Burnham - does he know what a woman is?

[Dragonasaurus]

Just that really - we’ve had Starmer prevaricating, fence sitting, “most women don’t have a penis” in fact women don’t have a penis’ but somehow I’m going to let Phillipson sit on the guidance which would ensure women’s single sex spaces (some of them anyway)…..

Would Burnham be any better? Does anyone know what his position is?

According to this article, he is in favour of self-ID, and he was critical of the Supreme Court judgment. But I couldn't find any instances of him saying whether or not he believes women can have penises. I suspect he doesn't particularly care either way or understand why this is such an important issue, but will instead just say whatever he thinks the majority of Labour members want to hear.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/09/28/rosie-duffield-rejoin-labour-andy-burnham-trans-rights/

Nope! x.com/treesey/status/1971241036296094189?s=46

Blimey, listened to that clip and it's the consummate politician's answer - he avoided saying anything of any substance at all!

He's very much a trans ally

Oh dear, he thinks the SC ruling is all very confusing??? Honestly mate, try reading it

That’s disappointing. I have no time for people who are critical of the SC judgment. It was a painstaking exercise in logic and reasoning, comparing and evaluating different arguments and statutes.

Unless someone can identify where there were errors, they’re not worth listening for.

I agree 100% with this.

Quite.

Anyone wittering has a fundamental issue with women being given equality to men and permitted to say no to them.

That's it. That's all. It's male supremacism. And staggeringly prevalent.

This is why Streeting is my pick (of an incredibly poor bunch).

💯 Hoppity!

Does anyone else think the by-election might not go as planned, and end up with Labour losing to Reform?

Isn’t he a practicing Catholic with several children? I’m pretty sure that somewhere, deep down he does know.

He’s also moved from being a Blairite to his current incarnation as a left winger. Which makes me think he may remember what a woman is once it becomes expedient to do so.

He’s a Labour politician so probably not, no.

He's a cock

He manipulated the press to think he's just received some message whilst holding a press conference.

Bus drivers went on strike not long after they turned them into bee network buses.

Reform will probably win the by election and we will end up with the slimy snake Millipede as Prime Minister. It doesn't bear thinking about.

He might win the seat, but looking at the figures probably not. He would face not only a local area that has just given more votes to Reform than any other party, but also the fact that he would be seen as an imposed candidate on a quest.

He also doesn't mind making what is probably a strapped for cash council pay out millions to run a by election which he has forced because he wants to be PM.

I cornered him once about males in female changing rooms. He said he agreed with me - but maybe he was just trying to get away before I asked him something else!

I thought we got rid of Rotten Boroughs 150 years ago, I hope the voters in the area he's going to be standing, react badly to him trying to use them as a stepping stone to power, and vote for Reform. Not that I'm campaigning for Reform but the worst result for Labour would be for AB to do so badly he loses his deposit and his attempt to subvert the democratic process ends up with the exact opposite result for Labour.
Not least because AB's a far lefty who will continue the process that Labour started to erase Women from the narrative of the human race.

Much as I loathe Reform, this would be a deserved outcome.

Well, I asked AI what the bookies think are the chances are of Starmer stepping down and when and also who they are predicting will take over as unelected pm. Here is what it says:

Odds of leaving in 2026: The bookies currently have this as the overwhelming favorite scenario. Odds on Starmer being replaced as Labour Leader in 2026 are heavily "odds-on," around 1/14, meaning the market views it as almost a certainty.

Probability of an exit before the end of summer: On specific prediction markets (like Kalshi), the odds of Starmer leaving before September 1, 2026 are sitting at a massive 72%.

Here is how the top contenders stack up according to the bookies:

• Andy Burnham (The Clear Favourite): Burnham is currently leading the pack by a significant margin, with odds hovering around 4/6 to Evens. Although he is currently the Mayor of Greater Manchester and not a sitting MP, a path to Westminster has just opened up for him. Labour MP Josh Simons recently stepped down from his Makerfield seat explicitly to allow Burnham to run in the ensuing by-election, making him the prime candidate for a leadership challenge.

• Angela Rayner: The former Deputy Prime Minister is consistently the second favourite, with odds sitting around 9/4 to 5/1. She was recently cleared by HMRC regarding an investigation into her tax affairs, removing a major hurdle and leaving her well-positioned for a potential leadership bid.

• Ed Miliband: The former Labour leader is generally sitting as the third favourite, with odds ranging from 11/4 to 13/2.
• Wes Streeting: Despite being the catalyst for the current crisis by resigning from the Cabinet and publicly stating he had lost confidence in Starmer, Streeting is currently the fourth favourite at roughly 11/2 to 9/1. While he has positioned himself for a future run, bookmakers still have him trailing behind Burnham and Rayner.

Ultimately, if the bookies are right, Andy Burnham is the man to beat—provided he can successfully navigate the upcoming Makerfield by-election and officially re-enter Parliament.

So it’s looking like we will end up with a hard left pm by September. And like someone up thread has already said, it will just drive more people to vote Reform after getting a taste of life under a hard left Labour. So all pretty grim really.

Im no fan of Starmer, but I would rather him in power than Burnham any day.

It doesn't cost millions to run a by-election. According to this 2014 BBC article The average cost of Westminster by-elections since 2010 has been £239,529 or to consider it another way the average cost per vote for by-elections since 2010 has been £8.75.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-29540785

Not least because AB's a far lefty

Burnham was an arch-Blairite. He may have moved a little leftwards in intervening years but his politics are absolutely mainstream Centre-Left Labour. He is by no stretch of the imagination a "far lefty"

He very much buries his head in the sand when it comes to 'difficult' topics. His need to be adored is forefront.

Won't they have to have new Mayoral election for Manchester though? As that is across GM I'm assuming will be more expensive?