Andy Burnham has plan to return to Westminster ‘within weeks’. Allies sayGreater Manchester mayor said to have identified seats where MPs would step aside to allow leadership bid.

He would be the first Liverpudlian PM since Gladstone.

What an opportunist. He does not have the good of the country in mind, but simply bolstering his own ambition. Trying to trample his way to the top. A cynical man.

Luckygirl3

What an opportunist. He does not have the good of the country in mind, but simply bolstering his own ambition. Trying to trample his way to the top. A cynical man.

Agree. Have never thought him trustworthy, he bends with the wind.

Luckygirl3

What an opportunist. He does not have the good of the country in mind, but simply bolstering his own ambition. Trying to trample his way to the top. A cynical man.

All ambitious aspiring party leaders necessarily make and take their opportunities where they can- e.g. Farage, Badenoch, Polanski, Davey, Starmer, Sunak, Boris J, Truss, Teresa May etc. etc. Twas ever thus.

Basgetti

Luckygirl3

What an opportunist. He does not have the good of the country in mind, but simply bolstering his own ambition. Trying to trample his way to the top. A cynical man.

Agree. Have never thought him trustworthy, he bends with the wind.

I will believe it when I see it.

He does seem to change his mind quite often.

We need a period of stability in this shaky world at the moment with a maniac at the helm in the US. We do not need ruthless egos. This is why we need Starmer - keeps his head down and gets on with the job in a serious way. No flim-flam, just a steady hand, who has represented us well on the international stage.

Even if it happens, it won't work in terms of electoral success.

I'll just say as a LP insider I await events with interest! But I will say, getting the timing right is important. My local Labour MP would support such a bid, btw, she is to the left of Starmer, but not now.

I think I might but would like to know a lot more about it and him before I decided, and look at alternatives too.

By the way, the O/P is reporting on his laying out alternative policies, not a direct leadership bid.

Given that premise, its a bit "guessing forward" as to whether it precedes a leadership bid,

Or he is laying out alternative policies to make clear to people that we do not all think the same in the LP.

Its very opportunist timing, and I dislike that greatly:

Labour Party members are out campaigning on the doorstep to keep Reform out of key council seats: and it's hardly time to take on the important issue of deciding "which direction and who".

Basgetti

Luckygirl3

What an opportunist. He does not have the good of the country in mind, but simply bolstering his own ambition. Trying to trample his way to the top. A cynical man.

Agree. Have never thought him trustworthy, he bends with the wind.

Basgetti - indeed!
this very morning the political pundit
in our house described him as ‘that Willow’

A silly thing to do if he really means it.

Starmer would still be able to represent the UK well on the world stage as Foreign Secretary.

Starmer himself has demonstrated his own ruthless ego on many occasions. Most, if not all, politicians at the top of their party and in key leadership roles necessarily do in order to get there and then to do the job and survive.

The past 2 weeks has been very damaging for Starmer. He has not been found to have mis lead parliament but his poor judgement has been brought into question. It is predicted that the May elections will further damage Stamer's position.

Luckygirl3

What an opportunist. He does not have the good of the country in mind, but simply bolstering his own ambition. Trying to trample his way to the top. A cynical man.

How do you know his thought patterns?

As I see it, most career-driven people will take opportunities as they find them, so if he does make a move now it's no different from people in less public roles doing the same. I can't see how he wouldn't have the good of the country in mind - more that he thinks his way of doing things is better for the country than the way others do them. Like all politicians, in other words.

I would like to see him as PM, but agree with those who say that this is not the time. Let's get the elections over - although maybe the thinking is that some who have turned their backs on Labour might change their minds if AB were in charge? Again, it's impossible to see into the minds of others.

Luckygirl3

What an opportunist. He does not have the good of the country in mind, but simply bolstering his own ambition. Trying to trample his way to the top. A cynical man.

So he'll fit right in, sadly.

Thirty minutes ago it was Wes Streeting, who apparently has sufficient numbers of MPs to force a leadership challenge.

Yesterday and the day before it was Angela Rayner, plus Andy Burnham.

Entertaining but not edifying.

eazybee

Thirty minutes ago it was Wes Streeting, who apparently has sufficient numbers of MPs to force a leadership challenge.

Yesterday and the day before it was Angela Rayner, plus Andy Burnham.

Entertaining but not edifying.

They seem determined to destroy themselves.

You can’t blame the Labour politicians for wanting to replace a lame duck as PM, if they don’t do it soon they have no chance of even power sharing at the next GE.