Andy Burnham has ruled out calling a snap general election if he becomes prime minister, as he set out his vision for government ahead of the Makerfield by-election. The Greater Manchester mayor said he would focus on fixing the social care system, which he described as 'urgent', and would not flinch from difficult policy decisions.
In an interview with the Guardian, Burnham confirmed for the first time that he intends to run in a Labour leadership contest. He said he would seek to challenge Keir Starmer if a contest is triggered, but stressed he was '100%' focused on winning the by-election.
Burnham signalled he would bring forward the Casey review on social care funding from 2028 to the end of 2026, focusing on measures that could be implemented quickly. He also defended his commitment to Rachel Reeves's fiscal rules, saying they had freed up resources for public investment.
On other issues, Burnham said Labour should be a broad church but ruled out allowing Jeremy Corbyn back into the party. He argued it would be a mistake to rerun the Brexit referendum but expressed a desire for the UK to rejoin the EU in his lifetime. He praised Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for 'facing up' to immigration challenges.
Downing Street responded by saying the prime minister would 'not walk away' from his mandate, and that the process for challenging a leader had not been triggered. A spokesperson said the country expects Labour to focus on governing, not Westminster debates.
