Mailwatch(ed) Forum

I don't think that I have ever felt actual sadness about someone's political demise, but that is exactly how I feel about Starmer's. Profoundly so.

There is not a shred of doubt in my mind that this man is as decent and committed to a better country as the day is long, particularly this one. The same cannot be said for the feral press and television news.

Starmer is easily the best PM in my lifetime. My definition of best is a simple one, what he's achieved and how he behaves whilst doing it.
Burnham makes me very nervous because I have no idea what his plans are or if he is competent - he's never been tested in high office.
I'm particularly concerned about the economy and global affairs. Burnham has been consistently luke-warm at best on the EU so it seems likely progress there will stall and he has shown no interest in international politics - how does he stand on Putin, Trump, Ukraine? No idea.
However, what I cling to is every Labour government is better than every alternative. If Burnham can convince me he can win 2029, he'll have my support.

kreuzberger wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2026 4:54 pm The same cannot be said for the feral press and television news.

Or indeed, his backbenchers.

Pretty disappointed that he's appearing to step down without a fight. I think that has been my only problem with him: whenever a challenge pops up he has tended to fold, with Trump's stupid war being the exception.

If he does depart, he’ll have done so without ever losing.

And I suspect out of office he might end up being much lauded, and I hope made use of. He’s a decent bloke who had some poor advisors, some bad luck and some unforced errors. But he turned Labour around quicker than anyone thought possible and has made some genuine inroads in fixing the Tory mess.

kreuzberger wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2026 4:54 pm I don't think that I have ever felt actual sadness about someone's political demise, but that is exactly how I feel about Starmer's. Profoundly so.

There is not a shred of doubt in my mind that this man is as decent and committed to a better country as the day is long, particularly this one. The same cannot be said for the feral press and television news.

Possibly Neil Kinnock in 1992, and the similarities don't end there.

To me as a non-Labour member, Starmer comes across as a decent man who's done an okay-ish job with the hand he's been dealt with but whose personality doesn't fare well against a self-serving media class and impatient public that think 14 years of Tory misrule can be turned around in less than two.

If he stands down in the next few days with Burnham to (inevitably) move into 10 Downing Street, then I hope he better show some balls of steel before he gets attacked the same way.

Seems Mango Mugabe has weighed in too.