Wes Streeting could be about to do Andy Burnham a huge favour – politicalbetting.com
Wes Streeting could be about to do Andy Burnham a huge favour – politicalbetting.com
By wielding the dagger it would be good optics for Andy Burnham, if he wins the by-election tomorrow, for somebody else to wield the dagger and also avoid looking him acting with unseemly haste.
0
Comments
We have surely had enough of Saint Augustine style politicians. God give me change, but not yet.
But as the Russians could give Trump a run for his money in an international version of The Unbelievable Truth, I'm not predisposed to give them the benefit of the doubt.
The suggestion that the Russian warship was drifting without power in one of the busiest shiplanes in the world, where it has no pressing reason (other than mischief) to be, doesn't say much about their 'seamanship'.
Lets assume that Wes didn't have 81 names but is now being promised a loaned vote to trigger a contest. Inside the phoney war I get it, especially from the people who dislike Burnham. But if as widely expected Burnham comes to London with palm leaves and rose petals being strewn in his path by Labour MPs, then does this scenario change?
Starmer is to be told in no uncertain terms that he cannot win, so why press ahead with a damaging and divisive contest. The same is true for Streeting. They need to get on with a change in power and get on with a summer of planning what the new government is going to do. They will need to launch it at conference and have a blizzard of bills through the autumn, so any delay just throws that timetable out and makes the job harder.
I do not suggest using this as the basis for a betting strategy.
He tells me: "We're immediately tipped into a Manchester mayoral contest by-election, one of the biggest by-elections that we've ever fought, because of the scale of it.
"And it's really important to my mind that the whole of the Labour Party and Labour movement focuses on that, which is the next most immediate task.
"I don't think there should be a challenge. I think history, particularly the last government, shows that that isn't a successful way for a government to behave. But if there is a challenge, then I intend to fight.
"I'm not going to walk away from that, and I've been clear and consistent about that."
https://x.com/breeallegretti/status/2067148730118074847
I blame the private schooling.
Streeting is rolling the pitch for Burnham. It shouldn't make a huge difference, but it would be of some help to the image of new PM (assuming it's Burnham) not to have his opponents being able to label him Macbeth.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0lyp8k03gdo
I think the issue raises interesting tactical matters. For example, if a Labour leadership contest is going on at then same time, how much would a Reform win/Labour win in Manchester affect judgments about Burnham.
O tempora! O mores! A short time line:
1920: Qualification in Greek ceases to be compulsory for Oxford
1960: Qualification in Latin ceases to be compulsory for Oxford
2026: Government considers making qualification in English Language a requirement for student loans.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/jun/17/students-pass-gcse-english-university-loans-proposals
I cannot see the advantage to a leadership contest in this case.
FPT: That was covered quite widely when it happened around the 20th May (Telegraph & Argus, Mirror, Yorkshire Post), but TBF this is my end of the country, and I do try and track these. It may not make the right-aligned press.
Two aspects of this caught my eye. This was after Councillor training in the week starting 11 May, ie before she said it *. And whether the attitude of Kemi to Conservatives working with other parties - the alternative choice was a Green as Leader of a coalition which the Tory group voted against - had an impact on prevention of a coalition after the Tory Councillor Adam Kent at Worcester was suspended from the party the previous week after working with Greens **?
The "Huddersfield Hub" has a more detailed account, with some of the blow-by-blow:
Reform UK, as the biggest party, hoped to take control but the opposition – the Greens, Kirklees Independents, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, Holme Valley Independents and two other Independents had the numbers to elect a coalition led by Clr Cooper, IF they all voted together.
The Conservatives voted against Clr Cooper and also refused to support Reform, ensuring both Clr Cooper and Clr Wood’s nominations were voted down.
https://huddersfieldhub.co.uk/chaos-confusion-and-bewilderment-in-the-council-chamber-as-kirklees-council-fails-to-elect-a-leader/
I clearly need to keep you all better informed
* https://www.instagram.com/p/DYpQf6ICjqU/
** https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgpyxw7l5no
Wesley Streeting MP
.
.
.
.
.
.
Sometimes, they come true.
As I’ve said, I’m sure he wants to stand but I think it’s going to be everyone hopping on the Burnham bus.
In a world where Starmer tries to cling on ?
I did a fair bit of my career in local Government and EVERY Council for whom I worked provided post-election training and induction for newly elected councillors. This involved face to face meetings with senior officers for potential Cabinet/Committee Chairs and a "market place" where all the senior service leads made themselves available to introduce themselves and inform the newly elected Members as to what their Service did.
Another very important document was the Member-Officer Protocol which set out in detail the roles, responsibilites and obligations which defined the relationship between Officers and Members and for those who needed or wanted it, the Legal Service was available to cover all aspects of the Council's legal functionning from the Constitution onwards.
To hear a senior Reform Councillor claim she didn't know what a "Standing Order" was is astonishing. If she had been unavailable to attend the new Member inductionl altermative arrangements could and would have been made.
This "don't do nasty things, we don't know what's going on" defence cuts very little ice.
