Andy Burnham won Makerfield

Starmer should have gone 6 months ago. He should be a foreign minister, he would be good at that. He has never been any good as a PM, totally wrong personality.

Burnham has been around politics for long enough to know just what the score is; Starmer was a political virgin in comparison, had only been an MP for fewer than 10 years before becoming PM. His previous roles as DPP and a barrister were not, it seems, adequate preparation for the job. Yes, he exuded a reassuring air of quiet competence but he has proved to be less than competent with very little feeling for what the Labour Party stands for in the eyes of a significant number of LP members and the general public. His handling of the 'left' wingers in the party has been both authoritarian and inept.

At least Burnham has a record of collaboration with political 'others' and, it seems, an ability to keep voters 'on side'. I find

Dark mutterings of 'lettuce' are absurd, he's nothing like Truss.

I find fear of 'the left' to be ridiculous in view of the fact that people seem completely indifferent to the hardships imposed on the general population over the years by the tories ever since Thatcher.

Apologies for the random 'I find', I didn't preview 🤥

LizzieDrip

No attacking from me Cheesey. I agree with you 💯.

Also, the media have treated KS so unfairly for 2 years. I don’t know how the man has maintained his dignity throughout.

Even now the media won’t give it a rest - constantly ‘reporting’ what’s going on in his mind this weekend. How the hell do they know? They’re obsessed with the drama of it all!

Makes me sick😡

I agree, sick of the media obsessing over these people, with silly pictures of them getting in and out of cars or walking along Downing Street, as if we don't know what they look like.

I'm so sick of the revolving door of No 10. This country deserves a stable government who can manage to stay in place for a whole term, without all the drama. We want a steady hand at the helm who can take on the big issues especially regarding crime which is out of control and affecting everything else.

The last PM we had for any decent length of time was Cameron (6 years). May and Johnson (3 years each) but now we're about to have our 4th PM since 2022 which is an embarrassment.

I agree Mollygo.

I would prefer that all this sh**show wasn’t happening but … we are where we are.

So, as a LP member, I would prefer a leadership election. I abhor the idea of a coronation for AB. I want to hear him set out his stall for how he would ‘transform’ the country. He may have ‘transformed’ Manchester (although he hasn’t actually) but what are his wider views on … the economy, foreign policy, Net Zero, etc?

I want him to be scrutinised, in the same way that KS was in the leadership and General elections. KS has proved himself to be a fighter … I want to see that from AB, on a national stage, not just Manchester.

We, as members, deserve to have a democratic vote for who leads our party.

Truss wanted to move too fast.
So what exactly are Burnham’s burning ambitions for our country? Don’t we deserve to know?

Sarnia

BBC News said last night that Yvette Cooper had asked him to make a decision and organise a smooth transition. They said Andy Burnham would be offered the job without the need for a leadership race. Does it work like that? Surely there are others who might like to throw their hat in the ring.

There will most likely be a vote of no confidence by Labour MPs, if Starmer does badly and resigns, then if no candidates oppose Burnham he will be appointed on the spot if thats what MPs want.

Personally I think that best for the UK

Indeed thats how Sunak became PM nobody opposed him

The only way a smooth transition is possible is if Starmer resigns, a leadership contest is initiated, and Burnham is the only person who stands for election. Within the Labour Party constitution that’s how it works.

nanna8

Starmer should have gone 6 months ago. He should be a foreign minister, he would be good at that. He has never been any good as a PM, totally wrong personality.

We’ve had PMs with different personalities since we had PMs.

Starmer was the choice the LP made and they had a few years, since 2020, to decide if he was PM “material” and clearly they decided he was a ran with him in 2024.

People and politics are so fickle.

I do hope AB, “King of Manchester” is fully prepared for the vitriol which may be directed at him from all sides, the opposition, the general public, his colleagues and the media, once his honeymoon period is over.

Unlike the USA, our PM cannot sign executive orders and make new legislation in a day.

Getting new laws passed is a long and protracted process, the wheels of our parliament grind very slowly indeed, which is one reason it makes me laugh very loudly when I hear Reform supporters stating how quickly Farage the Fearless will get his own policies (contracts or whatever else he now calls his pledges) into law if he became PM.

AB and any other political leader, will face all the same challenges as Starmer and I do this isn’t the start of “revolving PMs” started by the Tories.

AB is a fool if he doesn’t appoint Starmer as FS or another senior ministerial role. I hope for the sake of our country and all voters that AB is as good as he, and his supporters, think he is.

However I won’t be sorry to see the back of RR, I didn’t like her from day 1.

I’d like to see the return of Lisa Nandy and my favourite redhead, Ms Rayner.

