So it begins….. Streeting resigns

I still think the LP need a far better PR team. - exactly. Labour have done some good things but they are not being talked up and the media are being allowed to pull all the strings.

nanna8

Don’t they have to have an election for Andy Burnham to get in ? What if Reform get in ? Maybe he can just go straight in without an election, I don’t know what the rules are.

Nope, he certainly cannot go straight in, yes there needs to an election, yes there’s a chance he won’t get in! Manchester also need a election to replace him as Mayor.

A really bloody stupid time to pitch this given Reform’s recent results locally!

Complete knee jerk reaction and they all need their heads knocking together!

You know what ? I agree with you, Cossy. Is that a first ?

nanna8

Don’t they have to have an election for Andy Burnham to get in ? What if Reform get in ? Maybe he can just go straight in without an election, I don’t know what the rules are.

Do keep up, nanna8. An MP resigned yesterday to make his seat available for Burnham to fight.

I have seen some discussion of whether ‘the rules’ allow Mayor to run for Parliament while still in Mayoral office. There doesn’t seem to be any clarity on this.

If it is true that the he doesn’t have to give it up until elected to Parliament then Burnham retains his Mayorality if he loses in the by election. If it isn’t true and he loses then he’s destroyed his career…

If Keir Starmer had an ounce of integrity he would have stepped down after the dire local election results, which were the people speaking. Instead he chooses deliberately to plunge his party and the government into chaos.

The much maligned Liz Truss went after seven weeks; Starmer has proved during the past two years that he is an incompetent PM but refuses to accept the inevitable. His intention to forge much closer links within the EU, without even the courtesy of discussing it in Parliament, show where his personal priorities lie.

It is a high risk strategy but does show Burnham's resolve and determination.

If he wins the Makerfield bye election and increases the current slim Labour majority, he thereby demonstrates he can withstand Reform challenge successfully - in the face of "everything but the kitchen sink".... Farage determination.

I agree eazybee. KS's belligerent 'I'm not going anywhere' is damaging to his party as well as the country.

Whilst not denying Burnham’s contribution, we must not get too carried away. Manchester regeneration started decades ago and the formation of the GMCA was a big contributory factor in Manchesters successful regeneration.

What I think Burnham did was to pick up the baton and combined it with devolution. Successfully branded Manchester regeneration by identifying it with what he termed “Manchesterism”. But Burnham is not the entire story and we should not be fooled into thinking that he was the biggest component - he wasn’t.

So expectations of Burnham’s potential as PM should be managed imo. He may possibly be the best of what I think is a mediocre bunch, but he will not produced miracles.

Saying all that I do like some if his ideas like greater nationalisation. I would very much like water being brought back into public control. But I can’t agree with his idea of borrowing to fund defence. Imo a government should only spend on projects that promote growth.

I dont really know enough about him. But he must have had a good team, and influence to have regenerated Manchester?

He does indeed have a good, proactive team around him in Manchester and, as the results of his regeneration have become more obvious, that team has grown significantly. Investors are virtually queuing up to throw money into new developments hence it being the fastest-growing city economy in the UK with a GDP that is double the national average. Burnham did make a serious mistake though. He spent £104 million in setting up the Clean Air Zone which would have been similar to the London ULEZ and tackled air pollution. He suddenly did a complete U turn at the last minute and cancelled it. Money wasted. Funny thing; people seem to have forgotten all about that. Maybe he's right for PM after all?

Perhaps KS actually believes it is better if he stays put? Belligerent, I'm not sure.

What a mess. the rest of the the world must think we are daft.

eazybee

If Keir Starmer had an ounce of integrity he would have stepped down after the dire local election results, which were the people speaking. Instead he chooses deliberately to plunge his party and the government into chaos.

The much maligned Liz Truss went after seven weeks; Starmer has proved during the past two years that he is an incompetent PM but refuses to accept the inevitable. His intention to forge much closer links within the EU, without even the courtesy of discussing it in Parliament, show where his personal priorities lie.

I don’t agree. Integrity is actually what is stopping him stepping down. Misguided or not, he has a strong sense of duty to the country, and although I’m sure he realises that he has to go, there is not a clear leader emerging immediately to replace him, so it needs to be a planned process.

What he said about Starmer is correct, but they all seem to have the same vision for this country so changing the Prime Minister is pretty pointless.

Burnham is constantly being hailed as some sort of ‘saviour’. We’re constantly being told ‘he’s done great things in Manchester’.

Here’s a reality check from Burnham’s Manchester:

Widespread illegal drug problem. Deaths from drug poisoning above the national average.

High level of homelessness. Per Capita, roughly 1 in every 61 people in the city living without a permanent home—the worst rate across the entire North West region.

I could go on.

If Burnham can’t deal with these serious issues in his own city, how the hell is he going to ‘transform’ the entire country, as well as handling a very difficult geopolitical landscape.

He may have ‘cleaned up’ Manchester for some with showy apartment blocks and shiny trams … but the poorest underbelly of the city remains.

That’s what needs fixing in this country and I see no evidence that Burnham being parachuted in will make any difference … apart from opening the door further for Reform.

