Andy Burnham won Makerfield

“OldFrill

Galaxy
Back to Burnham, the more I think about this the more I dislike it. No one really has a clear idea of what Burnham stands for, there isn't even going to be a vote by the labour party, it is simply a coronation of Burnham, a man of whom a large part of the country knows very little.
Burnham has been promoting Aspirational Socialism for years, l doubt he's going to change tack now.“

Why does that make him a different in his views and beliefs than Starmer?

Time will tell, like some on here this process has left a sour taste in my mouth, particularly in the light of two unnecessary expensive elections.

I don’t dislike AB, in some respects, as a party leader and instant PM he is an unknown entity. I don’t dislike Starmer either. I just don’t agree with how this all happened. Anyone know what happened to the original Makerfield MP?

LemonJam the LP has 250,000 grass roots members (of whom I’m one).

If there’s no leadership election it feels very much like democracy denied to the LP membership.

I hope with all my heart a Labour MP has the balls to stand against AB so we can observe fair, rigorous scrutiny.

I think, in the long run, this would be better for Burnham himself. If he wins (which he probably will) it’s better to say ‘I have a mandate from the LP wider grass roots membership’ than ‘I have a mandate from just one specific constituency’.

The way Burnham’s return to the HoC has been facilitated already feels grubby to me and leaves a bad taste.

I really do not support the further idea of him (or anyone for that matter) being handed the keys to N0 10 without proper scrutiny and a democratic vote by the membership.

Galaxy

Back to Burnham, the more I think about this the more I dislike it. No one really has a clear idea of what Burnham stands for, there isn't even going to be a vote by the labour party, it is simply a coronation of Burnham, a man of whom a large part of the country knows very little.

Burnham has been promoting Aspirational Socialism for years, l doubt he's going to change tack now.

GG13

Essex girl/boy jokes are the pits and I’ve been the butt of them my entire life, despite having a Queens English accent, not dropping my “ts and hs”, never wore white shoes, don’t dance round my handbag, never had a spray tan, don’t watch The Only Way Is Essex, say “init” or brag about my (lack of) money!

🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Granny from Lancashire, Grandpa from Cumbria, parents Essex born and bred, grammar school educated and very BBC accents!

You feel uncomfortable and you won't vote Labour- and thats ok Galaxy. But it's clearly not the case that "No one really has a clear idea of what Burnham stands for..... a man of whom a large part of the country knows very little" as you posted.

I don't mean to be funny but I know about the processes of the labour party.
The citizens of Makerfield were faced with an unnecessary by election, another factor which makes me uncomfortable.
I am afraid that whatever Burnham announces he stands for it will be very unlikely I would vote Labour that ship has sailed for me.

Galaxy

Back to Burnham, the more I think about this the more I dislike it. No one really has a clear idea of what Burnham stands for, there isn't even going to be a vote by the labour party, it is simply a coronation of Burnham, a man of whom a large part of the country knows very little.

Makerfield residents were asked to vote just last Thursday and they overwhelmingly voted for AB- who won more votes than all the other candidates put together! They knew enough what AB stood for and overwhelmingly preferred him to other candidates. Yours and mine and others individual preferences count for little in UK politics- we are a democracy and it is always the majority vote wins the day. AB has a substantial track record in favourable ratings and election votes over the past 10 years. Starmer wasn't even in politics 10 years ago.

AB has been around the block for many years and has won three successive Grter Manchester Mayoral elections- so there are many outside Makerfield who know what he stands for. I met him when he was health secretary some years ago now and can assure you many who worked in the nHS at the time knew what he stood for.

The leadership choice will not be made by members of the public - it is an internal party issue as a set out in their constitution. The public voted for the LP at the last GE and the LP they have until the next GE.

Once the new PM is elected and gets on top of their brief - they then will communicate to the electorate- then you will know more what they stand for as leader of the LP.

It’s up to the MPs to decide if they want somebody to stand against him now, if somebody does it will be a candidate from the left I would think. I’d like party members to have a say, but I think he would get the job regardless.

Well Streeting isn't so I am guessing not. I would prefer if there was a leadership election.
If they remember the leadership elections that won't be a good thing - came 4th out of 5 and in the second one lost to Corbyn.

Galaxy

Back to Burnham, the more I think about this the more I dislike it. No one really has a clear idea of what Burnham stands for, there isn't even going to be a vote by the labour party, it is simply a coronation of Burnham, a man of whom a large part of the country knows very little.

People do definitely know who he is, he wouldn’t. Currently be top of the pops amongst UK politicians on YouGov if they didn’t. I would think a lot of people remember him from the last Labour government, and the 2015 leadership campaign.

There will be a vote by Labour Party members, if somebody else stands against him - as far as I know we don’t know whether they will or not yet? I hope they do.

CatsWhiskas

Oreo

Being offended by others seems to be a national pastime these days.

I'm not offended by "northern jokes". I just find them pathetic and not funny. I feel a tad sympathetic towards people who seem to think such jokes are worth making because they obviously can't be genuinely funny. I also understand why the people in the "red wall" feel they are faced by an "elite" who give them no control over their lives and make silly stereotypical jokes.

Essex girl jokes are far worse than any northern joke I have ever heard.

