The Labour Party under Andy Burnham

[edwin_m]

Regardless of what he might be like as a person, I did have a certain amount of respect for Streeting as someone who could get the message across about Labour making people's lives better. But he's lost that from me by provoking this mess. There was even an item on the BBC this morning about how waiting lists are come down according to plan, a bit of good news which is now going to be totally overshadowed.

 

[Cowley]

The discussion about the voting system seemed worth a separate thread, so that’s here:

Overhauling the voting system - Proportional representation etc

mods note - split from this thread They should retain the current system of constituencies, but with the caveat that you can only be elected if you have a majority of the vote. If no candidate has a majority of the vote, the two highest-placed candidates proceed to a runoff. This is the...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Harpo]

Streeting’s vanity will be nothing compared to Burnham’s if the outcome is loss of both a by-election and a Labour mayor.

 

[GusB]

Josh Simons is to stand down to clear a path for Burnham.

Andy Burnham has path to challenge PM but must win byelection first

Greater Manchester mayor would need to win Makerfield seat before launching campaign for Labour leadership

www.theguardian.com

Andy Burnham now has a route back to parliament after a Greater Manchester MP announced he would stand down, triggering a byelection, and putting Burnham in contention to become the next Labour leader.

The Greater Manchester mayor has been seeking to return to parliament for months, but was blocked by Keir Starmer from running in the Gorton and Denton byelection at the start this year, to the anger of his supporters inside the party.


The decision by Josh Simons, the MP for Makerfield, which Labour holds with a majority of just over 5,000, paves the way for Burnham to be selected by Labour’s ruling national executive committee, which prevented him last time.

 

[SargeNpton]

Streeting’s vanity will be nothing compared to Burnham’s if the outcome is loss of both a by-election and a Labour mayor.

Pretty sure he wouldn't resign as mayor until after he had won the by-election.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Streeting’s vanity will be nothing compared to Burnham’s if the outcome is loss of both a by-election and a Labour mayor.

I suppose the hope for Burnham, is that all the labour voters who stayed away will come out for Burnham in that area to make sure he is an MP. But I think the damage is long done, so Burnham is just losing himself a job...

 

[SuspectUsual]

Josh Simons is to stand down to clear a path for Burnham.

Andy Burnham has path to challenge PM but must win byelection first

Greater Manchester mayor would need to win Makerfield seat before launching campaign for Labour leadership

www.theguardian.com

Nothing says man of the people like choosing to quit a 90+ grand job so your mate can try and be PM. Who has promised Simons what in exchange?

 

[43096]

I suppose the hope for Burnham, is that all the labour voters who stayed away will come out for Burnham in that area to make sure he is an MP. But I think the damage is long done, so Burnham is just losing himself a job...

But there must be a very real chance the voters of Makerfield take a very dim view of this stunt and it becomes an ABB (Anyone But Burnham) election. It’s frankly what Labour deserve.

 

[londonbridge]

Pretty sure he wouldn't resign as mayor until after he had won the by-election.

That’s the thing, I’m reading conflicting reports from various sources as to whether he has to resign as mayor in order to be allowed to stand, or only if he stands and wins.

That’s assuming they don’t block him from standing again of course:

 

[brad465]

That’s the thing, I’m reading conflicting reports from various sources as to whether he has to resign as mayor in order to be allowed to stand, or only if he stands and wins.

That’s assuming they don’t block him from standing again of course:

It's being reported Starmer will not block him this time (put as if to say he is too weak now to block him). As a result of today's developments, including Streeting not launching a challenge and Burnham now almost certainly standing in the by-election, his odds to become next leader have shortened to 10/11.

The only caveat is the Makefield seat is one of the tougher ones in the area, with Reform on 31% last time vs Labour 45%, and this was at a time where polling was far more favourable for Labour than today. However, given Burnham's relative popularity and the seat's low 2024 turnout, it's possible that a cohort of Labour voters exists there that did not turn out in 2024, but would do so for him.

 

[AlterEgo]

I'd vote against him. It's pathetic and disrespectful deckchair arranging. How convenient.

