[davidjay]

What does he think happens in Birmingham?

It gets shafted by the BBC for a start. He forgets little things like that.

[kreuzberger]

"Gather your shawl and clogs, and just look how tattered and battered the rest of the country is, you aspirational bastard."

Goodness me ...

[Tubby Isaacs]

I suppose he might reasonably point out that Birmingham is getting its HS2 link and nowhere in the North is.

[MisterMuncher]

The thing about a bucket of shit is that people remember who spilled it, not who filled it.

It makes perfect sense to me for Burnham, and really anyone in Labour to keep piling the pressure on the Government re: HS2, because it's just such an obvious timebomb it needs to be detonated when it's still in Tory hands.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Don't think anyone disagrees with that. Just think his talking like every not the North is the same is the big irritant with him.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Long thread here on bus deregulation and re-regulation. Key point made that what people expect in Greater Manchester is going to cost a fair bit of new money. Not obvious that it'll be easy for a new Labour Government to provide that. Councils don't have any.

Wouldn't be surprised if Starmer's team have been on to Burnham to tone it down a bit. It's a good policy that'll save some money, but don't get too carried away at this stage.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Time to put him back up the top. Since I posted the last bit, the Bee Network seems to have come on pretty well, so perhaps I was pessimistic.

Well might he do this in Makerfield. I think there's a pretty viable position. even there, that Freedom of Movement remains out (that was of course the Jez position in 2017) but do what you can to help business.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Andy Burnham says Labour must put energy and water under public control
Greater Manchester mayor suggests programme of renationalisation would be key policy if he succeeds Keir Starmer as PM

He doesn't say "denationalization". He talks about control, like his buses which are privately operated.

I put them back under public control with the £2 fares, so you take that principle and apply it to energy and apply to the water – that’s what I think we need to do.

Maybe there's some think tanks thing about greater local control somewhere? Expanding GB Energy? Or maybe he's just going with the flow in the way his critics say.

[The Weeping Angel]

Talked to my brother today. He wants Burnham and believes that only he's needed, since we need radical change, not tinkering around the edges.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The markets may not be so enamored with radical change as Labour members. And the public may not be particularly enamored with the tax rises.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Talked to my brother today. He wants Burnham and believes that only he's needed, since we need radical change, not tinkering around the edges.

That'll go down well...

[Tubby Isaacs]

Rupert Lowe says he's running a candidate in Makerfield. I doubt this will make much difference to the vote, but if Reform don't win you might get a big row on whether Farage lost because he was too nice.