ANDY Burnham has vowed there will be no general election before 2029 despite burning questions about his mandate.
The new PM insisted that “people don’t want” another vote despite him taking the top job unopposed in what critics described as a “coup”.
Andy Burnham said there will be no early general election
In his first major interview as PM, Burnham categorically ruled out an early general election when speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
Burnham took over No10 from Keir Starmer a little over a month after returning to Westminister as an MP – and has now vowed to unleash the “biggest change in decades” on the UK.
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But despite this, he insists he will stick by Labour’s manifesto and says he is protected by the mandate Labour won in 2024.
He said: “I’m going to rule it out… I don’t think people want it.
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“Opinion polls might say some people do, some people don’t.
“We’re in a parliamentary democracy… People voted for a manifesto and I will honour that manifesto.”
Opposition figures – including Reform leader Nigel Farage – have urged the new PM to call an election, which he legally does not have to do until August 2029.
Elsewhere in the interview, Burnham said: “I have faced the public in Makerfield – I went out on those doorsteps.
“I’ve got the support of colleagues in parliament [and] there’s no early general election.
He added: “But the thing is I just think what I most need to do is get Britain focused on getting the country back where it should be, getting it working.”
This comes as Burnham said he will put the UK’s interests first in his dealings with Donald Trump – even if it means disagreeing with the US president.
The pair spoke over the phone on Monday, within an hour of Burnham arriving in Downing Street.
After the call, Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that Burnham “has got a big job ahead of him, but he will be able to do it” and pledged that the US “will be there to help”.
Downing Street described the 20-minute conversation as “extremely warm”.
But speaking with the BBC, Burnham said: “I can’t at any point say that I won’t take a different opinion from him [Donald Trump], that I will need to voice a different idea that is right for Britain.”
He added he would publicly disagree with the president if he deemed necessary.
Burnham added: “You have to defend your own national interest before anything else. That’s what you’re required to do if you’re to do this job properly.”
Ex-PM Sir Keir Starmer’s relationship with Washington became increasingly fractious over the Iran conflict.
Burnham said he was “very aware” of Chancellor John Healey’s position and resignation as Starmer’s defence secretary following disagreements over the issue.
He said: “The first challenge facing us both is to ensure that the defence investment plan is fully funded and that’s the thing that’s right in front of us and we need to work that through as we go towards the budget later this year.”
Elsewhere, new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said he shared “very warm conversation” with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth.
The pair are thought to have brainstormed ideas for an international conference which allies of the UK and US would attend, but have not yet firmed up the details of a summit.
A source close to Streeting last week said: “The Defence Secretary had a very warm conversation with Secretary Hegseth.
“They discussed the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and how allies can work together.
“They also discussed defence investment and the UK’s commitment to meeting our Nato commitments.”