(Steps back to hear gasps of horror and pearl clutching!)

Casdon

The only way a smooth transition is possible is if Starmer resigns, a leadership contest is initiated, and Burnham is the only person who stands for election. Within the Labour Party constitution that’s how it works.

Agree.

There is no official “vote of no confidence” in the LP constitution.

“The Labour Party does not have a formal mechanism for a vote of no confidence to remove its leader.

Instead, to trigger a leadership challenge, a challenger must be nominated by at least 20% of Labour MPs in the House of Commons.

Because the party has no internal no-confidence rules, a Labour leader facing pressure can refuse to resign, even if their MPs hold an unofficial no-confidence vote.

For example, when Labour MPs passed a motion of no confidence against Jeremy Corbyn in 2016 by a margin of 172 to 40, he stayed in post, arguing that his mandate from party members outweighed the parliamentary party.”

On one point I think you’ve skewed, Cossy, which is that I don’t think Burnham would be a fool for not appointing Starmer into the cabinet, because it will be Starmer who holds the cards on whether he actually wants to do that. I can’t think of any recent case of a PM accepting a cabinet post after standing down as PM, even though I too would like him to.

Casdon

On one point I think you’ve skewed, Cossy, which is that I don’t think Burnham would be a fool for not appointing Starmer into the cabinet, because it will be Starmer who holds the cards on whether he actually wants to do that. I can’t think of any recent case of a PM accepting a cabinet post after standing down as PM, even though I too would like him to.

I think AB would be foolish not to offer and I think Starmer would be equally foolish to decline it, if offered.

I think you’re right re AB asking, but it would be a huge ask for Starmer to accept, and it’s quite harsh on him to say he would be foolish to decline - how many bosses would accept a demotion like that? All credit to him if he does, but I could understand completely if he didn’t.

Cossy

Casdon

On one point I think you’ve skewed, Cossy, which is that I don’t think Burnham would be a fool for not appointing Starmer into the cabinet, because it will be Starmer who holds the cards on whether he actually wants to do that. I can’t think of any recent case of a PM accepting a cabinet post after standing down as PM, even though I too would like him to.

I think AB would be foolish not to offer and I think Starmer would be equally foolish to decline it, if offered.

Starmer can make a good living as a lawyer and MP why take on extra work when the majority dont like you.

ronib

Truss wanted to move too fast.
So what exactly are Burnham’s burning ambitions for our country? Don’t we deserve to know?

Exactly!

I’d like to see the return of Lisa Nandy and my favourite redhead, Ms Rayner.

I'd like to see her back, too, Cossy, she's another one like Milliband who gets things done.

His ambition should be to deliver on the Labour Party Manifesto for this parliament. That’s the basis on which they were elected, not a dreamed up wish list by any of us part way through a term of office.

I do hope AB, “King of Manchester” is fully prepared for the vitriol which may be directed at him from all sides, the opposition, the general public, his colleagues and the media, once his honeymoon period is over.

He thinks he is better than previous PMs, all of whom ultimately failed, maybe he is a magician, ask again after a year, if he can secure a majority at the next GE will be the ultimate test.

That’s not accurate David49, as plenty of PMs have been popular enough to secure a second term in office? Of course, ultimately they fall, that’s the nature of politics, but some have sustained periods of personal popularity.

He's not stupid, David. He must be very well aware of what Starmer has had to face.

I don't know why he is being talked of as if he is a political innocent. He's far more experienced than Starmer was.

It will be no different to the current government, he will have a six month popularity bounce and that will be it. Same as most prime ministers in the last few years ( except truss who had no popularity whatsoever) .
Dh works in housing/ regeneration, deals with local authorities across the country, he has nothing but praise for Rayner when she was in that role.
I have very little time for Nandy, I am afraid she is one of those cabinet ministers who make me worry about the calibre of current politicians.

MaizieD

^I’d like to see the return of Lisa Nandy and my favourite redhead, Ms Rayner.^

I'd like to see her back, too, Cossy, she's another one like Milliband who gets things done.

When she's not recovering from last night.

I suppose in that respect her public persona is similar to that of Boris Johnson.

I saw a vaguely funny post that Burnham should focus on his northerness rather than his left wing credentials .
Turn all empty shops into Greggs.
Compulsory talking to strangers on public transport.
No coats allowed on nights out.
And so on.

And a whippet Galaxy?
Gentle nudge to ‘some posters’ , Andy isn’t only the King of Manchester, he’s the King of the North.

He stressed during his campaign in Makerfield that Westminster politics isn’t working for the north. He’s right it isn’t and hasn’t for a long time .
I share the concerns about the fact we have a leadership crisis in our government. I hope Andy becomes leader and puts his heart and soul into it