Will

Normal tweets from supposed Labour supporters

A bit of Andy Burnham lore that shows exactly why I rate him so highly. I was chatting to a homeless guy who’d fallen on hard times one late evening recently. As a long shot, I messaged Burnham. Within minutes he replied and helped. He’s genuinely one of life’s good guys.

@leftinista Doing the gods work

I have to galvanise and unite the youth across the centrist to leftist spectrum and create a coalition of people who will pump out edits of Andy Burnham aura farming at such unprecedented speed that Reform won’t know what hit them

@UnionJacked__ Ed

Realistic ideas for chancellor under Burnham?

@KatieCurtis Yeah 20 years ago

Burnham is from the Blairite right of the party!

@KeithRoberts49 @LabourList The starmerites are reaping what they sow

@LabourList If true, a shame. An abuse of our democratic constitution by a faction, places officers in a very difficult position.

EXCLUSIVE: Labour Party officers have agreed by majority to allow Andy Burnham to stand as a candidate in the Makerfield by-election, LabourList understands. The rest of the NEC are expected to ratify the decision in a meeting on Tuesday

First hurdle crossed ✅ CLP selection next

🚨 BREAKING: The NEC has voted to let Andy Burnham stand as the Labour candidate in the Makerfield by-election [@thetimes]

I hope this isn’t true. There are times when it’s more important to put country before party. This is one of them. Burnham’s longstanding commitment to a fairer voting system could transform our democracy & counter dire threat of a Reform UK government theguardian.com/politics/2026/…

Keir Starmer is not a ‘decent man’

Spoken to thousands of people on doorsteps over 15 years. No one has ever mentioned GDP - means sod all to ordinary people. Things improving by 0.6% for big business doesn’t help working class people at the bottom of a decades long downward spiral in living standards.

@tomhfh And that’s a good thing. Labour can’t afford to adopt the greens policy on migration. That is not where the country is. Burnham should stand his ground

Many on Labour's left expecting a change of tack on migration issues will likely be disappointed under a Burnham premiership, if he wins Makerfield and becomes PM. The Prime Minister would have switched from a man representing a Green facing inner London seat, to a man representing a Reform facing post-industrial one. Shabana Mahmoud would likely stay on as Home Secretary. ILR reform would be seen through. Legal migration numbers will continue to tumble. Burnham in Makerfield will personally feel the heat of Reform, and hear loudly from their voters, more so than many other potential leaders.

Andy Burnham has put his career and reputation on the line to demonstrate an ability to beat Reform in a tight marginal. This is exactly the kind of courage Labour needs if it is to win the next election.

How is he STILL using this line. Has no one told him it makes no sense

@EdConwaySky @BethRigby @AndyBurnhamGM The bond markets are stunting growth. Andy Burnham runs the fastest growing region in the uk and this how they react?

UK government bond yields jump around 10bp this morning after the news yesterday pm about @AndyBurnhamGM standing for Parliament

@TallyCat8 @lewis_goodall You’re utterly delusional

@lewis_goodall Incorrect. It will have to go to members. Members don't want Burnham.

Really feels that if Burnham wins Makerfield there could be a Labour coronation. We’ll have never seen a by-election like it before. For all intents and purposes, a direct prime ministerial election, in a single constituency.

Tomorrow’s front page

Makerfield By-Election Winner Odds (And Implied % Chance): LAB: 8/13 (53%) RFM: 5/4 (38%) RES: 16/1 (5%) GRN: 33/1 (2%) CON: 66/1 (1%) LDM: 200/1 (0%) Via @Ladbrokes, 14/05 @ 20:30.

I have been loyal to every Labour leader since I delivered my first leaflet as a 12 year old. But, like many colleagues, I’ve been expressing concerns for some time about the direction of travel of our party in government. Last week’s local election results brought such concerns into sharp focus. Our party is the greatest organ for social change this country has ever seen but, if we carry on down this road, we face an existential threat and risk letting down the very people we are here to represent. Through the unstinting work of Labour Councils across the country, we have delivered some remarkable things. Last week hundreds of them lost their jobs because people on the doorstep told us that they didn’t feel the government was on their side. Many of them specifically blamed the Prime Minister for failing to deliver. We ignore the electorate at our peril. In July 2024, my party was elected with a mandate to deliver change. When the country voted for it, they did not expect tinkering around the edges or business as usual; they expected meaningful change that would begin to reverse more than a decade of decline. Let’s be clear: our government has delivered some transformational things. Stronger rights for working people. A genuine shift towards putting more power closer to the people. Real attempts to tackle some of the injustices and inequalities that have held communities back for too long. But too often, significant achievements have been overshadowed by chaos, drift, and a lack of clarity about who we are and what we’re here to do. People don’t expect perfection from politicians. But they do expect purpose. They expect leadership and vision. And right now, too many feel they’re not seeing either. Our party and our country are at a critical moment. We need a serious contest to decide Labour’s future - and that means widening the field, not narrowing it. Andy Burnham should be allowed to stand in the Makerfield by-election. I’ve known Andy a long time. I’ve seen how he leads, how he connects with people, and how deeply he believes politics should not be transactional but focused on improving lives. At a time when we’re losing support in all directions, he is someone who can bring people together. Someone who understands our country, who connects with communities beyond Westminster, and who knows how to turn Labour values into practical change. The Labour Party has always been at its best when it has been bold, rooted in the lives of working people, and confident enough to have the arguments that matter. This is one of those moments. If we’re serious about rebuilding trust, reconnecting with the country, and delivering the kind of change people voted for in 2024, then we have to seize it. It is the chance to elect someone who can take the country forward and deliver the genuine, progressive change that areas like mine are crying out for. It is about hope and not despair. Politics is crying out for leadership that feels grounded, authentic and rooted in people’s day to day lives rather than Westminster psychodrama. Andy has shown that kind of leadership in office. Labour shouldn’t be afraid of that contest. We should welcome it.

@michburt_burt @BNHWalker It would hopefully split the Reform vote

@wiIlholt @BNHWalker The candidate will lose their deposit.

For Makerfield, Britain Predicts says... Reform: 41% Labour: 28% Green: 12% Conservative: 8% Lib Dem: 7%