Oh Andy, Andy, Andy.. just Why?

[WallowingInMud]

[I categorically refuse to put the word ‘lighthearted’ in the title to indicate that Im not actually traumatised. Also because saying this post is lighthearted is just as facile as holding a little bus or building a Lego haus to illustrate my point.
See below.]

I realise that I don’t need to follow Mr B on instagram but I do and I’m feeling deeply patronised:

First a little toy bus (talking about buses innit), then a Lego house (building more Lego houses to amuse the homeless), a bit of cosplay by dressing up as a Sainsbury’s man of the people (to show that you can work at Sainsbury's and a sexy uniform is thrown in) and now… throwing a cowboy hat at the camera/phone to illustrate that cowboy builders are …cowboys.

Make it stop.

AIBU

I mean the intent is good. Labour was doing good stuff under Keir but was deplorable at communicating it. Andy is focusing on the communicating part (not sure yet what he has actually done) as he needs us Instagram crowd on side. We’re the influencers in society don’t you know…

But it’s just so bloody derivative. And it is getting worse. I feel like some junior spad has gone out and bought a load of toys which they are now shoehorning into this bargain basement comms.

I'm not so fussed by the insta antics - clearly there are people who need this from their politicians

But the things he have implemented so far suggest someone who is yet to wake up to how fed up people are across vast swathes of the country after years of soaring house prices and below inflation pay rises (in the public sector at least). The suggestion those of us in the SE are prosperous and can carry more taxation feels a million miles from reality

Very much doubt he does his own social media.

We certainly have our own issues government-wise in Denmark, but four PMs since 2022 must feel like a lot.

He’s trying very hard to keep people on side whilst shafting the country. It’s like a very malicious episode of PlaySchool.

Just unfollow, it's not that difficult.

Though given how stupid some Reform voters are, perhaps sometimes there is a value in a version of Play School.

It is circular though. Empty shops or shops that just sell vapes etc deter people from going to the high street so the few regular shops remaining get less custom and close. If you get rid of the vape shops you need to do other stuff to tempt regular shops and regular shoppers back. If you are spending money on schemes to tempt regular shops/shoppers back you need to get rid of the dodgy vape shops at the same time. So it's part of the puzzle

Part of the problem though is that rents are too high in a lot of places for most shops so only the dodgy places can afford it (because money laundering is more profitable than running a florist I guess). That isn't landlords being evil. Often it's the council and the 🐘 in the room is that they are so cash strapped they need the rent money. But it's ironic if the vape shops selling drugs are the only ones who can afford the council rent so that the council can spend money dealing with anti-social behaviour issues etc etc.

Speaking of buses
Don't worry, the Number 350 will be here soon, I promise...
but it terminates at the Sunlit Uplands

Yanbu but for some reason I get hardly any of it which is fine by me.

I have a photo of DH wearing nothing but a hard hat. 😁👷🏻‍♂️

You okay hun?(As they say here)

Not seen anything you are writing about.

But I don’t want to unfollow.

I want him to be better. I want to see him being better. If I unfollow I might miss the moment when his comms become better and that would make me sad. I don’t want to be sad.

I want Labour to do well and get more than one term in office in order to make big changes to our society. I worries that if he is spending time building little LEGO houses and practising his cowboy throw then he’s not actually doing big things. He’s just communicating about everyday stuff through the medium of little things.

Come on Andy. You can Be Better #DitchTheToys

On what part of his body is he ‘wearing’ the hat?

We need a Kemi, wish she wisnae a tory though

It’s lucky that only Reform voters are stupid, isn’t it……………..

Yeah buses have been dire for years and years, why has not a single government addressed it?

I loved in Cumbria in my teen years, around 2000 and the bus stop was 1.5 miles away from my house, across fields, and ran once an hour, stopping at 6pm. It was impossible to commute via bus. And trains, forget it.

The public transport infrastructure outside of cities is absolutely dreadful. And even in cities it isn't great, most of Manchester is served by buses going to and from the city centre, a 10minute car journey going east to north will take an hour and 10 on the bus.

His head.

We are similar here. Buses run from 12pm to 1pm with an hour off for lunch

There's a bus every hour at the end of our village between 10am and 5pm, but it's a ribbon development and the bus stops at a T junction on the road at the end. So there's a mile walk to the bus stop for those (like me) who live at the opposite end. Very time consuming. Not much use for getting to and from work for more than one reason.

And when we get old Nige we'll be longing for Andy back.

Thought of this thread when I saw this!

Yes its maddening how little investment there has been in public transport infrastructure. We need more public transport, in more places, and more frequently. Otherwise the free bus fare policy is just rubbing salt in the wound. (I am a disabled person who lives in a big urban area but could most certainly not risk relying on a bus)!

eh?

I want Andy to be the leader this country needs. But he needs to make the shift from mayor of Manchester to leader of a country which includes many many people in the south who also feel ground down and cut off

Unfortunately @WallowingInMud, there are many, many people in the population who have the vote - but are not politically savvy.

You might not like it, but the PM recognizes that an interview in the Times won't reach these voters... and.. also like it or not... he's had a lot of success with some parts of the electorate with this SM style.

This bus thing is just a nonsense. Unless you live in or very near a major conurbation, there ARE no buses! I live less than 30 miles from London, and we have very few. I even have a free bus pass, which I've used exactly twice. In Bognor, which is nowhere near me.