Prime Minister Andy Burnham has firmly ruled out calling a snap general election before 2029, dismissing ongoing speculation about an early vote as unfounded. Speaking in a series of interviews with regional broadcasters ahead of Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, which begins this weekend, Burnham emphasized his intention to focus on governance rather than politics.
Burnham stated that holding an early election would be “self-serving politics” and said he wanted to avoid plunging the country back into divisive electoral disputes. When asked directly if the next general election would be in 2029, he responded affirmatively, insisting there would be “no election any time soon.” Some senior advisers within his team had reportedly advocated for a snap election, believing it could maximize Labour’s chances of securing a majority on the back of recent polling gains. However, the prime minister rejected those calls, underscoring his priority to deliver on the government’s agenda.
A recent constituency-level poll by YouGov suggested that while Labour would emerge as the largest party if an election were held immediately, the party would still fall short of an outright majority by 85 seats. Burnham cautioned that an early poll would be a backward-looking process, arguing instead for national unity and a focus on future challenges. He expressed a desire to help the country feel “a bit of hope” rather than returning to the perpetual cycle of electioneering.
As part of the agenda for the upcoming Labour conference, Burnham is expected to unveil plans to increase public control over water companies. He criticized the privatisation of the water sector as “disastrous,” blaming it for environmental issues such as sewage pollution in rivers and seas, and economic problems where “shareholders never lose, the billpayers never win.” While he stopped short of pledging full renationalisation—which the government estimates could cost over £100 billion—he indicated plans to transfer more oversight to regional mayors and public officials through new bodies designed to exert greater public influence.
On other issues, Burnham linked the ongoing small boats crisis to the UK’s exit from the European Union, highlighting a “loss of collaboration” with European partners on border control. While he flagged his goal of ending illegal Channel crossings, he refrained from committing to a specific timeline. The prime minister also acknowledged that a recent Labour-backed increase in national insurance on businesses had placed pressure on employers and could have affected jobs.
Burnham’s stance marks his most explicit rejection of any immediate election since succeeding Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader earlier this year. Instead, he aims to use his first party conference as prime minister to set out a renewed direction focused on reducing the cost of living, particularly in areas such as energy, water, and housing, while balancing fiscal prudence amid challenging economic circumstances.