I’m done with the Labour Party, and it hurts.

LizzieDrip

Burnham is constantly being hailed as some sort of ‘saviour’. We’re constantly being told ‘he’s done great things in Manchester’.

Here’s a reality check from Burnham’s Manchester:

Widespread illegal drug problem. Deaths from drug poisoning above the national average.

High level of homelessness. Per Capita, roughly 1 in every 61 people in the city living without a permanent home—the worst rate across the entire North West region.

I could go on.

If Burnham can’t deal with these serious issues in his own city, how the hell is he going to ‘transform’ the entire country, as well as handling a very difficult geopolitical landscape.

He may have ‘cleaned up’ Manchester for some with showy apartment blocks and shiny trams … but the poorest underbelly of the city remains.

That’s what needs fixing in this country and I see no evidence that Burnham being parachuted in will make any difference … apart from opening the door further for Reform.

I’m done with the Labour Party, and it hurts.

My thoughts exactly.

I have just had a look at those figures Lizzie, so thanks. That's interesting. As I think I have probably made clear, I don't support Starmer but I am also wary of the 'new shiny thing' who will solve all our problems.

To be fair LizzieDrip Burnham has created the Embassy Village at Castlefields which is significantly more than anyone else has ever done for the homeless in any major city. And the ever increasing drug abuse problems in Manchester is the same as in any other city in the UK now so I don't think I can blame that on Burnham. But I agree with you in that I don't think he's PM material; too egotistical in my opinion.

eazybee

If Keir Starmer had an ounce of integrity he would have stepped down after the dire local election results, which were the people speaking. Instead he chooses deliberately to plunge his party and the government into chaos.

The much maligned Liz Truss went after seven weeks; Starmer has proved during the past two years that he is an incompetent PM but refuses to accept the inevitable. His intention to forge much closer links within the EU, without even the courtesy of discussing it in Parliament, show where his personal priorities lie.

Starmer and Truss are/were two completely different situations.

Starmer doesn’t need to resign (yet), now is definitely not the time for cockfighting within the party, not right for them, their supporters nor the country.

Burnham and Manchester Council, are trying very hard to reduce homelessness. We have a "bed everynight" scheme, which helps. An inovation project to turn disused railway arches into small homes, flats being built to house womenfleeing domestic violence. Burnham donated a percentage of his salary to help.
Every large city is going to have drug problems and vulnerable people gravitate to large cities.
I am proud of my city.

Galaxy

I have just had a look at those figures Lizzie, so thanks. That's interesting. As I think I have probably made clear, I don't support Starmer but I am also wary of the 'new shiny thing' who will solve all our problems.

I don’t think anyone needs to be a Starmer fan to sensibly think that, no one leader of ANY party will be able to “make our country great again”! IMO it’s a poison chalice.

sixandahalf

Perhaps KS actually believes it is better if he stays put? Belligerent, I'm not sure.

What a mess. the rest of the the world must think we are daft.

I would imagine the rest of the world have far more important issues to worry about, the price of oil, fertiliser, medicine etc etc etc, all stuck in the strait of Hormuz.

Ilovecheese

Burnham and Manchester Council, are trying very hard to reduce homelessness. We have a "bed everynight" scheme, which helps. An inovation project to turn disused railway arches into small homes, flats being built to house womenfleeing domestic violence. Burnham donated a percentage of his salary to help.
Every large city is going to have drug problems and vulnerable people gravitate to large cities.
I am proud of my city.

And rightly so!

nanna8

You know what ? I agree with you, Cossy. Is that a first ?

Maybe, but I hope not a last x

Ilovecheese

Burnham and Manchester Council, are trying very hard to reduce homelessness. We have a "bed everynight" scheme, which helps. An inovation project to turn disused railway arches into small homes, flats being built to house womenfleeing domestic violence. Burnham donated a percentage of his salary to help.
Every large city is going to have drug problems and vulnerable people gravitate to large cities.
I am proud of my city.

Part of the problem with anywhere that tries to deal with homelessness is that it becomes a magnet for the surrounding areas. If you're homeless in the north west, it doesn't take much to work out that if you go to Manchester, something might be offered. The same thing happens in Cambridge.

We are now a very divided country, no thank in no small part to Farage, who must be laughing all the way to the bank.

Whoever is PM next I truly hope a Bill is passed to 1) limit the amount of time an MP can spend in a second, third, fourth job! And 2) ban serving MPs from actually working in media, ie GB News.

I have no issue with those who need to keep up training/registration etc in their former careers, after all being an MP is hardly a job for life and they will need an income should they lose their seats.

Also this whole donation thing needs exploring and better regulated, those I believe this is in hand?

I agree that the issues facing Burnham’s Manchester mirror those facing the entire country; just one example … inequality:

“The city is highly unequal, with extreme disparities between its most and least deprived areas, frequently described as a divide between "have-nots" and "haves".

Despite all his ‘best efforts’ Burnham, after almost 10 years as mayor, hasn’t managed to overcome these issues.

So why is the Labour Party tearing itself (and potentially the country) apart to clear a path for him to Number 10?