Mailwatch(ed) Forum

He's now saying he got no help from the party in his mayoral campaigns.

I think he can fuck right off, and I think a lot of other active Labour members will feel the same. He has shot his bolt in the most stupid manner, and I think that's it for him.

Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Thu Jan 29, 2026 6:52 pm He's now saying he got no help from the party in his mayoral campaigns.

That's just daft, it's so easy to disprove. Who does he think he is, Kristi Noem?

He was a dead cert incumbent. What help did he want?

Andy Burnham has said he stepped forward to stand for the Labour Party in the upcoming Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election because he wanted to "fight the politics of Reform" and "defend Greater Manchester from being picked apart"...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0lxy4y26wdo

Defending Greater Manchester by jacking in his job as Mayor of Greater Manchester to sit on the back benches as representative of one small part of Greater Manchester?

Burnham, who is widely seen as a potential leadership challenger to Sir Keir Starmer, said he did not try to "undermine the government"but he wanted to "create a more positive path for everybody".

Chinny reckon

Well, on the one hand, we have much-needed infrastructure; on the other hand, we have wealthy pensioners. So I think I'm going with the much-needed infrastructure.

Malcolm Armsteen wrote: ↑Thu Jan 29, 2026 6:43 pm He's lost a lot of love with his professional northerner schtick, and now he looks disloyal and ego-driven...

As mistakes go it's on a par with Portfolio's phonebank.

I'm assuming he means the £120m a year extra fianance costs. if that's indeed accurate. I'm guessing it's like those "PFI cost this much" takes which gild the lily by assuming that every conventional government project comes in on time and budget.. That amount would barely touch the sides with WASPI, and would have them protesting about an insult.

He might mean cancelling the whole project, I don't know. He's talked like a Green before re development. If he does, as you say, that's a ridiculous idea. Glad to see this bit of populism has gone down badly BTL.

And if I'm not mistaken, that's a left wing MP on Twitter. How many of them have left exactly? But it's not OK for the Government? It's one thing to think that Twitter is a cesspit, but quite another to think that the Government shouldn't at least post its own case. Lots of Government business isn't political messaging anyway. It's posting information, in reasonably good faith. It would be ridiculous to argue that it didn't post health information, when every crank is on there posting takes about vaccination etc.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Fri Jan 30, 2026 9:47 pm And if I'm not mistaken, that's a left wing MP on Twitter. How many of them have left exactly? But it's not OK for the Government? It's one thing to think that Twitter is a cesspit, but quite another to think that the Government shouldn't at least post its own case. Lots of Government business isn't political messaging anyway. It's posting information, in reasonably good faith. It would be ridiculous to argue that it didn't post health information, when every crank is on there posting takes about vaccination etc.

The Twitter boycott only applies to Starmer. All the YourParty figures I've ever heard of are on there, as are the Greens, LibDems, Tories, SNP, Plaid, Sinn Féin and, of course, Reform. Strangely I never hear criticism of their continued use of it.

It is worth pointing out that Dan Norris has not been a Labour MP since he was suspended and lost the whip in April 2025. Technically, he doesn’t belong in this thread.

Another reason to celebrate the back of McSweeney. Nearly every piece of legislation the government is pushing through are bread and butter issues like the employment rights bill. Mr Hinder chooses to bang on about GBNews anti woke bollocks and how out of touch Labour is with working people. With friends like that..

Irony is they are already putting a lot of work into net zero.

Net zeroist rejoinerism seems pretty attractive to me.

Most of the time Jonathan Hinder seems to get on with it, like any other backbench MP. Why does he get up some days and spout drivel?

It does say he has been through several general elections, unless it means campaigning in general.

Whoever said it is a fucking cretin mind.

I suppose it's unlikely it's Hinder then. He looks like someone who's been chosen as an "outsider" MP. For which there's something to be said, but not some of the things he says.

The “ombudsman” has no power to bind the government. Can Clive really not think of a better thing to spend £10bn on?

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Sat Feb 14, 2026 10:40 am The “ombudsman” has no power to bind the government. Can Clive really not think of a better thing to spend £10bn on?

Maybe, but there's nothing better today for him to have a dig at Starmer for.