Andy Burnham blocked from re-entering parliament.

I voted Labour in the 2019 GE. There was very little in their manifesto that wasn't achievable. It was a perfectly OK manifesto. No 'promises of the earth'.

I voted Labour in 2024. I really feel that we were completely fooled.

Fallingstar

Reform still have a sizeable following but will be losing some of their fans who may be watching what is happening over the pond and feeling a bit uneasy about what could happen here. Controlling immigration is one thing but controlling ordinary citizens by taking away their rights is very much another.
The greens are gaining in popularity by offering what Labour seems to have forgot.
Tbh the left could be due a resurgence which would be a real surprise for everyone expecting the far right to gain ground.

I could be interested in the Greens if not for their anti-female agenda. Zack Polanski firmly believes that a woman is anyone who says they are female, and that women's spaces can include men if men want to use them. That is a step too far for me.

I had hoped that Burnham would be allowed to stand - this feels so anti-democratic, but Starmer has form for blocking rivals and anyone who doesn't fit his rather narrow vision of what Labour should be.

Is there anyone anywhere who likes Sir Kier Starmer as Labour Leader now?
Either a Labour voter or a non Labour voter?

Phew… really glad. Andy Burnham is good looking and a lot of women would have voted for him, shallow I know but still ……

Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 17:10:15
Anniebach
Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 15:29:41
It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

If a popular grassroots Labour politician why did he lose to Corbyn in labour leadership?
Who knows?
Corbyn had a hard core of younger voters who voted for him in a way they haven’t voted for anyone before or since.
In any case there is no act of limitations here, losing once doesn’t mean a person can’t run again

Corbyn gave us the worse general election defeat since 1835,
Burnham lost to Milliband too, so twice

fancythat

Is there anyone anywhere who likes Sir Kier Starmer as Labour Leader now?
Either a Labour voter or a non Labour voter?

He is still up there in the Best Prime Minister for the UK polls carried out by YouGov every month, so yes, there are many people who still think so, I think it’s his performance on the international relations side that is protecting his popularity.

Mamie

The disruption to Greater Manchester and the risk of Reform winning the Mayoral election seem to be the main reasons cited. I do think it is important to look at the bigger picture. Given the mess that Reform is making in Local and County Councils I would think the citizens of Manchester have got lucky. Plus the fact that the last thing the Government needs is for media and social media to ignore serious national and international issues in favour of toxic gossip about leadership campaigns.

Given the mess that Reform is making in Local and County Councils I would think the citizens of Manchester have got lucky.

Of course, there could be a different reaction and Gorton and Denton could return a Reform MP.

Does Starmer's vote means he has performed yet another U turn? Didn't he say some time ago that the Executive should not have this power?

If Gorton and Denton return a Reform MP, it will not have the same impact on the government, because he or she won’t be in control of anything. I’m personally quite disappointed in Andy Burnham’s choices. He’s not a knight on a white charger, and even if he had won the seat, and been in a position to challenge Starmer there is no guarantee he would win against other contenders. He made a bad call.
I think Starmer made a bad call today too, he should have voted for him to be allowed to contend the seat, to show he was not afraid of Burnham challenging him.

Primrose53

Fallingstar

Anniebach

Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 15:29:41
It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

If a popular grassroots Labour politician why did he lose to Corbyn in labour leadership?

Who knows?
Corbyn had a hard core of younger voters who voted for him in a way they haven’t voted for anyone before or since.
In any case there is no act of limitations here, losing once doesn’t mean a person can’t run again.

The young who did manage to get up to vote voted because he promised them everything on a plate. They were also hyped up at Glasto when they were all stoned and wailing “ooh Jeremy Corbyn”. 🤣

I feel desperately sorry for young people. My daughter for one. Her contemporaries are decent, hard working folk who care about others. They are appalled by pound shop Trump and his ilk.

She has never wailed at Glasto.

fancythat

Is there anyone anywhere who likes Sir Kier Starmer as Labour Leader now?
Either a Labour voter or a non Labour voter?

I voted for Labour with Keir Starmer as leader and just as I believe that if an MP switches party there should be a by election I don't think a party has a right to just switch an elected leader. As I keep saying, it wasn't the norm to just change party leader until the Conservatives started doing it. The fact is he made an unelectable Labour party under Corbyn electable and is having the sort of world wide crises that very few PM's have had to deal with and is handling it admirably imo. Any division in the party is just going to pave the way for a Reform government and then people really will have something to moan about. Lets not forget that Corbyn was a closet brexiteer when he was party leader.

