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?

He's mayor of Greater Manchester. He has spent a lot of time working with the well and truly captured MCC. I have no doubt that he actually does know what a woman is (as everyone does, deep down, whatever lies they tell themselves and others) but that he will express whatever opinion is most expedient to him at the time. And for him the only acceptable opinion in recent years has of course been TWAW, TMAM, because that is the only allowed opinion in the circles he moves in.

at least Wes Streeting has the balls to pretend he thinks women need to have sex separated spaces. This Burnham dude is a lunatic.

Me too. I hope his feet are held to the fire properly on this.

Reform are running a local plumber and councilor, which worked for the Greens.

I imagine he knows what a women is. It could be interesting if it becomes a big part of the campaign. It is an easy topic to bash Burnham on as many have said here.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/reform-uk-very-plucky-plumber-33974952

I wonder if Burnham will u-turn like he did on Brexit.

Based on Philipson's appalling, quite mind numbingly tactless, stupid and inflammatory response this week to the SEND consultation (if you can call it that), I hold no hope at all of her or Burnham or anyone else in that wretched cabal managing anything even appropriating common sense or connection with reality. They're joyfully embracing the batshit, and fuck the voters.

We'd better start working on Farage with the aim of as much sanity as possible when he arrives, because he is coming, Burnham will ensure that.

My impression so far is that Mr Streeting firmly expresses belief in whatever he thinks would help him most to express belief in, in the current conversation he is in. Shades of Cameron. Views vary room to room, with easy gear switching and no central framework.

I would love to be proven wrong should he get into power. He seems on the surface the less absolutely bloody dire of the bunch.

In the last few days I have changed from thinking it's a possibility he might lose to it's a probability. Starmer is sitting tight and will be watching the fireworks. I'm beginning to quite like him.

I think if I'd voted for someone and they got elected, I would be rather unimpressed if they stood down to give someone else a supposed 'easy win'. And that someone else would be more interested in their career than in the local constituency.

I agree. I think it’s quite likely voters will punish Labour for taking them for granted.

’Pete’ the plumber makes his return 😆

ahem.

Bookies have this as a coin toss right now - 50/50 Burnham wins

I suspect that Reform will go in for the absolute kill though, all in on Brexit being rolled back, men in dresses etc etc

In fact - they already have started https://politicaladvertising.co.uk/2026/05/18/reform-uk-launches-attack-ads-against-burnham-in-makerfield-by-election/

I know it's often framed as a culture wars question, but I think it's a key question to determine competence.

My opinions on immigration/climate change/energy/healthcare/ the economy, in all honesty, are based on my faith in other people. I have no personal experience to judge whether we should be investing more in solar power or drilling in the North Sea.

But I know how my sex has impacted me throughout my life, and that I have access to rights and services that my grandmother did not and that our lives have therefore been very different, and I don't take any of that for granted.

If Burnham's opinion on sex isn't coherent, why would I trust him on anything else?

Is that a real headline?

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15830845/Andy-Burnham-men-identify-women-use-female-toilets.html

'Biological males who identify as female should be allowed to use women's toilets, the Labour leadership hopeful told a meeting, in comments unearthed by the Daily Mail.

And the Greater Manchester mayor said the idea that single-sex spaces should be protected for biological women was a 'minority view', angering campaigners who took the issue to the UK's highest court – and won.

Mr Burnham dismissed those activists as 'supposed feminists' trying to start 'culture wars' by demanding protection for such environments. '

Yes it is - front page of the Mail.

The bookies may have Burnham as favourite but seeing the vox pops played on the BBC news etc, the voters of Makerfield think differently. They appear distinctly unimpressed with being used by Burnham.

Todays Daily Mail yes.

Of course he knows what a woman is. They all do.

Does he care about the female vote to say so and go back on the documented, on tape statement that mens wants outweighs female rights?

If he does, to win the local, he will get fucked by Labour MPs, if he doesn't, he has badly damaged his career by losing the local...

So why waste all that money on single sex toilets? If he thinks all toilets can be mixed, why not save £££ in council and business spending and do that? Why have onerous health and safety at work regulations?

The reality is that he thinks toilet access is an unimportant issue that is beneath him, so he doesn't deign to listen to the arguments.

On this issue, he might not be the best.But on many others, he has been absolutely brilliant.
i've lived in manchester free the change since he's been there.And it's been so much better. The Bee Network is 100 times better than what was before. Its £2 anywhere in the city. My journey to work used to be £4.70 one way!
His LiveWell Programme is it really innovative and exciting. This city is really booming compared to when I moved here.
He is very well liked.
Part of me doesn't want him to win the by election as I want to keep him as mayor.
That will probably mean farage, get some majority in 2028, which will be fucking ruinous for most people, and sadly mainly women.

Andy Burnham would be like Kier Starmer(version 2) in many ways - especially the ways which tell people want they want to hear; which avoid contentious issue, and then go about acting surreptitiously to bury the impacts of that failure to face up to things and be clear..

We can see he is wanting to avoid the issue of Brexit in Brexit voting Makerfield and i suspect he will do exactly the same when it comes to the issue of the Supreme Court Judgement and on being clear about women's established rights and protections.

This city is really booming compared to when I moved here.

According to The Economist it was doing well before he became Mayor, his one accomplishment was not to mess with a winning formular and screw it all up, like so many politicians do.

Sorting out the buses is about the only significant thing he's done. All of the recent regeneration ( skyscrapers, new offices etc) stems from the groundwork laid by Howard Bernstein as well as the support the city received from George Osborne when he was chancellor. The regeneration is largely focused on the centre of the city, and just outside of that there remains consideravble deprivation and decay.