Am I just being impatient and mean? New PM

Crossed posts Lizzie!

In a leadership contest the participants usually debate with other MP’s and lay out what their plans would be if elected. How could Burnhams coronation be regarded as a contest? It had been planned way in advance by the PLP.

Definition of the word ‘contest’:

“noun. a formal game or match in which two or more people, teams, etc, compete and attempt to win. a struggle for victory between opposing forces or interests”

There was no leadership contest.

The PLP got behind Burnham so that no other MP had enough support to challenge him.

Please don’t explain the LP rules to me - I know them.

IMO, the coup organisers orchestrated things in order to by-pass the CLP (25,000 of us).

Why? Because the CLP twice rejected AB as leader of the LP … and they were afraid we might do it again.

They wanted their man in at all costs - even if that meant ‘twisting’ democracy.

There was no leadership contest.

There was a leadership contest- Andy Burnham won emphatically as he had so many supporters no other contender could beat him....

Good to see how the Labour Party have advanced in polling since AB became PM- taking away Farage's 10 point lead for over a year.

Well, he's not really a regular, working class, ‘Northern’ bloke now is he?
(If he ever really was.)

But the thing I dislike about him are his sharp elbows - and I expect him to claim other's achievements as his own.
I believe he has been doing this for years.

But I confess I'm anxious in case other's feel as I do.... and he is currently all we have on offer.
I wish there had at least been a contest.

Mm, the Haigh/Burnham coup appears to have been ‘well timed’ (if you like that kind of thing):

1) Just as Nigel Farage is coming under even more intense scrutiny (particularly by the media🤔) about the £5million, taking Reform into a downward popularity spiral.

2) Just as parliament goes into recess for the summer so no PMQs / scrutiny for Burnham in HoC by opposing MPs.

If you want a coup planning, you know who to call!

now = not

MayBee70

nanna8

Gut feeling is that Farage will be on a slow decline and will disappear in a puff of smoke before your next election. Someone else will take his place because there is a bit of a ‘gap’ and an opposition party will emerge.

He’s not on a ‘slow’ decline. He’s already lying low most of the time because being an MP was always going to mean he wouldn’t survive the sort of public scrutiny he is now getting. Of course, Burnham will get the credit for it but it was already happening.

'More in Common' poll released today shows Labour has regained its lead over Reform UK since AB became PM. Last week showed Labour already up and narrowly behind/ or neck and neck with Reform UK- but now 4 points ahead

It's a very long time since Labour help the lead in the polls under Starmer- almost 18 months.

For much of the past year Reform UK has had a lead of more than 10 points over other parties in most opinion polls so thats a sharp decline- now a slow decline.

AB seems to have had beneficial effect on the ecltroate as a whole to get to a 4 point lead position.

Despite resigning as Clacton MP and then putting himself forward for re selection as Clacton MP- and supposedly now campaigning to try and hold onto his seat- I agree Farage is lying low compared to his frequent in person press announcements where he did answered journalist questions. He's cut down on those drastically, taken to filming his own announcements for the most part so as to avoid press questions no doubt- for reasons known to him- and for the electorate to speculate in line with press scrutiny.

Reform UK won't get to regain or maintain its long standing 10 point poll lead with a leader lying low and steering clear of press scrutiny. Plus lying low just as an opposition party new PM comes into role is absolutely NOT the time to lie low.

fancythat

I can hardly believe that some Labour Supporters are complaining about their Leader already.

My support for Labour, lifelong as it may be, isn’t cast in stone. I can’t suddenly support a new leader who has become PM by what I consider devious means especially as I was given no say in the matter. And I am getting frequent emails asking me to donate money to pay for a mayors election that wasn’t even necessary. I’ve always said that I will always give credit where credit is due no matter which party it applies too and for the same reason I can’t eulogise about a party leader who happens to be someone I have never liked or trusted. I shall still support and campaign for my Labour MP but, then again she is of the same opinion.

nanna8

Gut feeling is that Farage will be on a slow decline and will disappear in a puff of smoke before your next election. Someone else will take his place because there is a bit of a ‘gap’ and an opposition party will emerge.

