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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Reducing immigration is economically illiterate. Ruling out even CU and SM was short sighted. Allowing the 'soaring benefits bill' narrative to go unchallenged was counter productive. Burnham's narrative itself is a far more effective weapon against Farage.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I think the difference is that Starmer's (presumably from McSweeny) strategy was to remain just to the left of Reform. The calculation was that he'd retain a lot of Red Wall votes and remain the only real progressive choice. It was a flawed idea. You can't fight Fascism by being Fascist-lite.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

So I dreamt that Starmer made his Island of Strangers speech and had to reverse the cuts to PIP when 120 Labour MPs rebelled?

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The difference is that Burnham's leadership isn't pandering to Farage style populism. He's offering hope not scapegoats. Starmer wanted to reduce welfare spending by taking away PIP. Burnham wants to reduce it by supporting people into work and tackling the root causes, eg mental health provision.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Limiting the rate of increase of pensions above inflation is not exactly going after pensioners. Sharon Graham is a Brexiter, so her opinion is on a par with Liz Truss's.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

@mrjamesob.bsky.social Loved Burnham's nod to you today. What was really clever though,was he effectively set out his 2nd term. Frees him from the manifesto without needing to call an early election.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

@mrjamesob.bsky.social What have we become? Absolute heroes in tears and black shirts in balaclavas spreading fear and intolerance.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

For the first time ever, I find myself questioning the wisdom of rejoining the Customs Union. If Osborne is in favour, maybe it's not the 'no brainer' that I always believed.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I doubt it. Fascists often come to power democratically, but rarely give that power up voluntarily, no matter what any constitution says.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

@mrjamesob.bsky.social www.facebook.com/share/1E2zYw... Andy Burnham is just so much better at politics than Keir Starmer

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Starmer tasked her with reducing immigration. She succeeded. She was the most effective minister. In my opinion, that was a poor goal for a government to have set - economically damaging for a weak economy. However, should Mahmood be blamed for McSweeney's inept strategy?

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Andy Burnham's instincts and goals appear to be very good. Just straight forward soft left policies. The country will be far better if this works out. The problem will be paying for this programme. In a decade or so, the economy would certainly be improved. But how to get from here to there?

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Being a little pedantic here, but it is possible if the context is correct. I could say that I am going to give 110% of the effort which I gave yesterday.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

For the first and only time in my life, I will be rooting for the Tory candidate. In fact, I reckon LD, Labour and Greens should stand aside to give the Conservatives a clear run.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

By chasing the Reform vote, Starmer comprised his ability to leverage the progressive alliance needed to actually defeat Reform. Burnham shows the blueprint for keeping the hard right out of power: A track record of achievement, a positive vision, no racist speeches & no attacks on the disabled

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Adam Ramsay @adamramsay.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

New research shows that more people abandoned Labour because they were too tough on immigration - and because of their support for Israel - than because they were too soft on immigration.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

He has to go because the key factor is that the Labour leader needs to front a progressive alliance at the next election, or we get a far right government. Starmer has alienated too many people. My choice would be Stella Creasy, but I doubt she'll run. Burnham best bet, followed by Rayner.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Burnham can be PM from the Lords, but Labour Party rules mean the leader has to be an MP. Lucy Powell could be interim leader and Burnham PM until he became an MP. It would be constitionaly acceptable and a workable short term solution...and the best thing for the country.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

No real need. I read that the unions support Burnham. Pretty much every member I speak to would prefer Burnham. I strongly suspect that most MPs are uncomfortable with the current Blue Labour approach. If Burnham challenges, he'll win by a landslide.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

The time has to be now. He'll need three years to undo Starmer's strategic mistake in agreeing with Farage that immigration is a major problem for the UK.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

But will Starmer allow him to stand? I think that Starmer is toast either way. If Burnham is in the Commons, Starmer loses the leadership. If he blocks Burnham, he loses all support and another candidate challenges and beats him. Streeting maybe?

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

At what point do the Tories realise that they can't beat Farage for the hard right vote? But there are millions of politically homeless, moderate conservative, Brexit-sceptic voters who would be very supportive of a sensible centre-right party.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Are they office based or potentially remote?

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Unless we want a Farage government, Starmer should go as soon as possible. He needed to galvanise the left and centre to keep out the hard right populists. Instead, he abandoned progressive social democracy in a ridiculous attempt to get the votes of a thousand racists in Mansfield.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Starmer has to go, and the sooner the better. I'm a soft left social democrat, so should be his core support. The problem is his "rivers of blood" speech, attack on the disabled & pro-Brexit rhetoric just give the message that Farage is right. He's lost the left & pushed the right to Reform. #LABOUR

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Stella Creasy MP @stellacreasy.bsky.social · 07/09/2025

Immigration is a net contributor to the UK economy. The only difference in academic studies is by how much. Pass it on.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

I think she was right to go. When you campaign against tax avoidance and call upon others to resign over unpaid tax, you need to be perfect on that issue yourself. However, you know that there's no way a Tory or Reform minister would have left so honourably.

