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Andy Burnham is just a dumbed down version of Starmer

402 replies

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:18

Just caught a snippet of some confident sounding commentator on tv repeating a line that you tend to hear in all news programmes. That Burnham is personable and has charisma. That line is starting make me think that as a country, the tyranny of low expectations has really hit a new low.

First thing’s first, when did saying ‘isn’t it’ after every sentence pass for charisma. Is the bar for charisma really that low.

Second, the guy’s failed upwards into a job that he’s clearly not fit for. His answer to everything is ‘Booses’.

The economy is on fire, buses. Immigration is out of control, buses. Crime is a problem, buses. We have the most expensive energy, buses. Industry and businesses are shutting down, buses.

He’s basically a small town mayor who accidentally became the prime minister because the quality of talent in parliament is non existent. Manchester is not a small town but running buses in Manchester doesn’t make you fit to be a PM. He was a failed health secretary, failed to be Labour leader twice when he actually had to have proper fight, somehow grifted his way to a mayor job for a decade. And yes his predecessors were any better. But why all the fawning over Burnham.

AIBU to think that we are headed towards a point soon when the public turns on him. He’s utterly out of his depth and the false shine will wear off in no time. A General election is looming.

All in all, so sad to see that this is the calibre of person at the top of government. What has happened to this country that no one smart wants to go anywhere politics.

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Charlenedickens · 24/10/2026 11:27

I said you’re not unreasonable as a lot of your points are valid, but I think Andy is a lot more dangerous than Starmer, howver Andy’s main focus is on Andy and staying in power and he knows full well if he puts the hard left policies in he will be hated by most of the public, so I suspect he will play more centralist till he can attempt to get his own mandate which will be hard left shite,

the problem with Labour has always been the same, the hard left fighting with the rest of the party. And the leader scared shitless of both sides, and tax and spend is their go to as they’ve no fiscal understanding,

it’s a shit show, and Andy is clearly out of his depth, but yeah I think he will duck, hide and okay centralist or try not to make any decisions either way,

opening jack daw though was smart, but they need to open rosebank and fast, and then drop the taxes on oil companies as all in its 78 percent, and start to bring in the tax from it, if they do, we will indeed be rich, 29 billion a year tax dollars, and we’ve a few twats in the party arguing about climate vandalism whilst letting us by our gas elsewhere and taking the tax out of all our pockets,

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:32

@Charlenedickens agree.

He’s dangerous. The way he’s plotted his way to oust StarmeR. The dodgy backroom dealings. We all know why how he got Healey to resign as defence secretary to topple Starmer. And then made him chancellor so he has a fall guy when defence spending doesn’t come. Burnham can just point to Healey and blame him.

Rosebank should be approved yesterday. But he’s spineless and too afraid of upsetting his far left supporters. He’ll also kneecap the Home Secretary over immigration as soon as he can to save his skin.

The country is facing even darker times.

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titchy · 24/10/2026 11:34

That you Donald?

ExtraOnions · 24/10/2026 11:39

“Small Town”

He wasn’t the Mayor of Manchester, he was the Mayor of Greater Manchester.

… next time you try writing some Rage Bait, get AI to do a fact check for you first.

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:43

Extraonions, try reading the post fully before shooting out emotive replies.

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tomorrowfollowstoday · 24/10/2026 11:45

A General election is looming.
This is nonsense. Why would the Labour Party request the dissolution of parliament?

Burnham's popularity is now dropping a bit, but the Labour lead in polls has returned.

ExtraOnions · 24/10/2026 11:45

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:43

Extraonions, try reading the post fully before shooting out emotive replies.

I have, you said “small town” and “Manchester” twice - both of which are incorrect

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:46

Like I say, read the post. I don’t think you understand figurative speech.

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WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:47

tomorrowfollowstoday · 24/10/2026 11:45

A General election is looming.
This is nonsense. Why would the Labour Party request the dissolution of parliament?

Burnham's popularity is now dropping a bit, but the Labour lead in polls has returned.

