Prime Minister Andy Burnham appears to be “laying the ground” for a general election in May 2027 as he pursues a new deal with the European Union, according to former Conservative party chairman Sir Jake Berry. Sir Jake suspects Mr Burnham wants to fight a nationwide contest focused on his vision for Britain’s future relationship with the EU rather than a host of other issues facing the UK.
The former Northern Powerhouse minister predicts this will be an “election fought on his chosen question, with everything else pushed to the sidelines”. The UK and EU will hold a summit next month and Sir Jake expects the Labour leader to blame “weak growth, high taxes and a system that too often makes work feel unrewarding” on Britain’s departure from the European Union. He also expects Mr Burnham will argue that illegal immigration is “Brexit's fault”.
Chamberlain comparison
Sir Jake, who now supports Reform UK, said: “[My] suspicion is that Burnham is laying the ground for an election in May 2027. I can almost picture him returning, a little like Neville Chamberlain coming back from Munich, waving a piece of paper and assuring us that he has found the answer.”
A successful election, he said, would put Labour in power for another half-decade, giving Mr Burnham the freedom to pursue policies he derides as “Corbynism in a black T-shirt”. Sir Jake insisted that Mr Burnham lacks a mandate to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the bloc.
He said: “A Prime Minister who has not yet won a general election wants, a decade after the referendum, to reopen the greatest democratic decision of our lifetimes… How dare politicians treat that decision as a mistake the British people must be persuaded to correct? How dare they blame the failures of politics and politicians on the voters who did exactly what they were asked to do: make a choice?”
Conservative promises criticised
Sir Jake also blasted his former Conservative colleagues in the wake of Kemi Badenoch’s pledge to ensure that inheritance will not be charged on family homes. He pointed back to Chancellor George Osborne’s pledge that a future Conservative Government would raise the threshold for inheritance tax from £300,000 to £1million.
“Then came 14 years of Conservative government,” he said. “Fourteen years to deliver. Fourteen years of excuses. Forgive me if I want rather more than a new generation of empty conference promises.”
A Government spokesperson responded to Sir Jake’s criticism of Mr Burnham’s EU plans, saying: “The Prime Minister's plan is to move beyond division and build a national consensus around a practical relationship with Europe that strengthens security, supports business, and delivers growth in every part of the UK.”
