Andy Burnham rules out calling an early general election

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ruled out calling an early general election before 2029, telling the BBC ‘I’m going to rule it out’ and saying his focus was on getting Britain back where it should be.

Burnham officially became Prime Minister last week after Keir Starmer resigned following weeks of pressure after disappointing local election results in May, with Burnham making it clear he intended to launch a leadership election after being re-elected to Parliament.

He went on to secure the nominations of an overwhelming majority of Labour Party MPs and became Prime Minister, however critics have claimed that Burnham has no mandate to deliver the kind of bold and radical change that he intends, as the wider public have not vote for him.

Appearing on Laura Kuenssberg’s Sunday show in his first major interview as prime minister, Burnham was asked: “You say that you coming into power would be the biggest change this country has seen in four decades.

“Thing is, 25,000 people voted for you in Makerfield, the 48 million people in the electorate in this country haven’t had a chance to have a say on any of your plans, do you rule out having a general election before 2029.”

Burnham replied: “There is no early general election, and millions of people you mentioned voted for a manifesto, we’re in a Parliamentary democracy so that is what people voted for and I will honour that manifesto.”

The Labour leader said he had faced the public in Makerfield, and also had the support of colleagues in Parliament.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward