Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Oh, Lord. (D'you count that as a pun?)

Lisa, can. you possibly stop this? What do you think it achieves?

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham should be allowed to stand as a Labour MP, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has said.
In January, Burnham was blocked by Sir Keir Starmer and his allies on Labour's ruling national executive committee (NEC) when he attempted to become the party's candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Labour went on to finish third in the by-election, behind the Green Party and Reform UK, in what had previously been a safe Labour seat.
Nandy told The House Magazine, external she disagreed with the decision to block Burnham from standing and said she would "support him in whatever he wants to do".

Burnham very obviously wasn't suddenly smitten by the prospect of handling complaints about kids in Gorton drinking cider on street corners. He was trying to take over from Starmer, sooner rather than later. You think he public wants more of that soap opera stuff?

Interesting. I heard her recently on the Media Show talking about the future of the BBC amongst other things, and she seemed assured, confident, and on top of her brief.
I've no idea why she would need to get involved in this kind of nonsense.

Killer Whale wrote: ↑Tue Mar 24, 2026 12:52 pm I've no idea why she would need to get involved in this kind of nonsense.

It's odd, she has a stonking majority so she has no reason to be tailgating his popularity.

Killer Whale wrote: ↑Tue Mar 24, 2026 12:52 pm Interesting. I heard her recently on the Media Show talking about the future of the BBC amongst other things, and she seemed assured, confident, and on top of her brief.
I've no idea why she would need to get involved in this kind of nonsense.

Yes, I heard her on that too and thought she gave a good account of herself?

Especially as Labour seem to be getting some good support from their recent handling of the Orange cretin.

John plays the greatest hits. Iraq!

Man's a dissimulating cunt.

I thought he stepped up as Shadow Chancellor until the daft 2019 manifesto. Immaturing with age since then.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Sat Mar 28, 2026 8:09 pm I thought he stepped up as Shadow Chancellor until the daft 2019 manifesto. Immaturing with age since then.

Yes, always struck me as the most grounded of Corbyn's inner circle, but there's no need for that anymore.

Mr Turner speaks

I’m a Labour MP, I was born Labour. I had very little choice. It was rammed down our throats as kids. My father was a trade unionist. My mother was a trade unionist. The Labour party is the nearest thing I’ve got to a religion.
I want to be back in the Labour fold, but I’m not going to kowtow, and I’m not going to start doing as I’m told on juries, because it’s the worst idea that any government of any political persuasion could have ever come up with. It’s barmy, and it won’t work

You see, Karl, that self-promoting way you're talking there, might just conceivably be the sort of thing the party are fed up with. There are zillions worse ideas that every alternative to the Labour Government would come up with. As well you know.

The Institute of Government project the "productivity" improvements from the measures as 9-13%. I think most areas of public policy would take a 9% productivity improvement. Whether you think this is worth restricting jury trials on principle, is of course a different thing. By all means, make that case.

This may have been the immediate trigger.

Why are so many Labour politicians so bad at politics?

They're often great at the "fire them up" bit, less good at the "negotiate something realistic with the other side" bit.

I blame student politics.