Rachel Reeves and David Lammy have been sacked by Andy Burnham as the Prime Minister begins appointing his Cabinet.

David49

Healey as chancellor is the biggest surprise for me.

Burnham is saying all the right things he even had a cordial phone call with Trump, but now the buck stops with him, delivering all he is promising is going to be very difficult.

That last sentence is very true.
Why has he promised so much, (like no more rough sleepers), when it usually comes back to bite you badly if you don't deliver? Time will tell.

Whitewavemark2

From October there will be no VAT on domestic fuel.

Don’t hold your breath! No funding has been earmarked for that policy.

I’m concerned about funding! Anything big and new (rough sleeping, no VAT on domestic fuel)

DamaskRose

Such a lot of inaccurate, predictable sniping at Angela Rayner. I’m surprised her choice of clothing hasn’t been ridiculed. I wish this administration and these ministers all the luck in the world - for the good of the UK. I don’t care what qualifications they do or don’t have as long as they do a good job.

I’m very happy to see her back!

MT62

I don’t understand how they all swap roles. How can they be put in a position that they know nothing about. Housing one minute, health next.
Surely you would put the most experienced in that role!

I agree, but it’s the way it works and they all have access to senior civil servants well versed in their areas.

Why can fraudsters like half a brain cell Rayner, Louise Haigh and Reed be reappointed yet a teacher, nurse, shop worker, office worker etc... can't?

Isn't being PM always difficult? Why are people constantly pointing this out?

All AB has done so far is tell people what he hopes to achieve - his objectives, if you like. We'll have a much better idea of how he plans to do it when Parliament reconvenes in 6 weeks or so. When he starts doing it we will be in a position to judge whether we like his strategies, and after 6 months or so we should be able to tell whether the tactics he's using are likely to achieve the objectives.

There's not much to see until then, really.

I always wonder why more people don’t comment on threads regarding Farage, for what is potentially a much, much greater crime than any of those mentioned. I don’t like dishonesty in any politician, but there are serious crimes and minor crimes, and that elephant in the room is being ignored by so many - I just don’t get it.

MT62
I don’t understand how they all swap roles. How can they be put in a position that they know nothing about. Housing one minute, health next.
*Surely you would put the most experienced in that role!^

Cossy

I agree, but it’s the way it works and they all have access to senior civil servants well versed in their areas.

Yes, you could almost say the senior civil servants run the show, whichever party is in power, because they’re the ones with the knowledge.

Yes, Minister.

Casdon

I always wonder why more people don’t comment on threads regarding Farage, for what is potentially a much, much greater crime than any of those mentioned. I don’t like dishonesty in any politician, but there are serious crimes and minor crimes, and that elephant in the room is being ignored by so many - I just don’t get it.

They are out of the same mould as MAGA.

As Trump said “he could kill someone and get away with it as far as his supporters are concerned” and so it has proven true.

Interesting psychology.

Farage hasn't been convicted of anything as far as I know. Louise Haigh pleaded guilty to fraud so she is a convicted fraudster she would not be able to get a job in the private sector as a solicitor, judge, doctor or a top job in the financial sector but in Burnhams coup she's landed a top job interesting to say the least.

It was 12 years ago for a Blackberry and she was fined £100.

Reform’s James McMurdock went to jail for kicking his girlfriend multiple times in a drunken rage and yet was welcomed as an MP. He may have left under a cloud for claiming bounce bank loans on dormant companies but he still promotes Reform through his social media and sits on the HoC bench with them rather than with the the independents on the bench behind.

It may only be a matter of time before Farage is arrested for fraud (or contempt of court over Ann Widdecombe’s murder).

And while Honest Bob (also under investigation for dodgy donations) does the media round claiming Burnham is not yet tried and tested as a PM and Parliamentarian leader, he conveniently forgets that his own boss, who he backs as PM would be in exactly the same position with far less experience in Parliament and has lead nothing other that a very small and fluctuating number of former Tories.

Sunshinegirls

Farage hasn't been convicted of anything as far as I know. Louise Haigh pleaded guilty to fraud so she is a convicted fraudster she would not be able to get a job in the private sector as a solicitor, judge, doctor or a top job in the financial sector but in Burnhams coup she's landed a top job interesting to say the least.

Do you mean that only when people are actually convicted should we discuss the fact that they have been referred to the police?

James McMurdock is not a Reform Party MP.

Nigel Farage hasn't been convicted of any crime.

Louise Haigh whichever way you try to swing it pleaded guilty to fraud so she is a convicted fraudster whether you like it or not.

Yes, you could almost say the senior civil servants run the show, whichever party is in power, because they’re the ones with the knowledge.

