Do you want a change of leader?

[Arewethereyetarewe]

BBC are predicting the PM should stand down. I know this is not news, but why can we not have a period of stability?

Andy Burnham is much lefter in terms of policies and may not follow the manifesto Labour got in on.

Left or right the country needs a longer term plan.

What do others think?

It feels like Labour will be the master if their own demise.

’Is the PM about to quit his job?’

’ About to be a momentous week!’

Opening lines of Laura K this morning 😩

Absolutely agree, 25 thousand people in a town/ constituency that, with no disrespect to its residents, most people had never heard of until it’s MP stepped down, have effectively changed the course/ remit of the government. No fan of Trump, but at least the US system stops anything like this happening short of total incapacity to do the job for whatever reason

I am an Andy Burnham fan generally but as a voter am a bit pissed off that we might now end up with a reform mayor. He’s been a fantastic Mayor

I don’t really get the hatred for
KS. Immigration figures are down, economic figures are ticking up, but I guess not quickly enough
I don’t think a revolving door of prime ministers is a good thing, whichever party is in power. It takes years for any single government to be able to make an impact.
KS should be allowed to finish his term IMO but it looks increasingly unlikely

I agree with you. Starmer is not exciting or particularly dynamic but he is quietly getting on with the job. Change is taking time- of course it is, we are in a mess post-Brexit, post-Covid and post-long Tory rule. Everything is going to take time to fix (if it can be fixed at all). Changing leaders often is really disruptive and feels like it takes us back to square one every time.

Meanwhile in the US you have a near lunatic in charge and apparently nobody can do anything about it for four years. I’m not sure that approach is recommendable either

I think he needs to go tbh. I voted for Labour under Starmer in the GE and have always voted Labour, but I think a lot of people, myself included to a degree, are moving away from the left at the moment. I wouldn't want another Labour government if there were another GE.

I don't believe Andy Burnham will do any better than Starmer, except that he will probably get rid of Rachel Reeves which I think would probably be a good thing.

AB gave his job up so readily for his own ends imo

It sounds like he was a good mayor, PM who knows?

I would have been thrilled with some dull competence.

But it's a double double whammy to find we got both dull and incompetent in both PM and CotE.

I want dull and boring and responsible leadership. I'd stick with Starmer until the next GE personally.

Sadly I think this is playing out exactly as predicted before the last election. Country has been fucked by Brexit/Tories/foreign interference for years. Labour get in and can't fix everything in 5 minutes - but they are progressing.

More interference to whip up anxiety about what 'they' are going to tax next. Sensible talks about alignment with Europe treated as some 'betrayal" of the Brexit unicorn.

More PM changes. More chaos. Next GE people want more certainty and the right wingers will promise that...and lo and behold Reform get in. And then they gut the NHS, employment protection, renters rights and the rich and influential can relax knowing we're too busy fighting for scraps to turn on them again.

I agree that a combination of Starmer and Reeves are making the country worse by mismanagement of the economy. They are both dull but also incompetent worst of both worlds.So many U-turns show there’s no plan. I think the soon Burnham takes over the better. He’s biggest decision is who will be an excellent Chancellor as that’s a tough job.

Indeed

people talk about AB as if he is some kind of saviour or Messiah! He def is neither, and I generally support him.

he’s about to find out how hard it it to be PM and lead such a fractured Labour Party and nation

The constant U turns highlight just how weak Starmer is (was) as a leader. It's interesting how many people continue to equate 'dull' with 'competence' though.

They all U-turn - remember the fast backtracking of Farage and Badenoch over their previous jingoism regarding the Iran war. Starmer is proven in his previous career - from an ordinary background but has achieved a lot, and continues to if people would look at the facts. The perception of 'dull' as opposed to the more flamboyant Burnham is presentational and superficial - everyone wants a celebrity now.

Proven is a previous career is irrelevant. The public wants a Prime Minister who can deliver and Starmer has failed to do that. Time to step aside for someone new or call a general election.

Simon Case, the previous top civil servant, interviewed by BBC:

added that Burnham would not resolve the big challenges facing the UK by "coming in and thinking you can govern simply by being a better communicator or somehow vibe coding".

One person's opinion. If Labour really has no one competent to replace Starmer then call a general election. Starmer's time has run out.

I have no appetite for yet another prime minister and neither does anyone I’ve spoken to. Most people just want a bit of stability and this constant changing of prime minister every year or two is not helping anyone. It seems to be entirely let by the media who love to stir up unrest so they have something to report on!

I feel torn about this. I can’t stand Keir Starmer and hate some of the things he’s done. But I think Burnham will be so much worse.

@ArewethereyetareweWhat’s wrong with doing things for ‘your own ends’? Everyone, who has ever got a new job has done so for their own ends. Presumably, AB thinks he can do a better job than KS, lead the country better and improve the country - these are his ‘ends’ What’s wrong with that?
Point of interest the electoral system for mayor of Manchester has changed to Supplementary vote away from FPTP making a Labour victory much more likely. AB has not just abandoned Manchester.

Pundits on sky or radio this morning saying that

1. this will mean the last prime minister to have been both voted in and voted out at election was Edward Heath. I did a think on that and I think it's disallowing John major winning in 1992 and David Cameron winning in 2015, but then major came in after toppling thatcher (so won the coup then called the election) and Cameron was gone after Brexit.

2. we'll have had 7 prime ministers in 10 years and are getting more like Italy.
   Since June 2016:
   Cameron
   May
   Johnson
   Truss
   Sunak
   Starmer
   Burnham/ not Starmer
   And that the long reins of Thatcher and Blair were actually the exceptions

7 PMs in 10 years - does the electorate need to consider the possibility we are responsible for this? Rather than just blaming, politicians, parliament, the media etc. We vote for these people, we have agency, we comment of social media, perhaps the public’s inability to realise change can be hard and takes time is an issue with our understanding.
We want everything, we want and we want it now, collectively having a toddler tantrum.

It's a factor of the online instant news cycle. Ever since Brexit it's been Much more cutthroat

No, I don't. SKS has a mandate.

Private Eye are also snooping on the land deals that Mayor Burnham has been doing. The fact they link it to the type of shenanigans Ben Houchen has been involved in in Tyneside is interesting

No, we voted for Sir Keir Starmer and it feels extremely undemocractic. We voted Labour in as a country to end the musical chairs.
Do not have a problem with Burnham being in Cabinet or even Deputy, but not PM. It is toxic doing this and the press are clearly gagging for it just to sell another story and have more chaos. And the politicians are extremely tedious in their permanent desire for drama over hard work.
I already do not like Andy Burnham. Who does he think he is! Never heard of him before. He gives a good speech but sounds like a bullshitter to me. No person is second best and then comes from behind in a devious way. Already shows he has bad form and terrible character. At least Starmer works really hard.