 

[jfollows]

A Police & Crime Commissioner, which is a role the Mayor of Manchester holds, can stand as an MP but is automatically disqualified from the PCC role (and hence as mayor) on election. So no need to resign as mayor in advance.

https://erskinemay.parliament.uk/section/5408/police-and-crime-commissioners-and-elected-mayors

See also https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/the-labour-party-under-keir-starmer.272035/post-7642883

The restriction only came into force in 2016 which is why Boris Johnson could do what he did (Mayor of London & MP for Uxbridge at the same time in 2015).

Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016

An Act to make provision for the election of mayors for the areas of, and for conferring additional functions on, combined authorities established under Part 6 of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009; to make other provision in relation to bodies established under...

www.legislation.gov.uk

Disqualification​

9(1)The Secretary of State must by order provide for sections 64 to 68 of the 2011 Act to apply in relation to a person being, or being elected as, the mayor as they apply in relation to a person being, or being elected as, a police and crime commissioner.

 

[Western Sunset]

I stood as an Independent in the elections last week. I didn't get elected, but I got five times the number of votes than the Labour candidate, which indicates how poorly they're being perceived at the moment.

 

[brad465]

I stood as an Independent in the elections last week. I didn't get elected, but I got five times the number of votes than the Labour candidate, which indicates how poorly they're being perceived at the moment.

Yes and no: yes their unpopularity contributed to that tally, but if I've got your location correct, it is a strong Lib Dem area (potentially helped by tactical voting) with Labour performing poorly even in the 2024 county council election, when they were riding high in the polls nationally.

 

[Trackman]

Josh Simons is to stand down to clear a path for Burnham.

AI description:

This is a political cartoon styled like a satirical newspaper illustration. It shows two exaggerated human figures portrayed as puppeteer and puppet.

• In the background, a large man with glasses looms over the scene with his hands raised like a puppeteer controlling strings. His expression is intense and domineering.
• In the foreground, a smaller figure sits in a machine or control chair, styled like a marionette puppet with visible strings attached to his hands and body.
• The smaller figure wears a blue outfit and cap marked with a Labour Party-style rose logo.
• Large bold text on the right says: “THUNDER-BURNHAM IS GO” in red and green lettering.
• The overall tone is dramatic and mocking, suggesting political manipulation or control, with the larger figure depicted as controlling the smaller one.

 

[Purple Train]

Well, it seems as if Operation Fulfil Reform's Stupid Promise is in full swing. I think even Devon Loch had a better sense of timing than the Labour Party does.

Don't get me wrong, I think very highly of Andy Burnham and would vote for him in a leadership election if I could (though I am not a Labour member), but sacrificing Starmer to the gods of reality media would be an act of political suicide that would make Michael Foot's manifesto look like a life ring. I get the sense that the media would rather we had a scandal every week, a PM every month, and a General Election every year. If we are serious about looking like a stable nation and achieving any form of growth, we need to wean ourselves off the populist lie that a government can change things in five minutes.

Of course, if/when Reform get in, I'm sure the same impatience will colour our media...!

 

[Gloster]

AI description:

Which rather misses the point that the seated figure is Andy Burnham, while the puppet master is Len McCluskey, once leader of Unite, but since retiring in 2021 with much less influence. Still, he is a convenient bogeyman.

(It wouldn’t let me copy across the AI description, only the cartoon itself.)

 

[brad465]

Don't get me wrong, I think very highly of Andy Burnham and would vote for him in a leadership election if I could (though I am not a Labour member), but sacrificing Starmer to the gods of reality media would be an act of political suicide that would make Michael Foot's manifesto look like a life ring. I get the sense that the media would rather we had a scandal every week, a PM every month, and a General Election every year. If we are serious about looking like a stable nation and achieving any form of growth, we need to wean ourselves off the populist lie that a government can change things in five minutes.

Of course, if/when Reform get in, I'm sure the same impatience will colour our media...!

I was thinking earlier today I wonder if we should make all performing arts/creative industry tax-free, while making all AI-content and media clickbait taxed at 100%. Maybe then we would encourage all the drama to be in theatres and on TV shows, not in the media.

 

[Yew]

Which rather misses the point that the seated figure is Andy Burnham, while the puppet master is Len McCluskey, once leader of Unite, but since retiring in 2021 with much less influence. Still, he is a convenient bogeyman.

