Andy Burnham has said it is still too early to open discussion on the possibility of holding new national elections, as he enters the race to lead the Labour Party following Keir Starmer’s resignation.
Asked by reporters whether, if he became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he would call a general election, Burnham replied: “I think you’re getting several steps ahead.”
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After the elections held last week, the former mayor of Manchester is expected to be sworn in tonight as the MP for Makerfield. After formally announcing his candidacy for the post of prime minister and for the leadership of the Labour Party, he also faced questions about an earlier post on the social media platform X, in which in 2022 he had called for an immediate election following Liz Truss’s resignation.
Burnham stressed that his focus for the moment is on taking up his mandate as the MP for Makerfield, adding that there are still “many hurdles to overcome” before talking about new elections.
He also said he feels saddened to be parting from Manchester, the city he has led for years, but at the same time expressed hope that a positive new phase is opening up before him in his political life.
So far, Burnham is the only politician to have officially confirmed his candidacy for the leadership of the Labour Party and, consequently, also potentially for the post of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
