[Yug]

Apparently, Burnham’s already on borrowed time

Labour has been rising in the polls under Andy Burnham, partly at Reform’s expense. Some of the over-excited commentary in the wake of the Clacton by-election has suggested that Nigel Farage’s party has peaked. But we are not about to return to “politics as normal”. The fundamentals of British politics still favour Farage...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/0 ... ur-reform/

...I have written before in these pages that Burnham should call a snap election as soon as possible. Labour is close to peaking under his new leadership and the window of opportunity to hold and win an election is closing.

In the next few weeks alone, there will be multiple opportunities for Reform to put Burnham on the back foot...

This wibble is brought to you courtesy of one James Frayne

James Frayne is a political strategist and a specialist in political opinion research. He has held senior roles in government, campaigns and in the corporate world. He founded the research agency Public First in 2016 and was previously director of communications at the Department for Education and director of strategy at the Policy Exchange think tank.

[soulboy]

DfE? I can't be arsed to look up the details but I am assuming he is one of Gove's acolytes.

[Yug]

More swivel-eyed wibble from the Daily Excess for people who can do joined-up writing

As if bringing Andy Burnham down to earth and nailing Nigel Farage were not enough, Kemi Badenoch is under fire from former Tory MPs. They are miffed at being kept waiting to know whether they can stand again at the next general election.

She has already been accused of treating colleagues badly, after the ex-Cabinet minister Sir Grant Shapps was reportedly rejected by the tough new selection process introduced by the Conservative leader.

Dame Penny Mordaunt is among those who have been kept in the dark about their possible return. Claims that the former defence secretary was told to expect a decision by June have been accompanied by anonymous briefings calling the new system a “chaotic mess”.

Mrs Badenoch has refused to comment on individual cases, but has made it clear that there will be no special treatment for Tory grandees. Kemi should stick to her guns. The sense of entitlement of some “One Nation” bigwigs shows exactly the kind of arrogance that she is trying to eradicate...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/0 ... ive-party/

"Bringing Andy Burnham down to earth and nailing Nigel Farage"? I must have missed those "remarkable successes"

Her own remarkable success cannot hide the fact that the Conservatives are still widely unpopular. Many lifelong Tory voters have not yet forgiven the party for its broken promises and psychodramas.

Kemi has made real progress in turning Conservative fortunes around, but in the polls the party still lags behind a rebranded Labour Party and a scandal-ridden Reform UK.

The cretin hasn't paused to consider that her "remarkable successes" and Trumpian policies might be a big reason why the Tories are still regarded as toxic.


Wibble

[Tubby Isaacs]

The relatively moderate Tories aren't asking for special treatment. They're just wanting to know if they're banned or not.

[Andy McDandy]

Talk about making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Or more accurately, making a 500 word article out of one scrap of 'fact'.

[Rosvanian]

It never fails to amaze me how Badenock doesn't seen to get it that the people she spends her whole life sucking up to will also have her on a "boat back to where she came from" before she can say "but".

[Tubby Isaacs]

Rupert Lowe would, but there's a fair bit of the radical right who wouldn't. Zia Yusuf is apparently very popular in Reform.