New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ruled out calling a snap election. Mr Burnham, who has been in the job around a week after succeeding Sir Keir Starmer, said he would stick to Labour’s 2024 manifesto and that holding an election now would “postpone that essential work”.
He said: “No I’m not. I don’t think that is right. We live in a parliamentary democracy.
“There was a manifesto in 2024, I’m sticking to that manifesto.
“I’m bringing forward my version but it is still within that manifesto. I just think we need to focus on making the country work.
“That is the biggest priority right now. A general election would postpone that essential work.
“I’m also trying to do politics differently, as I did when I was mayor of Greater Manchester.”
Despite being in position for mere days, Burnham’s approval rating is already at +13 – higher than Sir Keir Starmer enjoyed at any point during his two-year tenure.
However a YouGov poll for the Times and Sky News, published today (July 24) shows that Reform hold a two-point lead over Labour when it comes to voter intention.
Reform are on 23 per cent while Labour are on 21 per cent, the Conservatives on 20, the Lib Dems on 14, and the Greens are on 13 per cent.
Since taking office, Burnham has made a series of spending announcements and inaugurated the new No10 North, based at Heron House in Manchester.
This, he said, will be the “situation room for making Britain better”.
Burnham has already been dragged into a row over prisons after announcing he would halt an early prison release scheme.
The move came after anger over the news that two killers who were jailed for the manslaughter of police officer Andrew Harper might be released early.
Albert Bower and Jessie Cole were jailed for manslaughter after the PC was dragged more than a mile on country roads after getting cuaght in a strap on a vehicle. The new PM said no prisoners would be freed under the scheme until the government conducted a review and had “done everything we can to minimise risk to the public”.
But Sir David Gauke, former Tory justice secretary, said this decision means prisons will run out of capacity by November.