[mattomac]

Just made me think how sad it was about Rayner.

[The Weeping Angel]

Oh look

https://labourlist.org/2025/11/whip-res ... fare-bill/

Neil Duncan-Jordan, Chris Hinchliff, Brian Leishman, and Rachael Maskell have all had the Labour whip restored today.

It is understood the MPs spoke with the Chief Whip, Jonathan Reynolds, today and have had the Labour whip restored, following a review of their recent conduct.

All four had the whip removed for ‘repeated breaches of discipline’ in July after they had voted against the final welfare bill.

Leishman has been a thorn in the government’s side over the Grangemouth refinery as well as a range of social issues, Hinchliff led a rebellion on planning, and Duncan-Jordan, who was one of the earliest critics of winter fuel.

In a statement, Rachel Maskell said: “I am grateful that the whip has rightfully been restored and want to especially thank all those who have been so kind to me over the last few months. I am Labour to the core and will always stand up for Labour values, to be a voice for those in need and to seek justice at every opportunity. I will continue to work hard for my constituents in York as their Labour and Cooperative MP.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Neil Duncan-Jordan seemed very harsh. But Leishman acts like the nothing counts except for keeping Grangemouth open as a massively loss making refinery. The Government's instead spending big to set up new industries. Maskell has got on my nerves, but isn't any worse than some others for near constant negativity. I can only hope that Hinchliff hasn't taken a chunk out of the planning bill.

[The Weeping Angel]

Top thinking from Rachel.

[mattomac]

"Let"

If truth be told, Burnham winning Manchester is even less impressive than Rotherham winning Merseyside.

[Abernathy]

On HIGNFY, they just played a series of clips of Labour politicians all condemning the Tories’ perpetual leadership crises in the last years as a “psychodrama”. I’ve never really thought about this before - I just assumed it was a very bad thing. But it turns out that a psychodrama is an actual thing, a tool used in psychiatry/psychotherapy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychodrama

[Malcolm Armsteen]

I think that psychodrama involves a degree of introspection, self-evaluation and awareness of one's internal issues and challenges that has been wholly lacking in conservatives of all stripes for a generation.

[Youngian]

"Let"

If truth be told, Burnham winning Manchester is even less impressive than Rotherham winning Merseyside.

I know a mayor's more limited remit can stave off unpopularity but Burnham's consistently high approval ratings in leafy suburbs and red wall areas can't just be explained away by 'a red rosette on a donkey could do that.'
I'm a long way from being convinced Burnham is the candidate to revive Labour's fortunes but I could be if the evidence starts to stack up.

[Tubby Isaacs]

He’s got a nice job. He mostly pops up looking dynamic and talking about better trains and buses.

[Samanfur]

He’s got a nice job. He mostly pops up looking dynamic and talking about better trains and buses.

And speaking as someone in a commuter town for Manchester, he seems to be delivering on the buses.

Northern Rail can find a ditch and get in it. But I don't blame Burnham for that.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Pleased to hear he's doing well. Maybe the expectations of a "London" type service has been set a bit high, because it doesn't have the population density or outside commuters, but improvement is welcome.

The Government are running Northern now. Lots of the problems go back to the Blair-era franchise in which growth was massively underestimated. I don't know how long it takes to sort stuff out properly. Perhaps Burnham could take some of those lines over in time and improve them? When TfL took over London Overgrouns lines, there was an improvement, but the mayor's precept went up quite a bit. Whether that's easy to do now, with less growth about, I don't know.

In terms of investment, the emphasis seems to be on the Trans Pennine stuff rather than the Northern Rail stuff. So I guess it won't get much better for a while.

[Tubby Isaacs]

You'd hope that this put a stop to the "future leader" talk at least. Of which there has been an absurd amount, seeing that I'm unaware of anybody actually saying it. It's like someone in the 90s suggesting Frank Field because he had some rightwing views, or James Purnell in the 00s.