Andy's first U turn

[Imdunfer]

He's going to have to learn to hold his tongue until things have been properly investigated.

I promise they will not be released.

There is no way we can find that will stop them being released. They will have to be realised, there's nothing I can do. There is no space for more prisoners.

We've found a way to stop them being released.

We've found spaces not to release others as well.

Plus ça change.........

When you've told everyone what they want to hear to make yourself popular there is going to be a lot of u turning.

Did Burnham himself make a statement saying PC Harper's killers would be released, or did the (right wing) media write articles suggesting that was what was going to happen?

I just watched him say it on the six o'clock BBC news. They showed the series of pronouncements he made.

Totally agree.

Burnham is essentially a populist - every bit as much as Johnson was. He likes to be liked. He doesn’t want to face difficult, intransigent issues. That’s why he’s spent his first weeks as PM tinkering with simple issues and making ‘announcements’ about things he’s ‘going to do’ with no detail about how.

If he’s going to succeed as PM (and I am / was a Labour supporter) he’s going to have to make unpopular decisions.

Andy, you can’t please all of the people all of the time!

I am not keen on AB. But obviously he will have consulted experts on the laws re early release. No point in refusing to release them then they sue and get huge compensation. That would be awful.

Yes but what is the u turn?

Did the clip show him saying first they would be released then second they wouldn't be released?

Yesterday an announcement from No 10 (of which Burnham is the head) said it was ‘impossible’ for the two prisoners to remain in prison.

Today Burnham said he’s instructed the justice minister to create a plan to keep them in prison.

U turn!

The next u turn will be his announcement that he will end homelessness.

one year later , we can’t find a plausible way to redefine homelessness, so we’ll have to revise our ambition Downwards.

He will say he has successfully stopped the small boats. (Because they're using big boats now.)

So the u-turn is a positive thing. I’m not sure what the issue is. He’s been in post for 5 minutes why is everyone so desperate to tear him down?

A small boat is defined by the size of the engine, not the capacity, and in any case, it would still be classed as a small boat because they are much smaller than other sea vessels. But don’t let that get in the way 😃

That depends on motive.

One large group of anti-Burnhamites is made up of the many Labour supporters who regard him as an opportunistic charlatan who betrayed and humiliated Starmer.

Other people may just opt for the charlatan bit.

His cabinet ministers were certainly out saying that and they speak for him

Then the third saying they would be released.

TWO U turns.

He has to learn not to open his mouth until he's sure he can deliver what he is promising.

It's desperately disappointing that after only a few days he's made it clear that you can't trust what he says.

I'm disappointed because I like him, hope he can succeed and hoped he would be different.

An analysis I heard says that with the release of so many prisoners there no way he can stop homelessness either, since so many released prisoners end up on the streets.

Hardly a U turn though is it, just a review of those most serious criminals due to be released. Had he released them you would be screaming too.

Labour face the fact that the Tories haven't invested in prisons so they are running out of spaces for criminals....so bad is the situation that police are having to review who's being arrested.

What is ths prime minister meant to do? The government will be looking at all options but the message that you can commit crime and get away with it because there's no room at the inn can not be case for obvious reasons.

He's got the same problem with social care, the Tories prioritised Brexit rather than tackle the issue of how we fund social care. The Telegraph and Daily Mail having a meltdown over tax on assets to pay it but unwilling to suggest how it's funded.

This is what happens when the Tories have been in government for over a decade. Everything is falling to bits because of the obsession with market forces, public spending cuts, austerity, Brexit, privatised companies allowed to get away with pretty much everything.

That’s about 10% true.

What’s the 90% that isn’t?

I don’t see this as a U turn at all. It’s a hideously difficult situation to solve and Burnham’s showing his workings. I’d far rather this than a politician who makes hasty decisions and doggedly sticks to them rather than admit they were wrong.

I'm in this camp...however ultimately I don't care who's in charge or how.many u-turns they make as long as the decisions made are for the better.

I don't think scrutinising every single thing, waiting for them to 'trip up' helps at all. That's exactly what got us here in the first place.

So he took note of the public anger and is trying to work out a way to stop the release happening why is that a "u-turn"?

This! I still don’t understand exactly what the U turn is?

Politician actually listens to public opinion on their policies, takes sensible feedback on board and rejigs policy slightly to accommodate that. What a wanker!

Do you want these people released or not? I’m unsure if this is about the best decision being made or catching a politician out.

It seems someone people would rather something they didn’t want to happen to
happens, rather than a politician to say - I thought this but have found out that so I’m changing my mind.

We'd rather our politicians didn't keep fucking up and having to correct their mistakes!