truss did the same but at least they kicked her out pdq.

Why?

I once saw MN described as the " paramilitary wing of the Daily Mail" and reading some of these comments I can understand why.

I wait with baited breath for the arrival of the Messiah from the North.

That’s funny. It’s more in line with Pat McFadden’s take. Keep taxing no matter what.

Agreed. Should have mentioned in my original rant that all the mainstream political parties have accepted the neo-liberal economic policies adopted by Thatcher without question. Burnham is talking about adopting some of the Keynesian economic policies that rebuilt Britain after WW2. The Uk was broke, after the war, and borrowed massively from America to rebuild our economy. The debt was finally paid off on 31 December, 2006. The "pump priming"of the American loan started an economic boom that led to the creation of millions of proper jobs as the factories roared into full production, the founding of the NHS and free universal healthcare, and free education up to University level. The clearance of the old slums and bomb sites, and the introduction of a massive housebuilding programme, including ample social housing. Thesocial changes in the sixties were influenced by the increasing affluence of a population that had grown up healthier and more educated than their previous generations. A lot of the bands, actors, models, authors and fashion designers that emerged were working-class kids who had benefited from the new prosperity. It wassuddenly hip to be Liverpudlian and speak with a regional accent. People wanted the good life and had the jobs and money to get it. This is what Burham is talking about. A vision of hope and prosperity that Britain had in the past. Built by deliberate economic choices made by their governments. Whether Labour or Conservative. Whether he will be able to deliver is another matter entirely.

But they still didn't have a GE. Instead they let Sunak in through the back door unopposed.I don't like what has happened but the Tories shouldn't be complaining about it.

Not if he increase taxes, but probably if he (tries to) increase borrowing unless it’s for huge infrastructure investment.

I read that initially as the "paramillinery wing of the Daily Mail" and had a vision of sea of Hyacinth Bucket-esq hats 👒

Do you mean we should borrow more?

The man isn't in the job yet and there are inane comments (which the majority on here seem to agree with) that you can't bear seeing him or hearing his voice. I guess you like seeing so much of Farage in the media and hearing his voice? Or did you prefer Johnson and his corrupt band of toadies? If you object to that adjective, checkout the billions wasted on useless covid protections. In my opinion, that seems to be being forgotten in the rush to vilify Starmer for being boring and Burnham for having the wrong accent.

Is it not possible, for the good of the country, to let the man get on and do his job and save the judgement for later?

Is it not possible, for the good of the country, to let the man get on and do his job and save the judgement for later?

Fair enough and I agree it will come down to this when our PM represents us internationally. However, you could apply your quote above to Keir Starmer. There wasn't a vacancy, there was an incumbent, and there was a plan of over a year to oust and install Burnham instead. So I think it is a good time to be clear on the facts of this now.

No there is no contradiction in what I've said. You may not understand what I'm saying, but that doesn't mean I'm the one who needs to think harder.