To think Andy Burnham is doing a decent job so far?

[spiceupyourlives]

I’m really impressed by him working with the tories and Lib Dems on social care. It’s what we’ve needed more of in this country for so long, and a solution to the crisis will only come about if the next party to take charge is also committed to the solution.

It'll be the 22nd time cross party talks have been held.
Cross - not all.

Way too early - Ask again in 6 or 12 months (if he lasts that long) when there is (hopefully) a bit more substance to go off.

And he’s got nothing beyond a willing commitment from the Tories and LibDems. How well he actually exploits their input will be telling, as I’d imagine there will be different ideas than the more lefty Labour way might like.
I think all the rushing about means he’s putting up smoke to hide the fact he hasn’t really got a clue - but if he uses civil service advice and properly listens to those with knowledge and non-partisan interest he’d stand a chance. But then you could say that about the last umpteen PMs!

The vast majority of the population live in urban areas which have bus services surely? I’m rural, but whenever I go to a city or town, which is where most people live, I see lots of
buses.

I didn’t actually say that did I?

But an extra £1,020 in my pocket means I can be more economically active. But cutting costs doesn’t mean that there won’t be an expansion of the bus network.

I would agree. Until I heard that he was reneging on his promise to support WASPI women, but to do something 'none monetary'. Whatever that means.

Huh! I haven’t seen a single thing that’ll benefit me. But my DH and I brought up two children in a stable home, supported them through their education and training, never claiming anything but Child Benefit, with those two adults now working with children of their own, everyone always employed (albeit I’m now retired) all saving and doing everything we can to ensure our futures. Seems that’s not the way Labour believe it should be and we need be ready to have our success ripped away through taxation.

AB has said he wants access to transport across all postcodes. It was Thatcher who privatised the bus services and demolished rural buses - typical Tory to forget that.
As someone who supports Labour I want everyone to be able to access public transport, I voted AB for mayor so he would do that in my area.

AB supporting devolution and devolving power to control transport to YOUR local area means, hopefully, you can vote for a party that will help with local transport issues. Devolution will mean you get a say in your local transport. If rural areas continue to vote for parties that don’t want public transport it won’t happen - Lib Dems, Greens, Labour all support local public transport.

No

He has no mandate for any of his actions. If he had any integrity at all he would call an election.

Democracy is dead

There are parents who prevent their children from doing an apprenticeship because they would lose their UC?

Will public transport improvements not help you or your grandchildren? Will changes to social care not potentially help you? Will improving training for more trades people not help you?

Or are you harking back to Thatcher and how she gave tax cuts and sold off the family jewels - is that the kind of help you want. The kind of help that has screwed your grandchildren.

Funny that we have just lost our last bus service where I live then .....

According to governmental definitions, a large proportion of people actually live in "rural" areas, which often include large villages, small towns, etc. In theory such places, i.e. a small town with 10k inhabitants "should" have a good bus service but in reality, lots don't. "Rural" doesn't mean a sleepy little hamlet of half a dozen homes on a hillside! I live in a village of 7k people - we don't have a good bus service - no buses at all through the village centre, and a very sparse service along the by pass to one side of the village, with no evening buses and only 1 bus every two hours on Sundays. For 7K people! We used to have a service through the village centre but it was scrapped the same year that the local council closed the village library, 2005!

In our nearby city of around 50k people, they've just changed the route of the park n ride bus service so that it no longer goes to the city hospital on the edge of the city. The service was bad enough anyway, didn't start early enough nor finish late enough for the hospital shift workers, but now it's no use for "daytime hours" workers in the hospital either, nor for patients or visitors! Then the decision making pillocks wonder why roads in the area are suddenly congested with cars and why local residents can't park in their own streets anymore. As always with local politics, the decision makers havn't a clue about the reality and can't "foresee" the inevitable consequences of their decisions that everyone else could easily have forecast!

God yes. It’s a nightmare trying to get children to do certain courses when their parents actively don’t want them to. Not a lot but some. It’s heartbreaking

Remember, people VOTED for Thatcher's policies. She didn't do it in a vacuum. In the same way, people of that time VOTED FOR demutualisations of insurance firms and building societies, privatisations of utilities, selling off council houses, etc. They were all popular policies. If you're going to blame anyone, blame the voters of the 80s!

So you’ve lost your last bus service and AB didn’t save it in the just over a week he’s been in power. Listen to yourself - that’s nonsense.
It took years to sort out the buses in Manchester, not 6 days.

The issue has just come up on Storm, lets see what Carole Malone has to say .....

AB has said he wants access to transport across all postcodes.

Cloud cuckoo land?

I actually find it hard to believe that this would be case but it must be a sizable problem otherwise you wouldn't need the policy. Parents who put themselves ahead of their children are something else.

I don't have a car, I cycle or use the bus. If AB makes buses free for teenagers, I would have to buy a car. Teenagers vape and play rap and harass the older passengers.

He’s only announced the nice bits (ie where the government will spend money, such as on capping bus fares or whatever). Let’s just wait for the budget & see who he’s going to hurt to pay for it

Early days for him, I am optimistic by nature so it's looking good so far.

As long as his back benchers don't start another flippin heave that is.

Aye hes doing fine if you like to be taxed to Kingdom come and back again

Don’t be so stupid. I get the bus everyday. It’s fine.

I don't use buses. But I care about people who need bus services who can't access them. I also care about people who can access them being able to do so more affordably.
In what way has the second thing caused the first do you think, that has you so negative about it?