Voters of Makerfield show you are not some pawns in a political power struggle

[Goatsarebest]

The voters of Makefield are being used in a political power struggle that is not of their choosing. They elected a MP who has decided that he wants another person to represent them so he can challenge the sitting PM.
AIBU to say they should reject this and not vote the puppet candidate in.
Vote IABU somebody needed to stand down so there would be a credible challenge to the current leadership.
Vote IANBU an elected MP should represent the people who elected them for their full term.

I think it's a massive gamble.

What if Labour dont win the seat? Does someone else then stand down to give him another chance?

I like AB and wish him well. If this was in my area I would be happy with the decision for someone to step aside but after the fiasco with Mike Almesbury and Reform getting in I'd be more concerned about that.

It’s insane to me that they think he’ll win this. In an area that just voted Reform in the local elections, and with constituents who may well feel as OP describes.

And of course, even if Starmer predicts this, he can’t block Burnham from standing without looking like it’s because he’s scared of him (which he may well be, but I still think saying “no, you were elected mayor so do that and don’t risk us losing a Labour seat” would be a reasonable position).

I hope AB/Labour get absolutely spanked by Reform or the greens, I don’t care which.

It would piss me off, if I were in the Makerfield constituency.

People can vote for who they want. They don't need to be told what to do.

I am and it has.

I think this.

There will be a lot of people who will want to shake up shit and put a spanner in the works even if they like Burnham otherwise.

There's a lot at stake here and I'm not convinced Burnham will be able to pull it off.

I wouldn’t vote for someone who was so explicitly and openly only standing because they want to be PM - I would think that the person doesn’t give a shiny shit about issues affecting my local area and as soon as they are elected they will swan off to London never to return.

Id want someone who at least pretended to care and understand my locality, lived locally and who I felt reasonably confident would stick around and be present, available and accountable for their constituents as they are supposed to be.

To be fair, it's a borough of Greater Manchester and Burnham has been they Mayor of the city for years. It's not like they've found him a seat to stand in Cornwall or the Hebrides. It's not a great look I agree, but you can hardly accuse them of parachuting him in.

I believe they said on the news yesterday that he grew up there and has lived in Mackerfield for 25 years. So if that's true, he does know the place very well.

Like I said upthread, I think there’s a good chance he’ll lose.

However, I do think there are a couple of good arguments he can make in relation to your second paragraph. He’s chosen a greater Manchester constituency, so he can say he’s shown he’s committed to that area. Also he’s vocally very supportive of the north, so perhaps a PM with that view might benefit the area - he’s not a London-centric politician like people might criticise Starmer, or Streeting for.

I agree i like Andy Burnham
People are not stupid they know its a gamble
But he is very popular .

Glad that at least he’s lived in Mackerfield, thats something at least.

This. But it would be helpful if people didn't believe what overseas anti-immigration bots are feeding them. Who is funding this, I wonder?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgpyn30dp3o

He’s never lived in Makerfield, he’s lived in Culcheth - that’s some artistic license to say it’s Makerfield, but of course it suits him to claim that.

Ignore the voting public at your peril. People don’t like to be used this this. But I reckon because of who he is, he will win, but not massively. It would be quite the thing if, as a popular and successful local, his neighbours rejected him.

Even if he wins I don’t think it’s right he can swoop in and potentially be PM, he wasn’t even part of the last GE so it’s even worse than the MP changes the Tories made like Sunak. I thought then and still do that changes to a PM mid term except perhaps for illness or death, should trigger a GE. I know it’s not the system but please tell me that voters are NOT influenced by the party leader at GE time. Again, undemocratic in my view.

He isn't mayor of the city. He has nothing to do with running the Manchester City Council. He oversees the wider city-region Combined Authority of the 10 boroughs within Greater Manchester. The Makerfield constituency is in Wigan which is part of this. He does know the area and the people though. He lives on the edge of Ashton in Makerfield, his children went to local schools there and he was MP for Leigh for many years, which is also part of the Wigan Borough.

Lifelong Labour Party member here.

This whole Burnham situtation is absurd.

Makerfield voters expected to vote for him to pander to his personal ambition to be Prime Minister.

Very real risk (bordering on certainty) that the seat will be lost to Reform, then the mayoralty also lost to Reform/Greens.

It's hardly as if a win for Burnham in Makerfield guarantees Labour a win at the next General Election. It's not actually obvious to me that it even improves their chances.

The Government clearly needs to change its focus and direction, and actually do more things that benefit ordinary voters, and drastically improve their messaging so people are aware of the good things they're doing.

Where are the 1.5 million units of social housing, for example? Why are we all still getting ripped off day in and day out by privatised utility companies? Why can't we do our weekly shop without seeing a collection for a food bank? These are the sorts of issues that need sorting, and that might bring their voters back. Not playing silly leadership games.

He lives in Golborne. I go past his house regularly when I go to Asda or Lidl there. His children wouldn't have been able to go to schools in Ashton either if he lived in Culcheth

Thanks for correcting me. I always just here the Mayor of Manchester and think of the city.

In his defence (and more playing devil's advocate here) - voters sent a pretty clear message last week they are not happy with the Prime Minister, and nor are many MPs in the Labour party.

AB's easily the most popular of the potential contenders, and he's experienced enough that I don't think anyone's doubting he can be a competent PM. I'm sure personal ambition is playing a huge role in this (name any politician for whom that isn't the case), but he's probably also correctly assessed that he's the most likely candidate to lead a more popular Labour party and allow it to beat Reform at the next election. I would be interested to hear more about what actual politics he plans to pursue in office if he makes it to no. 10 though.

Either way, the constituents of Makerfield will get the candidate they vote for.

I am no fan of either party, but a lot has changed since the General Election.

This would massively piss me off and if it happened in my constituency I would vote tactically to keep him out.

the markets are already tumbling with just the idea that’s he’s standing

You can't dictate how others vote but if it's a cause you genuinely believe in, get out and campaign for another candidate. Posting on here isn't going to make any difference to the constituents of Makerfield.

I feel sorry for the people of Greater Manchester, their elected mayor promised to serve his term, and is now deserting them to fight a by-election, and if he doesn't succeed, what then?