I don't think it was the norm for parties to change into the party they'd just been opposing when they got into government, either, Maybee

I think it would be foolish to limp on for the next three years with a deeply unpopular PM (who only gets the 'Best PM' rating because of the alternative choices) who hasn't changed anything.

The economy is stagnant and there is no prospect of it improving if that pursue their current economic policies. A bit of rapprochement with the EU might improve our exports a little, but it isn't going to be a silver bullet.

Do I need to recite the rest again?

I think Starmer is generally good on the international side (though questionable over Gaza) but his government is poor and shows little sign of improving.

Farage looms on the near horizon...

It was Burnham who decided not to stand in the 2017 election because he was offered something better. It was his decision not to be an MP. Imo he's an opportunist and I don't trust him. Farage is looming because people keep slagging off Starmer and don't even give him credit for the things he has achieved. Eg making an unelectable party electable.

MayBee. 👏👏👏👏

sixandahalf

Primrose53

Fallingstar

Anniebach

Quote Fallingstar Sun 25-Jan-26 15:29:41
It is not in Starmer’s interest because Burnham is a popular grass roots Labour politician whose values strike a chord with those now feeling disaffected by the Labour party.

If a popular grassroots Labour politician why did he lose to Corbyn in labour leadership?

Who knows?
Corbyn had a hard core of younger voters who voted for him in a way they haven’t voted for anyone before or since.
In any case there is no act of limitations here, losing once doesn’t mean a person can’t run again.

The young who did manage to get up to vote voted because he promised them everything on a plate. They were also hyped up at Glasto when they were all stoned and wailing “ooh Jeremy Corbyn”. 🤣

I feel desperately sorry for young people. My daughter for one. Her contemporaries are decent, hard working folk who care about others. They are appalled by pound shop Trump and his ilk.

She has never wailed at Glasto.

Nor has mine, as far as I know, sixandahalf. She (and my son) and their friends are far from the people so often moaned about on here. They are caring, kindly people who work hard and don't deserve to be written off in the way many older people do. they have never expected things to be handed to them on a plate - far from it. They have paid high rents, student fees and inflated house prices, financed by working long hours and studying.

Both are willing to give people of all ages respect, and resist the temptation to generalise about them. I really wish they were offered the same in return.

Boz

I like AB and he has been done a favour.
He would have lost at Gorton and really been out in the cold.

Also,who in their right mind would want to be leader of Labour at this moment of time.

Keep steady with what you have Mr.Burnham and try to keep Reform out of Manchester.

I totally agree with this.

kittylester

Boz

I like AB and he has been done a favour.
He would have lost at Gorton and really been out in the cold.

Also,who in their right mind would want to be leader of Labour at this moment of time.

Keep steady with what you have Mr.Burnham and try to keep Reform out of Manchester.

I totally agree with this.

Probably the best that could happen.

"It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond" faced with a lot of enemies.

Even if he got into the pond. He might not have done.

I wonder if he can appeal?

He can stand as an Independent, but that would mean he’d have to fund the campaign, assuming there is an election. I don’t think putting himself forward was the right thing to do (although I would like to see him in power) but I do think he should have been able to stand. It should be the voters who decide who leads them.

Labour would risk losing both the Mayoral re=election AND the parliamentary by-election, and Reform taking both.

I really don’t understand why, when the world is in such an unstable state and it’s almost impossible to believe what’s happening in America that there are people in the Labour Party that are desperate for a leadership election. It’s no wonder that Labour are very rarely in power.

butterandjam

Labour would risk losing both the Mayoral re=election AND the parliamentary by-election, and Reform taking both.

Quite, which is why the NEC’s decision is obviously sound.

MayBee70

Mamie

The disruption to Greater Manchester and the risk of Reform winning the Mayoral election seem to be the main reasons cited. I do think it is important to look at the bigger picture. Given the mess that Reform is making in Local and County Councils I would think the citizens of Manchester have got lucky. Plus the fact that the last thing the Government needs is for media and social media to ignore serious national and international issues in favour of toxic gossip about leadership campaigns.

I agree.

Me too.

What a shambles.

I agree Mamie

MayBee70

I really don’t understand why, when the world is in such an unstable state and it’s almost impossible to believe what’s happening in America that there are people in the Labour Party that are desperate for a leadership election. It’s no wonder that Labour are very rarely in power.

Agreed MayBee!

I’m furious with them.