Am I just being impatient and mean? New PM

I just don’t like him. That’s it!

It’s because I’ve been watching his attacks on Keir over the past couple of years ( it started during the Southport riots) and then the actions of Sarwar, that woman that said she was going to challenge Starmers leadership, Streeting, Heeley; the disruption Burnham tried to start at the party conference etc etc. During which time Keir was dealing with Trump, Ukraine, Iran etc etc. And now he’s going to take the credit for everything that Keir was working towards and I think it stinks.

MayBee70

So Burnham knows he’s got the money for ‘his initiative’…

I think that’s an unfair criticism, because he was running an initiative in Manchester, and you don’t yet know whether the funding that was previously earmarked will be used in the way that Starmer intended exactly, or whether it will be repurposed for an initiative similar to the Burnham Manchester model.

What is it with people who one would assume want Labour to succeed making such critical comments because they don’t like the leader? That’s what happened with Starmer, and here we are again. Don’t you realise that the criticism of his policies, after one week of Burnham, is irrational, he hasn’t had a chance to do anything yet. Talk about a self destruct button.

As for the publicity and handling of Comms, what do people want? Many of us said over and over that Keir's team were hopeless at it. Burnham is making a decent fist of it, and he's getting called duplicitous.

Politics is ruthless. Starmer cut out left wingers, people who voted against him and those who he saw as threats (including Burnham) - he was absolutely ruthless about that, so it was difficult for people to get their views represented by 'legitimate' means.

Casdon

It depends what type of meeting it is. If it is a small, participative meeting, when the camera is switched on for everybody, people will make good use of their time, there must be plenty of parliamentary meetings of that kind. It’s also possible to have people in two locations, each with a chair, and zoom them into one meeting, that would also work. The key is choosing the best option for all kinds of meeting - we did this years ago where I worked.

Yes, it's not a one size fits all thing. Some meetings are better face to face, and for others the ease of Zoom/Teams makes that a better choice.

So Burnham knows he’s got the money for ‘his initiative’…

“Keir Starmer's government allocated billions of pounds for homelessness and rough sleeping services, including a record £1 billion investment for the 2025/2026 financial year and a £3.5 billion package tied to their national plan.

Funding DetailsMajor Investment:
Allocated over £3.5 billion for homelessness and rough sleeping services across a three-year period (2026–2028).

Annual Support:
Invested a record £1 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year focused on prevention services.

Winter Boost:
Provided an extra £84 million in October 2025 for immediate help with temporary accommodation and rough sleeping prevention.

Targeted Grants:
Included specific funding like £3 million extra for rough sleeping drug and alcohol treatment programs.”

… but not good enough for the PLP

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.

AB is a political opportunist - he’s shown that.

I dare say he’ll take the credit for a lot of things put in place by KS.

Sadly we’ll have to get used to it.

Well - all good?

Maybee is right, it was called something like the national plan to end homelessness.

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.

MayBee70

Just read on Facebook that the Starmer government in December 2025 committed £3.5 billion to end homelessness and rough sleeping. So is Burnham planning to take the credit for that?

Why not?

Just read on Facebook that the Starmer government in December 2025 committed £3.5 billion to end homelessness and rough sleeping. So is Burnham planning to take the credit for that?

It depends what type of meeting it is. If it is a small, participative meeting, when the camera is switched on for everybody, people will make good use of their time, there must be plenty of parliamentary meetings of that kind. It’s also possible to have people in two locations, each with a chair, and zoom them into one meeting, that would also work. The key is choosing the best option for all kinds of meeting - we did this years ago where I worked.

It’s not just bad manners on Zoom that makes face to face meetings important. It is more difficult to build a sense of trust online, and relationships between politicians are very important. If they get on well and ‘connect’ it makes things easier.

"MPs are already limited in what they’re supposed to use their devices for and that would be harder to monitor on Zoom meetings"

Absolutely, Mollygo you can pretend to be at the meeting and be looking up all kinds of things or chatting in whatsApp!
(which is OK if you are looking up meeting related stuff thats needed - but Zoom Workplace is very secure)
You can't beat face to face, although a combination is good - maybe it's used already?

I don't remember that, but do remember the 'tractor porn' chap. I've never worked out what tractor porn might be (and am not sure I need to know).

Some things have to be done face to face.
Absolutely. PM questions, especially when it’s televised is one such event.
Also, in the same way that children are being prevented from bringing phones into school, MPs are already limited in what they’re supposed to use their devices for and that would be harder to monitor on Zoom meetings.
Although for some MPs, even being in face to face meetings is no guarantee of proper usage.
Remember Conservative MP Nigel Mills, the politician caught playing Candy Crush Saga on his taxpayer-funded iPad.
He was photographed and filmed during a multi-hour meeting of the Work and Pensions Committee, which was discussing important pension reforms.

Mollygo

Casdon

Perhaps they will modernise like most businesses have done, and conduct business meetings from different locations online?

That would be amazing. Think of the saving in travel expense claims.

It would be a good idea, and save a lot of time as well as money. I don't think all meetings can be done effectively online though - sometimes the face to face approach is necessary.

What a hypocrite Anas Sarwar is. He explicitly ruled out ever accepting a seat in the House of Lords on numerous occasions and called for its abolition stating “it has no place in 21st politics” and that it is “unacceptable to have unelected representatives wielding such power”.

Casdon

Perhaps they will modernise like most businesses have done, and conduct business meetings from different locations online?

That would be amazing. Think of the saving in travel expense claims.

Oreo

First week in the job so I will cut AB some slack 😄 When Parliament goes back and then later the Autumn Budget we will get a clearer picture.

Hear hear!

First week in the job so I will cut AB some slack 😄 When Parliament goes back and then later the Autumn Budget we will get a clearer picture.

Perhaps they will modernise like most businesses have done, and conduct business meetings from different locations online?