Andy Burnham has left the door open to holding a snap general election in 2027 just days after the Prime Minister insisted he would not call an early poll.
Insiders believe May 2027 could be a good time for Mr Burnham to go to the polls amid warnings from pollsters about Labour losing its Commons majority.
“There is a growing school of thought that there might be a sweet spot for an early general election,” a No10 source told The i Paper.
Mr Burnham’s allies claimed the Prime Minister needs to “give the country time to get to know” him before a decision on a snap election is taken.
Meanwhile, Labour officials have been left on standby for an early election.
However, Labour MPs remain cautious about the prospect of Mr Burnham mirroring Theresa May’s 2017 snap election disaster.
Baroness May, who replaced David Cameron as Prime Minister after the 2016 Brexit vote, repeatedly dismissed speculation she was about to call a snap election.
Britain’s second female Prime Minister ended up calling a poll in 2017, with the Tory Party losing its majority in the House of Commons as a result.
A Labour minister said: “Theresa May. Twenty points ahead. F**ked it.”
Recently released MRP polls revealed Labour would currently lose swathes of seats across the country, with Sir Keir Starmer’s 172-seat majority being wiped out.
YouGov found Labour would now win just 241 seats, with the Tories on 130 and Reform UK in third on 123.
Speaking ahead of the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Mr Burnham ruled out an early election.
He said: “No, no election any time soon. I’m focused on the job as Prime Minister doing what I said I would do.”
When asked if the next election will take place in 2029, the Prime Minister added: “Yes, that’s when the next election will be. All of this speculation on an early election, I can knock that dead.”
However, Mr Burnham has come under fire after making a series of U-turns.
The Prime Minister pledged to serve his third term as Greater Manchester Mayor before contemplating a return to Westminster.
He told GB News in 2024: “I am committed to my third term, absolutely.
“I’m not planning to head back to Westminster any time soon.”
Mr Burnham also changed his stance on respecting the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Having promised voters in Makerfield he would not reopen the debate about EU membership, Mr Burnham used his keynote conference speech to confirm Labour would consider rejoining the Brussels bloc.
A No10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has ruled out an early election.”
