General News Thread

[Clogger_]

1 hour ago, kenny said:

The funniest and therefore preferred outcome is that he doesn't win tonight and is left stranded without a position.

 

Is he allowed to run as mayor again?

Just seen this. Very odd indeed

[kenny]

15 minutes ago, izzymuzzet said:

He’s still the mayor. So if he doesn’t win tonight he’ll just carry on being mayor, presumably until 2028. He only has to resign as mayor if he becomes an MP. 

Really, thought he had to resign to run.

 

Still looks like a snake IMO.

[kenny]

10 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

I've no idea how much credit Burnham should take for it (and I suspect it's at least partly down to having the best part of a billion quid spent on the City Centre after the IRA blew it up) but when I went to Manchester a couple of months ago it was the first place I'd been to for ages (except London) that didn't feel like it was on its arse/seen better days. A proper buzz about the place, so I can see why folk might look at Manchester and say I fancy a bit of that

Leeds is similar.

[Bellend Sebastian]

4 minutes ago, izzymuzzet said:

I live in Manchester. Burnham has done a good job as mayor particularly with improving the buses. But a lot of the improvement was well underway by the time he became mayor. 

How long have you lived there for? I've only been a handful of times and I think when I first went it was the early 90s and it was a bit grim - quite edgy and intimidating, and it's been less and less like that on each visit. I'd go so far as to say it felt optimistic on my last trip, made a nice change

[Bellend Sebastian]

1 minute ago, kenny said:

Leeds is similar.

I've heard some good things but I've been there even less than Manchester

[izzymuzzet]

Just now, Bellend Sebastian said:

How long have you lived there for? I've only been a handful of times and I think when I first went it was the early 90s and it was a bit grim - quite edgy and intimidating, and it's been less and less like that on each visit. I'd go so far as to say it felt optimistic on my last trip, made a nice change

About 15 years. It’s changed a lot even in that time. A huge amount of development in the city centre. Apparently there were about 500 people living in the city centre in 1990 and now there are around 100,000. It’s got its problems like any city but you can feel the buzz around the place, it’s very vibrant. 

[ramboacdc]

All labour leader this, and Andy Burnham that...you will all be smirking on the other side of your face when Count Binface wins by a landslide.

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

How long have you lived there for? I've only been a handful of times and I think when I first went it was the early 90s and it was a bit grim - quite edgy and intimidating, and it's been less and less like that on each visit. I'd go so far as to say it felt optimistic on my last trip, made a nice change

You're confused. It was you who was edgy and intimidating in the 90s.

[ajthefox]

3 hours ago, kenny said:

Burnham was elected as mayor 2 years ago and wants to bin the job off now he thinks there is something better. I suspect some feel he is as bad as Streeting for this.

 

He could have stood as an MP in 2024 and have been part of the cabinet.

Burnham has been Mayor since 2017. He was re-elected in 2021 and 2024.

 

I'd say 8+ years of a largely successful Mayoral role for the 3rd biggest city in the country and then going for PM whilst Labour flounders under Starmer is quite a different picture to what you have painted, no?

 

I think Burnham is actually worrying people. It's why the rhetoric has already started.

Edited Thursday at 22:18 by ajthefox
Can't count

[Bellend Sebastian]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

You're confused. It was you who was edgy and intimidating in the 90s.

I was a lot of things in the 90s including a failed human being, but I was definitely neither of those

[kenny]

27 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

Burnham has been Mayor since 2017. He was re-elected in 2021 and 2024.

 

I'd say 8+ years of a largely successful Mayoral role for the 3rd biggest city in the country and then going for PM whilst Labour flounders under Starmer is quite a different picture to what you have painted, no?

 

I think Burnham is actually worrying people. It's why the rhetoric has already started.

Not really, he had the chance in 2024 to stand for MP and committed to Manchester. 18 months in and he has changed his mind as he senses the top job.

 

I don't think Burnham worries many unless he really does attempt to trash the bond market in which case we should all be worried.

