It's a lovely evening in Greater Manchester. I have just seen a heron and several swifts.
Can’t be Manchester - it’s not raining.
Fake news. It never rains. It's like the Atacama Desert, only drier
I've been to both Wigan stations! Northwestern (2015) and Wallgate (2017).
Had a really nice cheese pasty from the shop nextdoor, but ended up accidentally dropping half of it on Wallgate station platform!
Two issues here. One major one minor. Neither of those stations are in Makerfield. Of far, far more import. I'm assuming you went to Poole's. And BOUGHT A PASTY!!!! They must have known you were a stranger.
Poole's was never any good anyway. Galloway's are much better.
Yougov May favourable ratings out today have Burnham polling best of Labour leadership contenders across the board with Labour, Reform, Tory, LD and Green voters.
Of the other contenders, Rayner does best with Labour and Green voters, Ed Miliband and Yvette Cooper do best with LDs, Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood best with Tory and Reform voters
Yougov May favourable ratings out today have Burnham polling best of Labour leadership contenders across the board with Labour, Reform, Tory, LD and Green voters.
Of the other contenders, Rayner does best with Labour and Green voters, Ed Miliband and Yvette Cooper do best with LDs, Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood best with Tory and Reform voters
It's a lovely evening in Greater Manchester. I have just seen a heron and several swifts.
Can’t be Manchester - it’s not raining.
Fake news. It never rains. It's like the Atacama Desert, only drier
I've been to both Wigan stations! Northwestern (2015) and Wallgate (2017).
Had a really nice cheese pasty from the shop nextdoor, but ended up accidentally dropping half of it on Wallgate station platform!
Two issues here. One major one minor. Neither of those stations are in Makerfield. Of far, far more import. I'm assuming you went to Poole's. And BOUGHT A PASTY!!!! They must have known you were a stranger.
Poole's was never any good anyway. Galloway's are much better.
Yougov May favourable ratings out today have Burnham polling best of Labour leadership contenders across the board with Labour, Reform, Tory, LD and Green voters.
Of the other contenders, Rayner does best with Labour and Green voters, Ed Miliband and Yvette Cooper do best with LDs, Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood best with Tory and Reform voters
How does anybody know what the "Burnham effect" is though? There's no way of knowing exactly how many percentages Burnham personally puts on to Labours vote share in this particular seat?
There is from the Burnham bounce seen in polls, if Burnham wins this by election I think he likely beats Reform at the next general election, so not great for Farage. Nor Polanski as polling shows he does much better with Green voters than Starmer is. Not great for Kemi either as she has benefited too the last few weeks from Starmer's unpopularity relative to her but polls have Burnham significantly more popular than Kemi
It is simply too early to say HYUFD. We can’t predict any of this so far out.
We can, the polling suggests Burnham could get as big a bounce as Boris did in 2019 or Major did in 1990 and both went on to win the following general election
It's a lovely evening in Greater Manchester. I have just seen a heron and several swifts.
Can’t be Manchester - it’s not raining.
Fake news. It never rains. It's like the Atacama Desert, only drier
I've been to both Wigan stations! Northwestern (2015) and Wallgate (2017).
Had a really nice cheese pasty from the shop nextdoor, but ended up accidentally dropping half of it on Wallgate station platform!
Two issues here. One major one minor. Neither of those stations are in Makerfield. Of far, far more import. I'm assuming you went to Poole's. And BOUGHT A PASTY!!!! They must have known you were a stranger.
Poole's was never any good anyway. Galloway's are much better.
Indeed. Do they have many in the States?
Mate, over here a pie is a bloody pizza or at best has fruit in it. And don't talk to me about those abominations called 'pot pies'.
We have a great place called the Cornish Pasty Company that does a good job with pasties though.
Burnham will come in on a backdrop of the public expecting him to be so poor if he’s even 10% better than Starmer at not stepping on rakes he’ll get a bounce.
Yougov May favourable ratings out today have Burnham polling best of Labour leadership contenders across the board with Labour, Reform, Tory, LD and Green voters.
Of the other contenders, Rayner does best with Labour and Green voters, Ed Miliband and Yvette Cooper do best with LDs, Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood best with Tory and Reform voters
Yougov May favourable ratings out today have Burnham polling best of Labour leadership contenders across the board with Labour, Reform, Tory, LD and Green voters.
Of the other contenders, Rayner does best with Labour and Green voters, Ed Miliband and Yvette Cooper do best with LDs, Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood best with Tory and Reform voters
How does anybody know what the "Burnham effect" is though? There's no way of knowing exactly how many percentages Burnham personally puts on to Labours vote share in this particular seat?
There is from the Burnham bounce seen in polls, if Burnham wins this by election I think he likely beats Reform at the next general election, so not great for Farage. Nor Polanski as polling shows he does much better with Green voters than Starmer is. Not great for Kemi either as she has benefited too the last few weeks from Starmer's unpopularity relative to her but polls have Burnham significantly more popular than Kemi
You simply cannot project a poll today to what happens over the next 3 years, and not least because Burnham could be PM by August and face the most extraordinary political choices
In August 1983, Thatcher had a cataract operation in Windsor. The author of the short story saw her leaving at the end of her stay and wondered 'if there was a gunman in here with me now, they could pop her off'.
So she ran with it and wrote a short story in 2014. The Everyman adopted it into a production and are showing it now.
The resident of the flat is at home when a gunman comes in, pretending to be a plumber; a thirty minute discussion about whether this is a good idea or not endures as the resident tries to dissuade him from assassinating Thatcher.
Unfortunately her efforts are in vain and the title is correct. It doesn't deal with the aftermath at all.
To clear up the is Burnham from Makerfield question. Makerfield was a forest mentioned in the Domesday book.
"An area of this size would have encompassed most of the land bordered by present-day Warrington, Wigan, and Leigh boroughs. When Makerfield was referred to it could have been anywhere within this woodland area." Newton-le-willows used to be Newton-in-Makerfield.
So. He grew up, went to school and lives in the area of Makerfield. If not necessarily the constituency itself.
It has always was that bit between Wigan, Leigh. Warrington and St Helens since I was a kid.
In August 1983, Thatcher had a cataract operation in Windsor. The author of the short story saw her leaving at the end of her stay and wondered 'if there was a gunman in here with me now, they could pop her off'.
