No10 advisers are pushing for an early spring election as Labour holds a two-point lead over Reform in polls

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026.

Downing Street advisers and several Labour MPs are quietly pushing for a snap election in spring, despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham's repeated insistence that he plans to serve out the full parliamentary term. A YouGov poll suggesting Labour would remain the largest party has bolstered the case for an early vote, though the party would still fall 85 seats short of an overall majority. One senior government source acknowledged "diverse opinion across Government" but warned that Labour would be "naive not to be contemplating all scenarios."

The case for an early election centres on breaking free from the constraints of Starmer's 2024 manifesto, which aides say has tied Burnham's hands on tax, fiscal rules and EU policy.

A source said there are "lots of things Andy would want to include in a manifesto" that he cannot do while bound by his predecessor's commitments.

Labour's two-point advantage over Reform UK is feeding optimism among those urging Burnham to seek a fresh mandate before that lead has time to narrow.