PM Andy Burham: what next for women's (and children's) rights?

[BridgetYourFortyDaysAreUp]

There didn't seem to be an appropriate existing thread, so -
Given that none of us voted for Andy (I know, I know, Labour won the last election, vote for party, he is new leader...blah blah) -

Any predictions for how bad it could get (puberty blocker trial, Conversion Bill, etc.)? Anything positive to look forward to?

New backing from MPs mathematically guarantees Burnham's coronation

27 more Labour MPs have nominated Andy Burnham to be leader of the Labour Party - making it mathematically impossible for any other leadership contender to challenge him.
^^
349 Labour MPs have now nominated Burnham, up from 322 on Thursday.
A candidate needs 81 nominations to stand - so there now aren't enough Labour MPs left to nominate anyone else.
^^
Burnham will still need the backing of three affiliated organisations and trade unions.

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-burnham-starmer-labour-tories-badenoch-farage-12593360#12052134

From 17 July 2026

Compass Statement on Andy Burnham’s election as Leader of the Labour Party

full statement here
https://www.compassonline.org.uk/compass-statement-on-andy-burnhams-election-as-leader-of-the-labour-party/

Excerpt:

"...A clear break with the current economic and democratic settlement must be delivered.

This starts with restoring public* *ownership of– not just control over– essentials such as water; ending the democratic injustice of our rotten political system by introducing Proportional Representation and abolishing the House of Lords; and building a new political economy that taxes wealth and not just work, protects both people and planet, and guarantees the essentials for a good life for all.

None of this will be possible without ending the culture of hyperfactionalism that has so devastated the Labour Party.

They must understand the nature of our two-bloc, multi-party politics and learn to form alliances in a spirit of radical pluralism.

They must build the ideas, culture and deep political organisation needed to create change in a permacrisis world and confront the forces of orthodoxy....
[my italics]

A reminder: A member of the Compass Board is Neal Lawson, a key Burnham strategic advisor.

This is Compass (from last year)

7 September 2025
Today we launched Mainstream. Here’s why.

https://www.compassonline.org.uk/today-we-launched-mainstream-heres-why/

"Initiated by Compass, with the support of Open Labour and many others, Mainstream will be an independent vehicle with the sole task of saving the Labour Party from its clear drift to the right and the unintended paving of the way to a Reform government....

But now Labour needs to be pushed from the inside, to ensure that the majority within the party that want to tax wealth, to bring water into public ownership and to ensure that our democratic system is revitalised through the introduction of proportional representation, is heard and heeded. Only then will we unlock the transformation of our country and the possibility of a much more progressive, pluralist future.

This is the mainstream.

[missed out names of Mainstream members- will try to rectify]

And so we’ve set up Mainstream, not because we’ve given up on pluralism and cross-party working, but because we believe in it so much and know that Labour can and must be redirected to become a progressive force once more. A party the electorate will turn towards to back tactically and not turn away from. A party willing to work with others to stop the march of nationalistic populism.

Compass will continue to be the home for Labour, Greens, Liberal Democrats and radicals of no party, for cross-party alliances and big civil society mobilizations on key issues like water ownership and more....."
[my bold underline]

https://www.compassonline.org.uk/today-we-launched-mainstream-heres-why/

The list of names of Mainstream won't paste, so here they are (from September 2025):

Mayor Andy Burnham
Clive Efford MP
Paula Barker MP
Clive Lewis MP
Olivia Blake MP
Alex Sobel MP
Dawn Butler MP
Rachael Maskell MP
Dr Simon Opher MP
Chris Hinchcliff MP
Peter Lamb MP
John Denham
Baroness Ruth Lister
Lord Larry Whitty
Baroness Anna Healy
Lord Stewart Wood
Sir Geoff Mulgan
David Ward
Michael Jacobs
Jon Cruddas
Lord Alf Dubs
Fiona Mactaggart
Clare Short
Jon Lansman
John Grogan
Paul Sweeney
Jeremy Gilbert
Glyn Ford

Thanks for that. The row over trade unions boycotting the Women's conference is going to be significant I think within Labour. It could undermine the TAs grip inside the unions, and push Burnham and others further away from the genderist position but we will see.

Just been reading through the union boycott thread. I want to hear Andy Burnham publicly denounce the unions for the boycott of the Women's Conference. C'mon, Andy, be a grownup!

That would be amazing. I can't express how much I despise the unions at this point. I don't think he has the guts though

Well, he bloody forgot he had a wife and children on the day he officially opened No. 10 North, calling it "the best day of his life " so I'm not holding out hope that he has remembered that there even are any women in the Labour Party!

Quite. Can you imagine him actually standing up to Transactivists this early, if ever?

Sorry, I just can't resist:

Reasons to not trust Andy: Vote for Me, and I'll Be There For You

#33 Did you promise them, five or six weeks ago, that you were looking forward to being their MP, and being around in Manchester to help sort out their problems? Did you, Andy?

"People on whose doors I was knocking only about five, six weeks ago... They did get over to me how tough life was. Can't go for drink anymore. Can't take the kids out. Not having a holiday this year.

"I heard those type of things being said throughout the campaign, and those comments were still ringing in my ears as I arrived in Downing Street," the PM said. [my bold]

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-andy-burnham-keir-starmer-labour-12593360

One to watch out for. Women's rights campaigners are going to have to monitor this closely, because we certainly don't want anything written in stone that is detrimental to women's and children's rights, which cannot be challenged later.

Burnham: Britain needs written constitution as country is run differently
The new prime minister has said that a written constitution could be needed for Britain as a "different approach" is taken to running the country.
Speaking this week as he revealed plans for increased devolution, Andy Burnham said the proposals increased the case for a formal constitution because they would change Britain.

https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-andy-burnham-keir-starmer-labour-12593360

Will start a new thread on this, as I think it deserves its own discussion.

Andy’s full of big dreamy ideas but so far all we’ve got from him is cringe TikTok videos and very little on policy specifics.

I don’t want vibes, I want someone to get the country’s multiple serious problems solved.

I agree, and, from what some are saying on the other thread, it's just not going to be possible to do. So, where is Burnham going with this?

That is indeed the puzzling question. How he can possibly think that making wee TikTok videos about being Mancunian is something he should be spending time on makes me wonder who’s actually running the government, because his behaviour gives the impression that he’s fiddling while Rome burns.

So far he feels like a distraction or a front man rather than the man in charge of the country 🤷‍♀️