So she ran with it and wrote a short story in 2014. The Everyman adopted it into a production and are showing it now.
The resident of the flat is at home when a gunman comes in, pretending to be a plumber; a thirty minute discussion about whether this is a good idea or not endures as the resident tries to dissuade him from assassinating Thatcher.
Unfortunately her efforts are in vain and the title is correct. It doesn't deal with the aftermath at all.
A leftie fantasy about someone murdering Margaret Thatcher?
To clear up the is Burnham from Makerfield question. Makerfield was a forest mentioned in the Domesday book.
"An area of this size would have encompassed most of the land bordered by present-day Warrington, Wigan, and Leigh boroughs. When Makerfield was referred to it could have been anywhere within this woodland area." Newton-le-willows used to be Newton-in-Makerfield.
So. He grew up, went to school and lives in the area of Makerfield. If not necessarily the constituency itself.
Honestly, I think Burnham will win, even though national polling would suggest any other Labour candidate would lose. Local candidate - check (let's be honest here) High profile candidate - check Candidate likely to be Prime Minister afterwards and the prestige that comes with this - check Opposition will be split many ways (you'll have every man and his dog run in the seat, this will take votes away from Reform/the others as Lord Buckethead gets 109 votes) - check
In August 1983, Thatcher had a cataract operation in Windsor. The author of the short story saw her leaving at the end of her stay and wondered 'if there was a gunman in here with me now, they could pop her off'.
So she ran with it and wrote a short story in 2014. The Everyman adopted it into a production and are showing it now.
The resident of the flat is at home when a gunman comes in, pretending to be a plumber; a thirty minute discussion about whether this is a good idea or not endures as the resident tries to dissuade him from assassinating Thatcher.
Unfortunately her efforts are in vain and the title is correct. It doesn't deal with the aftermath at all.
A leftie fantasy about someone murdering Margaret Thatcher?
Think I'll give it a swerve...
Hence why it was run in Liverpool. Don't think it would get such a good reaction as the audience tonight gave it in any other city......(!)
How does anybody know what the "Burnham effect" is though? There's no way of knowing exactly how many percentages Burnham personally puts on to Labours vote share in this particular seat?
There is from the Burnham bounce seen in polls, if Burnham wins this by election I think he likely beats Reform at the next general election, so not great for Farage. Nor Polanski as polling shows he does much better with Green voters than Starmer is. Not great for Kemi either as she has benefited too the last few weeks from Starmer's unpopularity relative to her but polls have Burnham significantly more popular than Kemi
You simply cannot project a poll today to what happens over the next 3 years, and not least because Burnham could be PM by August and face the most extraordinary political choices
Polls in 1990 showed a Major led Tories leading Kinnock when Thatcher trailed him, they were right. Polls in 2019 showed a Boris led Tories leading Corbyn when May trailed him, they were right.
Polls now show a Burnham led Labour leading Farage when Starmer trails him, they may be right as well
Had a fun day today of trying to glean some logic from the kremlinology of Labour internal politics. It’s nowhere near as easy to read as the Tory soap operas. First a call with the head of a Burnhamite think tank to try to understand what precisely the “soft left” actually means, and then a dinner with a Westminster journo/podcaster to get some reading of the runes. It’s interesting chatting with proper Labour types. (Except when they lapse into their favoured condescension towards the Lib Dems).
The result is I still don’t understand internal Labour politics.
As far as I can understand it from all my family (I'm the only one who's never been a member), soft left means not a nationalise everything now type and not a do owt to get elected type. So can be almost anything really.
"Soft left" just means a Labour Party member who is not actively Blairite or Jozbollah, ie about 60-70% of them.
In August 1983, Thatcher had a cataract operation in Windsor. The author of the short story saw her leaving at the end of her stay and wondered 'if there was a gunman in here with me now, they could pop her off'.
So she ran with it and wrote a short story in 2014. The Everyman adopted it into a production and are showing it now.
The resident of the flat is at home when a gunman comes in, pretending to be a plumber; a thirty minute discussion about whether this is a good idea or not endures as the resident tries to dissuade him from assassinating Thatcher.
Unfortunately her efforts are in vain and the title is correct. It doesn't deal with the aftermath at all.
A leftie fantasy about someone murdering Margaret Thatcher?
Had a fun day today of trying to glean some logic from the kremlinology of Labour internal politics. It’s nowhere near as easy to read as the Tory soap operas. First a call with the head of a Burnhamite think tank to try to understand what precisely the “soft left” actually means, and then a dinner with a Westminster journo/podcaster to get some reading of the runes. It’s interesting chatting with proper Labour types. (Except when they lapse into their favoured condescension towards the Lib Dems).
The result is I still don’t understand internal Labour politics.
As an outsider, my question is: are the soft left secret leftists who want to get into power and will be soft to do it, or a different tribe? See also: are centre right tories secret rightists who just want to get into power?
I always treated the soft left as roughly Neil Kinnock.
But everything has warped so much in recent years that former Tories are now the deranged, lunatic far left !
So I have no idea. It is in the eye of the beholder.
Had a fun day today of trying to glean some logic from the kremlinology of Labour internal politics. It’s nowhere near as easy to read as the Tory soap operas. First a call with the head of a Burnhamite think tank to try to understand what precisely the “soft left” actually means, and then a dinner with a Westminster journo/podcaster to get some reading of the runes. It’s interesting chatting with proper Labour types. (Except when they lapse into their favoured condescension towards the Lib Dems).
The result is I still don’t understand internal Labour politics.
As an outsider, my question is: are the soft left secret leftists who want to get into power and will be soft to do it, or a different tribe? See also: are centre right tories secret rightists who just want to get into power?
I always treated the soft left as roughly Neil Kinnock.
But everything has warped so much in recent years that former Tories are now the deranged, lunatic far left !
So I have no idea. It is in the eye of the beholder.
Seriously, "soft left" is a term that has no meaning from a real ideological POV. it just refers to the average vaguely egalitarian Labour member. Unless you are a proper leftist (who have self deported or been thrown out, largely) or you are a Blairite freak, you area "soft left".
