Andy Burnham has plan to return to Westminster ‘within weeks’. Allies sayGreater Manchester mayor said to have identified seats where MPs would step aside to allow leadership bid.

I have read both and remain unconvinced, particularly by the description of his approach in Britain.

I doubt there us much appetite for replacing Starmer now or later but all the chatter sells newspapers and adds advertising revenue.

If you can find information from a non UK source which is politically neutral, as both these publications are, I will be interested to read it eazybee. Remember your question was whether Europe has respect for Starmer’s approach, not your personal view.

eazybee

I hope it never comes to the time when we have to rely on Europe to support us because we are not included in NATO. Trump will not always be in control.
I have not heard Europe has respect for Starmer but rather that they are enjoying watching him trying to ingratiate himself. That is as maybe, but the vote to leave Europe was democratic; Starmer is pursuing his own path for his own reasons without a mandate or even discussion.

You may not have heard that Europe doesn't have respect for Starmer- that doesn't mean that everybody thinks that or that it is true. Hope Casdon's links helped.

The Brexit vote was 10 years ago next month. 52% of the population voted to leave the EU against 48% to stay- hardly an overwhelming majority.

10 years on the world and the UK has moved on. The majority in the country has changed its mind - that's democracy for you. In a Yougov poll 55% actively want to rejoin (notable that 80% of 16-24 year olds want to rejoin), the majority of the population think the UK made the wrong decision to leave the EU and also the majority of the population want closer ties between the EU and UK. Your views about the EU are in the minority therefore.

Each party sets out in its manifesto their approach to the EU and in the next GE some parties may sent out their intention to rejoin the EU.

You have your democratic vote as do we all and will vote accordingly. The Labour Party democratically won the last GE so Starmer as PM, does have the people's mandate to lead government.

Burnham is on record calling for the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime. That will definitely and increasingly appeal to younger voters, and the majority of the overall voting population, as it will for all politicians who share and pitch this position.

Burnham so busy canvassing for Burnham

Burnham may be a really good egg. But I think he needs to get behind his party leader and be a part of maintaining some continuity for the UK. It may be that his day is to come - but it is not now.

I think he is getting behind his party and he fully knows his day is not here yet.

I hope so.

LemonJam

Burnham is on record calling for the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime. That will definitely and increasingly appeal to younger voters, and the majority of the overall voting population, as it will for all politicians who share and pitch this position.

Keir Starmer was on the People’s vote marches and has worked tirelessly to rebuild our relationship with Europe. So imo the best thing firor Burnham to do is to get behind a leader who we all know is pro Europe but understands that the referendum was a democratic vote and we have to, for now, respect the voters who wanted us to leave the EU. Imo, by the time of the next election the country will be fully behind rejoining the EU and, hopefully Trump will be gone and our economy will be on the way up. I wasn’t aware of Burnham being one of the MP’s that were vocal in the run up to the referendum or after it ( to be honest those that were tended to be Conservative, SNP, Green and LibDem).Corbyn was definitely pretty quiet at that time as the extreme left wing of the party eg Tony Benn have always tended to be EU sceptic.

Andy Burnham is Labour to his core. He is supporting Starmer. If the party moves against Starmer I hope Andy is in parliament and able to stand

Iam64

Andy Burnham is Labour to his core. He is supporting Starmer. If the party moves against Starmer I hope Andy is in parliament and able to stand

He has shown in many ways he is Labour to the core in his values. He is centrist and not extreme.

If a leadership challenge does happen at some stage- if and when he manages to secure an MP seat, Burnham is the strongest of all possible contenders.

He has the longest political experience. He has held government office. He pledged to donate (and actually carried through) 15% of his GM Mayoral salary to kick start his plans to address homelessness. He successfully won three Mayoral elections in a row. Plus he has also has the highest public approval ratings.

If the left move against Starmer after these elections they’ll be making another of their idiot mistakes.

It may not be the left though, it could be streeting or another.

