Gogglebox Stand Up To Cancer, Andy Burnham.

It could just be me.
I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, him being PM.
Still am a bit, but last night did not help.
Feels like he is a bit trashy?
Non statesman like?

He needs to deliver on the big issues of the day.
We shall see.
Not self indulge himself.

This was a programme for charity. Burnham is allowed time off from being PM … and it was for a charity he supports.

Firstly, this was in our PM’s own time, not official business, just like his recent run for charity.

He’s always been an avid fund raiser and puts his money where his mouth is.

Honestly, Keir was too “dull” and “boring” and now Burnham is “trashy and “non-statesman like” 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I’ve not watched the programme yet so cannot judge his “performance”.

I did see Badenoch interviewed the other day, she’s a bit of a paradox to me. I thought she responded very well to all questions and answered in a calm and measured way. She was asked about how she felt about our PM appearing on Gogglebox and she was quite amusing in her reply, stating it definitely wouldn’t be for her, but she did say she couldn’t understand how he had the time. Good point, but both our PM (of any party), and all MPs are allowed leisure time. It’s a job, not a life sentence!

I think it was a bit of a risk, as he’d know there would be those who will criticise everything he does, but I thought he came over well. I like him though, so that’s to be expected, I suppose. He’s someone I think I’d get on well with if he moved in next door, and he came over in that way, I thought - ‘nice bloke’ who was mildly amusing and ‘ordinary’.

If he’s trying to win back the support of those who are essentially Labour supporters but didn’t like Starmer, and keep the support he already has, I think he will have achieved that.

I guess politicians just have to give up on trying to please those who just won’t be happy whatever they do - if they did manage to please those people they alienate their core supporters. Starmer tried to appeal to Reform voters, and to keep the approval of those who might drift towards that, but it backfired, as the basic tenets of the Labour Party and Reform are too far apart, and he could only ever appeal to a fringe group who may have voted Labour as a protest against the Tories. Core Labour voters were never going to be impressed by ‘stranger in my own land’ sentiments, and so on. It disconcerted me, and both of my children said they wouldn’t vote Labour if he stayed as leader. They are much happier with Burnham though, as am I and many of my friends, so he appeals across generations.

In many ways, the fact that so much depends on media engagement and image must add hugely to the workload of politicians, and must be like walking a tightrope at times.

Doodledog

I think it was a bit of a risk, as he’d know there would be those who will criticise everything he does, but I thought he came over well. I like him though, so that’s to be expected, I suppose. He’s someone I think I’d get on well with if he moved in next door, and he came over in that way, I thought - ‘nice bloke’ who was mildly amusing and ‘ordinary’.

If he’s trying to win back the support of those who are essentially Labour supporters but didn’t like Starmer, and keep the support he already has, I think he will have achieved that.

I guess politicians just have to give up on trying to please those who just won’t be happy whatever they do - if they did manage to please those people they alienate their core supporters. Starmer tried to appeal to Reform voters, and to keep the approval of those who might drift towards that, but it backfired, as the basic tenets of the Labour Party and Reform are too far apart, and he could only ever appeal to a fringe group who may have voted Labour as a protest against the Tories. Core Labour voters were never going to be impressed by ‘stranger in my own land’ sentiments, and so on. It disconcerted me, and both of my children said they wouldn’t vote Labour if he stayed as leader. They are much happier with Burnham though, as am I and many of my friends, so he appeals across generations.

In many ways, the fact that so much depends on media engagement and image must add hugely to the workload of politicians, and must be like walking a tightrope at times.

Very well and succinctly put.

I didn’t hate Starmer, I thought he was given a rough ride by the media from day one.

I didn’t like the way Burnham became PM. I found it sneaky and little distasteful but now he’s here, and we have what looks like a really good MP in Starmer’s old seat, and the more I see and hear of Burnham, I more I’m warming to him.

I pray things work for him and all of our citizens, whoever they support.