Had a fun day today of trying to glean some logic from the kremlinology of Labour internal politics. It’s nowhere near as easy to read as the Tory soap operas. First a call with the head of a Burnhamite think tank to try to understand what precisely the “soft left” actually means, and then a dinner with a Westminster journo/podcaster to get some reading of the runes. It’s interesting chatting with proper Labour types. (Except when they lapse into their favoured condescension towards the Lib Dems).
The result is I still don’t understand internal Labour politics.
As an outsider, my question is: are the soft left secret leftists who want to get into power and will be soft to do it, or a different tribe? See also: are centre right tories secret rightists who just want to get into power?
I always treated the soft left as roughly Neil Kinnock.
But everything has warped so much in recent years that former Tories are now the deranged, lunatic far left !
So I have no idea. It is in the eye of the beholder.
I suppose this is another way to ask it: do we all have dual political personalities? Our moderate side and our radical side? Are centrist politicians simply better at self-censorship? Or can one be genuinely soft left or soft right? I hope such people exist, but I can't claim to be one.
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
Yet on a forced choice Ipsos yesterday had Burnham as preferred PM to Farage with 46% to just 30% for Farage
A More in Common poll has also had a Burnham led Labour taking the lead with 30% to 28% for Reform, 18% for the Tories, 12% for the LDs and the Greens collapsing to a mere 6%
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
Yet on a forced choice Ipsos yesterday had Burnham as preferred PM to Farage with 46% to just 30% for Farage
Yes but the next election won't be a contest between just two parties. I think the Tories in particular will make a bit of a comeback over the next couple of years. Kemi is improving a lot.
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
Yet on a forced choice Ipsos yesterday had Burnham as preferred PM to Farage with 46% to just 30% for Farage
Yes but the next election won't be a contest between just two parties. I think the Tories in particular will make a bit of a comeback over the next couple of years. Kemi is improving a lot.
In most seats it will, Kemi's problem is while popular with Reform voters she isn't winning them back to the Tories and she isn't winning over many voters who voted Labour in 2024 either who if they have switched parties have gone Reform or Green mainly. While the LD vote in 2024 is also holding firm. So she is just left with the Tory core vote which now is even smaller than 2024, thus if she held the 2024 Tory seats with a few gains from Labour in London and the South she would be doing well
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
Yet on a forced choice Ipsos yesterday had Burnham as preferred PM to Farage with 46% to just 30% for Farage
Yes but the next election won't be a contest between just two parties. I think the Tories in particular will make a bit of a comeback over the next couple of years. Kemi is improving a lot.
In most seats it will, Kemi's problem is while popular with Reform voters she isn't winning them back to the Tories and she isn't winning over many voters who voted Labour in 2024 either who if they have switched parties have gone Reform or Green mainly. While the LD vote in 2024 is also holding firm. So she is just left with the Tory core vote which now is even smaller than 2024, thus if she held the 2024 Tory seats with a few gains from Labour in London and the South she would be doing well
Trouble is there's no evidence she's holding those seats. She lost 60% of Councillors outside London.
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
Yet on a forced choice Ipsos yesterday had Burnham as preferred PM to Farage with 46% to just 30% for Farage
Yes but the next election won't be a contest between just two parties. I think the Tories in particular will make a bit of a comeback over the next couple of years. Kemi is improving a lot.
In most seats it will, Kemi's problem is while popular with Reform voters she isn't winning them back to the Tories and she isn't winning over many voters who voted Labour in 2024 either who if they have switched parties have gone Reform or Green mainly. While the LD vote in 2024 is also holding firm. So she is just left with the Tory core vote which now is even smaller than 2024, thus if she held the 2024 Tory seats with a few gains from Labour in London and the South she would be doing well
Trouble is there's no evidence she's holding those seats. She lost 60% of Councillors outside London.
Mostly in areas last up in 2021 or 2022 the Tories didn't win in 2024.
Though the Tories did win Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea and Harlow and Hillingdon and most seats in Wandsworth and Enfield and tied most seats in Barnet, areas the Tories lost seats in 2024 at the general election
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
Yet on a forced choice Ipsos yesterday had Burnham as preferred PM to Farage with 46% to just 30% for Farage
Yes but the next election won't be a contest between just two parties. I think the Tories in particular will make a bit of a comeback over the next couple of years. Kemi is improving a lot.
In most seats it will, Kemi's problem is while popular with Reform voters she isn't winning them back to the Tories and she isn't winning over many voters who voted Labour in 2024 either who if they have switched parties have gone Reform or Green mainly. While the LD vote in 2024 is also holding firm. So she is just left with the Tory core vote which now is even smaller than 2024, thus if she held the 2024 Tory seats with a few gains from Labour in London and the South she would be doing well
Trouble is there's no evidence she's holding those seats. She lost 60% of Councillors outside London.
Mostly in areas last up in 2021 or 2022 the Tories didn't win in 2024.
Though the Tories did win Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea and Harlow and most seats in Wandsworth or Barnet, areas the Tories lost in 2024.
Fortunately Elon is the very model of honesty and probity.
Known for it.
Which is why there's a Mars launch later this year. Manned by AI-driven robots. I'm going to drive a Tesla Roadster from Dallas to Spaceport Texas and cheer it on surrounded by thousands of Muskrats standing on their Cybertruck tailgates as the last of the refuelling tankers and the Starship lander launch simultaneously to dock with the refuelling depot in orbit and mate with the orbiting stack to transfer to Mars via the Hohmann transfer orbit just before the window closes at the end of the year.
Because that's what Elon said would happen last year. And Elon never lies
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
Yet on a forced choice Ipsos yesterday had Burnham as preferred PM to Farage with 46% to just 30% for Farage
Yes but the next election won't be a contest between just two parties. I think the Tories in particular will make a bit of a comeback over the next couple of years. Kemi is improving a lot.
In most seats it will, Kemi's problem is while popular with Reform voters she isn't winning them back to the Tories and she isn't winning over many voters who voted Labour in 2024 either who if they have switched parties have gone Reform or Green mainly. While the LD vote in 2024 is also holding firm. So she is just left with the Tory core vote which now is even smaller than 2024, thus if she held the 2024 Tory seats with a few gains from Labour in London and the South she would be doing well
Trouble is there's no evidence she's holding those seats. She lost 60% of Councillors outside London.
Mostly in areas last up in 2021 or 2022 the Tories didn't win in 2024.
Though the Tories did win Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea and Harlow and most seats in Wandsworth or Barnet, areas the Tories lost in 2024.
