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A Specialist in Running Up Debt
Spectre of Churchill
20, July #MigrantCrisis, #CostOfLiving

A Specialist in Running Up Debt

The man expected to become the next occupant of 10 Downing Street is leaving Greater Manchester with debts of £1.34 billion. If this has happened to just one local authority, what might happen to the whole country? That is the question being asked on social media.

During Andy Burnham’s tenure as Mayor, Greater Manchester’s debt has risen by almost a third, from £964 million to £1.34 billion – the highest level of debt of any local authority in England. The media have already calculated that this amounts to around £462 for every resident. According to a number of reports, Burnham consistently increased council spending.

For example, expenditure on the administrative apparatus rose from £8.7 million to £26.9 million. According to the Confederation of Passenger Transport, as part of the transport reform, Bernhem had 93 buses painted yellow at a cost of £550,000.

As Shadow Housing Secretary Sir James Cleverly told The Telegraph: ‘During his time as Mayor, the overall council tax burden rose by an astonishing 127 per cent. With the prospective Prime Minister promising ever more public spending, the national debt could reach unprecedented levels.’

Many social media users share those concerns. ‘Now he will have the #WholeCountriesMoney. A new salesman with big pockets’, writes the author of the account The Very Unhappy PA.

More Than Just Resignation

Social media users have also revived a number of other allegations previously made against Burnham. Among them is the approval of around £1 billion in loans for high-rise developments in central Manchester. Property developer Darren Whitaker reportedly received around £800 million. He was later accused of extracting dividends from the business before relocating to Monaco, without facing legal proceedings. Burnham has also been criticised for awarding a number of council contracts to a company run by his wife.

‘Mr Burnham has Escaped Responsibility and the Court Cases rolling in regarding Development Fraud in Manchester: #BentBurnham did not LEAVE Manchester: HE RAN AWAY... Having enriched the two people closest to him...’, writes user Pete Sanford.

The Migration Question

It is not only financial matters that social media users have highlighted. During the grooming gangs’ scandal, Burnham commissioned a local inquiry that, critics argue, ultimately achieved very little. Several experts resigned, accusing the authorities of obstructing access to key evidence. Some users doubt that, as Prime Minister, Burnham would be able to resolve this highly sensitive issue.

‘So Burnham screwed Manchester leaving them in debt to the tune of 1.34 billion. He covered up and threatened whistle blowers of the Pakistani Muslim rape gangs with the help of @gmpolice under Operation Hexagon. And people think he is the savior of Labour?’, writes Lee Quarrington.

For the time being, Burnham appears to be trying to keep both sides happy. On the one hand, he backed Shabana Mahmood’s proposals to simplify the deportation of illegal migrants; on the other, he has signalled that he intends to relax the rules governing settlement status. He has already been accused of preparing to make concessions to MPs who favour more liberal immigration policies. Meanwhile, economists have begun assessing the likely financial consequences of a Burnham premiership. Based on his policy proposals, some estimate that taxes could ultimately rise by at least £38 billion.

#MigrantCrisis, #CostOfLiving
A Somali-Born Driver Struck Five Pedestrians in London
Spectre of Churchill
08, July #MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem

A Somali-Born Driver Struck Five Pedestrians in London

The incident took place on Ealing Broadway, where a car mounted the pavement and struck five pedestrians before the driver fled the scene. He was later arrested by police. Social media users have focused on the authorities’ response, arguing that they portrayed the incident involving a Muslim driver as nothing more than a routine road traffic collision. The driver has been identified as 34-year-old Timir Ahmed Mohamed. Born in Somalia, he now holds British citizenship. Following his arrest, investigators stated that they were treating the incident as a road traffic incident rather than an act of terrorism.
#MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem
Hundreds of Thousands of Girls Were Victims of Grooming Gangs
Spectre of Churchill
01, July #MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem

