By Mark E. Saunders of “The Scottish Minuteman” https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=61575625542197
Standing on the steps of Downing Street after becoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham presented himself as the leader of a fresh start and a different kind of politics.
But how many times have we heard those same promises made on the same steps of Number 10, only to see them quietly abandoned almost as soon as the new Prime Minister walks through that shiny black door?
I’m old enough to remember Margaret Thatcher declaring: “Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth” — words borrowed from the Prayer of St Francis. Variations of those familiar words have echoed through more than half a century of prime ministers.
As with every prime minister from 1979 to 2026, the rhetoric soon collides with the political reality of governing for the British establishment. And it hasn’t taken long for Andy Burnham to appear no different than all the rest.
Within twenty-four hours of promising to renew politics and deepen devolution, he has demonstrated that his vision seems to geographically end somewhere between the Solway Firth and the River Tweed.
He rejected John Swinney’s appeal for a new relationship between Westminster and Holyrood by refusing to recognise Scotland’s democratic mandate to pursue independence, despite recent polls indicating majority support for independence.
But then came what many will see as an added insult: the proposed appointment of Anas Sarwar.
Rather than allowing the Scottish Labour leader to answer for his party’s worst election defeat in the history of Devolution, Burnham is set to elevate him to the House of Lords before appointing him as a government minister.
This move is difficult to ignore.
A politician rejected by the Scottish electorate is rewarded with a peerage and a Cabinet post through an unelected chamber.
It is also politically awkward.
Sarwar’s public call for Keir Starmer to resign helped trigger the chain of events that ultimately brought Burnham to Downing Street.
So the appointment risks appearing less merit-based and more an exercise in political cronyism.
For a Prime Minister who promised to renew politics and devolve more power, this is a disappointing opening act.
There are few clearer examples of the old Westminster tradition: appointing political allies to the House of Lords rather than allowing voters to decide their fate.
If this is Andy Burnham’s definition of a new politics, it looks remarkably similar to the old one.
Meet the new boss.
Same as the old boss.
We won’t get fooled again.
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My first reaction when I heard this was Whit???? What on earth is Burnham doing?
On reflection though, you’ll always catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar. Sarwar has been effectively removed from Scotland having been given what he always craved.
Burnham is not daft.
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So what happened to my country Scotland Sarwar he just another hypocrite when the ermine calls hopefully he will be the last and the people of Scotland wakes up sees what Westminster always do.
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Why should we be shocked at this appointment ?
Sarwar was clearly rejected by the electorate but is undemocratically given a ”nice little earner” by his new Party leader .
Burnham has not been elected by the electorate to his present lofty position – he has simply been installed by a bunch of cowardly Labour MPs worried about their own position .
Nor has Burnham the confidence in the electorate to offer himself as PM in a General Election to democratically confirm his position . He is too feart !
But he unashamedly rejects the democratically tested mandate of the Scottish Government for the Scottish people to decide their own fate in a referendum .
Just another English Westminster chancer who sees ”the country” as Engerland !
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“the proposed appointment of Anas Sarwar”
“set to elevate him to the House of Lords before appointing him as a government minister”
That’s news to me.
Oh well , good luck to him (Sarwar).
At least he’s getting what he wants , unlike us who are still in limbo as far as us getting Scottish independence .
So really without any movement on that then what is the friggin point of us repeating the same old same old grievances.
To what purpose ?
(That is, if the SNP do not do something other than just keep on asking for another Indy Ref , while knowing full well what the answer will likely be i.e. NO).
I mean really what is the effing point ? (rhetorical Q so really no response required).
Liz S
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