As I said. She's losing outside London.
Harlow isn't in London, nor is Fareham and Broxbourne, both Tory held councils, or Hampshire where the Tories won most seats
It's a lovely evening in Greater Manchester. I have just seen a heron and several swifts.
Can’t be Manchester - it’s not raining.
Fake news. It never rains. It's like the Atacama Desert, only drier
I've been to both Wigan stations! Northwestern (2015) and Wallgate (2017).
Had a really nice cheese pasty from the shop nextdoor, but ended up accidentally dropping half of it on Wallgate station platform!
Have you done many railways outside of Britain?
It wouldn't take long to do the Irish network. I saw a photo a while back of the train pulling up the track from the Baltimore and Schull light railway when that was dismantled. The trains only went at 12mph on that line.
Done Eurotunnel to Paris, and Brussels Brussels to Amsterdam Part of Paris Metro Part of Brussels Metro Ostend to Brussels Part of Amsterdam Metro and some trams Part of Berlin U-Bahn and S-Bahn and some trams Part of Vienna U-Bahn and some trams Rome Airport to Termini station Part of Rome Metro and some trams Part of Barcelona Metro and some trams Pisa to Florence Some trams in Geneva Geneva Airport to Geneva Geneva to Montreux Zurich Airport to Zurich Zurich to Chur
Stateside: New Mexico Rail Runner (Albuquerque to Santa Fe) Denver's Light Rail (entire as of 2011 - vastly expanded since!)
Railways in India: Mangalore to Chennai plus one local route in Chennai Shoranur to Trivandrum Kochin Metro (entire)
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
Yet on a forced choice Ipsos yesterday had Burnham as preferred PM to Farage with 46% to just 30% for Farage
Yes but the next election won't be a contest between just two parties. I think the Tories in particular will make a bit of a comeback over the next couple of years. Kemi is improving a lot.
In most seats it will, Kemi's problem is while popular with Reform voters she isn't winning them back to the Tories and she isn't winning over many voters who voted Labour in 2024 either who if they have switched parties have gone Reform or Green mainly. While the LD vote in 2024 is also holding firm. So she is just left with the Tory core vote which now is even smaller than 2024, thus if she held the 2024 Tory seats with a few gains from Labour in London and the South she would be doing well
Trouble is there's no evidence she's holding those seats. She lost 60% of Councillors outside London.
Mostly in areas last up in 2021 or 2022 the Tories didn't win in 2024.
Though the Tories did win Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea and Harlow and most seats in Wandsworth or Barnet, areas the Tories lost in 2024.
As I said. She's losing outside London.
Harlow isn't in London, nor is Fareham and Broxbourne, both Tory held councils, or Hampshire where the Tories won most seats
If you consider them part of Kent, then Bexley and Bromley also held.
If Burnham fails to win the by-election, I can't see Streeting deciding to end his challenge. He'll probably continue to attempt to replace Starmer as leader.
If Burnham fails to win the by-election, I can't see Streeting deciding to end his challenge. He'll probably continue to attempt to replace Starmer as leader.
Reading now from multiple sources it’s going to be a Burnham coronation.
I don’t think it will even go to the members.
Maybe they'll put it to the members, but it will take the form of a single question asking if they approve of Burnham as leader, with a big box to tick for yes votes, and a much smaller one for the neins, er, nos...
It’s a lovely evening here in Northumberland as well, and I’ve just had a whisky tasting with puddings at England’s only single malt distillery which is ALSO on the site* of England’s earliest Anglo-Saxon palace, Ad Gefrin, complete with museum, a summer palace dating from 550AD complete with timber theatre and church and pagan temple and mentioned by Bede in his History of the English People
As you drink your whisky the walls turn into the colours of different seasons matching the mood of the booze
Clever
*actually about 3 miles away but hey
I'm not sure being the only distillery on that site is a claim to fame - there would hardly be room for two.
As I said, it’s “England’s only single malt distillery”. And apparently it is
A nice drop, as well. Not immortal but rather drinkable
Burnham is 1.78 for the by election and 1.93 for being the next leader.
Suggests he is a foregone conclusion to become PM if he can overcome the next hurdle.
As I suggested yesterday, on the back of a by-election win, where the Labour Party machine pulled together to get him across the line, he’ll be a shoo-in, especially if the win is decisive as Bart is suggesting. There won’t be any appetite for a contest - Ange becomes deputy, Ed becomes Chancellor, and Wes can think himself lucky if he’s allowed to slink back to health to finish the job.
Don’t underestimate the problem Reform - and probably the other parties too - now have in finding a decent, credible candidate for the highest profile by-election of all time.
If Labour loses the next election, Wes might be in with a shot as next LOTO. But then, that election might not be under FPTP….
If Burnham fails to win the by-election, I can't see Streeting deciding to end his challenge. He'll probably continue to attempt to replace Starmer as leader.
If Starmer has agreed to a coronation of Burnham, then it follows Starmer has agreed to step down, so Wes and anyone else can throw their hats into the ring if Burnham loses Makerfield.
If Burnham fails to win the by-election, I can't see Streeting deciding to end his challenge. He'll probably continue to attempt to replace Starmer as leader.
If Starmer has agreed to a coronation of Burnham, then it follows Starmer has agreed to step down, so Wes and anyone else can throw their hats into the ring if Burnham loses Makerfield.
Even Labour knows that an extended leadership contest and the accompanying internal punch up is sub optimal in a world heading towards economic crisis. If Burnham wins, he’s straight into the top job. If he loses, I wouldn’t put it past Starmer to stay on. After all, if Burnham - by polling the most popular alternative leader - can’t get elected, then it proves that Labour rather than Starmer is the fundamental source of unpopularity, and that switching leaders would be making the same mistake as the last lot.
So what pronouncements can we expect from the Kim Jong Un of the North today?
I do not understand why someone so plainly mediocre is being touted as the saviour of the nation.
I think the Labour Party has gone mad.
They won 411 seats, and then they fell to pieces, almost from the moment that they won the election.
Good morning, everyone.
A mix of very poor communication, the unnecessarily precious Ming vase nonsense, and backbench children who think governing doesn't mean trying to balance books but just fling around the unlimited free cash that's laying around, pausing only to whack up taxes for more spending.