He’s not on a ‘slow’ decline. He’s already lying low most of the time because being an MP was always going to mean he wouldn’t survive the sort of public scrutiny he is now getting. Of course, Burnham will get the credit for it but it was already happening.

Gut feeling is that Farage will be on a slow decline and will disappear in a puff of smoke before your next election. Someone else will take his place because there is a bit of a ‘gap’ and an opposition party will emerge.

I am saying this a bit tongue - in - cheek, but are Gransnet posters then, on the whole, how can I put it, "classier" than the "average" voter?

Is he/will he, take Farage's thunder?

I think he will appeal to ‘the man in the street’, which I assume is the image he wants to create, i.e.

A regular, working class, ‘Northern’ bloke.

He’s got to be better than his predecessor. At least he isn’t so annoying, wooden and lacking personality. There was a reason for Starmer being ousted and it wasn’t just spite and Machiavellian politics.

Is he too far right for some, or too far left??

I can hardly believe that some Labour Supporters are complaining about their Leader already.

AB will need this political term and the next one to achieve all that he wants to do, but the difference between him and Starmer is that he actually has a chance of winning the next GE in order to accomplish things.
I like all he says so far but will wait until that translates into something tangible.

MayBee70

Wyllow3

Firstly, is the information rock solid - I find it hard to believe I have not heard of in one single LP meeting in all this time.

If the information is correct it seems as if its good that Burnham has prioritised acting one it as part funding already set aside, since it's an area he has experience in so much the better and most understandable.

But if things like this had been publicised better the Starmer government would not have been so unpopular. It’s almost as if some people in government made a point of not publicising the good things initiated by Keir so they could replace him by a more populist leader just as those plans were nearing fruition . Same thing happening with the social care plan I believe.

Therein lies the problem that was Starmer.
He was totally unaware that many of the positive changes he made were not getting out to the very people who needed to hear them.
As a commentator said: Andy knows what the man/woman in Greggs is talking about.

I suppose halving long term rough sleeping is a big shift by the end of this Parliament
Ending homelessness altogether (for an additional £340 million) would be a miracle I think as it's really complex.

I have worked "at the sharp end" with young single homeless and in hostels etc - quick fixes are not the solution.
"Housing First" is my own preference - but where there is lots of support.

It doesn’t matter, as long as it doesn’t impact on him delivering in the PM role, and keeping Labour in power by achieving manifesto goals, does it? He can’t please all potential Labour voters, and as with any leader, he’s doing it his own way. I think in reality it is we who are the dinosaurs, not him. We’ll soon know if he’s pitching it right.

Casdon

I get that not everybody likes him, I’m on the fence myself. It just seems irrational to attack him for things you think he just might do, before he has implemented anything, it shouldn’t be about personal feelings, it should be about what he delivers,

Such as stupid videos on social media with Burnham and Healey in a pub debating whether pork scratchings are better than prawn cocktail crisps? What the hell is that all about?

With respect, the plan published in December 2025 said:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-national-plan-to-end-homelessness/a-national-plan-to-end-homelessness

This is an ambitious and comprehensive plan, taking essential action now – eliminating the unlawful use of B&Bs for families, improving the quality of temporary accommodation and testing innovative approaches to halve long-term rough sleeping – and tackling the complex causes of homelessness.

Targets:

Setting a new national target to halve long-term rough sleeping by the end of this parliament.

Launching a £15 million programme to tackle long-term rough sleeping, working with targeted areas to test innovative approaches and spread learning.

Burnham’s proposal provides another £340 million to end rough sleeping.

Two different things - halve in targeted areas and ending altogether.

mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk/2026/07/22/%F0%9F%8F%A0-ending-rough-sleeping-what-the-governments-new-plan-means-for-people-sleeping-on-our-streets/

Agreed, Casdon. It's utterly depressing.

I get that not everybody likes him, I’m on the fence myself. It just seems irrational to attack him for things you think he just might do, before he has implemented anything, it shouldn’t be about personal feelings, it should be about what he delivers,