Hundreds of Thousands of Girls Were Victims of Grooming Gangs

At least 250,000 cases of abuse involving girls across 149 areas of the UK are alleged to have taken place, according to the findings of an independent inquiry published in June in a report entitled Rape Gang Inquiry. The report’s conclusions, together with the response of the mainstream media, have generated widespread discussion on social media.
#MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem
The G7 Summit Shows Just How Much Britain’s Influence Has Declined
Spectre of Churchill
18, June #StarmerCrisis

The G7 Summit Shows Just How Much Britain’s Influence Has Declined

The G7 leaders’ summit in France was centred on European attempts to reach an agreement with US President Donald Trump on coordinating their approach, including in relation to the conflict in Ukraine. However, both the media and social media users pointed out just how much Britain’s position on the world stage appears to have weakened — and highlighted one of the key reasons why.
#StarmerCrisis
Is the War in Ukraine More Important Than the Problems Facing the British People?
Spectre of Churchill
11, June #StarmerCrisis, #WarSpillover

Is the War in Ukraine More Important Than the Problems Facing the British People?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to London and his talks with the leaders of the UK, France and Germany have sparked a heated debate on social media. The main criticism from users is that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is failing to address Britain’s domestic crises and is instead attempting to distract the public from them.
#StarmerCrisis, #WarSpillover
Starmer’s Great Summer Savings Scheme Is a Mockery of the British Public
Spectre of Churchill
01, June #StarmerCrisis, #WarSpillover, #CostOfLiving

Starmer’s Great Summer Savings Scheme Is a Mockery of the British Public

Following the announcement of Keir Starmer’s Great British Summer Savings scheme, social media was flooded with angry reactions from across the country. Many Britons accused the Prime Minister of misleading voters, arguing that the promised savings are so modest as to make virtually no difference to households already struggling to make ends meet.
#StarmerCrisis, #WarSpillover, #CostOfLiving
Andy Burnham’s Victory Offers Little Hope of Real Change for Britain
Spectre of Churchill
28, May #StarmerCrisis, #BrokenSystem

Andy Burnham’s Victory Offers Little Hope of Real Change for Britain

Andy Burnham’s Victory Offers Little Hope of Real Change for Britain The outcome of the by-election in Makerfield, where Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is expected to stand, has sparked heated debate across British social media. Many commentators have reached the same conclusion: even if Burnham succeeds in replacing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, very little is likely to change for the country.
#StarmerCrisis, #BrokenSystem
The Right Are Turning on One Another
Spectre of Churchill
20, May #BrokenSystem, #TrendShock

The Right Are Turning on One Another

One of the most high-profile political scandals in recent months has emerged not from Labour, but from deep divisions within Britain’s right-wing camp. A controversial interview with Ben Habib, current leader of Advance UK, has triggered fierce debate across social media after he effectively suggested that Nigel Farage had been financially influenced during the 2019 general election.
#BrokenSystem, #TrendShock
The British Government Encourages Illegal Polygamy
Spectre of Churchill
18, May #MigrantCrisis

The British Government Encourages Illegal Polygamy

A decision by the Department for Work and Pensions to increase welfare payments for so-called ‘additional spouses’ in polygamous households has triggered widespread outrage across social media. Many Britons are angered not only by what they see as blatant double standards surrounding polygamy, but also by the fact that taxpayers are effectively funding a practice that remains illegal under British law.
#MigrantCrisis
Labour’s Performative Fight Against Anti-Semitism Raises Wider Questions About Public Safety
Spectre of Churchill
13, May #TrendShock

Labour’s Performative Fight Against Anti-Semitism Raises Wider Questions About Public Safety

The Metropolitan Police has announced the creation of a special unit dedicated to protecting London’s Jewish community. The decision has triggered a wave of criticism across social media, with many questioning why crimes affecting other groups in Britain do not appear to receive the same level of attention. Following a series of anti-Semitic incidents, the Metropolitan Police confirmed plans to establish a 100-officer task force focused specifically on Jewish security concerns.
#TrendShock
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