So it begins….. Streeting resigns

Is that a joke, or did it really?

fancythat

Cardamom

Burnham has been a fantastic mayor for Manchester; he's transformed what was once a dirty, neglected city, stuck in the 1960s, to a vibrant, modern hub with a huge cultural development, beautiful buildings, and a fast, cheap transport system. Manchester is now a very young, modern, sleek place to live, work and visit. Much as I admire his successes in Manchester, I have my doubts that he can transfer those skills nationally.

Where did the money come from?

China

Basgetti

Fallingstar

Bloody fools. Racing to throw their hats in the ring before the only man with a chance - Burnham - can join the race for leadership.
This reflects far more badly on them than on Starmer. Causing a ruckus when the country needs a steady hand on the tiller.
Whoever succeeds Starmer better have a magic wand because the troubles facing Starmer are not going away.

Hear, hear.

What on earth is wrong with people these days? It was clearly going to take a very long time to right the problems the country has. Why do they think a different face will be able to do any better just two years into a government?

Yes, the 2 minute brain and the X factor merge. With a dose of racism thrown in for good measure.

I'm just tired of the whole lot of them. Parties used to work together years ago and there wasn't this in fighting. This was started by the Tories who changed PMs and other MPs fairly regularly. Labour are now following that trend of disruption.

This is no way to run a country!!

It was clearly going to take a very long time to right the problems the country has.
It's not the time it's taking to right things, but the detrimental choices being made to do this.

I agree with you Basgetti. People seem to want things yesterday and are not prepared to wait. I don't understand why Andy Burnham is being promoted as the answer to all problems. Yes, he has done a good job for Manchester, but international events can and do interrupt carefully laid plans at the national level.We have evidence of that with Trump's war.

Fallingstar

Bloody fools. Racing to throw their hats in the ring before the only man with a chance - Burnham - can join the race for leadership.
This reflects far more badly on them than on Starmer. Causing a ruckus when the country needs a steady hand on the tiller.
Whoever succeeds Starmer better have a magic wand because the troubles facing Starmer are not going away.

Hear, hear.

What on earth is wrong with people these days? It was clearly going to take a very long time to right the problems the country has. Why do they think a different face will be able to do any better just two years into a government?

It isn't just Labour which needs to regroup, but the Conservatives too. Essex County Council has been taken over by Reform from the Conservatives. I can't ever see any party except the Conservatives taking it back.

Strangely, a number of the new Reform councillors are former Conservatives. They actually seem more competent than many of the other Reform councillors. For example, they've scrapped the library charge for reserving books from other libraries, which was hugely unpopular. I have no idea how that will be funded, but it does show a degree of competence ie responding to what voters want.

Couldn’t agree more twaddle.

Why can’t they just put the country first, stop backstabbing and let Starmer do his job? It’s all about self-interest and I really despair at the state of politics in this country. The next election isn’t that far away and if Labour hasn’t regrouped sufficiently to keep Reform out, I’m leaving the country. I have dual nationality (my mother was German)

Think about it! Why else would people prefer a racist tax dodging snake oil salesman to somebody who is basically good and well meaning? It must be because those people themselves support racism and tax dodging.

Nor me nanna8; completely left field.

Que ? I don’t understand that post at all .

MayBee70

So what is the definition of PM material? Why is being good and well meaning not enough to defeat a racist tax dodging snake oil salesman of a man? If that’s true what has this country come to?

The only logical answer to that is that we, the people, have become racists with no respect for the laws of the land - or at least people prepared to turn a blind eye to people who are.

Sorry, can’t help it. I am a rusted on Starmer disliker. Right from the start ,not swayed by others as some seem to be. As a man maybe he is ok but not as a PM. Just not.

Maybe so many people banging on about how they can’t stand Starmer right from when he first won the election is part of the problem #just saying

What’s wrong with them ? Why don’t they just get on with running the country, boring so and sos. I can’t stand Starmer but I am not sure any of these would-be leaders would be an improvement. They can’t even agree which one to follow, either. Bye bye Labour Party 👋

JPB123

I’m a true blue Conservative,but I am saddened by the state of affairs.The Labour Party should have soldiered on.Reform will only lose if the others stand firm.

I’ve always been Labour but it has saddened me to see what has happened to your party. I hated seeing Tobias Ellwood lose his seat at the last election. Along with all the ones that Johnson threw out.Maybe it foretold what was to come. Both parties, from what I was told, had respect for each other. I doubt if it’s like that now. How did it come to this .

It's a useful distraction, I suppose, and gives the knobs in Westminster an opportunity to say "look over there - don't look over here!"

And they can pretend not to notice Other Business such as one of our local foodbanks shutting up shop due to over-demand.

It's come to something when foodbanks are now accepted as a vital prop to modern life but our elected reps give the impression of wandering around saying "cost-of-living-crisis? What's that?"

So what is the definition of PM material? Why is being good and well meaning not enough to defeat a racist tax dodging snake oil salesman of a man? If that’s true what has this country come to?

Never mind Farage, it’s the loopy, frankly dangerous Greens I fear.

Farage will never be PM.

Oreo

Flippin2

I didn't vote for Starmer but the situation is ridiculous,can't we have a PM complete a full term..I like Andy Burnham but is he PM material? Angela Rayner,not at all and Wes Streeting reminds me of an ex boss of mine,little bit too full of himself

Is the present PM PM material?

That is the point. To me, and I expect to many others, Starmer comes across as wooden, lacklustre, and uninspiring. I am sure he’s a good man and means well, but it’s not enough - not enough to keep Farage out of Number Ten at the next GE.

Fallingstar

I just wonder - what next?
Whoever succeeds Starmer will face the same uphill battle, and when he/she can’t deliver as soon as the electorate demand it, will there be another leadership battle?
And when another party win at the next election, inheriting the same poisoned chalice, will that leader face the same skullduggery.
It feels as if we are standing on shifting sands. There is no consistency, and am not sure what is to blame, the media, interfering outside agencies trying to manipulate our politics, or electorate fatigue, but is a malaise that is damaging this country beyond repair imho.

Whoever succeeds Starmer will face the same uphill battle, and when he/she can’t deliver as soon as the electorate demand it, will there be another leadership battle?

My thoughts also.

And when another party win at the next election, inheriting the same poisoned chalice, will that leader face the same skullduggery.

I believe that any party/PM who genuinely attempted to disrupt the status quo to bring about a fundamental shift in the political/economic life of this country that might benefit the electorate as a whole, would have his (her) card marked and be doomed to failure. Those who hold the power, the wealth, are not going to allow any incursion into their stronghold and the method they use to make certain this never happens is to divide the country by finding popular scapegoats to take the focus away from them. Divide and rule.

It works, every time. And the unfortunate aspect of this is that the 'scapegoat' might well be of legitimate concern, which muddies the water even more.

As for Starmer, I had the feeling right from the beginning of his Premiership that he was destined for failure (and said so, here on GN) - because he attempted to placate both the hare and the hounds, and satisfied neither. "Make Brexit work" did not kid the Leavers, and annoyed Remainers - for example.

I understand the impetus to "unite the country" - but that assumes we have a common goal, and I'm not sure we do have that.

So yes, holding power is a poisoned chalice and if Starmer is replaced, his replacement will be left holding it facing the same problems and, possibly, the same end to their reign, ultimately,

fancythat

Manchester has financed its massive redevelopment through a, roughly £2 billion, public-private, "Good Growth Fund" led by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). This strategy combines central government grants, National Wealth Fund partnerships, and Local Government Pension Fund investments. Key projects are supported by loans that are recycled back into new developments, enabling ongoing transformation.