____twoism

I think the fine for not voting should be raised from $20 to $20,000 and could replace some taxes.

Burnham's reluctance to call a genocide a genocide is going to lose him a lot of votes. An irritating continuation of Labour politicians failing to read the room.

Must admit, Burnham riding into London on his delayed train like some northern clan leader was quite funny. A very intentional performance.

He's got a lot more charisma and 'normal' energy than Starmer ever had, but that'll only get you so far. Nowhere near enough for me to consider voting Labour again, but it's the one change that avoids terminal decline for the party. Curious to see how it pans out.

I'll hold my nose and vote for them because I don't see anybody else stopping Reform. I hate that it should come to that, but there we are. Realpolitik?

Burnham will find it tougher as PM than he did as Mayor of Manchester. But... Makerfield was a good start. Have we hit peak Reform? Some believe so. I hope so.

Hope. There's a word in thin supply these days.

Pleased with Burnham - as I said further up thread he's probably the closest to the type of Labour/socialist tradition I identify with.

His professional-Manc thing can grate a little, but it's also a symptom of getting old that politicians are no longer fusty old people, but people I have cultural references in common with. He'll be our first acid house PM! First PM who probably has strong opinions on coats and trainers! First PM who has a favourite New Order album!

https://thequietus.com/interviews/baker ... ite-music/

A_Northern_Soul wrote:He'll be our first acid house PM!

Sorry mate, Maggie got there before Big Mad Andy:

fujee wrote:Burnham's reluctance to call a genocide a genocide is going to lose him a lot of votes. An irritating continuation of Labour politicians failing to read the room.

Also turning his back on trans people but eh rainbow politics is only marginally more sincere than rainbow capitalism, it's just the stakes are higher.

Personally, for this and other already stated reasons I think he's an opportunistic weathervane who'll come unstuck down the line but Starmer was a fucking disaster and Reform are worse

Starmer's biggest mistake (whether he was even really in charge is another matter) was ignoring Labour's progressive base to chase Reform voters at the behest of the Labour right/Blue Labour/Labour Together/the media.
Burnham already owes that side of the party and everything I've heard so far indicates to me that his strategy will be to placate them.
That won't end well and he cannot do anything that will be needed to change the country, face down Reform, or stop vote leakage to the Greens while they have influence.
We're already in his honeymoon period - while he's light years ahead of Starmer in the likeability and political skill stakes, the idea that he's 'the most popular politician in the country' for any other reason that he's been away from Westminster and media focus is fantasy. I hope I'm wrong, but my prediction is that his popularity will crash when his strategy becomes clear.

fujee wrote:Burnham's reluctance to call a genocide a genocide is going to lose him a lot of votes. An irritating continuation of Labour politicians failing to read the room.

I think a lack of political courage more than anything else and political courage to face down the reactionaries is by far the UK'a biggest need right now.

Negamuse wrote:Opportunistic weathervane

Most of the PLP fall into this category. They have no vision or theory of change, which is evident when subject to even minor scrutiny. Without it, you are destined to have a rudderless, ineffective government.

jcnporter wrote:Starmer's biggest mistake (whether he was even really in charge is another matter) was ignoring Labour's progressive base to chase Reform voters at the behest of the Labour right/Blue Labour/Labour Together/the media.

Yes. Starmer's biggest blunder was believing Morgan McSweeney and his idiotic factional obsession with the left was political genius. Gorton and Denton showed what happens when you mug off those who instinctively vote Labour.

jcnporter wrote:Starmer's biggest mistake (whether he was even really in charge is another matter) was ignoring Labour's progressive base to chase Reform voters at the behest of the Labour right/Blue Labour/Labour Together/the media.

sure can't wait for us to learn nothing from that at all over on the other side of the pond

Waterbagel wrote:

jcnporter wrote:Starmer's biggest mistake (whether he was even really in charge is another matter) was ignoring Labour's progressive base to chase Reform voters at the behest of the Labour right/Blue Labour/Labour Together/the media.

sure can't wait for us to learn nothing from that at all over on the other side of the pond

The DNC after they nominate John Fetterman in 2028 and lose another election:

Don't get me started on the DNC. What a petrified forest that is.

It remains to be seen if it's all lip service, but Burnham's comms have been noticeably better than his predecessor.

Business rates cut for hospitality
Possible wealth tax
Energy bills support

All good noises on day one. Whether it's accurate or not, most people remember the winter fuel allowance cut as one of Starmer's first decisions. He was shit at optics but I guess that's what you get when you actually believe in Morgan McSweeney .