It’s a lovely evening here in Northumberland as well, and I’ve just had a whisky tasting with puddings at England’s only single malt distillery which is ALSO on the site* of England’s earliest Anglo-Saxon palace, Ad Gefrin, complete with museum, a summer palace dating from 550AD complete with timber theatre and church and pagan temple and mentioned by Bede in his History of the English People
As you drink your whisky the walls turn into the colours of different seasons matching the mood of the booze
Clever
*actually about 3 miles away but hey
I'm not sure being the only distillery on that site is a claim to fame - there would hardly be room for two.
As I said, it’s “England’s only single malt distillery”. And apparently it is
A nice drop, as well. Not immortal but rather drinkable
It’s a lovely evening here in Northumberland as well, and I’ve just had a whisky tasting with puddings at England’s only single malt distillery which is ALSO on the site* of England’s earliest Anglo-Saxon palace, Ad Gefrin, complete with museum, a summer palace dating from 550AD complete with timber theatre and church and pagan temple and mentioned by Bede in his History of the English People
As you drink your whisky the walls turn into the colours of different seasons matching the mood of the booze
Clever
*actually about 3 miles away but hey
I'm not sure being the only distillery on that site is a claim to fame - there would hardly be room for two.
As I said, it’s “England’s only single malt distillery”. And apparently it is
A nice drop, as well. Not immortal but rather drinkable
So what pronouncements can we expect from the Kim Jong Un of the North today?
I do not understand why someone so plainly mediocre is being touted as the saviour of the nation.
I think the Labour Party has gone mad.
They won 411 seats, and then they fell to pieces, almost from the moment that they won the election.
Good morning, everyone.
A mix of very poor communication, the unnecessarily precious Ming vase nonsense, and backbench children who think governing doesn't mean trying to balance books but just fling around the unlimited free cash that's laying around, pausing only to whack up taxes for more spending.
The hype around Burnham reminds me of the hype around Sunak, at one stage.
Reading now from multiple sources it’s going to be a Burnham coronation.
I don’t think it will even go to the members.
He hasn't been selected yet, let alone won a by election which hasn't been called. So hold your horses.
However. It is fascinating the differing opinions those with connections to the NW and those outwith the area have about Andy Burnham.
He's never off TV and radio phone ins locally.
Let me say that I don’t like Burnham at all, I think he’s a weathervane and was a poor minister.
However, the public clearly sees something I don’t see and so I am admitting defeat and jumping on the Burnham train.
It would also be nice to have a PM not from the south. I say as a southerner.
But I stand by what I said and I’ve bet on the outcome too. He will be the next PM and I suspect he will be coronated.
I wouldn't be so sure.
Name recognition is probably doing a lot of work for Burnham here, particularly since he's been Mayor of Manchester for a while and was around during Covid.
So what pronouncements can we expect from the Kim Jong Un of the North today?
I do not understand why someone so plainly mediocre is being touted as the saviour of the nation.
I think the Labour Party has gone mad.
They won 411 seats, and then they fell to pieces, almost from the moment that they won the election.
Those 411 seats were gifted them by our rotten voting system, on the back of the lowest ever winning (sic) vote share. The shoots of the subsequent collapse grew from their fundamental lack of popularity and legitimacy to begin with.
So what pronouncements can we expect from the Kim Jong Un of the North today?
I do not understand why someone so plainly mediocre is being touted as the saviour of the nation.
I think the Labour Party has gone mad.
They won 411 seats, and then they fell to pieces, almost from the moment that they won the election.
Those 411 seats were gifted them by our rotten voting system, on the back of the lowest ever winning (sic) vote share. The shoots of the subsequent collapse grew from their fundamental lack of popularity and legitimacy to begin with.
Sure, but you can do a lot with that kind of majority.
Reading now from multiple sources it’s going to be a Burnham coronation.
I don’t think it will even go to the members.
He hasn't been selected yet, let alone won a by election which hasn't been called. So hold your horses.
However. It is fascinating the differing opinions those with connections to the NW and those outwith the area have about Andy Burnham.
He's never off TV and radio phone ins locally.
Let me say that I don’t like Burnham at all, I think he’s a weathervane and was a poor minister.
However, the public clearly sees something I don’t see and so I am admitting defeat and jumping on the Burnham train.
It would also be nice to have a PM not from the south. I say as a southerner.
But I stand by what I said and I’ve bet on the outcome too. He will be the next PM and I suspect he will be coronated.
I really like Andy Burnham and he's the ONLY reason that I would EVER consider voting Labour again. He's down to earth, speaks straight, has good northern roots with considerable talent in rugby league, football, and cricket. He sticks to his principles and he's soft Left. He doesn't dress like a Metropolitan pillock either.
And I know a lot of people like me, including Conservative voters, who think the same about him. Someone I know, a pub owner in Manchester, tory-voter with a lot of money, really likes him, thinks he's done a fantastic job in the city, and desperately did not want to lose him as mayor.
I sense some vitriol on here, and I suspect some of it if you examine yourselves is because he's a threat. Even if that's not true, you'd better believe it: that Andy Burnham reaches parts no other current Labour politiician can reach.
He is the only one who can stop a Reform or Reform-Tory Government.
If they don't elect Burnham as leader and de facto PM then Labour are certainly finished next GE.
To clear up the is Burnham from Makerfield question. Makerfield was a forest mentioned in the Domesday book.
"An area of this size would have encompassed most of the land bordered by present-day Warrington, Wigan, and Leigh boroughs. When Makerfield was referred to it could have been anywhere within this woodland area." Newton-le-willows used to be Newton-in-Makerfield.
So. He grew up, went to school and lives in the area of Makerfield. If not necessarily the constituency itself.
Honestly, I think Burnham will win, even though national polling would suggest any other Labour candidate would lose. Local candidate - check (let's be honest here) High profile candidate - check Candidate likely to be Prime Minister afterwards and the prestige that comes with this - check Opposition will be split many ways (you'll have every man and his dog run in the seat, this will take votes away from Reform/the others as Lord Buckethead gets 109 votes) - check
So what pronouncements can we expect from the Kim Jong Un of the North today?
I do not understand why someone so plainly mediocre is being touted as the saviour of the nation.
I think the Labour Party has gone mad.
They won 411 seats, and then they fell to pieces, almost from the moment that they won the election.
