Labour Party members and conference-goers in Liverpool have dismissed speculation about an early general election as a 'really stupid move', according to interviews conducted by the Manchester Evening News.
Despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham ruling out an early vote back in July, media speculation about a snap election continues to circulate. Many of those attending the Labour Party conference in Liverpool appeared irritated by the question.
'A really stupid move'
Nicola Luck, a 63-year-old entrepreneur and 10-year Labour member, was blunt in her assessment: "It would be a really stupid move." Luck described herself as a recently converted Burnham fan, having been 'very impressed' by Keir Starmer's legal background and 'how he handled political crises like the immigration protests'. She expressed sadness at Starmer's departure but noted the conference was "undeniably buzzing with optimism in there. It's very different from last year. People didn't even bother to dress up last year."
Ian Gilbert, 48, who works in an MP's office and has been a member for two decades, agreed. "We have for an overwhelming majority and Burnham says he's sticking with the pledges of the manifesto," he said. "I don't think there's any need for a general election any time soon and I haven't heard of anyone who actually thinks there is. I think that's just a Westminster myth."
Burnham bounce questioned
Some advisers have reportedly claimed it would be a good time to call a vote due to the 'Burnham bounce' – an uptick in support for Labour since Starmer's departure. A recent MRP poll put the party back in first place, knocking Reform out of the top spot with 25 per cent.
Richard Sweden, 70, a Labour councillor for Waltham Forest, was initially a Burnham-sceptic but said his doubts have since developed into admiration. "The current prime minister has a considerable gift for communication and reading the public mood," he said. "But with all the 'Burnham bounce', It's insufficient to call an election. We're still a long way from where we need to be."
Another conference attendee, who wished not to be named, added: "This isn't a Gordon Brown or James Callaghan situation, where they didn't call an election and then bungled it at the next one. We need the time until 2029 to prove we can deliver what we set out in the manifesto. Now Burnham just has to do just that – deliver."
Numbers and risks
For many conference-goers, it simply comes down to numbers. The MRP poll also predicts that if there was a general election tomorrow, Labour would lose almost 100 seats and the UK would be facing a hung parliament. Some noted there was much less fear-mongering about the rise of Reform at this Labour conference compared to last year, with Nigel Farage's party currently beset by funding scandals. But the spectre of their potential resurgence still hangs silently over campaigning talks, according to members.
Andrea Hodgson, a councillor at Haringey, a London council that lost control to the Greens after 50 years of Labour power, said: "It would be self-destruction for us to go for a general election. Support for Reform is not going anywhere soon." She added the conference felt 'less frenetic and calmer' than last year – and wasn't the only one to feel that way.
One Labour supporter, Hugo, 30, described 2025's conference as feeling 'mutinous'. "There was a lot of gossiping about how badly things were going. It's very different this year," he said. "I guess it is the 'Burnham bounce' – but you always get a bounce after a leadership change. The numbers suggest he's doing better the Starmer ever did, which suggests when it inevitably sinks in the coming months, it won't be as bad. At the very least, he won't become as viscerally hateable. I think we just need to give Burnham a chance now."
