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Andy Burnham has definitively stated that he does not intend to call an early general election should he become prime minister later this month. During an online Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit, he was asked about the possibility of an election being called prematurely. Burnham responded, “No. As I said in my speech on Monday, I’m going to work to the 2024 manifesto.”
Currently the MP for Makerfield, Burnham stands as the only candidate vying to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour Party. If successful, he could assume the role of prime minister on 20 July. The most recent general election took place on 4 July 2024, resulting in a Labour landslide victory. Labour’s majority means the next general election must be held by August 2029, although the prime minister has the discretion to call one earlier if desired.
During the AMA, thousands of Reddit users submitted questions to Burnham. Among those who participated was Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who challenged Burnham for seemingly avoiding tough questions. She commented, “You’re going to be prime minister soon so it’s time to start acting like one. Come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny and some tough questions. Are you up for it?” Burnham acknowledged the challenge but pointed out, “Fair challenge Kemi – but don’t forget it’s only two weeks since I faced questions from 74,000 members of the public of Makerfield.” It is noted that since declaring his leadership bid, Burnham has given only one media interview.
Burnham addressed various policy topics during the Reddit session. He promised to negotiate a returns agreement for failed asylum seekers, even with the Taliban-led Afghan government. On pensions, he affirmed his commitment to retaining the triple lock policy, which guarantees state pension increases based on inflation, wage growth, or 2.5%, whichever is highest. “I appreciate there’s a lot of debate about this but it is important that the commitment in the manifesto stands,” he said.
He also reiterated his intention to foster a closer relationship with the EU. Although in the past he expressed hopes of the UK rejoining the bloc in his lifetime, he pledged during the recent Makerfield campaign not to revisit Brexit debates. When asked if he would pursue a closer relationship or a more ambitious trade deal, Burnham replied, “Yes, I will build on the good work the government has already done in this area.” On electoral reform, he indicated ongoing support for replacing the first-past-the-post system with proportional representation, stating he wants to convince his party to include this commitment in the next manifesto.
Burnham pledged to uphold key parts of Labour’s winning manifesto, including the fiscal rules championed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves regarding borrowing. Speaking on LBC’s Andrew Marr show, he assured that he would honor promises not to raise VAT, income tax, or national insurance and committed to maintaining disciplined public finances. However, he hinted at some flexibility on taxation, suggesting that increasing business rates on warehouses could enable tax relief for pubs and high-street businesses.
A major challenge awaiting Burnham, if he takes office, involves funding an increase in defense spending. Sir Keir recently unveiled plans to boost the defense budget by £15 billion but did not fully clarify the source of the additional funds. This puts pressure on whoever replaces Reeves as chancellor to identify at least £4.7 billion in savings from other government departments for their first autumn Budget
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