Well, the civil service does run the day to day government, implementing government legislation, but senior civil servants can only advise their minister. They are obliged to carry out the minister's wishes whether they believe they are beneficial or not. If they are steadfastly opposed they have a mechanism which allows them to state that they are implementing something 'under direction' which absolves them from blame if it goes wrong.

It is well known from many, many political memoirs that there can be conflict between a minister and their civil servants and that more persuadable ministers can follow the civil service line instead of what they actually wanted.

But for all that, Yes Minister was an exaggeration even though it exposed senior CS's methods.

Innocent until proved guilty didn't you know that and you can discuss Farage and the Reform Party as much as you like.

With regard to my last post, there is an interesting passage in Rory Stewart's book telling of how he was given a department in which one of the civil servants had worked with him when they were both in a complete different capacity and he found that the previously independent thinking person deferred completely to his views.

Boz

Loyalty is a mistake if you are ambitious.
I don't care who does what frankly, as we still have a Socialist Government who will tax to spend.

Good.
Tax of those who can well afford it is fine by me.

Generally tho, us baby boomers in the UK - at least those who have done even modesty well out if it - are a generation that we have never had before and in world and historical terms can't just go on and on.

By and large, (and I emphasis it was not all, but generalising) we could get jobs, many could afford one person working, we bought houses,

we were not at war, we had free health care for many years, good enough state schools and for some time adequate care for those in need.

Looking around the world, we can realise just how extraordinary that period was, and how fragile we actually are to changes out of our own control. No way can growth keep forever replacing what we had, and then there are factors like living longer and more expensive medical treatments available.

We have to accept it can't carry on, it's no good wishing.

International forces often well out of our governments control are now at work in the world not to mention climate change and its effects.

This is not "prophet of doom" - its reality and a belief that our grandchildren will find a very changed world, but one they can find their very different ways in.

and what we do have, needs to be shared out better. The rich are getting richer, the poor, poorer: yes I believe in social intervention not to crush those who are better off, but to improve resources for the majority.

Sunshinegirls

Innocent until proved guilty didn't you know that and you can discuss Farage and the Reform Party as much as you like.

There will continue to be speculation about any MP who has been referred to the police for any crime, and I’m assuming you won’t join any of those threads until the person in question is found guilty, which is your prerogative. -consistency of approach towards politicians in matters of this kind is what I believe we should aim for.

Primrose53

Louise Haigh who was forced to resign when she was convicted of fraud has a job! OMG He’s really scraping the barrel.

At least she had the balls to publicly call P&O ferries a rogue company. And then Starmer apologised to the company despite the fact that P&O ferries sacked 800 employees on the spot.

She was actually a great minister, and was a if not the key backer of Burnham and very very good on wanting to get trains in the North that are adequate indeed, she really knew her stuff re transport and as has been said, who else stood up to the P and O people like her?

Yes! it was a Plot from us Yorkshire and Lancashire Evil Northeners ☺️

Basically the Cabinet job was lined up from the start of the campaign.

Bukkie

Why can fraudsters like half a brain cell Rayner, Louise Haigh and Reed be reappointed yet a teacher, nurse, shop worker, office worker etc... can't?

Your comment about AR’s intelligence is pathetic. Your comment about her being a fraudster is libellous .

Tuliptree

Bukkie

Why can fraudsters like half a brain cell Rayner, Louise Haigh and Reed be reappointed yet a teacher, nurse, shop worker, office worker etc... can't?

Your comment about AR’s intelligence is pathetic. Your comment about her being a fraudster is libellous .

Im puzzled here did she or did she not neglect to pay the correct tax?

Graphite

It was 12 years ago for a Blackberry and she was fined £100.

Reform’s James McMurdock went to jail for kicking his girlfriend multiple times in a drunken rage and yet was welcomed as an MP. He may have left under a cloud for claiming bounce bank loans on dormant companies but he still promotes Reform through his social media and sits on the HoC bench with them rather than with the the independents on the bench behind.

It may only be a matter of time before Farage is arrested for fraud (or contempt of court over Ann Widdecombe’s murder).

And while Honest Bob (also under investigation for dodgy donations) does the media round claiming Burnham is not yet tried and tested as a PM and Parliamentarian leader, he conveniently forgets that his own boss, who he backs as PM would be in exactly the same position with far less experience in Parliament and has lead nothing other that a very small and fluctuating number of former Tories.

Bit more than that Graphite. Her employer Aviva said she had reported phones as missing or stolen “on repeated occasions”. Wikipaedia.

She is therefore a liar as well as a fraudster.