[Tubby Isaacs]

Not that Streeting will win, but can George (who always does those clever footnotes on his website) refer me to all this privatization that's happening at Health? And even if it were, wouldn't that just be making the system more like the others in Western Europe? And is he saying there's "austerity" now, or that Prime Minister Streeting is going to reverse all of Reeves' extra spending? That sounds rather unlikely.

Surely George wouldn't just be going on personality and vibes, because he's Mr Issues?

[mattomac]

Apparently the Tories and Reform are delighted… of course they are

[Boiler]

According to the BBC, Mahmood is suggesting Starmer should resign.

Maybe she should fuck off to Reform.

[mattomac]

I was hoping the worst case scenario was another 3 years as I know it will be the end of the University sector when Reform get in and I’ll be out of a job.

And that’s what will happen. Absolutely foolish cunts. Every single one of those fuckers. I hope they are all out of jobs come the next election. Prefable to be a Lib Dem.

[davidjay]

If I were him I'd say fuck this for a game of soldiers and walk away. He needs them a lot less than they need him

[Oboogie]

Maybe this is Rebecca Long-Bailey's Liz Truss moment?

*scampers away to hide*

[kreuzberger]

Maybe this is Rebecca Long-Bailey's Liz Truss moment?

*scampers away to hide*

I'll need to consult with the Mailwatch elders, but I think that that is a banning offence.

[Boiler]

I understand that nasty little bitch Cooper is another calling for Starmer to go.

Always said she was in the wrong party. Fucking Blairite scum.

[davidjay]

Maybe this is Rebecca Long-Bailey's Liz Truss moment?

*scampers away to hide*

I'll need to consult with the Mailwatch elders, but I think that that is a banning offence.

Seconded.

[Boiler]

Maybe this is Rebecca Long-Bailey's Liz Truss moment?

*scampers away to hide*

Made oi larf, that did...

Meanwhile, hat-tip to Marie Rimmer: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... rie-rimmer

{But} Rimmer, who has been an MP since 2015, said: “I’m not planning to stand down for anybody. I was selected by my constituency party and it’s my constituency party who decides who stands. I’ve not spoken to Andy Burnham in years and neither has he spoken to me.”

Allies of Burnham said the two had in fact spoken recently. Rimmer, 78, said she had experienced ill health but had not stopped working and had not held any conversations with the Labour party about her future.

She said she did not believe Starmer should stand down as prime minister. “I don’t think it’s the right thing to do. It’s chaos. We will end up looking like the Tories. There’s far too much going on in the world today. It’s just a nonsense to me, panic stations like this.”

[Tubby Isaacs]

Andrew Lewin, MP for Welwyn and Hatfield, has told the other MPs not to be so silly. He's been critical on policy too, I think.

Starmer couldn't block Burnham a second time. If MPs want Burnham, why can't they wait for that? None of this makes sense except as headless chicken panic.

[Abernathy]

Starmer couldn't block Burnham a second time. If MPs want Burnham, why can't they wait for that? None of this makes sense except as headless chicken panic.

Well, he arguably did not actually "block" Burnham from applying to be a candidate at the Gorton & Denton By-election . The NEC did, because as an incumbent metro mayor, Burnham was obliged to seek NEC permission in order to abandon his elected mayoral post to try to get elected to Westminster at a by-election. He was not (correctly in my view) granted that permission by the NEC.

I do realise that it is perhaps foolish to think that the leader and PM has no influence over NEC decisions, but the question does arise as to what circumstances have changed since Gorton & Denton to prompt the NEC to change its mind this time about letting Burnham bale out of the Manchester mayoralty in order to pursue his personal leadership ambitions? Burnham remains a metro mayor. It'd still be needlessly expensive to trigger a mayoral by-election in Greater Manchester that Labour could well lose to Reform. So why let him do now what was deemed to be not on when the Gorton & Denton by-election was in prospect?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yeah, I know the background in the NEC, and agreed with their decision. I just very much doubt that they'd block him again if he tried.

If you're somebody who wants Burnham there, as lots of the "rebels" seem to, then why wouldn't they wait?

[Abernathy]

Yeah, I know the background in the NEC, and agreed with their decision. I just very much doubt that they'd block him again if he tried.

Why ?

If you're somebody who wants Burnham there, as lots of the "rebels" seem to, then why wouldn't they wait?

Well, yes. Rayner, Streeting, and Miliband have all bottled out of any challenge. Mahmood may well have sealed her demotion, possibly to the back benches, at the next re-shuffle, as may Yvette Cooper and John Healey. If Burnham really is the cure-all answer, then just wait until he is actually in a position to challenge in 2028.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Why? Because I think they'd need to recognize the feeling in the party that wanted Burnham to come back to the Commons. This needn't be next week, by any means. Could be best part of a year.

Mahmood ought to have been sacked by Starmer now, with Dan Jarvis stepping up.

[Abernathy]

I don't agree that the NEC would feel a need to recognise a feeling in the party that wanted Burnham to come back to the Commons . I'm not sure the NEC has ever recognised feelings in the party about anything. In any event, 81 of 400 odd MPs saying they're unhappy and one junior minister resigning does not really represent any sort of consensus in the party.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think the numbers who reckon Burnham at the very least could do a useful job in central government is likely to be a lot higher than 81.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Jess Philips has resigned. Deeply disappointing. But still nobody of Cabinet rank.

[Oboogie]

Maybe this is Rebecca Long-Bailey's Liz Truss moment?

*scampers away to hide*

I'll need to consult with the Mailwatch elders, but I think that that is a banning offence.

You'll never take me alive Copper!

[Abernathy]

Very disappointed to hear that Jess Phillips has apparently now resigned her ministerial post.