Last Friday night, Andy Burnham came to Rugby to speak at the first event being run by the new Warwickshire Fabians. He was much better than I thought he would be, and he’s got a lot of very good ideas. I’m just not sure if I can see him as a Leader though.
As he is currently Health spokesman and his last post in the Labour Government was as Health Secretary, a lot of what he talked about was related to the NHS. Of course, the Tories are making a lot of changes to the NHS while at the same time trying to impose budget restraint, and this means that there’s a lot to talk about. He also outlined his idea for a ‘National Care Service’, to provide free care for the elderly paid for with a 10% tax on your assets.
The tax part may alarm, but his other big idea is to introduce a Land Value Tax which would replace Council Tax, Stamp Duty and Inheritance Tax. If this happened first, then the 10% Care Tax, hypothecated to ensuring that people don’t end up selling their homes just to provide for their own care arrangements, could well be more popular than IHT.
The middle of the line 
August 31, 2010 at 16:23
It’s got to be Ed Balls if Labour wants to give the Tories a really hard time. He might be unpalatable to some but he’s intelligent, human and aggressive; perfect for a leader of the opposition.
Failing that Ed Milliband…probably.
All in my humble opinion of course!
September 1, 2010 at 16:46
Well, I still haven’t decided yet. When it comes down to it, I think that the main decision to make is which order to put the Millibands in, as they are likely to be among the last 3, if not the last two.
Ed Balls is doing well as an aggressive opposition spokesman, but then he’s up against the awful Gove, making it a bit easier. However, I wonder if he’s better to stay as a member of the Shadow team and be a ‘bulldog’, than to be leader.
September 1, 2010 at 21:30
I have a vote as a unionist and I’m going Balls, E Milliband, Burnham, D Milliband and Abbott (because she’s a joke candidate and we’re not picking a joker here).
D Milliband isn’t a bad man and I have no axe to grind, but he’s awkward in the way Hague was in the 97-01 period. I just don’t see the public taking to him.
September 2, 2010 at 12:22
I like Abbott, but don’t see her as leader.
My papers arrived today and I still have no idea, except D. Milliband will be last.