As to choosing an administration at Kirklees, the main option seems to be Chaos under the Conservatives.
Try and kick a leadership challenge past the summer and hope something pops up that bursts the Burnham balloon.
🚨 BREAKING: Keir Starmer says he wants Andy Burnham to have a “big role in Government” if he wins the Makerfield by-election
@DPJHodges
So does Andy Burnham...
Labour mp who is really quite happy to have this put out there:
'Good to see the PM wants Andy to have a big role in government
His own job might me a good place to start'
LOL
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/17/uk-inflation-steady-despite-iran-conflict-fuel-prices
Can someone remind me once again when it was we were supposed to be going cap in hand to the IMF?
After yesterday's 50/1 boilover in the Queen Anne, most of the bookies willnow have their winter holidays sorted.
On to day two and the quality falls off after a stellar opening day - I think the Ascot programme needs more balance and in truth (and I know it'll get me a one way trip to the Tower and not on the District Line), there's not really five days worth of quality - it should go back to four days and have the huge handicaps on a special Heath meeting on the Saturday.
MY view and as always I'll be in a minority of one.
Today's selections:
Queen Mary: RUIZA (each way)
Queen's Vase: POINT OF LAW
Duke of Cambridge: CATALONIA DELCARPIO
Prince of Wales: ALMAQAM
I wish it wasn't the case but portents are he's more spineless and easily swayed than even Starmer.
Next threat to the world economy, US IPOs triggering a market collapse.
I wonder what they've lined up after that?
(Treat with large pinch of salt.)
https://x.com/NewSamawal/status/2066527500201492710
The US secretly approved a financial and maritime arrangement between Qatar and Iran, under which billions of dollars were paid to Tehran in exchange for free passage for Qatari tankers and ships through the Strait of Hormuz, three diplomatic officials now confirm.
This was a deliberate and conscious course of action by the US administration, which allowed its navy to turn a blind eye to the arrangement, in complete contradiction of its declared policy. The move was intended to ease the crisis in global energy markets and curb rising oil prices.
Reform’s lead drops slightly to 7 this week. While the Greens drop to 9% - their lowest this year.
➡️ REF UK 29 (-1)
🌹 LAB 22% (+2)
🌳 CON 21% (+1)
🔶 LIB DEM 13% (+1)
🌍 GREEN 9% (-2)
🟡 SNP 2% (-1)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogger_Bank_incident
Imperial Russian Navy mistook civilian British fishing trawlers from Kingston upon Hull in the Dogger Bank area of the North Sea for Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo boats[1] and fired on them, also firing on each other in the chaos of the melée.[2]
Two British fishermen died, six more were injured, one fishing vessel was sunk, and five more boats were damaged.[3] On the Russian side, one sailor and a Russian Orthodox priest aboard the cruiser Aurora were killed by friendly fire.[3] The incident almost led to war between the United Kingdom and the Russian Empire.[4] An international commission of inquiry based on the Hague Convention was set up and Russia voluntarily paid compensation of £66,000 to the fishermen.
One of the (now ex-) Reform councillors actually voted for the Lib Dem candidate for leader rather than Reform's own candidate, saying that the council should be led by someone with experience. She was immediately suspended by her party.
https://x.com/frontlinekit/status/2067135998857810415
Happy England entering the World Cup day!
If the line is "we do deals with no one", fine but there will inevitably come a point when she will face the worst of all worlds (it always happens) and her 70 MPs after the next GE (hypothetically) will be the difference between a Labour-led minority and a Reform-led minority and her "no deals" will run out of road as she will be accused of perpetuating instability and chaos.
I presume the thinking within the Conservatives is it may force other parties to side with Reform and open up a gap - perhaps but Reform aren't playing the game that well.
If both the parties of "the right" are going to play their silly games, the other side will end up taking advantage.
Edit: Oh, I see.
Or is it all 'baked in' and coming down the line?
Now it should be September but that allows another month of shadow campaigning and Labour doesn't have the money a desperate Reform will have.
I guess trying to govern effectively and making decisions with consequences is nowhere near as much fun as shitposting and plotting revenge on your enemies.
The Elections Act 2022 brought in things which went beyond the letter of the 2019 Conservative Manifesto afaics in a number of respects, as well as specific manifesto pledges, so I think there is some scope - though I'm not sure how much.
On leader net approval Badenoch hits a personal high at -1, almost breaking even, Davey is at -9, Farage at -14, Polanski -25 and Starmer is at the bottom of the list on -48.
Reform UK (29)
Green (12)
Conservative (9)
Liberal Democrats (5)
Independent (14)
Place your bets !!!
I make no judgements in this post (cough ! ).
Can do that with anyone.
The conservative brand remains tarnished, but to have a leader with those approval ratings is the first requisite to a polling recovery
On the other hand a boat under sail has priority over one under motor power, so it would be the frigate's responsibility to change course.
The exception would be if the motor vessel had lost power and was drifting, in which case it should be displaying the appropriate lights and markers and issued a Mayday.