I think Burnham's one of the only Labour politician that seemed to learn anything from Corbyn's popularity and success in the 2015 leadership election. While most of the rest of the PLP decided to sabotage Burnham's one of the few who actually modified his approach and became much more left leaning.
Andy Burnham overwhelmingly re-elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester
- Thread starter BoroFur
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I think Burnham's one of the only Labour politician that seemed to learn anything from Corbyn's popularity and success in the 2015 leadership election. While most of the rest of the PLP decided to sabotage Burnham's one of the few who actually modified his approach and became much more left leaning.
Top bloke. Have met him many times and seen the work he's done in the Community and in the NHS. Credit to the area and Labour. Always felt him going into politics would be a big loss to the NHS.
Shame he's a geordie.
HolgateCorner
Well-known member
Increasingly looking like Tory success in this area was just an outlier, some big Labour wins elsewhere despite Johnson’s Covid spending spree.
WeeGord
Well-known member
Its certainly not looking like the disaster it seemed yesterday.
Welsh Labour are as strong as ever, won the West and Bristol mayor, along with defeating the incumbent in Cambridge.
Given that Johnson has been able to hide behind Covid I really think this is the peak of his powers. The Brexit reality will be hitting home with millions soon enough and when things start to crumble for him I believe it will be spectacularly.
The cronyism and downright corruption will come into sharp focus when the chips are down for him and in the weeks to come I think there'll be more Dominic Cummings leaks to worry him.
Jedi boro
Well-known member
No it was frank field that put Corbyn on and seconded him as he thought the far left should be represented though he admits he didn’t think he’d actually go on to win it.
HolgateCorner
Well-known member
The media don’t broadcast the collossal amount of money Johnson has spent on protecting the older end of society, with that and furlough he was hardly going to be unpopular just now.
However, after a good Friday, Johnson and the Tories have had a bad Saturday.
Maybe not as good as Friday, but Saturday has still been pretty good for Boris. Meanwhile Keir Starmer and election results have turned a really bad Friday into a disastrous Saturday for Labour. I have no idea where Labour and Keir Starmer are going from here. People won't be going back to Labour if and when things get tough for the Tories.
TheYorkshireTerrier
Well-known member
He needs to be a contender in the next Labour leader election.
HolgateCorner
Well-known member
I think you are as delusional as Bunter.
TeaCider
Well-known member
It takes more than one person to get to the final stage.
Dawn Butler definitely said that she wanted Burnham to win but had voted for Corbyn to get him on the ballot.
Billy Horner
Well-known member
I sincerely wish I could agree, but you've got to put these election results into context.
The last time the vast majority of these seats (councils and mayors) were up for election was in May 2017, when the Tories enjoyed their best election performance since the height of the financial crisis. The Conservatives won an additional 560 seats in the 2017 local elections, so for them to have won more seats again in these elections is a truly disastrous result for Labour.
On the main topic of the thread, I've thought for a while that, had Andy Burham been elected leader in 2015, he'd have been prime minister by now.
HolgateCorner
Well-known member
These are the Covid elections though, most of the leaders in the various areas have been rewarded for protecting the electorate, with the amount of money Johnson has spent the Tories might have been expecting Hartlepool everywhere but it didn’t happen.
festa5
Well-known member
I've done work for Burnham when he was SofS for Health. He's a good bloke, well liked by pretty much everyone. Treated his staff with respect which is always a good sign.
Think he comes across publicly very well too and in these days of x-factor politics has enough charisma about him to pick up those voters who care little about detail.
He's an experienced politician who knows his brief, he won't get caught out easily and knows how to play the game.
He does fit the stereotype of how people expect a PM to look and talk (which seems to matter to a lot of people) but his regional accent and working class background should help Bob down the pub identify with him too.
Good combination of being very competent and having the right "image". Can't think of a better potential candidate.
Think he comes across publicly very well too and in these days of x-factor politics has enough charisma about him to pick up those voters who care little about detail.
He's an experienced politician who knows his brief, he won't get caught out easily and knows how to play the game.
He does fit the stereotype of how people expect a PM to look and talk (which seems to matter to a lot of people) but his regional accent and working class background should help Bob down the pub identify with him too.
Good combination of being very competent and having the right "image". Can't think of a better potential candidate.
jonny_greenings_sock
Well-known member
I like Keir Starmer but considering our history, isn’t it weird how the north east doesn’t a Labour figurehead of its own.
Burnham’s the king of the north west, Corbyn is incredibly popular in London, the Midlands have loads of strong Labour MPs.
I mean come on, one look at history and the north east should be the seat of Labour power and influence. Gone are the days where you had Blair, Mandelson and Prescott as local(ish) MPs, Alan Johnson who was a huge figure in the background too.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the north east is turning blue since we’ve had no strong Labour figures in or around the area for years. The most high profile local MP is that ****** from Sedgefield.
Burnham’s the king of the north west, Corbyn is incredibly popular in London, the Midlands have loads of strong Labour MPs.
I mean come on, one look at history and the north east should be the seat of Labour power and influence. Gone are the days where you had Blair, Mandelson and Prescott as local(ish) MPs, Alan Johnson who was a huge figure in the background too.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the north east is turning blue since we’ve had no strong Labour figures in or around the area for years. The most high profile local MP is that ****** from Sedgefield.
jonny_greenings_sock
Well-known member
Agree. Play your best XI.