They won’t. They just won’t be able to get anything done, even with that majority. Same as Starmer.

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Onceuponatimethen · 24/10/2026 11:48

I like Andy Burnham. I don’t agree with everything but I think it’s been a positive change

Onceuponatimethen · 24/10/2026 11:48

How can you call Manchester a small town also!!!

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:50

Onceuponatimethen · 24/10/2026 11:48

How can you call Manchester a small town also!!!

You are missing the point. Spectacularly. And also not read the post.

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BarbaraUsher · 24/10/2026 11:50

Why don’t you want the Uk to do well and improve? The Tories ran the country into the ground. Do you honestly think the Tory party did a good job?

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:51

@Onceuponatimethen interested to know what have you seen that’s positive.

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Onceuponatimethen · 24/10/2026 11:51

I read posts like this and just wonder are they written with AI

UnwillingAdvocate · 24/10/2026 11:52

When are people going to realise that all politicians and all prime ministers don’t run the country? They are only faces for the civil servants behind the scenes who do run the country and are only ever allowed to do so much, because the civil servants who do run the country decide what can and cannot be done. The people who get shoved in front of the cameras every day don’t actually make the decisions that effect everyone else.

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:52

BarbaraUsher · 24/10/2026 11:50

Why don’t you want the Uk to do well and improve? The Tories ran the country into the ground. Do you honestly think the Tory party did a good job?

‘But…the Tories’ is not a good argument.

And what makes you think I am an advocate of the Tories.

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ExtraOnions · 24/10/2026 11:52

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:46

Like I say, read the post. I don’t think you understand figurative speech.

…it can be as “figurative” as it likes, if you are writing a post trying to state facts about a person, at least get those facts correct.

You are being completly dismissive of the size and scale of Greater Manchester, the people in it, it’s economy and everything else.

You are trying to make a point that he is some kind of Hick from the Backwaters, where people are easily pleased, and don’t demand much… and that is such nonesense.

JassyRadlett · 24/10/2026 11:52

I think once you've started mocking regional accents you've probably lost the intellectual
argument.

That aside, I find your political analysis to be quite surface and facile. The most interesting thing about the Burnham premiership (apart from the direction of devolution) is the change in dynamic in the PLP and its relationship with the government, and what that could//is likely to mean down the line.

SuitcaseAndSecrets · 24/10/2026 11:52

Don't worry be a general election come December or January.. Labour will be out. They haven't got a brain cell between them.

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:53

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JassyRadlett · 24/10/2026 11:54

SuitcaseAndSecrets · 24/10/2026 11:52

Don't worry be a general election come December or January.. Labour will be out. They haven't got a brain cell between them.

I'm always fascinated to understand people's theories of how and why this would come about.

ColinOfficeTrolley · 24/10/2026 11:54

Well he is the prime minister and has changed the polls. Would you rather Reform???? Which is the way it was heading before he stepped in.

If you don't like it, there's the door.

You expect him to clean up this mess in a couple of months ffs.

I'm so happy he's in post.

You'll have to suck it up for now as there's absolutely nothing you can do about it 😁

WarmHiker · 24/10/2026 11:55

Unwillingadvocate, true that civil service is ultimately ‘running’ the show. But why are our elected politicians so spineless and talentless that they can’t get anything done. And why are they so self assured so as to want to want to be in power if they can’t govern and just cave into the civil service. People like this being at the top of government is a tragedy.

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GasPanic · 24/10/2026 11:58

No I don't think he is like Starmer.

I think he recognises he has to do stuff as part of being PM. Not just sit on the sidelines and hope that he can carry the next election by doing diddly squat.

This may make him look "more dangerous" to some people as clearly "doing something" will be comprised of doing stuff that is in line with his politics.

If there is one thing I really don't like about him so far it's the plan to open the whole Brexit debate again. This will sap time, involve massive amounts of discussion and effort that will not take the country forwards in any way.

My guess is that he is going to do this as a cynical ploy to divert the country away from his crap leadership if all the other things he starts proposing go wrong.