Andy Burnham | Manchester Mayor

[west didsblue]

I don't think that is everyone's sole reasoning as I tried to articulate above.........

Yes but it’s a key factor from what I’ve read on here.

 

[west didsblue]

I've tried the app..............it is abysmal. Ghost buses for example. Waiting at bus stops in horsizontal rain (no bus shelter) and a bus is on the app coming in 2 minutes. Next it disappears.

Worked for me last time I used it, and there’s a bus shelter at my stop.

 

[Snape]

I hope Burnham can get MCC to sort out Piccadilly Gardens before he leaves.

 

[west didsblue]

well bully for you.

Do you live in West Didsbury? Fonzo left Manchester for a reason.

Anyway.........Some people in Manchester or Greater Manchester dislike Burnham not just because of football allegiances......deal with it.

Yet 63% of those that could be arsed voted for him. Deal with that.

 

[TinFoilHat]

Surprised they haven't made Ange give up her seat so they can parachute Andy into it.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Nobody's forced you out of your car. Grow up.

However, increased car density across GM has ensured that roads are clogged up at all hours of the day.

I don't use my car much these days as I work in town and Prestwich is well served by public transport but I'd quibble with that statement. It's quite probable that there are more cars on the road but councils, particularly Manchester & Salford, have instituted a number of measures over the years to make life more difficult more motorists, and to encourage people onto sometimes inadequate public transport.

There are strong arguments in favour of bus lanes but the lanes should be contiguous, not stop/start. And why do you need those enforced for as long as they are? As you'll know, the one down Bury Old Road by Heaton Park, which goes into Manchester, is in force between 7am and 10am, then 4pm to 7pm. Why not just 7:30am to 9am? Why do we need to enforce bus lanes in the afternoon rush hour going against the direction of rush hour traffic? In Salford, if you're driving out of town, at the junction of BNR and Moor Lane/Singleton Rd, the right hand lane is right turn only, which forces a huge volume of traffic into one lane(although they. have thankfully returned to traffic light sequence to a less problematic one).

I fully understand why councils would prefer people to use public transport but without major investment, people are still going to use cars. Congestion causes more pollution so while we can't obviously create infinite road capacity in urban areas, we should be looking to remove measures that increase congestion where possible. It's great to see that Bury Council are building a multi-storey car park on Fairfax Road to replace the previous one to encourage people to use it as a Park-and-Ride hub but why is there no equivalent bus service on Bury New Road to the 135 on Bury Old Road?

Let's do what cities like York & Oxford do, and have multiple, huge Park-and-Ride locations outside their city centres and a regular bus service from these locations (if there's no tram stop).

By the way, I'm happy with Burnham as mayor. Manchester has shown it can work with central government, even one that's not from the same party. But given the hand that central government has dealt local government generally since 2010, I think he's stuck up for us robustly and played his hand well.

 

[mosssideblue]

I think Andy Burnham has done a great job for Greater Manchester and would be an excellent PM. I do think he’ll see out his term as mayor till 2028 but he would then have a year to win a by-election and take over the leadership of the party in good time for a 2029 GE. The big question is whether Starmer can survive three more years.

All the hate for him based on football allegiances is pathetic.

What experience does he have to land the big job?

 

[west didsblue]

What experience does he have to land the big job?

He was a government minister under Brown and Blair.

 

[Brewster's millions]

I think Andy Burnham has done a great job for Greater Manchester and would be an excellent PM. I do think he’ll see out his term as mayor till 2028 but he would then have a year to win a by-election and take over the leadership of the party in good time for a 2029 GE. The big question is whether Starmer can survive three more years.

All the hate for him based on football allegiances is pathetic.

Starmer surviving for three more years?

Are we talking actual years here, or dog years?

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

He was a government minister under Brown and Blair.

I had a quick chat to him just before the 2010 election when he was Health Secretary and we were in the same carriage on a train down to London. Seemed like a decent guy.

 

[BTH]

Playground stuff mate. You're the one who needs to grow up.

Yes forced out of cars by parking restrictions around the ground you gobby prick.

I could get to and from the ground in 10 minutes ... No congestion fuck all as I could avoid Ashton New Road. Now I'm stuck on a dangerous rammed tram clogging up Ashton New Road.

No buses to be seen.

I see. So having an opinion that differs from yours is playground stuff, but resorting to name-calling isn't?

Is this how you react to everyone who disagrees with you?

 

[BTH]

You

"Grow up" comment is yes. No need for it at all or are you just a wumming ****?

You can say it to my face tomorrow if you like? PM me.

Now off you pop..... gobby.

You do know this is a forum, don't you???

 

[BrianW]

I use public transport almost every day and I have no doubt at all it has improved since the Bee Network was established. The previous set-up was chaotic, especially on the north side of Manchester.

Is it perfect? Hell, no. Buses are often delayed by chronic congestion and road works. But if you want European standards, we need to start paying European levels of tax, which no one seems to want.

 

[urban genie]

I use the bee network and it has got better but it is also still very shite in the east manchester area especially the routes to ashton which are overcrowded and normally off time table the idea a single bus route is every 10 mins on a major road is the issue, the 192 frequency should be used for ashton old and new rd, also the use of single trams on match day is ridiculous I have to agree

Plus the customer service support are as bad a virgin media in my opinion and just fob you off.

I don't blame that on Burnham though as I doubt he is at GMPTE head office directing traffic daily.

As for the homeless, workingin town there is a noticible drop in numbers, what has increased outside the city centre is professional beggars outside local supermarkets and road junctions which the police need to deal with, again not something you can solely blame the mayor for.

 

[BTH]

I sat on TFGM Committee for several years and dealing with the operators was like pushing water uphill. Some of them at least.

The worst offender used to come in every six weeks, mumble a few excuses and basically take the hit.

The problem was they had opted for a business model that just wasn't viable, but they were stuck with it regardless.

At least now, the business for the whole of GM is under one umbrella and we now know how much is coming in and from where - info that was difficult to determine previously.

Initiatives like the £2.00 fare cap for an hour and tap & go are real bonuses and no, it's not perfect but you don't undo over a third of a century of privatised mismanagement in 18 months.

 

[jaiguruKun]

I remember when he first came to prominence thinking he was very green and unpolished but over the years he has become a very adept communicator. It would be interesting to see how he would do as party leader/PM.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I remember when he first came to prominence thinking he was very green and unpolished but over the years he has become a very adept communicator. It would be interesting to see how he would do as party leader/PM.

I’d hope for a significant shift in our disposition towards Trump if he became PM.

 

[flook]

I’d hope for a significant shift in our disposition towards Trump if he became PM.

I'd like to think there'd be no overlap

 

[york away to this!]

He tends to have a dishonourable sheen of sweat on his top lip...

 

[west didsblue]

I’d hope for a significant shift in our disposition towards Trump if he became PM.

I don’t think Starmer feels he has a choice when it comes to the overblown sycophancy. Any other US President would see right through it as they’re not stupid but Trump’s narcissism makes him believe he is entitled to be treated as king of the world, and by going a long with it, it gives us the best chance of limiting the fallout from Trump’s idiocy.