Andy Burnham's new cabinet - who's in, who's out.

[Twiglets1]

John Healey, who quit as Keir Starmer's defence secretary last month, has been pictured walking up Downing Street - is he about to be reinstated as Defence Secretary, I wonder.

Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood also photographed walking up Downing Street together - but we still don't which positions they will be given in Cabinet.

They have to be two of the strangest people for that role. It shows it is about jobs for schemers, don't you think? Why not keep Dan Jarvis - the military, like Dannatt, were praising him.

I didn’t say that. There’s nothing wrong with mine and I have an interest in modern history so my memory is reinforced by objective fact.

Did you grow up in poverty?

What’s that got to do with anything I’ve written? But seeing as you’re asking no I didn’t, but I was pretty skint in the 1980s when all this was going on being newly married and in a pretty low paid job, watching the pennies and all that.

edited for typos.

Most working parents get waaaaaaaaay more than they contribute.

The ones that rocked the boat are definitely getting the honours and ministerial roles. Now Anas Sarwar - who criticised Starmer back in February will be rewarded with a job. First Burnham will be making him a Lord.

Please, don't someone tell me this is how we always do things and it is constitutional, etc...... 😱

Well yes it’s always interesting to hear a politician say how they want to do things differently but then do exactly the same things. Plus ca change

That graph does not specifically represent working parents.

It could include pensioners with low incomes, unemployed people,
disabled people unable to work, people working part time or on low wages (so tax payers are topping up private companies).Some students and other low-income households.

Pensioners by far receive a lot more from the state than working parents. They also cost the NHS the most.

You’re right - it includes all of these folk.

But that’s not what you said!

A net drain is a net drain.

I can’t seem to find out much about this Sarwar news - is it just speculation!? If so - normal day to day constitutional practice? aye that’ll be right …

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar set to become a minister in Burnham's government - BBC News

Thank you @BrandiedAromatics. Still talking speculatively but sounds likely doesn’t it. I’m a bit shocked to be honest, but I probably shouldn’t be. Jobs for the boys and girls who supported or contributed to this takeover. As Sarwar did effectively when he said what he did re Starmer. New politics my arse.

Shows how they view Scotland if becoming a business minister in Westminster is seen as a better job than head of labour in Scotland

north only stretches so far I guess

I didn’t, but I was pretty skint in the 1980s

Totally the same thing.🙄

The people who were offered the chance to buy shares or own their home were often being offered something many had never expected to experience in their lifetimes - a small but important degree of control over their own future and financial security. They don't deserve your contempt. Whether you intended it or not, your first post came across that way. If your criticism is of the policy, then direct it at the politicians who designed and implemented the policy, and then failed to replace the council homes that were sold. Blame every other administration that came after them and also failed to replace the housing.

I suspect the real difference between us is that you place greater emphasis on state hand outs, whereas I'd rather see people given a hand up and the tools and the opportunity to build security, become more self reliant and feel they have agency. I would rather scarce resources like council housing ringfenced for those who have no other choice.

@NorthXNorthWest I absolutely am critical of the policies, for example in a previous post I said that not reinvesting in housing by governments of all colours was criminal. That is if they had to put the policy in place at all. I disagreed with the privatisation of public services too.

You were also critical of the people taking up the opportunities.

"Many beneficiaries do of course love Thstcher for the benefit they personally felt from such schemes"

People feeling like they have a stake in society is a benefit for everybody.

What a load of tosh!

Oh course, 'Two Tier Kier' and 'Never Here Kier' has never been belittled in the press... and what about 'Bojo, the Clown?'

Get a grip!

In his first news conference as Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting is asked about the possibility of further increases to defence spending this year.

He says it's a matter for the new chancellor, John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary from Keir Starmer's government because he wanted more funding for the military.

"But I certainly feel like we’ve got a firm friend in His Majesty’s Treasury," Streeting adds.

More money in the budget for Defence seems certain with Healey as chancellor.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cgrkv8e8l9qt

How would society function without cleaners, carers, nursery staff and bin men? They are just asking important for society to function and it’s not their fault that they are not paid a living wage in order to house and feed themselves.

There are lots of reasons why someone might be an economic drain.

Students, low paid workers, retired, disabled, feckless and lazy.

We have 10m working age who are economically inactive. A good chuck are feckless and lazy benefit scroungers. We need to be honest about this, and do something to address it.

Economic inactivity has remained pretty flat for decades.

^Long-term sickness and being a student were the leading reasons for
economic inactivity in March to May 2026, with 30% of economically inactive
people saying they were inactive because of a long-term illness and 27%
saying it was because they were a student.^

^The number of people who were economically inactive due to a long-term
illness rose from mid-2019 and reached its highest level in September to
November 2023 since the ONS series began in 1993. As shown in the chart
below, there has been a slight fall since then, but levels remain high.^

www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/timeseries/lf2m/lms

Our economy can’t carry the weight of working age economically inactive + growing number of pensioners.

What’s your answer then? Miracles for people too sick to work? Culling pensioners? Stopping higher education in its tracks? You’re very good at identifying problems apparently, so what are your solutions?