'Start delivering': Nicola Sturgeon warns PM Andy Burnham cannot dodge an early general election despite ruling one out
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, speaking to ITV News, said welfare cuts could plunge people into "absolute crisis" as he marked his first 100 days in office.Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, as a Labour poll puts the party on 30 per cent — a rating Electoral Calculus projects could deliver Burnham a majority of nearly 100 seats.Opinium polling after the Budget put Reform UK and the Conservatives tied on 22 and 20 per cent respectively, with Nicola Sturgeon warning Burnham's political capital "dissipates quickly.Opinium polling data, conducted largely after John Healey's Budget, showing Labour eight points ahead of Reform — with Labour MPs already putting staff on standby ahead of a possible May election.
Appearing on the BBC's 'Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg', former SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon declared it was "really difficult" to see how Burnham avoids an early general election, saying he has "no political mandate" for the sweeping reforms he has promised. Her intervention came just two days after Burnham flatly ruled out a vote in 2027, a position he had already softened from an earlier pledge of no election until 2029. Sturgeon insisted she personally wants Burnham to succeed, but warned his political capital "dissipates quickly".
Chancellor John Healey faced separate criticism from Sturgeon, who called his Budget interview "weirdly hesitant" and said he appeared to "speak without saying anything".
SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan also attacked Burnham on Sunday, accusing him of "failing to deliver the change he promised" on the same day Sturgeon spoke.
Rachel Reeves added pressure by arguing in a Harvard speech that Britain should ultimately rejoin the EU, with analysts saying such ambition makes an early election to seek a mandate almost inevitable.
