Andy Burnham is just a dumbed down version of Starmer

[WarmHiker]

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.

They all tend to converge around the 5-6% level with outliers at 2-4% and 8-10%

Going forwards, what is the estimate of 'extra' GDP growth if we rejoin the EU and how soon will that come to pass? How will the general population benefit? Tax cuts? Cheaper food in the supermarkets? How soon and what sort of guarantees are there?

I have friends in Scotland who have parents who get the “ free personal care / nursing care “ in a care home as Scotland offers this
they are paying over 4k a month for a fairly basic care home

care homes are not going to drop their fees one bit

who picks up the £400 each week for personal care / nursing in the care home

I mea he’s played a blinder - gets rid of the triple lock on the basis of providing “ free personal care “ but this will take years to actually put in place so most of the current OAP won’t benefit from the loss of the triple lock if they need care in a care home in the next 5 - 10 years

he needs to be truthful with people what he is actually offering and not bullshitting them with tales of his dear old granny

but he won’t cos he’s a bare faced liar and wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him in his smarmy face

GDP clearly hasn't 'decreased'.

The question is relative: how does GDP compare to where it would be without Brexit?

Sorry, which economists did you say have stated that GDP would not be higher if we had remained in the EU?

At last, someone else gets it!

Ridiculous and I bet you are a journalist or Tory/Reform.
Firstly, he’s got decades more experience than most PMs over the last few decades, what made anyone else more qualified?
The fact they speak in a posh voice and their parents could afford public school?
We have just heard about the Covid Care home failings, one of many reports absolutely confirming that the Tories have failed in any crisis over the last decade, yet everyone is freaking out when they are told to prepare for potential disasters? Do you want to go back to the Johnson head in the sand, blustering incompetence approach?
Also the idea he is to blame for problems we have now is a ludicrously stupid statement.
Also agree with others posters about your disingenuous comments about his former position, as if he’s some small town mayor, honestly, behave! Who would you rather have right now?

The important question is, what 'extra' GDP growth will we have if we rejoin the EU, since you can't change the past. What guarantees are there?

As a thought experiment, @Clavinova , what reply would you have made to someone who asked the Brexiteers ‘what guarentees do you have that this will work?’

As an aside, Andy Burnham reminds me of a department store salesman - I keep expecting him to recommend a mattress or a coffee-maker.

Labour aren't trying to sell to the ordinary people who will have to make the sacrifices. Those people are being offered up as the sacrifice.

What about those economists @Clavinova ?

@Clavinova ,

‘The important question is, what 'extra' GDP growth will we have if we rejoin the EU, since you can't change the past. What guarantees are there?’

Well, these things have again been estimated by professional economists.

We are expected to gain about 50-60% of what we lost by regaining the single market and 80-90% if we rejoin the EU.

I am in favour of just rejoining the single market as I think the Euro may implode.

There are no formal guarantees but why wouldn’t adding frictionless trade and movement add to GDP, given that our standards are already in line with the EU?

Oops, the social care ‘policy’ fell apart quickly enough. While national debt and debt interest is worse than under Liz Truss. Andy Burnham is officially worse than Liz Truss. So say the bond markets. But apparently Burnham and his supporters are not in hock to the bond markets. What a mess.

We are expected to gain about 50-60% of what we lost by regaining the single market and 80-90% if we rejoin the EU.

Do you have a link to those estimates and what is the timescale? Ten years? Fifteen years? How much will we have to pay in EU budget contributions in the meantime?

Have the estimates factored in any negative consequences, e.g. higher tariffs for some goods, stricter AI regulation, 'rejoin uncertainty' delaying business investment?

The demands are already coming...

EU says no post-Brexit energy deal without UK payments | Reuters

@Clavinova ,

The most recent report is by Goldman Sachs and not publicly available, but was released to clients.

It estimates a boost to GDP of 6% over the ‘long term’ were we to rejoin the EU.

I asked you why you think rejoining the single market wouldn’t be a significant benefit given our standards are already aligned. Do you have an answer?

Actually in its Oct 2026 World Economic Outlook report, the IMF (which is hardly a 'left wing echo chamber) singled out Britain for praise as the ONLY major advanced economy to have set out clear plans to reduce government borrowing over the coming years and projected tthat we will have the lowest annual borrowing in the G7 by 2031.. It also upgraded the UK's growth forecast for 2026 to 1.3% (up from 1% in July).

Thank you for this reminder of an inportant, objective marker of progress, @NanFlanders

I prefer Starmer. He did the years of hard graft to get Labour elected. Won a leadership election and a general election after years of opposition. Look at the idiots that plotted with Burnham.

1.3%, woop woop. That’ll solve all the country’s problems. Including our £3t debt, sky high debt repayments and record tax burden.

The bar is so low, it’s disappeared somewhere down near the earth’s core.

I think you are being a little coy about your previous source.

I see now that you were quoting 'independent modelling' by Frontier Economics, paid for by campaign group 'Best for Britain' - the campaign group founded by Gina Miller and others to stop Brexit - now a pro-EU/rejoin campaign group.

I asked you why you think rejoining the single market wouldn’t be a significant benefit given our standards are already aligned. Do you have an answer?

We have clearly diverged somewhat in services - financial services and AI for example, e.g. Jan 2026 - City pushes back against closer ties with EU.

https://www.cityam.com/city-pushes-back-against-closer-ties-with-eu/

We would lose regulatory sovereignty, have to accept free movement of people, make financial contributions... any possible gains may have limited impact on the UK's structural problems...

Second highest growth in the G7 actually. Tied with Germany, but we are projected to have lower borrowing

Interesting. For all this is say look forward not back. A few elections and AI is developing. France has a GE coming up and things look unsteady there.

Yep
it was perfectly obvious to anyone who actually listened to what he said

no way is anyone that goes into a care home will get it for free if they have an asset / savings

care homes are a business they expect to make a big profit

they aren’t going to subsidize anything and if they do the cost will just go up

you only have to look at Scotland “ free personal care ( at home ) to see how it works

I will admit though he’s a pretty good liar and bullshit communicator and has fooled a lot of people who believed his bullshit my “gran story

hopefully people will actually realise this and vote him and the rest of his lying bunch of idiots out