Labour grandee tells Burnham to call early general election next year
Alan Johnson, the former home secretary, said the new Prime Minister should prove his new policies are popular and a break from the Starmer era by holding a vote in 2027.
TL;DR
- Former home secretary Alan Johnson believes Andy Burnham should call a general election before next summer.
- Johnson suggests Burnham needs to prove his policies are popular and a break from the Starmer era by holding a vote in 2027.
- He argued that Burnham cannot serve the entire Starmer term until 2029 and needs his own mandate.
- Johnson cited Gordon Brown's failure to call an election after replacing Tony Blair as PM in 2007.
- Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has written to the Cabinet Secretary requesting formal pre-election talks with civil servants, believing Burnham will call an election sooner rather than later.
- Badenoch believes Labour's manifesto prevents Burnham from raising taxes for his agenda.
- Burnham stated that an early election is not 'what people are looking for right now' and that he is focused on the needs of the country, not party-political interest.
- Reform UK is also preparing their party for a snap election.