Andy Burnham has ruled out calling a snap general election, stating he will stand by Labour's manifesto pledge to maintain the 'triple lock' on pensions if he becomes prime minister. The newly elected Makerfield MP made the announcement during an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on the social media platform Reddit, where he also faced a direct challenge from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
No Snap Election, Triple Lock Maintained
When asked directly if he would call a general election, Burnham responded: "No. As I said in my speech on Monday, I'm going to work to the 2024 manifesto." He also confirmed he would not renege on the manifesto commitment to the triple lock, which ensures state pensions rise by the highest of inflation, average earnings, or 2.5%. "I appreciate there's a lot of debate about this but it is important that the commitment in the manifesto stands," he wrote.
Badenoch Challenges Burnham to Face Press
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch used the AMA to accuse Burnham of 'hiding' from the press. She wrote: "Hi Andy, Kemi here. Whilst you're answering softball questions on Reddit, I've been in Yorkshire answering questions from the press. 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 replied: "Fair challenge, Kemi - but don't forget it's only two weeks since I faced questions from 74,000 members of the public in Makerfield!" He is expected to become prime minister within weeks after Sir Keir Starmer vowed to step down.
Electoral Reform and Youth Unemployment
Burnham expressed strong support for electoral reform, stating he would seek to persuade his party to include a manifesto commitment in the next election. "I am a strong supporter of electoral reform, partly because I believe it will enable the change to a more collaborative politics, and one that is less about point-scoring and more about problem-solving," he wrote.
On youth unemployment, Burnham highlighted the need for fairer recruitment processes and increased work placements. "I've talked to my son a lot about this and I realise sending applications without responses can be quite soul-destroying for young people. I also dislike the modern trend of only offering interviews on Teams or Zoom as I don't think that enables young people to get their personality and passion over," he said. He called for significant changes based on the Milburn report, including working with employers to boost apprenticeships.
Criticism of Westminster and Infrastructure
Burnham described Westminster politics as "broken" and in need of substantial change. "The country has had 10 years of political turbulence since the Brexit referendum, and simply carrying on with more of the same is not going to lift us out of that rut," he wrote. He pledged a new approach focused on problem-solving rather than point-scoring, and said he wanted MPs to be free to represent their communities authentically.
Regarding major infrastructure projects like HS2, Burnham criticised top-down decision-making. "One of the salutary lessons of HS2 is the risk of delivering a major project from an office in Whitehall without listening to the people whose areas it will affect," he said. He recalled that voices from the North had urged building HS2 from the North first, but were ignored, leading to costly delays. He called for a more bottom-up approach, citing the Liverpool-Manchester railway built 200 years ago.
Public Control and Devolution
Burnham promised to set out a new approach to putting essential services under stronger public control, building on Greater Manchester's experience with buses. "Public control can include a range of measures, from strong regulation to public ownership," he wrote, applying this to water, energy, housing, and transport.
He also addressed concerns about appealing to southern voters, proposing greater devolved powers for London. "As I said in my speech on Monday, I want to free up London with even greater devolved powers so it can go to the next level and maintain its status as the world's greatest capital city," he said. This could include powers over education, skills, housing, and more fiscal devolution.
Lighter Moments
On a lighter note, Burnham revealed his top four films: Goodfellas, The Big Short, Brassed Off, and Pride. He also mentioned he is currently listening to indie band Doves.
