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?

At least you are giving him a bit longer than Starmer.

Any bets placed yet?

@RedRiverShore6 It’s all PR rubbish about sunny uplands. The real question is always - where is the money coming from? There’s NO money! There’s moving the deckchairs on the Titanic. He will inevitably disappoint many!

Probably at the budget in a few weeks when the bill is presented for all the sweeties he's been scattering!

Who would they pick? They are already concluded that all the current MPs aren't up to it. There aren't many others figures like Burnham floating around. Maybe they could drop in someone like Harriet Harmen from the Lords. I think they will be absolutely sticking to Burnham come what may. Hopefully knowing that Burnham will get the much needed welfare reforms through that Starmer was blocked in doing.

@HelpMyBlackLabradorVotesReform "Hopefully knowing that Burnham will get the much needed welfare reforms through that Starmer was blocked in doing."
Are you kidding?
The back benchers are an uncontrollable bunch of Lefty Loonies who would never reduce benefits because "a Labour government doesn't do that."
Also, the areas with the most people on benefits have a Labour MP, so they won't want to upset their voting base, will they?

Burnham has made it clear that moving NEETs into work or training and off benefits is one of his priorities. Just indiscriminately cutting benefits just leads to cost pressures elsewhere. These things have to be done responsibly.

So when is he going to make a start?
All I've heard is what he's going to do "after the General Election" so from now until then he will have to stay with the manifesto he's got.
Unless he goes to the country and chances getting back in....

As soon as Milburn’s plan is complete. Give the guy a break, he’s only had the job for ten weeks.

No one. Burnham is it or bust. If Reform start to gain they can’t panic and remove another leader.

A good list.

Any one of which could cause Burnham significant grief.

How much is this Labour turncoat Milburn going to make out of this gig? He was an NHS Health Secretary and turned that job into an £8m private healthcare pay day for himself.

Putin and bond investors will have to wait…

The budget at the end of this month will be the first test.

I thought business acumen was highly respected by the right leaning. Milburn is still a member of the Labour party by the way - so the turncoat reference is a tad bizarre.

Not really.
The phrase "Milburn turncoat" refers to the fierce political backlash faced by former UK Labour Cabinet Minister Alan Milburn in August 2010, when he accepted a role as an independent "social mobility tsar" under the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government.

I think the electorate is pretty thick (having listened to part of Any Questions on Radio 4 today) The Green party candidate spouting a load of stuff about terrible Trump and how we must save the planet ( in so many words) and the audience clapping excitedly - when the question was about how to survive the diesel price increase and the cost if you live in the country - I mean we all know Trump is awful and we all know we should try to save the planet but spending millions on wind turbines and pv panels from Chinese factories powered by coal is obviously imv not the answer but - no let's clap clap clap

As to AB - if we start discussing rejoining the EU it is such a volatile and divisive subject that basically any other plan - NEETs, Social care etc - will just be lost to MPs arguing and scary headlines over the EU and twitter spats

They were so eager to ger rid of Starmer, and now they are complaining about his successor. After they got what they wanted.

The Greens vote on Zionism is racism tomorrow. They have to listen to their membership. Self defeating stuff.

Burnham did do everyone a favour by ousting Starmer, it’ll last for a bit but that’ll fade.

They’d complain if he discovered a cure for cancer and delivered a gold ingot to every doorstep.

There was hardly much to choose from. So little so that not one of the 400 odd Labour MPs were fit to replace Starmer. That's a really poor show. How long did they have in opposition to prepare?

I think he’s quite sincere but all these little changes for ‘working families’ make very little difference to anyone’s lives.

Great, I’ll no longer have to pay a fee if I accidentally make a typo on an airline booking - I’ve never done that in my life but hey ho, thanks anyway. A couple of quid off the utility bill - thanks but err, the overall unit price has just gone up again so it makes zero difference. It just feels like he’s tinkering round the edges and ignoring the massive elephant in the room like the price of fuel for starters.

Unless he’s a brilliant actor, I do think he’s sincere but really this is all small town stuff and it’s like he doesn’t realise he’s now running an actual country.

Which of the 400 odd would you have given a chance?

It was the Labour MPs who were so eager to get rid of Starmer anyway. 200 plus campaigned to do that in Makerfield.

@LuckyHazelFox There are very many poor MPs and few have decent experience of anything, let alone Parliament and leadership. No stars out of 400 of them! Shocking.