 

 

 

[Jon the Hat]

4 hours ago, kenny said:

Not really, he had the chance in 2024 to stand for MP and committed to Manchester. 18 months in and he has changed his mind as he senses the top job.

 

I don't think Burnham worries many unless he really does attempt to trash the bond market in which case we should all be worried.

Well yes, I don't think any of us expected Starmer to implode this quickly.

 

Still I have said Starmer needs to go and it looks like Burnham is the man to oust him.  If he makes a few tweaks and sells policy better he has more of chance of winning the next election than Starmer.

[leicsmac]

2 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Well yes, I don't think any of us expected Starmer to implode this quickly.

 

Still I have said Starmer needs to go and it looks like Burnham is the man to oust him.  If he makes a few tweaks and sells policy better he has more of chance of winning the next election than Starmer.

...which is the crux of the matter and, of course, what a few people seem to apparently fear. In spite of every viable stated other option at the present time being demonstrably worse.

 

Anyhow, reasonably routine win in the end. Leadership challenge to follow imminently?

[leicsmac]

Interestingly enough, even though polls stated that the combined value of Reform and Restore votes would likely be more than Labour at this one, the actual result had that combined total short by about 6000 votes.

 

Unusual for the pollsters to overvalue Reform's performances, up until now it's been mostly the other way round and they've been underestimated.

[Trav Le Bleu]

Kingmakerfield.

[CrazyKopCorner]

Fantastic result for Burnham. 

 

Starmer's toast 

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 minute ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Fantastic result for Burnham. 

 

Starmer's toast 

Wonder what he's having for breakfast this morning?

[RowlattsFox]

Such a big bi election and just over half the people could be bothered voting. At least spoil your ballot paper.

The result proves how much of a protest vote greens are because they all go back to Labour when it matters. 

 

With restore on the table, reform and Conservatives need to join up and become a less extreme right wing party. I think there is a lot people of people who have centre right views but can't vote for extreme policies. 

[CosbehFox]

Restored my faith in people a bit that result.

[CosbehFox]

10 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

I've no idea how much credit Burnham should take for it (and I suspect it's at least partly down to having the best part of a billion quid spent on the City Centre after the IRA blew it up) but when I went to Manchester a couple of months ago it was the first place I'd been to for ages (except London) that didn't feel like it was on its arse/seen better days. A proper buzz about the place, so I can see why folk might look at Manchester and say I fancy a bit of that

It’s the only city in the country which has the depth of cultural events going on that rivals London. Birmingham by contrast is boring 

[CrazyKopCorner]

35 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Wonder what he's having for breakfast this morning?

He's crying in to his Hovis mate 

[Bellend Sebastian]

38 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

It’s the only city in the country which has the depth of cultural events going on that rivals London. Birmingham by contrast is boring 

My wife's a Brummie so I've seen more of Birmingham than I would have done so I really like it. 

 

Not enough to be arsed to go on a regular basis, mind

[Raj]

46 minutes ago, CosbehFox said:

It’s the only city in the country which has the depth of cultural events going on that rivals London. Birmingham by contrast is boring 

Birmingham is a fecking dump

 

worse than Leicester and thats saying something!!

[leicsmac]

In more international news, Vance is now making comment on the Israelis that "you can't kill your way out of every national security issue".

 

That's a bit of a departure from the normally stated theme, I must say. Mind you, Vance has always been a difficult one to pin down exactly. Sometimes there's just the reptile there and sometimes there's something...else.

[Jon the Hat]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

In more international news, Vance is now making comment on the Israelis that "you can't kill your way out of every national security issue".

 

That's a bit of a departure from the normally stated theme, I must say. Mind you, Vance has always been a difficult one to pin down exactly. Sometimes there's just the reptile there and sometimes there's something...else.

Its actually quite funny Trump is going to try to dump this terrible deal, and no doubt the associated terrible decision to go to wat in the first place on Vance and Netanyahu.  They deserve everything they get.