Potholes, bus fares and headphone dodgers: will Burnham’s strategy of ‘everyday fixes’ succeed?
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Since Burnham took office Labour has prioritised small fixes to try to show voters it can make a genuine difference, with government insiders delighted at the public reaction</p><p>In the first episode of Armando Iannucci’s political satire The Thick of It, the hapless minister Hugh Abbot is in the back of a taxi, frantically brainstorming for an on-the-hoof policy he can announce to the assembled national press.</p><p>“So you want something sexy and eye-catching, and that is free and universally popular and instantly applicable. No one can possibly object to it,” says the addled junior advisor Ollie Reeder. “Well, really, you should have said something before then, because I’ve got a file about <em>that</em> fucking thick of that back in the office.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/oct/23/andy-burnham-everyday-fixes-strategy-bus-fares-pubs-potholes-headphone-dodgers">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Since Burnham took office Labour has prioritised small fixes to try to show voters it can make a genuine difference, with government insiders delighted at the public reactionIn the first episode of Armando Iannucci’s political satire The Thick of It, the hapless minister Hugh Abbot is in the back of a taxi, frantically brainstorming for an on-the-hoof policy he can announce to the assembled national press.“So you want something sexy and eye-catching, and that is free and universally popular and instantly applicable. No one can possibly object to it,” says the addled junior advisor Ollie Reeder. “Well, really, you should have said something before then, because I’ve got a file about that fucking thick of that back in the office.” Continue reading...
Curation & Context
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