Andy Burnham won Makerfield

Our changes of leader are different to the other lot, honest.

Pilgrimandrew

Who in their right mind is still voting for Labour?

What cool-aid part of the press have you been supping at?
Sigh.

Who would you like to see in power and what is it you want them to do?

Imo people are jumping ahead and speculating far too fast at what the future holds. Read LemonJam's description of our processes. It may be fun to predict rapid and incoherent changes like th last years of the conservative government, but things dont work that way.

It takes a long time folks, and a great deal can come out of the process with all the different players in the game. No one I know in the LP wants a forced, hurried and ill considered transition.

Slow is good, maintaining effective government during change is good.

I see no reason why Starmer in the future could not work within government, for example. As a good Foreign Secretary.

What I would like to see are leaders who put the country ahead of their own ambitions.

Voting for the Labour Party in a GE Pilgrimandrew? You'll have to wait three years to find out the answer to that question.

That Reform won Makerfield local elections just seven weeks ago but lost decisively to AB yesterday suggests the local election votes were a protest vote against Starmer and his government.

To secure a voting swing of such magnitude from Reform to the LP in 7 short weeks strengthens the inference that Makerfield residents have not lost heart in the LP but have lost confidence in Starmer as its current leader. They know their reasons but the outcome sends a strong message people are still voting for the LP when it matters....

There are rumours that if AB get to be PM he could make Ed Milliband Chancellor. Now that's a scary thought!

Who in their right mind is still voting for Labour?

Jess Philips said that on the doorstep, the voters could acknowledge that Labour had done some good things but didn't see them as thanks to Starmer.
It is like that he is now trying to take credit for removing the two child limit on benefits when people know that he previously sacked people for wanting to do that very thing.
Dislike of Starmer is so baked innow, I relly don't see how he could carry on.

FranP

Self-serving Burnham dumped the people of Manchester, and will shortly dump the duped people of Makerfield while he goes for his own agenda and splits the work of the current government and if he wins will take all of the credit for the foundations laid by Starmer to fix Tory budget decimation. He is only out for himself.

I personally would not describe AB as self serving- he has served Greater Manchester well and given 15% of his salary up towards the homeless whilst Mayor. I know of no other politician at senior level willing to do that.

Cossy

JenniferEccles

A post earlier said something about being pleased that Reform didn’t come anywhere.
Well they came second so they most certainly did come somewhere !

Interesting times. Starmer has insisted he’s not going anywhere and would most certainly stand if there’s a leadership challenge.

He doesn’t need to “stand” - see below,

“How do Labour MPs initiate a leadership challenge against the leader?

There is only one way for Labour MPs to formally initiate a leadership challenge. A challenger (or challengers) must be nominated by at least 20% of the combined ranks of Labour MPs.

Currently, 81 Labour MPs would need to jointly nominate a challenger. Nominations must be submitted in written form to the general secretary of the party. This triggers a leadership contest.

In these circumstances, *a sitting leader is not required to seek nominations (they are on the ballot paper by default).•

Can Labour MPs remove a leader through a vote of no confidence?
Unlike the Conservative Party, there is no formal role for a vote of no confidence as part of the process of a leadership challenge.

Although the Parliamentary Labour Party held a no confidence vote in the leader in 2016, Jeremy Corbyn refused to resign and argued that his support among party members outweighed his lack of support from Labour MPs.

What is the voting system used in a Labour leadership election?

The Labour Party has used a one-person-one-vote system for leadership elections since 2015. As both Labour Party members and affiliated trade union supporters are able to vote, this system ensures that the same person cannot vote both as a trade union member and as a Labour Party member. Until October 2021, it was also possible for registered supporters to vote without becoming a full party member. However, this is no longer the case.
Affiliated trade union members have to opt-in to be affiliated supporters of the Labour Party. Members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) also have one vote each in the leadership election. This means that a large membership can vastly outvote the PLP.
Voting takes place using the alternative vote system (a preferential ballot). If one candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, they are elected. If no candidate manages this, then the candidate who came last is removed and their votes are redistributed to voters’ second preference candidates. This process is repeated until one candidate has more than half of the votes.“

Thanks for this explanation Cossy. We already know the LP members and affiliated Trade Union supports are more likely to cast their vote for Burnham than Starmer by a big margin.

On the basis of AB's ability to withstand the Reform vote pattern swing in the local elections just seven weeks ago and his high public positive ratings, AB has a powerful calling card for sitting MPs to veer towards him also, hoping to retain their seats at the next General election. On that basis I would suspect AB will secure more than 50% of the vote.