True Galaxy, I should have acknowledged that. I just know many left focussed folk who wanted Starmer as they knew he’d win an election but plotted to.get rid asap

Streeting can be impressive in interview imo but isn’t very popular in the party

I have a soft spot for streeting but that doesn't mean a lot. If I had to guess I would say cabinet members won't move against him.

LemonJam

Iam64

Andy Burnham is Labour to his core. He is supporting Starmer. If the party moves against Starmer I hope Andy is in parliament and able to stand

He has shown in many ways he is Labour to the core in his values. He is centrist and not extreme.

If a leadership challenge does happen at some stage- if and when he manages to secure an MP seat, Burnham is the strongest of all possible contenders.

He has the longest political experience. He has held government office. He pledged to donate (and actually carried through) 15% of his GM Mayoral salary to kick start his plans to address homelessness. He successfully won three Mayoral elections in a row. Plus he has also has the highest public approval ratings.

You’ve forgotten Yvette Cooper. She has been an MP for 29 years continuously, and has held several cabinet positions. I’d prefer her to Andy Burnham, but her major disadvantage is that she isn’t into self publicity, she just gets her head down.

Iam64

True Galaxy, I should have acknowledged that. I just know many left focussed folk who wanted Starmer as they knew he’d win an election but plotted to.get rid asap

Streeting can be impressive in interview imo but isn’t very popular in the party

But a donkey wearing a red rosette could have won that election. Don't at least some LP members recognise that?

People were totally fed up with the tories and really believed the 'change' message. But they didn't get change. They got excuses for why change wasn't immediately possible, inept initiatives like removing the WFA and refusing to lift the two child cap, then the ludicrous attempt to outReform Reform, chasing votes for a GE 5 years away,,, And 'austerity' under a different label. No hope, just more of what they'd been enduring for years.

I know that Labour has done some good things, but nothing bold and radical, which was what people were expecting. Nothing at all.

And they are so obviously in thrall to big finance and wealth and don't dare to do anything to upset them while poverty is increasing and more people are struggling to cover basic living expenses.

What a waste of a huge majority Labour has been...

I don’t believe the electorate as a whole ever wants ‘bold and radical’ MaizieD. The want things to get better by some nebulous means that only affects them favourably.

I like Yvette Cooper too. always have, and sad she missed an earlier chance.

She is one very, very bright cookie indeed, very grounded, and pragmatic. She doesn't imo engage in a lot of big ego based stuff like some of the blokes around.

She's still only 57.

Casdon

I don’t believe the electorate as a whole ever wants ‘bold and radical’ MaizieD. The want things to get better by some nebulous means that only affects them favourably.

Are you a Labour Party member, Casdon? Possibly the ones that remain after Starmer and McSweeny’s clear out of the vaguely socialist element of the party and the loss of members disgusted by their lack of vision and political nous are part of the problem.

I think that something like nationalising the poorly performing water companies, putting adequate funding into the NHS and instituting a progressive tax regime would have been very welcome. Pretty radical in view of what has gone before…

What do you think I mean by ‘radical’. Those things look pretty tame to me.

The Labour Party membership is not reflective of the electorate though MaizieD, is it? The average voter cares more about potholes and immigration than about the nationalisation of water companies or even the NHS - and doesn’t recognise what a progressive tax regime is.

MaizieD I am not a Labour voter, but I do agree with you.

Labour under its current leader are floundering, tinkering around the edges.

If they promised to renationalise water they would get my vote…

If they promised to renationalise water they would get my vote…

Precisely.

Just one or two bold policies to rectify situations which voters know are unsatisfactory and want changed would have helped so much. As it is, I think it would only work now under new leadership.

I keep thinking about the Atlee government which did so much post WW2 when Britain was truly broke. What we want now is almost insignificant in comparison.

But then we were still running the economy on Keynesian lines, Keynes, one of the truly great 20th C economists, who famously said "Anything we can actually do we can afford".