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 shall be following the Conservative conference, with interest. I want to see how Badenoch plans to see off both Labour and Reform in the event of a snap election. I don't trust Burnham on his word, although I can't see him not wanting maximum time for his vanity/pet projects.

Sorry not read the thread yet. I think he's already set out his first big test at conference during the week that was a very strategic speech to try and win back voters who have decamped to other parties. He said a lot whilst at the same time being a little bit wooly and pegging it all on a 2029 Labour win and a new manifesto for the next election. At the moment he appears to have a good team around him and has took all of kiers mistakes and ran with them for example straight out the bat his communication with the public has been constant and bold. Andy has approached big topics because by doing so whether you agree with him or not keeps him front and centre of people's minds.

Just my off the top of my head thoughts.

I can't see any world where there will be an early election. In my mind Badenoch would be best served getting using her speach to re-focusing the agenda away from the distraction attempts at raising care changes for 2040 and rejoining the EU, back onto the cost of living consequences of mortgage interest rates heading through the roof and fuel costs. The Bank of England said back in July that 10% of household will see significant increases in mortgage costs by the end of 2028, That is going to get worse with the lack of control of borrowing. I'd also bring the agenda back to defense if was her, especially as the mood music seems to be Healey is going to do very little to improve the position in the budget.

Well the US is removing its planes from RAF Fairford , Russia is controlling numbers of men leaving Russia , possibly for a big recruitment drive and major push into Ukraine, Russian scientist dies from possible contamination by pneumonic plague, hmm, why do they need pneumonic plague labs, we have 42 days supply of diesel, could be a disaster if Trump cuts supplies and it runs out, fuel costs very high so how will people get through the winter,

But Hurrah we have AB at the helm - dong absolutely nothing in preparation for any of this but the magic will happen in 2029

The potential diesel crisis is the most imminent and scary. Shame we closed our refineries and storage facilities really....

Remind me who did that - it was a certain Boris Johnson as I recall.

Don't care really. That's the imminent threat we are currently facing and what AB will have to deal with. Blaming other people won't stave off recession.

I mean he seems to be doing nothing to generate growth, get the housing market moving or making the cost of living crisis easier for the majority of middle earners! £45 off a horrendously high energy bill and £2 bus fares don’t help me at all! I’m trying to sell a flat, which won’t shift! I think his plans for reforming social care sound great, but I’m really deflated by Labour!

Every new leader gets a short ‘bounce’. After the budget, and the realisation that Burnham is style over substance, the polls will readjust again.

He talks, changes his mind, talks again etc.,

He’s not really any worse than those who have gone before, but that’s a low bar. He’s no better either. 🤷‍♀️

Don't be so ungrateful for your breathing space! The chosen one has already fixed the cost of living crisis.

Burnham's using the same strategy for growth that Starmer used but he is communicating it better - we have to hope! If this years strategy of lets "hope again" doesn't work maybe the lecterns next year will just say "Please Prey!", or maybe like with Tinkerbell in a Peter Pan pantomime he will have the conference shouting out rounds of "we believe in fairies".

I thought his post/announcement this week about being able to see cheaper petrol stations in google maps was incredibly weird and tone deaf. As soon as I saw the post, I read it with a half hope he’d be cutting fuel duty but nope. I don’t know who advised him on that but it wasn’t very bright. Although politicians usually get a rough ride on social media (in the comments), he’s often had some really positive comments. But this time he was just a laughing stock.

Maybe they're giving them a leaflet too?

I thought of this thread reading that too. The comments were nearly all ridiculing him.

He's a socialist expousing market forces...

Badenoch on the other hand presented inflated numbers due to accidentally double-counting figures.

The Right Way?

Hmmm...https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16198453/Labour-politicians-received-freebies-Manchester-City-United-Arab-Emirates.html

Not only Labour MP's

https://metro.co.uk/2026/10/10/mps-500k-freebies-uae-spark-conflict-concerns-29697397/

Was def not implying only Labour but this thread is specifically about Andy Burnham hence the article's relevance

He can't distance himself from it. It's likely that the whole UAE issue will be the end for Burnham but the timeline of how that plays out will definitely be out of his control.

Unlikely because it all happened before he became Mayor. Leese and Bernstein are going to take responsibility for this.

Wishful thinking. There's plenty of evidence - growing daily - of Burnham's involvement in all manner of things.

Manchester City charges are for the period 2009 -2018
Andy Burnham was Manchester Mayor 2017-2026

That Daily Mail article was implying only Labour received freebies, the Metro article provided additional information

Can you give examples of this daily growing evidence?

You can search online for your own evidence, if you so choose. I'm not wasting my time spoon feeding you.

It’s not wishful thinking, it’s fact. He wasn’t Mayor at the time in question. If anyone is thinking wishfully it’s you.