Those 411 seats were gifted them by our rotten voting system, on the back of the lowest ever winning (sic) vote share. The shoots of the subsequent collapse grew from their fundamental lack of popularity and legitimacy to begin with.
Sure, but you can do a lot with that kind of majority.
Instead we have just loaded U-turn after U-turn, upsetting both sides of every argument, a total failure to promote the positives we are achieving and indtilling a sense that the economy is doomed, all presided over by a PM who is not good at politics.
If he wins the by-election then somehow Labour will see sense and Andy Burnham will be PM. He'll steer the Party back to some roots and, critically, he'll shore up support in the north. He'll get a bounce and Labour will edge back towards the 30's % some of which may be at the expense of the Greens. Burnham will stop a Reform or Reform-Tory Gov't.
If Labour select Andy Burnham they may even get a second term, either on their own or in coalition. And by the end of that Farage will be either too old or ...
The voters of Makerfield hold in their hands the future direction of the UK.
What I expect from Burnham: * more nationalisation of strategic services such as water and railways * removal of red lines on single market and customs union * PR in the next Labour manifesto
What I expect from Rayner: * focus on workers rights * more tax on big companies to subsidise poorer people
What I expect from Streeting: * more privatisation of the NHS following the Mandelson/Palantir agenda
This is why I am very pro Burnham, neutral on Rayner and anti Streeting.
Hostile states but increasingly just people who have realised it is an easy way of making money.
I don’t know why Ofcom can’t require all social media platforms to require identity verification for all accounts, and publish location.
X is full of this shit. The racist stuff for a long time, but most recently some of the pro-Zack material too, and large chunks of pro and anti-Israel content.
Reading now from multiple sources it’s going to be a Burnham coronation.
I don’t think it will even go to the members.
He hasn't been selected yet, let alone won a by election which hasn't been called. So hold your horses.
However. It is fascinating the differing opinions those with connections to the NW and those outwith the area have about Andy Burnham.
He's never off TV and radio phone ins locally.
Let me say that I don’t like Burnham at all, I think he’s a weathervane and was a poor minister.
However, the public clearly sees something I don’t see and so I am admitting defeat and jumping on the Burnham train.
It would also be nice to have a PM not from the south. I say as a southerner.
But I stand by what I said and I’ve bet on the outcome too. He will be the next PM and I suspect he will be coronated.
I really like Andy Burnham and he's the ONLY reason that I would EVER consider voting Labour again. He's down to earth, speaks straight, has good northern roots with considerable talent in rugby league, football, and cricket. He sticks to his principles and he's soft Left. He doesn't dress like a Metropolitan pillock either.
And I know a lot of people like me, including Conservative voters, who think the same about him. Someone I know, a pub owner in Manchester, tory-voter with a lot of money, really likes him, thinks he's done a fantastic job in the city, and desperately did not want to lose him as mayor.
I sense some vitriol on here, and I suspect some of it if you examine yourselves is because he's a threat. Even if that's not true, you'd better believe it: that Andy Burnham reaches parts no other current Labour politiician can reach.
He is the only one who can stop a Reform or Reform-Tory Government.
If they don't elect Burnham as leader and de facto PM then Labour are certainly finished next GE.
He has principles in the sense of:
“These are my principles and if you don’t like them, I have others.”
He was an enthusiast for Blair, when that was the coming thing. And, he was an enthusiast for Corbyn, when that was the coming thing.
What I expect from Burnham: * more nationalisation of strategic services such as water and railways * removal of red lines on single market and customs union * PR in the next Labour manifesto
What I expect from Rayner: * focus on workers rights * more tax on big companies to subsidise poorer people
What I expect from Streeting: * more privatisation of the NHS following the Mandelson/Palantir agenda
This is why I am very pro Burnham, neutral on Rayner and anti Streeting.
Wes Streeting is the most odious little rat I think I've ever seen in British politics, which is saying something. A person utterly devoid of principles who would push anyone under a train to further his own ends.
I'm still seething with anger at this "Labour" Government for whom I so mistakenly and bitterly voted.
Reading now from multiple sources it’s going to be a Burnham coronation.
I don’t think it will even go to the members.
He hasn't been selected yet, let alone won a by election which hasn't been called. So hold your horses.
However. It is fascinating the differing opinions those with connections to the NW and those outwith the area have about Andy Burnham.
He's never off TV and radio phone ins locally.
Let me say that I don’t like Burnham at all, I think he’s a weathervane and was a poor minister.
However, the public clearly sees something I don’t see and so I am admitting defeat and jumping on the Burnham train.
It would also be nice to have a PM not from the south. I say as a southerner.
But I stand by what I said and I’ve bet on the outcome too. He will be the next PM and I suspect he will be coronated.
I really like Andy Burnham and he's the ONLY reason that I would EVER consider voting Labour again. He's down to earth, speaks straight, has good northern roots with considerable talent in rugby league, football, and cricket. He sticks to his principles and he's soft Left. He doesn't dress like a Metropolitan pillock either.
And I know a lot of people like me, including Conservative voters, who think the same about him. Someone I know, a pub owner in Manchester, tory-voter with a lot of money, really likes him, thinks he's done a fantastic job in the city, and desperately did not want to lose him as mayor.
I sense some vitriol on here, and I suspect some of it if you examine yourselves is because he's a threat. Even if that's not true, you'd better believe it: that Andy Burnham reaches parts no other current Labour politiician can reach.
He is the only one who can stop a Reform or Reform-Tory Government.
If they don't elect Burnham as leader and de facto PM then Labour are certainly finished next GE.
He has principles in the sense of:
“These are my principles and if you don’t like them, I have others.”
He was an enthusiast for Blair, when that was the coming thing. And, he was an enthusiast for Corbyn, when that was the coming thing.
And an Evertonian who became an enthusiast for Manchester.
Reading now from multiple sources it’s going to be a Burnham coronation.
I don’t think it will even go to the members.
He hasn't been selected yet, let alone won a by election which hasn't been called. So hold your horses.
However. It is fascinating the differing opinions those with connections to the NW and those outwith the area have about Andy Burnham.
He's never off TV and radio phone ins locally.
Let me say that I don’t like Burnham at all, I think he’s a weathervane and was a poor minister.
