ANGELA t CAMPBELL

Ex-Primary English Consultant. Associate Lecturer: English in Education. B Ed Hons MA NPQH - All views are my own. Woke.

[@johnandi#FBPE#GTTO#LetsTryUBI#FollowBackFriday @johnandi]

Our allies around the world, who have the highest regard and respect for Keir Starmer, must be gazing at the UK in utter astonishment now, thinking that we have gone collectively insane. They would be correct.

[Mark Mitchener @markofagenius]

According to a You Gov poll only 23% think Burnham would make a better PM than Starmer. Perhaps Andy should do some thinking.

[Brendan May @bmay]

Labour has gone from 'Change' to 'Hope' in less than two years. If they carry on like this then the next slogan is called 'Opposition'.

Idiotic spectacle, this. Really stupid.

[ANGELA t CAMPBELL @ACAMPBELL9]

@MikeTappTweets Well said, Mike.

[Gordon Fielden @GordonFielden]

Connor, this is complete political nonsense.

A single by election result does not represent a seismic shift in British politics, nor does it suddenly make Andy Burnham the answer to every question facing the Labour Party.

What I think many of you are failing to grasp is that you may be setting in motion something that will come back to haunt both yourselves and the party.

You seem convinced that this is the beginning of a political revolution. I suspect it may prove to be the exact opposite.

The Labour Party won a substantial general election victory under Keir Starmer. He is the person who took Labour from opposition into government. Yet some now appear willing to throw that away in favour of a politician whose national credentials remain entirely untested.

The public are not stupid. They will ask a very simple question. Why would a governing party remove the leader who won a general election and replace him with someone who did not?

The answer to that question matters, because if voters conclude that Labour has become more interested in internal factional battles than governing the country, the consequences could be severe.

You may think you are creating momentum. You may think you are creating hope. What you may actually be creating is the beginning of a split between the party and the broad coalition of voters and members who supported Labour because it returned to the centre ground.

If that happens, the shockwave will not be felt by your opponents. It will be felt by Labour itself.

And when the consequences arrive, some of us will remember that people were warned long before they happened.

[Matthew Stadlen @MatthewStadlen]

MPs telling England footballers to win to avoid women being domestically abused is the sort of damaging nonsense we can expect if Reform win the next election. Difficult to overstate what a shambles it would be for the country.

[Reform Party UK Exposed 🇬🇧 @reformexposed]

Not only did Reform UK lose all 3 parliamentary by-elections yesterday, they also lost 2 council seats to the Conservatives.

[Meidas_Charise Lee @charise_lee]

This is so beautiful‼️ I have tears of joy‼️

[Detectorists Addicts @DetectoristsA]

Detectorists... A timeless piece of comedy magic 🪄
@BBCiPlayer
#Detectorists

[tom @tomoutthere]

This shot is one of the most beautiful things of all time. Makes one realise there is still some amazing people out there.

[🇬🇧King 🇬🇧 @King0243_PJC]

Richard Tice’s “Bullets not Benefits, Warfare not Welfare” line is genuinely disgusting.

It’s a cynical, callous false choice that deliberately pits support for disabled people, pensioners and struggling families against our armed forces.

A serious country funds both. This isn’t clever politics, it’s lazy, divisive scapegoating.

Stop treating the vulnerable as the enemy of national security. #ReformUK #Welfare

[Michael Bailey Photography @jollybeggars]

St. Mary's Lighthouse, North Tyneside this evening.

[nazir afzal @nazirafzal]

As the FIFA #WorldCup starts, we have the FIFA Peace Prize Winner bombing one of the countries taking part

[David Aaronovitch @DAaronovitch]

This man was banned because of his nationality and for no other reason. FIFA did nothing to help him, not even lodge a protest. Ugh https://t.co/6ayCu4CPd9

[James Lucas @JamesLucasIT]

Stairs at the University of Balamand, Lebanon

[Rock - NA-FO Raccoon @NAAF0Racoon]

Zelensky was told that the Kremlin thought his open letter was “rude”.

His response: “they should’ve seen the first version “

😆😂🤣

[Gordon McIntosh ✨ #FBPE 🇪🇺 💙 @Gordy_Mc1ntosh]

So the choice for Labour leader would be the guy actually doing a good job and delivering or the guy who ran away and has spent months conspiring to overthrow the man doing a good job.
I'm not sure why this is even a question.
#StickWithStarmer

[Philip O'Connor @PhilipOConnor5]

@lukejcr This is a wholly unnecessary by-election in a seat that was already Labour. It is predicated on the huge ego, hubris and duplicity of @AndyBurnhamGM. He, and MPs like you should be ashamed of their disloyalty. I support @Keir_Starmer to continue the job he was elected to do.

[Miss Chief 🤨 @Midge1415]

@SuellaBraverman @Marie32123495 Top tip: when you do a kindness, nobody should hear of it from your lips, as that only demonstrates the kindness was only done for benefit of the doer, not the recipient. Had my fill of this tragedy tourism. You’re like a shower of mourn magnets.

[Gordon Fielden @GordonFielden]

Here's a scenario that few commentators appear to have considered.

What if Andy Burnham were to return to Westminster, not as a challenger to Keir Starmer, but as part of a united Labour government?

Burnham has previously served as Health Secretary and undoubtedly understands the pressures of the role. Rather than engaging in a divisive leadership contest, could Starmer invite him back into government to lead the Department of Health and help deliver Labour's manifesto commitments?

Starmer would remain Prime Minister. Burnham would bring his experience to one of the most demanding departments in government. Both men could then focus on the task of rebuilding public services, strengthening the economy and preparing Britain for the major constitutional and economic questions that lie ahead, including the long term relationship with the European Union.

Politics does not always have to be about rivalry. Sometimes the strongest governments are those that find a way to bring together talented people from different wings of the same party.

Perhaps the question should not be whether Burnham replaces Starmer, but whether the two could achieve more by working together.