The United Kingdom's new prime minister has ruled out calling an early general election.
Andy Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer as PM on July 20, had been tipped to call an early snap election in the fall, in a bid to capitalize on his popularity and secure a mandate for radical change.
But, in a BBC interview broadcast on Sunday, he said he will not plunge the nation into additional political uncertainty by calling an early vote and will instead wait for the mandated end of the government's term, which means the next UK general election will be held in the first half of 2029.
"I'm going to rule it out," he said, when asked on Andy Burnham: The Laura Kuenssberg Interview about the prospect of an early vote. "I don't think people want it."
Burnham said that means he will abide by the promises made in the Labour Party manifesto published ahead of the July 4, 2024 general election that swept Starmer and his party to power with a massive parliamentary majority.