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

It’s official - “Nigel Farage is right, don’t vote for him” is a demonstrably awful strategy for Labour. Boosts salience of immigration, costs votes on the left, doesn’t persuade any voters on right (why would they accept a crap knock-off when they can have the original?)

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Hopefully @stellacreasy.bsky.social is going to run for Deputy Leader. About time her profile and influence matched her abilities. #Labour

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

@mrjamesob.bsky.social Wouldn't the best compromise be to expand Luton airport? Far easier to access from the Midlands and North and still close to London for your imaginary American friends

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

The unifying factor behind the Conservative Party is equating laziness with poverty - if the poor work harder, they won't be poor. I can't believe that this reactionary nonsense is now Labour Party policy. Although Timm's version is - if the disabled just work harder, they won't be so disabled.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

I think you slightly misunderstood what I meant. Since getting elected, Starmer has been largely pandering to the right - presumably to avoid being trounced in the Red Wall. He's taken the left and centre for granted. With the threat from Corbyn now very real, Starmer will have to change focus.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

The danger of this party is obviously that it splits the progressive vote and lets Farage in. Hopefully, it will make Starmer fight for, at least, centre-left votes, rather than reactionary ones. Corbyn could actually do something positive if he stops Starmer hammering the disabled & aping Powell.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

The news today about de minimis customs imports is also a Brexit story. The limit pre-Brexit was £15. Once Brexit began to be implemented, customs brokerage became inundated, so the government relieved some of the pressure by upping the limit to £135.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Stupid decision by Starmer. The Welfare bill was a terrible idea and should never have been proposed. The opposition from Labour MPs and Mayors gave me some hope that the party is still my party, even if the leadership has made me doubt that recently. This is another strategic own goal.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Not the entire party. This actually highlights the strength of Labour. Even with a poor leader, Chancellor and Welfare Minister, the basic decency of the party came through. There is no way the Lib Dems or the Tories rebel against a whip to support a terrible bill.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Or...stop trying for the reactionary vote and let Farage have them. Pin Brexit on Farage and explain that is the reason for the comatose economy. Go into the next GE with Labour promising to rejoin the SM and CU. Watch the economy fly and inward investment take off.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

@mrjamesob.bsky.social Is Labour's best chance if winning the next election to make it about Brexit? Accept that Farage has the reactionary 25%. Pin Brexit on him. Say that winter fuel, PIP etc were forced by the economic realities of Brexit. Vote Labour to rejoin SM & CU to rebuild UK. #BREXIT

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Which underlines what a disastrously bad policy austerity was. Reducing the spending power of the least wealthy condemns an economy to scrape along the bottom. People with no reserves spend their incomes quickly - this recycles quickly through the real economy and back into government coffers.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

There's a basic principle that Starmer, Reeves and Kendal forgot: you should not try to balance the books by making the lives of vulnerable people intolerable. Borrowing more, taxing wealth or tightening the rules on tax avoidance won't kill people, taking away PIP will.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Indeed it is, but if the Govt just kept that in mind before trying to force through policies which are incompatible with basic Labour values, it would save a lot of heartache and wouldn't hand the next GE on a plate to Farage.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

@teamlabouruk.bsky.social People vote Labour, join Labour, become Labour councillors, and become Labour MPs because they believe in social justice. Keir Starmer must understand that ultimately, party stakeholders will not allow policies that make life intolerable for the vulnerable. #Labour

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

I actually think that the root cause is the bond markets. If the govt does not placate them, public borrowing becomes unsustainable. The bond markets prefer centre-right policies, so that's where governments are forced. That isn't making life better for many people, hence the dissatisfaction.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

I'm sure that by addressing the reasons that people are claiming that the benefits bill can be reduced. Get people the training, education, health care and support they need, and they will become productive. Drive them into poverty and they will become less productive and many will die.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

You did the right thing. You have taken a backwards step in your political career. Eventually, the party will rid itself of this Blue Labour cult. Then we'll need MPs that we can trust and support, and currently you are top of that list.

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Steve King @stevekderby.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

@teamlabouruk.bsky.social You simply cannot go ahead with the cruel plan to cut disability benefits. It is immoral and will destroy the party. You will be unable to govern without your core support.

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