LP members and TU supporters are not so keen on Streeting.

Well the press seem to like Andy atm, and I can see that there are members on here rooting for him. I just wonder what it will be like if he does become PM and things don’t change quickly enough for the electorate, will the vultures circle again??
Am just worried we are presently treating PMs like football managers, giving them their marching orders if a season goes badly only to get another manager that can’t deliver the results the fans demand.

GrannyGravy13

Now we shall have weeks if not months of uncertainty whilst Labour continues its infighting.

Should have kept the Conservatives…

Are you serious? They were the worst government we’ve ever had!

But that's not going to happen.

If only, as Susieq62 has said above, that Burnham and Starmer could work together. Add in Streeting as well. Brains and the best of intentions for the country. If Burnham and Streeting are only working for their own ends, they will split the Labour Party. They dont need a contest just crack on with the gov as it is. They have a bl***y big job yo get on with.

MayBee 🌞. Yes

The idea that Corbyn could lead, or was stabbed in the back is imo ludicrous.
Andy Burnham hasn’t dumped us in Manchester. He was a good MP, a good Mayor and much as he will be missed in Manchester he will be good in Westminster

Tooyoungytobeagrandma

I liked the fact that a fairly new, unknown (to some) party knocked conservative and lib dem out and came third. Can't stand Starmer, Farage gives me the creeps and politics in general leave me cold. BUT the fact that a small party came third, with a leader who dares to upset the "establishment" has peaked my interest. If they have enough people to stand in the next GE I may well actually vote 🗳 😁

Reform and Restore are just incarnations on the BNP with varying degrees of right wing policies. As for being anti establishment imo if Rupert Lowe had his way we’d go back to having a feudal system.

'Not another one'!!🤣

Kamiso

Sarnia

MayBee70

Not aware that Labour were planning to abolish it

I have never trusted Rachel Reeves with her itchy fingers. Hopefully if all Burnham's plans come to fruition he will find another Chancellor. Quite frankly, anyone would be better than her.

But it seems that Ed Miliband may take over from Rachel Reeves! Amazing considering how badly he’s screwed up on the environmental issues.

Maybe he knows more about economics than the environment.

Nancat

Back in '24, the Labour Party won he election to remove the Conservative Party, not Starmer, Micky Mouse could have been leader and they still would have won. Since then Starmer has shown a total lack of empathy or understanding of the wishes of the majority of UK citizens. He is first and foremost a lawyer, whether or not his decisions benefit the UK, and unwilling to challenge anything with a precedent he can use. He has had wins, but nothing on the big issues facing the country. So now a decision to change the leader to someone with a bit more charisma, no change to the manifesto as it's not a GE, and no indication from the prospective candidates of any ideas to implement the changes the Country needs on the important issues that were in the manifesto. So what are we gaining? The bill from the taxpayer's pocket for the by-election and the following mayoral election!

I trust you're not even thinking of voting for Reform, which is owned by a former City metals market trader, which I doubt gave him much experience of "ordinary people".

Sarnia

MayBee70

Not aware that Labour were planning to abolish it

I have never trusted Rachel Reeves with her itchy fingers. Hopefully if all Burnham's plans come to fruition he will find another Chancellor. Quite frankly, anyone would be better than her.

But it seems that Ed Miliband may take over from Rachel Reeves! Amazing considering how badly he’s screwed up on the environmental issues.

Tooyoungytobeagrandma

I liked the fact that a fairly new, unknown (to some) party knocked conservative and lib dem out and came third. Can't stand Starmer, Farage gives me the creeps and politics in general leave me cold. BUT the fact that a small party came third, with a leader who dares to upset the "establishment" has peaked my interest. If they have enough people to stand in the next GE I may well actually vote 🗳 😁

Hopefully, you will find out what the "third party" stands for and it's something you can live with.

Susieq62

You do realise that Restore is even more toxic than Reform surely? Please read up about them and know your facts before thinking of how to vote when the occasion arises.

Definitely. Quite worrying that they had a decent result as far as they are concerned in Makerfield. Rupert Lowe's words at times are pure toxic.

You do realise that Restore is even more toxic than Reform surely? Please read up about them and know your facts before thinking of how to vote when the occasion arises.

I liked the fact that a fairly new, unknown (to some) party knocked conservative and lib dem out and came third. Can't stand Starmer, Farage gives me the creeps and politics in general leave me cold. BUT the fact that a small party came third, with a leader who dares to upset the "establishment" has peaked my interest. If they have enough people to stand in the next GE I may well actually vote 🗳 😁