Burnham has been blocked!

[Ohcrap082024]

Just being reported on BBC news now. The NEC has met and refused to allow Andy Burnham to stand in the by-election. This is looking very bad for Starmer.

I can't recall that ABs stint as health secretary was that good, maybe have a look at that in some detail

I don't know why people rate Andy Burnham. I know he's very fond of himself though. And I don't know why he's so keen on stoking up the sort of psychodrama that the Tories have been living the last decade or so. It doesn't exactly reek of having the best interest of the party, or the country. I dislike disloyalty.

I think AB is a fantastic mayor. He was a very average Cabinet minister and has already tried to become Labour Party leader twice and failed twice. Changing leaders constantly killed the Tories. Now is not the time. 18 months is really no time at all with the state of the country.

My DS predicts that there will be a big drop in the percentage of under 25s voting. Except in areas where uni students will mobilise against Reform.

He predicts a big split along the lines of uni educated vs not.

Uni educated (especially those still in education) will go Green Party. Those who have left education at 18 or before, will go Reform.

He doesn’t know anyone who will vote Tory nor will vote for a Starmer Labour.

Thanks. Will read up more. It is shocking. I was aware that the Conservatives wanted to move the NHS towards private healthcare but not tha Labour was continuing that policy.

More fool the under 25s for not voting then. Fat lot of good that'll do them.

What is Keir thinking? He can't keep trying to stop elections that he doesn't like.

Yep, Zack Polanski is speaking very clearly to younger voters. But so is Farage.

They want change.

It’s all a bit Trumpian!! I’ve been a labour voter at times and did like (and still do in some respects) but this type of stuff is doing him and Labour NO favours!

Thanks. Interesting. I agree that there will be a split between university educated young people and those who are not but it was ever thus. A vote for the Greens may increase the number of seats they win but will be a drop in the ocean (and their party leader is a fruit loop).

There's still 3 years before a GE so a lot can change in the meantime.

Also an excellent Mayor ( not saying AB is ) does not necessarily mean excellent PM

Totally agree. I’m not in Manchester, but if I was I’d feel abandoned and as if AB was waltzing off to fulfil his own political ambitions rather than continuing to work for people who he has made a very big deal about standing up for.
Unfortunately I think most people will either genuinely not see that, or will use it as an excuse to bash Starmer/Labour.

Burnham might be popular amongst some of the Labour Party, but unless he steps up to what the electorate are asking for, which have made them turn to Reform, then he’s still not going to get into number 10. For example, his view on immigration is not that much different to Starmer’s, in fact probably is more lax on the situation than Starmer.

Most of us would like change (for the better) and I can well understand the frustrations of young people. Whoever hopes to be in Government needs to address this if they want to win votes but avoid promises they won't be able to keep once in power.

Oops, my last post was meant to quote @ZenNudist

If that's true, thank goodness the under 25s are in the minority of voter numbers.

All these posts gushing over Burnham. He pays lip service to whomever is in the room, tells them what they want to hear. He’ll be flip flopping all over the place. Also, he must’ve known that the NEC didn’t want him, they made that pretty clear with the teatime deadline. Just demonstrates, again, that he has poor judgment. He wants to be adored and liked.

I agree with this.

This was lose / lose for Starmer really, as he could either block him to look like a show of strength, thereby losing the respect of those MPs who supported Burnham. Or, he could have let him stand and, if he won, await the leadership challenge.

I really do think the optics would've been better if he hadn't been blocked though (while there was a good majority last time, there's no guarantee in this climate that it wouldn't have been lost).

I imagine the wheels are still turning with Rayner et al to mount a challenge; I don't think he can avoid this. Blocking Burnham doesn't reduce the challenge chances.

I have massive retailers as my clients. At least one of them has cited the NI rises, in conjunction with the NMW/NLW rises as being the reason for a round of redundancies last year.

He’s very close to Lucy Powell too

I agree. I like Andy Burnham but I don't necessarily think he would be better than Keir Starmer.

Labour need to unite better and Andy Burnham shouldn't have put himself forward.

After recent years (Johnson and Truss) I like Kier's understated approach - politics is too important for it to be filled with drama and entertainment. Especially at the moment.

Means you can’t name anything

This isn't the school playground - there are endless threads listing them even on a forum full of Labour fangirls like this. Mistake after mistake followed by endless U-turns, a new psychodrama daily. Let's wait until May - Starmer's judgement day draws ever closer.

Please could someone explain the appeal of Burnham? I don't see it. He's also lost the Labour leadership contest at least once in the past, yet now he's hailed as the king in the north. I really don't understand.

I am a Labour voter and I think this is very cowardly of Starmer and just shows he has no confidence in his own leadership.

If he thought this would protect hin from a leadership challenge he is also very much mistaken.

Nothing is going to save him After the May locak elections and the huge defeat that Labour will no doubt have to face...