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Vote Burnham!

Just thought you might be interested in Andy Burnham's appearance at a BBC Labour leadership debate

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10804438

We all know he's a blue, but I was a little surprised about how often he mentioned it, as an indication of him 'remaining a human' despite being a politician, and saying that David Moyes was one of the two or three people he most admires in the world!

He also said it was his personal priority to release the Hillsborough files if he was PM, and seemed close to choking when talking about it.

Let's hope he gets the job!
Andrew Humphrey, London Posted 30/07/2010 at 11:06:17

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Dave Lynch
1 Posted 30/07/2010 at 13:59:28

Why? What's he gonna do for Everton? Politics and sport should remain seperate, remember when we where banned because of Heysel. Politics and politicians had a say in that.

If all he has to admire is a football manager when and if he's running the country, then I despair. Politicians are like football agents, they are all lying bastards who would sell their granny's soul, if they thought it would benefit them.

Tony J Williams
2 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:12:36

I will put you in the "undecided" pile then Dave?......... but I agree with everything you say.

Jeff Magee
3 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:17:25

I heard him on the radio a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised about how many times he mentioned his beloved blues and I was warming to him until he uttered the words ....'Watch this space' and all of a sudden my heart sank.......

Helikaon Bow
4 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:20:07

Politics has no place on this website. We talk about football here not political candidates so why its been added I?ve no idea.

Dave Lynch
5 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:21:07

Is it that obvious, Tony? lol.

Dave Lynch
6 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:30:24

Another thing: To use Hillsborough as a vehicle to curry votes, because that's what he's doing, is crass. So no, I hope he does not get the job.

Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
7 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:37:30

Dave Lynch (#6), that is in my opinion a particularly poor comment. I have no great pangs about Hillsborough because I see it as a Liverpool issue but many Evertonians who went to the other semi-final or had relatives and friends involved, primarily from Burnham's home town, are still aggrieved over the lack of justice, as I'm sure you well know ? That is surely what Burnham is reflecting; to claim this is to "curry votes" is poor form indeed.

The intention of allowing this post was not to engender political 'discussion' (although I should have realised the kind of comments we are getting were inevitable) but to acknowledge the man's acknowledgement of Everton and David Moyes and how important support of the Blues is for him, as a potentially massive public figure. If nobody has anything to say about that, then I'll close the thread.

ps: I really don't think Andrew means "Vote Burnham" in the literal sense ? more a jokey way of highlighting the 'story' [but if you have to explain it, well...]

Dave Lynch
8 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:46:30

Point taken, Michael. But the way I see it is this. Politicians need to put themselves in the public eye, they need to have a public profile in order for voters to recognise who they are and what they are about. That is what I was alluding too.

I grew up and still live in the city and also know a lot of people who where affected by the tragedy. Let the justice system do it's job and sooner, rather than later the truth will out.

Brendan O'Doherty
9 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:55:46

Vote Burnham? Do TW readers have a vote in the Labour leadership contest?

He has no chance of winning anyway.

Phil Bellis
10 Posted 30/07/2010 at 14:53:42

Michael
One of my Labour MP friends, (a kopite, sadly) in a constituency bordering Liverpool, told me he would "laugh his cock off" if Everton left the City for Kirkby but not to worry as Burnham was on the case
I was told by another colleague how close the Kirkby debacle came to being allowed through
I will always be grateful to Andy and respect his Everton credentials, for his quietly effective anti-Kirkby stance

Gavin Ramejkis
11 Posted 30/07/2010 at 15:14:11

It's funny how we all have things we like and dislike in people we know. I tend to side with Andy Burnham as he is a Blue but that's tempered by his stance on saying the Iraq War was the right thing to do, which in hindsight should have seen Tory Blair tried as a war criminal.

Brian Donnelly
12 Posted 30/07/2010 at 17:45:46

A few weeks ago, Andy Burnham spoke at the ESCLA AGM and the one thing that shone through was his love of Everton.

The fact that he mentioned, on about 4 separate occasions, how much he was against the Kirkby move ? well he?d get my vote just for that alone!

Karl Masters
13 Posted 30/07/2010 at 17:53:58

He seems ok to me and certainly seems a bit more in touch with reality than some of his cohorts.

Dave Lynch makes me laugh when he says let the legal system do its thing over Hillsborough and the truth will come out sooner rather than later. Bloody hell, Dave! 21 years later and we are still waiting... do you call that sooner?

If Andy Burnham wants to finally get what we all suspect out in the open before half the relatives of thise poor souls die never knowing the truth then good on him.

And, if he was anti-Kirkby then clearly he is not as stupid as the 59% who voted for it, even if Wyness did carefully control who could vote to get the result he wanted.

None of us have much time for politicians these days, but there are degrees of greed, selfishness, sleaze, failure to understand your electorate, and I don't see Andy Burnham to be like a lot of his colleagues.

Dave Lynch
14 Posted 30/07/2010 at 18:26:51

Karl.
It took virtually that long for the enquiry to be finished. Did it not ?
As far as i am aware no information could be made public until then.
You are right in your assumption that i have no time for politicians. Being old enough to have lived through Thatcher, Blair and now this sham of a government has seen to that.
I have every sympathy with the victims and families, both personally and professionaly.

Kevin Wynn
15 Posted 31/07/2010 at 10:19:50

Andy burnham was supposed to be completely impartial about the Kirkby move due to his position in the govt at the time. If he is now admitting that he lobbied against it then he should be brought to account. he is also guilty of accepting frre tickets without declaring them

Richard Dodd
16 Posted 31/07/2010 at 11:46:19

Them buggers will do/say (mostly say!)anything to get elected.
A pox on all their houses-I hate them worse that RS!

Phil Bellis
17 Posted 31/07/2010 at 13:06:44

Kevin,
I was told he was more like a Sgt Wilson - "do you think that's wise, Captn Mainwaring"
As I've found myself in business, you can manipulate bosses by reminding them of the bad things that will happen if ... rather than stating the good things

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