However, the public clearly sees something I don’t see and so I am admitting defeat and jumping on the Burnham train.
It would also be nice to have a PM not from the south. I say as a southerner.
But I stand by what I said and I’ve bet on the outcome too. He will be the next PM and I suspect he will be coronated.
I really like Andy Burnham and he's the ONLY reason that I would EVER consider voting Labour again. He's down to earth, speaks straight, has good northern roots with considerable talent in rugby league, football, and cricket. He sticks to his principles and he's soft Left. He doesn't dress like a Metropolitan pillock either.
And I know a lot of people like me, including Conservative voters, who think the same about him. Someone I know, a pub owner in Manchester, tory-voter with a lot of money, really likes him, thinks he's done a fantastic job in the city, and desperately did not want to lose him as mayor.
I sense some vitriol on here, and I suspect some of it if you examine yourselves is because he's a threat. Even if that's not true, you'd better believe it: that Andy Burnham reaches parts no other current Labour politiician can reach.
He is the only one who can stop a Reform or Reform-Tory Government.
If they don't elect Burnham as leader and de facto PM then Labour are certainly finished next GE.
He has principles in the sense of:
“These are my principles and if you don’t like them, I have others.”
He was an enthusiast for Blair, when that was the coming thing. And, he was an enthusiast for Corbyn, when that was the coming thing.
Yes, but that is unremarkeable. There are plenty on here who were enthusiasts for Johnson, then enthusiasts for Truss then enthusiasts for Sunak and now for Badenoch.
A degree of party loyalty is to be expected and even valued.
Reading now from multiple sources it’s going to be a Burnham coronation.
I don’t think it will even go to the members.
He hasn't been selected yet, let alone won a by election which hasn't been called. So hold your horses.
However. It is fascinating the differing opinions those with connections to the NW and those outwith the area have about Andy Burnham.
He's never off TV and radio phone ins locally.
Let me say that I don’t like Burnham at all, I think he’s a weathervane and was a poor minister.
However, the public clearly sees something I don’t see and so I am admitting defeat and jumping on the Burnham train.
It would also be nice to have a PM not from the south. I say as a southerner.
But I stand by what I said and I’ve bet on the outcome too. He will be the next PM and I suspect he will be coronated.
I really like Andy Burnham and he's the ONLY reason that I would EVER consider voting Labour again. He's down to earth, speaks straight, has good northern roots with considerable talent in rugby league, football, and cricket. He sticks to his principles and he's soft Left. He doesn't dress like a Metropolitan pillock either.
And I know a lot of people like me, including Conservative voters, who think the same about him. Someone I know, a pub owner in Manchester, tory-voter with a lot of money, really likes him, thinks he's done a fantastic job in the city, and desperately did not want to lose him as mayor.
I sense some vitriol on here, and I suspect some of it if you examine yourselves is because he's a threat. Even if that's not true, you'd better believe it: that Andy Burnham reaches parts no other current Labour politiician can reach.
He is the only one who can stop a Reform or Reform-Tory Government.
If they don't elect Burnham as leader and de facto PM then Labour are certainly finished next GE.
He has principles in the sense of:
“These are my principles and if you don’t like them, I have others.”
He was an enthusiast for Blair, when that was the coming thing. And, he was an enthusiast for Corbyn, when that was the coming thing.
He's positioned somewhere between those two, who were after all separated by at least 10 years, but above all he's a pragmatist. And he is pro business. To whoever it was who compared him to Sunak, dearie me. Burnham walks the walk: he's been mayor of Manchester and has good gritty northern roots. As far removed from the mega-wealth marriage backed hedge fund manager as you can imagine.
I think you need to work on your reasons better Sean.
Comments
Of the other contenders, Rayner does best with Labour and Green voters, Ed Miliband and Yvette Cooper do best with LDs, Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood best with Tory and Reform voters
https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/54772-political-favourability-ratings-may-2026
Wasn't disappointed.
Do they have many in the States?
Seen and heard enough already. Makerfield victory for Labour = Burnham coronation
Shocker
We have a great place called the Cornish Pasty Company that does a good job with pasties though.
https://x.com/eleanormia/status/2054860315641118908
In August 1983, Thatcher had a cataract operation in Windsor. The author of the short story saw her leaving at the end of her stay and wondered 'if there was a gunman in here with me now, they could pop her off'.
So she ran with it and wrote a short story in 2014. The Everyman adopted it into a production and are showing it now.
The resident of the flat is at home when a gunman comes in, pretending to be a plumber; a thirty minute discussion about whether this is a good idea or not endures as the resident tries to dissuade him from assassinating Thatcher.
Unfortunately her efforts are in vain and the title is correct. It doesn't deal with the aftermath at all.
Makerfield was a forest mentioned in the Domesday book.
"An area of this size would have encompassed most of the land bordered by present-day Warrington, Wigan, and Leigh boroughs. When Makerfield was referred to it could have been anywhere within this woodland area."
Newton-le-willows used to be Newton-in-Makerfield.
So. He grew up, went to school and lives in the area of Makerfield.
If not necessarily the constituency itself.
It has always was that bit between Wigan, Leigh. Warrington and St Helens since I was a kid.
Think I'll give it a swerve...
Local candidate - check (let's be honest here)
High profile candidate - check
Candidate likely to be Prime Minister afterwards and the prestige that comes with this - check
Opposition will be split many ways (you'll have every man and his dog run in the seat, this will take votes away from Reform/the others as Lord Buckethead gets 109 votes) - check
Burnham will win the seat.
Polls now show a Burnham led Labour leading Farage when Starmer trails him, they may be right as well
https://x.com/goodwinmj/status/2055041427822805025
But everything has warped so much in recent years that former Tories are now the deranged, lunatic far left !
So I have no idea. It is in the eye of the beholder.
“When compared with Burnham as PM, voters in The i Paper poll placed him on 12 per cent, compared with 23 per cent for Farage, 17 per cent for Badenoch and 16 per cent for Polanski”
BMG/independent
I don’t think it will even go to the members.
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15818111/Sikh-man-stabbed-18-year-old-university-student-death-eight-inch-ceremonial-knife-claiming-hed-racially-abused-court-hears.html
After he was stabbed Mr Nowak tried to climb a fence to escape but Digwa was 'aggressively pursuing' him, leaving a trail of blood, the court heard.
