𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Andy Burnham has said he is not tempted to call a general election, even as Kemi Badenoch warned her team to be ready within months. The Prime Minister has faced mounting speculation that he could be gearing up for a snap ballot after his Budget in October. Yet, speaking to the media on Thursday, the Makerfield MP said he can “knock that dead” when confronted over an early ballot. Instead, he confirmed the next General Election would take place in 2029, when it is scheduled to happen.

He made the comments as Labour members and MPs head to Liverpool for their annual party conference, where all eyes will be watching for hints as to what the new PM has planned for the years ahead. Mrs Badenoch has reportedly told her Tory team to be ready regardless of what No 10 says about election timing. Speculation has long been swirling around Westminster that Mr Burnham will seek a personal mandate by putting his new Government to a vote.

He himself called for early elections when the Tories changed leaders in the turbulent period following the Covid pandemic, taking to social media to write: “We need to start demanding a General Election at the end of this Tory leadership election.” Mrs Badenoch branded the Labour leader a “gambler”, telling LBC: “I think it is this December. I think Andy Burnham is a gambler. I think he might fancy his chances, but we fancy ours as well.”

Polling from Ipsos ahead of the Labour Conference shows the Tories on 21%, Labour on 27% and Reform UK on 23%. Speaking to ITV, Mr Burnham said: “All of this speculation on an early election, I can knock that dead. You know people want me, new in the office, to be getting on with the job of delivering.”

He added that he did not want to put “self-serving politics before that, which is what I would be doing if I call an election. I am not going to do that.” Just 61% of the Labour Party’s 2024 voters say they would stick with Mr Burnham next time around, the Ipsos poll revealed.

Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos in the UK, said: “Andy Burnham rides into Liverpool this weekend with plenty of reasons for cautious optimism.

“Labour now lead in the opinion polls and is retaining more of their 2024 vote than under Keir Starmer. In particular, Burnham seems more effective at keeping Labour’s left flank of voters on board.

“Part of Labour’s recent success comes down to Andy Burnham’s personal appeal. He is preferred as PM to his main rivals and is more liked than them and his own party.

“However, it remains to be seen how far this personal appeal can take Labour. While Burnham appears to be well-liked, the public is less clear that he is doing a good job as Prime Minister, with his satisfaction ratings as PM two months in lukewarm by historic standards. With a challenging by-election and Budget ahead, neither Burnham nor Labour can take their recent uptick in fortunes for granted.”