AIBU to think Andy Burnham might call a general election soon?

That's a different point. He could just as easily do that had he a less recent mandate. I understand the argument that a significant change of direction from the manifesto requires a GE, and it's a better one than when the MP in question was last elected.

I did actually speculate about this possibility a few weeks ago, but don't think he will. I get the tactical rationale for the idea though.

Labour are having a post Starmer polling surge, Reform are on the back foot and it's quite obvious Farage's media holiday is over, plus it's also now undeniable that the electorate can and will vote tactically to keep them out. There's no evidence the same propensity for tactical voting exists on the Right, see for example Restore standing in Makerfield and throwing punches at Reform. The Tories probably stand to be the bigger beneficiaries of greater media scrutiny of Reform, and I'd guess they will be in a better position in 2029 than they are now.

A hypothetical GE now obviously wouldn't deliver Labour 400 seats, but I still wouldn't be that shocked if they won it.

I normally agree but I don’t think that stands here. People vote based on what the government says it will do, the direction and approach it will take. From AB’s early pronouncements it looks like he is radically departing from that, so he doesn’t have a democratic mandate for what he is doing.

No chance!

This guy believes in short cuts, backstabbing and his ego.

Do you think a man like that will do the right thing?

I don’t think be should and I don’t think he will. The Labour Party has a large majority. We need him to get on with the job not waste time campaigning.

I don’t think he will, but he currently seems to be taking the government in such a different, radical and expensive direction that I think we should. The electorate haven’t voted for this.

He should but there is absolutely no way he will take that risk.

Nothing. The opposition always whine for general elections, demand resignations and the like, it's their job. Labour will be doing it again when they're in opposition, the Tories will ignore it if they ever get back in, and so the wheel will continue.

And our system remains a parliamentary one, which means arguments that only someone who stood for election at the last GE should be PM are completely baseless.

He would find it easier to manage the backbenchers with fewer of them! They are unwieldy and difficult to manage. They brief against the pm and have got used to it. He won’t keep them on side because it’s impossible.

Of course he won’t. He will do very little as he’ll be too frightened of 1) his back benchers and 2) the unions.

He’ll focus on creating a mini parliament in Manchester and tell us all how he’s giving power back to the local communities.
Full of shite.

I think he’d be wise to as Reform have got a cloud over them at the moment, the Tory’s seem to be very much the third party and people seem to have high hopes for him. It would give him much more authority if he did and won but my guess is he won’t take the risk.

No chance. He knows he would lose

Well it didn’t go well for Teresa May when she called one in similar circumstances. She returned with a reduced majority if I recall

No chance of an election as he will guard the huge Labour majority. Remember when Theresa May called an election when she was PM and lost her majority. Made life even more difficult for herself.

But the lack of an election to show the public want him will be an obvious barb for the other parties to use against him - I bet he has a thick skin though and will ignore them.

He won’t but he should.

Could be another Teresa May moment? He won’t.

Far too risky when he doesn’t need to. He has enough time to prove himself before the next one.

He won’t. He knows he’d be booted out. Im
surprised his big head can fit through number 10 this morning.

Not a chance. He stood in leadership elections twice before he actually became leader, he won’t let it slip away now.

Considering that he wasn’t even an MP until a few weeks ago, I find it difficult to believe he has a legitimate right to become PM.
If he’d been an MP following the last general election, no problem, the Conservatives swapped leader several times, although each time Labour insisted there should be a general election, so what’s changed? 🤔

Not a chance, he'd risk losing. I'd rather he goes the full term, by which time Kemi might have gained more support. I think she's really impressive, and Farage has had his day now.

Why do you think he should?

No, I don’t think he should, he doesn’t need to and he should just get on with being PM.

We need someone to stick in the role longer than has happened in recent years and a General Election would just be an expensive distraction.

No he won't. He doesn't need to.

He has 3 years to make a difference, without needing to go through the distraction and disruption of a general election. Whether he can make any progress is down to him and whomever he chooses to serve with him in his Cabinet.

Absolutely no chance