Galaxy

I mentioned greggs and coats in the stereotypes of the north post which seemed to worry you.
I am ferrying someone around an open day at durham uni this week.

But I didn't mention Greggs or coats!

Oreo

Being offended by others seems to be a national pastime these days.

I'm not offended by "northern jokes". I just find them pathetic and not funny. I feel a tad sympathetic towards people who seem to think such jokes are worth making because they obviously can't be genuinely funny. I also understand why the people in the "red wall" feel they are faced by an "elite" who give them no control over their lives and make silly stereotypical jokes.

Back to Burnham, the more I think about this the more I dislike it. No one really has a clear idea of what Burnham stands for, there isn't even going to be a vote by the labour party, it is simply a coronation of Burnham, a man of whom a large part of the country knows very little.

I mentioned greggs and coats in the stereotypes of the north post which seemed to worry you.
I am ferrying someone around an open day at durham uni this week.

You’re well ‘ard Galaxy ….I was always muffled up as a teenager, you couldn’t get out the door past Mum otherwise😁

Being offended by others seems to be a national pastime these days.

Galaxy

I have lived in the north all my life, cats whiskas, and am very proud of Greggs .
Actually that is true I can't think of a better example of a family firm making a success nationwide whilst not turning their back on their customer base. Possibly some arguments about the health benefits ( worse than mcdonalds in some aspects) but thats by the by. I also spent many happy hours in my youth freezing on the Quayside with no coat.
I am however utterly unconvinced that the king of the north will be able to succeed where Starmer has 'failed'.

What on earth has Greggs got to do with what I wrote?

I'm baffled about your comment about spending hours on the quayside without a coat. Was that from choice or didn't you have a coat?

All I wrote was that I'm a northerner, which I am. I witnessed the disappearance of the area's main industry and consequent unemployment and all that goes with diminishing resources.

What I really do not find funny is all the patronising stereotypes about people from the north. I actually married somebody who came from the "south" and I had to bite my tongue a few times when my snobby and condescending mother-in-law when she "casually" dropped "northern jokes" into the conversation. When my children were looking at universities, this woman told my daughter not to look at anywhere in the north - so my daughter applied to and went to Durham. Hahaha!

I have lived in the north all my life, cats whiskas, and am very proud of Greggs .
Actually that is true I can't think of a better example of a family firm making a success nationwide whilst not turning their back on their customer base. Possibly some arguments about the health benefits ( worse than mcdonalds in some aspects) but thats by the by. I also spent many happy hours in my youth freezing on the Quayside with no coat.
I am however utterly unconvinced that the king of the north will be able to succeed where Starmer has 'failed'.

Well said MaisieD
I read the Murphy questions and I wish I was more optimistic about Burnham, but unfortunately I think he will be seriously constrained when he becomes PM.

Many powerful actors have a vested interest in maintaining our current economic model and “household budget myth”, and the MM continues to promote this myth.

Graphite

Very interesting TRIP on this especially at 33 minutes:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQTo7-bmAWg

Parliament goes into recess on 16 July 2026 less than a month away and doesn’t return until 1 September 2026, soon after which, conference season starts.

As Campbell points out, processes will already be in hand for the Autumn Statement in November 2026. If Burnham is planning on a major cabinet reshuffle which he would be likely to do, possibly making Ed Miliband Chancellor, it doesn’t leave a great deal of time for any major change in economic policy.

52 questions Richard Murphy has posed to Burnham … starts:

If Andy Burnham is serious about becoming prime minister, then there are a series of questions he needs to answer before anyone can sensibly judge whether he offers a genuine alternative to the current government, or merely a different personality pursuing much the same agenda. The questions need to go beyond personality, competence, or electability. They need to establish what he believes, what he would do, and how he understands the challenges the UK faces.

www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2026/06/21/fifty-two-questions-for-andy-burnham/

I don't listen to podcasts but I do follow Murphy.

I think his questions are pertinent particularly in regard to economic policy. I have a feeling that Burnham will make a better leader than Starmer and may improve the country's mood, but if he doesn't get the economics right we will be stuck in just the same place we're in now. It isn't very encouraging when he says he will stick to Reeve's fiscal rules. They were absurd and damaging and should be jettisoned.

Neoliberalism and the household budget myth is killing economies and is highly divisive in creating poverty and deprivation while pandering to wealth.

He's gone so now we wait and see what happens next

NotSpaghetti

But David - my impression is that the majority DO like him.

I don't think he's disliked.
The (cartoon) presentation of him isn't liked of course.
I haven't actually heard of anyone who knows him, to not like him.

Im one who does like him, if there are others they are being very quiet, all the noise is coming from those who want him gone.
His policies are as good you can expect from a Labour PM but if the troops won't follow him how can he lead.

I'm not sure how the stereotypical southern image of northerners is connected to the 'not listening' trope. I think that 'not listening' can be claimed by the disadvantaged in any part of the UK.

I didn't know, but I still find the comment patronising. There are obviously pockets of wealth in the "north". It isn't one homogenous, united territory, but there are real problems in the former industrial towns, which it appears some people just don't recognise, if they think the "north" is all about flat caps, pigeon racing and rugby league. Maybe they haven't been listening and Reform is right!