Would you be more likely to vote Labour if Andy Burnham was in charge?

[QueenStevie]

As the title says really.

I certainly would. I have had massive amounts of respect for Andy Burnham since he spoke at the Hillsborough memorial and was changed at by the crowd and you could see how he took it and how it registered with him and, from then on, he took on the fight and ran with it.

I have also been really impressed by what he has achieved in Greater Manchester. If he'd have been able to stand in the Gorton and Denton by election, I have no doubt he would have won. I worry now that the ship has sailed though and Labour have just been discredited so much that even Burnham might not win a by-election.

No. The fact that he gave up his seat as an MP to become "Mayor of Manchester" when any sensible politician would have hung on to it for dear life, indicates to me that he is a man with less than zero political skills.

I cannot see how having him leading Labour rather than Starmer would be any sort of improvement.

{Edited for typo]

No of course not, don’t be silly, it’s the policies that’s the issue not rh figurehead, Andy burnham no more qualified to be prime minister than the waitress down my local restaurant.

I think he will lead the Labour party at some point - unless he chooses not to try.

I don't think it will make Labour any more electable. They have to show that they have done good by the time the next election comes around or they will lose badly.

I’ll never vote Labour so no

I would prefer it if Starmer remained in post.

He’s a reverse Midas, a one-man wrecking ball, an inadvertent Trojan horse, and the gift that keeps on giving to the opposition.

Leave him where he is.

I find him hot

I don't vote Labour so probably not who you want to hear from. But I don't understand why Andy Burnham makes a suitable PM? He's a nice chap, a better communicator than Starmer and appeals to people in the north, but what else is going on? What are his policies?

No.

Absolutely. I might even rejoin the Labour Party.

I’m in a Tory safe seat and actually found myself voting Tory for the first time ever on Thursday because the second party in my area are reform. So I would probably hold my nose and do that again in general elections, depending on what is happening then.

Personally i really like Starmer, I think he’s strong on foreign policy and is actually getting quite a lot of the manifesto through. I read the article in the Guardian last week about Burnham being poised to challenge, I think it’s risky, but I don’t hate the idea, it said he wanted to run on a platform to introduce PR and I’m definitely in favour of that.

It would show a complete lack of respect for voters if an existing MP stepped aside for him.

The problem with all these potential replay is that they are more left, not what the country needs. I would never vote Labour anyway.

Just another Oxbridge SPAD but with a Scouse accent.

No, he knew what was going on in Oldham and Greater Manchester with the grooming gangs and ignored it for votes. I like him even less than Kier Starmer.

I don't mind him, but he loves himself a wee bit too much. He'd get the same treatment as Starmer from the media (and social media) and wouldn't cope well with it. It would dent his ego.

I think Labour needs someone fresh.

eta: CanaryLibra's post illustrates exactly what I mean about him getting the same treatment as Starmer.

I would because I am a lifelong Labour supporter and I doubt he would change that. But I would prefer Starmer to stay in post and I think AB is arrogant and sly. I remember how he spoke to Yvette Cooper when they were leadership contenders and I found him unpleasant. I also remember him being shadow secretary for education and saying teachers should have to be re-registered every three years or some such shit. I don't like him and anyone who thinks parachuting him in will solve all Labour's woes and the electorate/press will all get right behind him and salute him as King of the North taking over the country is delusional.

Edit: I misread the question and didn't notice the 'more'. No, I wouldn't be more or less likely to vote Labour. I would vote for them but would not reactivate my membership, which I am currently considering doing.

So does everyone, goes without saying. Not really a reason to vote for someone although he would make PMQs more watchable tbf

Nope. A previous successful mayor became the leader of a political party. Look how that panned out.

The issue is not Starmer, the issue is a Labour party whose underlying values and political dogma is out of step with the people and with the economic needs of the country.

We don't need Starmer out, we need Labour out.

Starmer has played a good game vis a vis Iran and entering a war. One of his predecessors took us illegally into war and remained popular. It doesn't make sense. The real issue is some of those around Starmer: Reeves and Raynor spring to mind.

What also doesn't make sense is the fact that traditionally hard left voters are voting for Reform. They doing so because they are pissed off with Labour and for one or two policies which form the tip of the iceberg of a hard right agenda.

Sadly, the masses look at popularity and journalistic spin rather than at the hard facts before them.

Hell would freeze over before I'd vote Labour!

Is it the eyelashes?

What also doesn't make sense is the fact that traditionally hard left voters are voting for Reform

Are they? I thought they were going Green?

Suspect it’s both, frying pan and fire spring to mind.

As if the hard left are going to Reform 😅

No, Burnham will flip flop more than Starmer does and he appears to be very thin skinned. He couldn’t stand the daily battering he’d get from the Press. Government requires tough decision making and he hasn’t got what it takes. He always comes across as a complete people pleaser to me. Weak.

Where will they go?

Without asking AI or googling his last re-election campaign, why are you really impressed with what he has achieved in Manchester?