When & how will Burnham’s honeymoon come to an end?

[Theblueyonder]

Burnham’s leadership has been relatively free of drama, so far, and certainly when compared to his hapless predecessor.

What do we think will represent Burnham’s first real test? The budget, or something else?

I have too. He made the Labour Party electable in a very short space of time and was highly respected internationally. Sadly he didn’t seem to have a coherent plan and he wasn’t politically astute.

It was your party Labour MPs who ousted him after all. They campaigned to do it.

Starmer’s personal approval ratings were either the lowest or second lowest in post war terms, I recall.

Edit: Anyway, he has gone - and took Reeves with him, thankfully. Both consigned to the wheelie bin of history.

Presumably you would be less gripey had they not ousted him then ?

Nowt as queer as folk, as they say.

Has there ever been a Labour government in history that has left public finances in a better state than they found them.

As ever, the socialist dream always falls apart when they inevitably run out of other peoples money.

And without exception, every socialist regime in history has ended up with extensive surveillance, censorship, propaganda, oppression, and mass murder of it's own people. They have to, to keep the charade going.

Back at you on the last line.

The pp was right re his approval ratings and losing votes generally.

Absolutely, hence they get confined to the wilderness for 14 years etc.

I think their next hiatus may be a multiple….

Has there ever been a Labour government in history that has left public finances in a better state than they found them.

There would have been had there not been a global financial crisis in 2007/8 when the banks had to be bailed out. Sadly, despite austerity, the debt just kept growing under the coalition and Tory governments. God knows what they did with the money.

My party?

You wanted Starmer gone too. You and the silly names you had for him.

I don’t think he is that intelligent and he tries to be everyone’s friend. I don’t know what will happen so we need to see how he does.

Ring a bell?

Yeh that did it a few posters on mn, not the 200 plus Labour MPs who campaigned for him to go. If you’re upset about it take it up with them.

Or the local election blasting for that matter. Ik you thought he’d stay, but he didn’t in the end.

As far as I can see* the only person showing any upset that Starmer has gone is you. This thread is now practically devoted to the subject.

*Maybe I should look further ?

Well obviously not so your vision is off. But good to know I made him go but apparently regret it. Such mn power huh

The budget. There is nowhere to go. He has inherited an empty purse. We have already been warned that unpopular decisions will be taken.
His involvement with Manchester City owners. People do not invest in a city without wanting something in return.
The fact that he is wanting to go for a very ambitious programme, but he has no real mandate to be the PM , may end up being an issue for him.

This.

Chucking out prime ministers constantly isn't a sign of a stable government or country. Too many over the last few years. Give him time to actually get policies into action.

I'm waiting patiently for the Budget. IMO, Burnham hasn't made any unforced errors yet (apart from the fuel app). It will be interesting to see which way the Jackdaw and Rosebank decisions turn, although I hope they will decide to drill both for some fuel security.

I also like what I read of the proposals being put forward by Pat McFaddean at DWP and Alan Milburn in so far as they are being trailed.

The Times today announced a campaign to tighten controls on sickness benefits to address the slackness after the pandemic, which was a massive Tory oversight.

It helps that Burnham is a more engaging character than SKS, who nevertheless mostly did well internationally, despite his inability to herd his unruly activist backbenchers. I hope AB can do better on that front, because there will have to be hard decisions on benefits, including reining back the triple lock.

Because we are still active in the very small business DH started in 1992, our fingers and toes are crossed that Healey can resist tinkering further there, so businesses, especially SMEs, can tentatively stick their heads out again instead of postponing decisions for lack of confidence in what happens next.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda! So thats a NO then.

He hasn't actually done anything substantial yet though? Nothing to create even a ripple.

I question whether Rosebank will be nixed owing to the Ithaca stake. Burnham may not get it past the back benches.

The back benches will do as they’re told now.

That was rather my point.

That a fairly calm uneventful couple of months - which really should be the norm in life - are being portrayed by the media as a "honeymoon" really says more about them and the people who pretend to read them than anything.

Ya think?

Well my point was rather that you can give the impression of "calm progress of capable competence" if you aren't actually doing anything...

It's successive governments "doing things" that has got us to the current pretty pass.