Andy Burnham is the precise Prime Minister I would have been when I was 10 years old. During my final year in primary school, we held a mock election whereby every child was told to return to their desk and prepare for government. The teacher was very explicit: you can’t just promise impossible things, and you must provide a vague idea of where the money will come from, as in taxes or cuts. But, unable to process these restrictions, I ignored them entirely, producing a wish-list of utterly unachievable promises like "a policeman in every street so there will be no more crime" and "a personal doctor for everyone so there will be no more illness". After standing up and presenting my manifesto, the teacher asked me how the hell I was going to pay for all this shit (not using those specific words, but that was clearly what he was thinking). I had no answer. He told me to sit down again. In the end, I received no votes: and this was despite my promising to abolish crime and illness!
To judge by his first few weeks in office, Andy Burnham is operating according to identically juvenile principles. Virtually his first act was to proclaim he would "abolish" homelessness, even though ‘abolishing’ homelessness is impossible, and only an infant could possibly ever think otherwise. His second big policy pronouncement was that he was going to cap bus-fares at £2 per journey nationally (something the then-Tory government
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Quite simply,
If you:
Own property ( ie have an address)
Drive a car
Are PAYE
You are ripe for plucking.
And plucked you will be
What happened to the announcement that we are all going to be given a glittery unicorn and an ever-lasting money tree for the back garden? Shucks, I strongly suspect the public have been ‘had’ if they believed in – and voted – for the Labour lot!
…although the same could be said for the Conservatives, Greens and Liberal Democrats. Not to be trusted.
He’s pissed off on his holibobs after 2 weeks of juvenile spin, leaving a self-confessed, convicted fraudster “running” the country.
Oh – and neither of them are doing anything to stop the early release from prison of PC Andrew Harper’s killers. Almost 650,000 have signed the petition so far:
https://www.change.org/p/petition-to-stop-the-early-release-from-jail-of-pc-andrew-harper-s-killers
I don’t think he could do a better two-fingered salute to the ordinary, decent, law-abiding British people. Perhaps he’s after the criminal fraternity votes?
Meanwhile, Badenough recruited a former neo-Nazi to represent the CON Party in Crewkerne Somerset and yesterday wrote to the electorate in Clacton telling them they deserved better representation than Nigel Farage …. temporarily “forgetting” that she refused to give them the opportunity to vote for a CONservative alternative … for fear they’d be utterly humiliated.
And they tell us Farage/Reform aren’t a credible alternative …….
I wonder how the Boy Blunder will feel when his party is hammered in the local elections again next May.
‘Do the decent thing‘?
The decent thing would be never to get into such a despairing situation. Suicide is not a decent thing.
I’ve not yet read the article; I’m reacting to the headline paragraph – which I hope is misleading/tongue-in-cheek/black humour.
I agree with you about suicide – a truly terrible thing for many reasons. When farmers committed suicide to avoid Reeves’ IHT policy, neither she nor Starmer reacted with any kind of empathy. The article does contain the word “metaphorically” and the expression to fall on your sword is used to indicate resignation. That’s my inference, anyway, especially from this writer.
Using the metaphor, the prediction is that Burnham will jump before he is pushed.. and that would be a first.
Reeves and Starmer had no empathy stocks on which to draw. They are both (adenoidal) robots.
I can understand that the leader (sic) of HM Opposition has a role in the constitution so she should be referenced when discussing government policies. However she is not leading a leading party. Indeed the Tories remain on track to destruction. Her party is riven with splits over the EU, Net (stupid) Zero and much more.
Why not reference Reform sometimes. On the big issues they have stated their position. As for all parties less than half way into a Parliament I anticipate Reform’s will evolve but they are there, now, to compare and contrast with the government’s.
It won’t cost the Treasury anything as it’s not their money to begin with
I’m paying attention to what he is doing more than what he’s saying.
He’s opening up North Sea oil.
He’s eliminating Net Zero requirements for public contracts
He’s scrapped digital ID.
As a sceptic, I can’t help wondering whether he’s all that bad.
Does it matter that much what he says? Trump said he was going to end the Ukraine war in a day….
Now check out his plans for the State Pension. Not even remotely considered a bought product over decades, but a benefit like all the others. Forget it if you contributed to SERPS as well. Means tested, NI for all ages, work until 70, ending the triple lock. Not a word about the Public Sector pensions of course. Any elderly people with any assets are simply low-hanging fruit and should be afraid, very afraid. By the way, that revenue will be spent once and then it will be gone – that’s what socialism does, lays waste to prosperity.
Like you, I’ve heard one or two things that have sounded positive, but I’m still worried about the general direction of his government, and the financial consequences of his policy decisions. He left Manchester a legacy of higher debt, and I currently expect him to do the same with the UK as a whole. Those of us who work and earn will end up bailing out the UK in this life, and again when we enter the next.
Andy is sprinkling just a bit of sugar on a pile of horse manure. If that’s enough to convince you to eat it, go ahead.
Maybe Prince Andrew of 80s Football Shirts has not heard that you can’t polish a turd, the turd being socialist policies.
Andy is not doing well so far. Taking a holiday after two weeks work. Running up a huge bill for No 10 North to allow his wife to stay ‘home’ whilst our Andy goes to London 4 days a week to play at being PM.
Fortunately for our Andy that Hoyle is the new Bercow fielding any difficult questions and Kemi cannot speak without notes, even to remember which Country she is supposed to love!
Heaven help us all.