Police were called to the scene but arrested Mr Nowak after Digwa claimed he had been racially
abused.
Mr Nowak was then handcuffed before passing out and dying in the street a short time later.
However. It is fascinating the differing opinions those with connections to the NW and those outwith the area have about Andy Burnham.
He's never off TV and radio phone ins locally.
They need a full process
However, the public clearly sees something I don’t see and so I am admitting defeat and jumping on the Burnham train.
It would also be nice to have a PM not from the south. I say as a southerner.
But I stand by what I said and I’ve bet on the outcome too. He will be the next PM and I suspect he will be coronated.
Second, kill off the unpopular stuff from Starmer.
https://x.com/keiranpedley/status/2054790826857734295?s=20
A More in Common poll has also had a Burnham led Labour taking the lead with 30% to 28% for Reform, 18% for the Tories, 12% for the LDs and the Greens collapsing to a mere 6%
https://www.gbnews.com/politics/andy-burnham-keir-starmer-reform-uk-poll
Of course... What is it they say about small datasets?
She lost 60% of Councillors outside London.
Think it should become standard.
Though the Tories did win Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea and Harlow and Hillingdon and most seats in Wandsworth and Enfield and tied most seats in Barnet, areas the Tories lost seats in 2024 at the general election
Here's David Starkey speaking to the artist formally known as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJv__XnJOqs
Which is why there's a Mars launch later this year. Manned by AI-driven robots. I'm going to drive a Tesla Roadster from Dallas to Spaceport Texas and cheer it on surrounded by thousands of Muskrats standing on their Cybertruck tailgates as the last of the refuelling tankers and the Starship lander launch simultaneously to dock with the refuelling depot in orbit and mate with the orbiting stack to transfer to Mars via the Hohmann transfer orbit just before the window closes at the end of the year.
Because that's what Elon said would happen last year. And Elon never lies
(punches the wall)
Not too many sadly.
Done Eurotunnel to Paris, and Brussels
Brussels to Amsterdam
Part of Paris Metro
Part of Brussels Metro
Ostend to Brussels
Part of Amsterdam Metro and some trams
Part of Berlin U-Bahn and S-Bahn and some trams
Part of Vienna U-Bahn and some trams
Rome Airport to Termini station
Part of Rome Metro and some trams
Part of Barcelona Metro and some trams
Pisa to Florence
Some trams in Geneva
Geneva Airport to Geneva
Geneva to Montreux
Zurich Airport to Zurich
Zurich to Chur
Stateside:
New Mexico Rail Runner (Albuquerque to Santa Fe)
Denver's Light Rail (entire as of 2011 - vastly expanded since!)
Railways in India:
Mangalore to Chennai plus one local route in Chennai
Shoranur to Trivandrum
Kochin Metro (entire)
If!
They got over 4000 votes last time.
This seems important.
*Not literally, obviously. But trying to maximise vote.
Bonus question - does the answer change if you are Kemi?
It’s a shame you don’t get out and about more.
Suggests he is a foregone conclusion to become PM if he can overcome the next hurdle.
https://wightwhisky.com/products/pre-order-no-1-single-malt
Wikipedia: MP for Ealing North since 2019. Deputy Mayor of London under Sadiq Khan. Chief Secretary to the Treasury until yesterday afternoon. Gay like Streeting. St Paul's School like George Osborne. Oxford PPE like pretty much all of them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Murray_(London_politician)
https://www.jamesmurray.org/
Don’t underestimate the problem Reform - and probably the other parties too - now have in finding a decent, credible candidate for the highest profile by-election of all time.
If Labour loses the next election, Wes might be in with a shot as next LOTO. But then, that election might not be under FPTP….
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgzvqq9345o
Not that our rivers are too polluted or anything. It's those animals. They go anywhere.
I think the Labour Party has gone mad.
They won 411 seats, and then they fell to pieces, almost from the moment that they won the election.
A mix of very poor communication, the unnecessarily precious Ming vase nonsense, and backbench children who think governing doesn't mean trying to balance books but just fling around the unlimited free cash that's laying around, pausing only to whack up taxes for more spending.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgpyn30dp3o
Name recognition is probably doing a lot of work for Burnham here, particularly since he's been Mayor of Manchester for a while and was around during Covid.
GE2024 felt like 650 by-elections.
And I know a lot of people like me, including Conservative voters, who think the same about him. Someone I know, a pub owner in Manchester, tory-voter with a lot of money, really likes him, thinks he's done a fantastic job in the city, and desperately did not want to lose him as mayor.
I sense some vitriol on here, and I suspect some of it if you examine yourselves is because he's a threat. Even if that's not true, you'd better believe it: that Andy Burnham reaches parts no other current Labour politiician can reach.
He is the only one who can stop a Reform or Reform-Tory Government.
If they don't elect Burnham as leader and de facto PM then Labour are certainly finished next GE.
If he wins the by-election then somehow Labour will see sense and Andy Burnham will be PM. He'll steer the Party back to some roots and, critically, he'll shore up support in the north. He'll get a bounce and Labour will edge back towards the 30's % some of which may be at the expense of the Greens. Burnham will stop a Reform or Reform-Tory Gov't.
If Labour select Andy Burnham they may even get a second term, either on their own or in coalition. And by the end of that Farage will be either too old or ...
The voters of Makerfield hold in their hands the future direction of the UK.
* more nationalisation of strategic services such as water and railways
* removal of red lines on single market and customs union
* PR in the next Labour manifesto
What I expect from Rayner:
* focus on workers rights
* more tax on big companies to subsidise poorer people
What I expect from Streeting:
* more privatisation of the NHS following the Mandelson/Palantir agenda
This is why I am very pro Burnham, neutral on Rayner and anti Streeting.
X is full of this shit. The racist stuff for a long time, but most recently some of the pro-Zack material too, and large chunks of pro and anti-Israel content.
“These are my principles and if you don’t like them, I have others.”
He was an enthusiast for Blair, when that was the coming thing. And, he was an enthusiast for Corbyn, when that was the coming thing.
Who needs a light bulb when the sun shines out of Andy Burnham's arse?
I'm still seething with anger at this "Labour" Government for whom I so mistakenly and bitterly voted.
A degree of party loyalty is to be expected and even valued.
I think you need to work on your reasons better Sean.