(It wouldn’t let me copy across the AI description, only the cartoon itself.)

It's important to remember that when Labour gets money from Unions representing lots of working people in Britain, it's bad - but when Farrage gets money from shady overseas donors it's absolutely no issue at all.

 

[jon0844]

Regardless of what he might be like as a person, I did have a certain amount of respect for Streeting as someone who could get the message across about Labour making people's lives better. But he's lost that from me by provoking this mess. There was even an item on the BBC this morning about how waiting lists are come down according to plan, a bit of good news which is now going to be totally overshadowed.

Labour needs someone reliable and dependable PLUS media savvy. It seems Wes Streeting might have ticked the latter, but not the former and would be bad for different reasons.

Surely the party has someone who can tick both boxes? If not, where have we ended up in the world of politics? Being able to deal with the media (and increasingly other platforms) is something Tony Blair realised in the late 1990s, so it's not even a recent thing even if many social media platforms didn't exist then.

 

[Trackman]

Which rather misses the point that the seated figure is Andy Burnham, while the puppet master is Len McCluskey, once leader of Unite, but since retiring in 2021 with much less influence. Still, he is a convenient bogeyman.

(It wouldn’t let me copy across the AI description, only the cartoon itself.)

It's an old cartoon

 

[jon0844]

It's important to remember that when Labour gets money from Unions representing lots of working people in Britain, it's bad - but when Farrage gets money from shady overseas donors it's absolutely no issue at all.

I've been hearing rumours that the reason 2/3rds of donations to Reform have come from one person (including the allegation that Farage received £1m to not stand against the Tories and ensure Boris won the 2019 election easily to 'get Brexit done') is that he may be hiding the actual origin of the money - perhaps around 3100 miles north west....

 

[brad465]

I've been hearing rumours that the reason 2/3rds of donations to Reform have come from one person (including the allegation that Farage received £1m to not stand against the Tories and ensure Boris won the 2019 election easily to 'get Brexit done') is that he may be hiding the actual origin of the money - perhaps around 3100 miles north west....

What is 3100 miles north west? If you mean north east then the origin being somewhere in Russia is more logical.

 

[Western Sunset]

What is 3100 miles north west? If you mean north east then the origin being somewhere in Russia is more logical.

Greenland??

 

[Snow1964]

I've been hearing rumours that the reason 2/3rds of donations to Reform have come from one person (including the allegation that Farage received £1m to not stand against the Tories and ensure Boris won the 2019 election easily to 'get Brexit done') is that he may be hiding the actual origin of the money - perhaps around 3100 miles north west....

Near coast of Baffin Island, Canada

Someone is going to have to explain significance of this to me as beyond my brain

 

[Richard Scott]

It's important to remember that when Labour gets money from Unions representing lots of working people in Britain, it's bad - but when Farrage gets money from shady overseas donors it's absolutely no issue at all.

Seems Labour doesn't support working people of Britain so about time Unions stopped supporting them. If I found out my union was supporting them I would stop my membership.
Don't agree with either party getting the money the way they do.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Labour needs someone reliable and dependable PLUS media savvy

I don't think even the most media savvy politician would stand a chance against the massed ranks of the right wing media and the bots and whatever on social media

 

[ADIRU]

It's important to remember that when Labour gets money from Unions representing lots of working people in Britain, it's bad - but when Farrage gets money from shady overseas donors it's absolutely no issue at all.

I'm fed up with all of this Labour crap about 'working people'....

 

[D6130]

Seems Labour doesn't support working people of Britain so about time Unions stopped supporting them. If I found out my union was supporting them I would stop my membership.
Don't agree with either party getting the money the way they do.

You wouldn't have to stop your membership and lose your benefits. You could just opt-out of paying into the union's political fund, which you are legally entitled to do. I don't know of which union you are a member....but quite a few big-ish unions - including, IIRC, the RMT - no longer financially support the Labour Party.

 

[jon0844]

What is 3100 miles north west? If you mean north east then the origin being somewhere in Russia is more logical.

I meant stage west, obviously.

Anyway, I was indeed suggesting Moscow.