Andy Burnham could decide to call an early general election before Christmas, the country’s top union official has told GB News.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak told Chopper’s Political Podcast that the Prime Minister could decide to trigger a shock snap election after he publishes his 10-year plan later this autumn.
Mr Nowak told GB News: “I don’t think that the public are battering down Andy Burnham’s door in Downing Street, saying, ‘Let’s have a general election’. We’ve got to get through the first budget.
“Let’s see Andy’s 10-year plan. He might decide, actually, ‘I’ve not got enough room within the manifesto to deliver the change that I think we need to see.'”
He was speaking to GB News ahead of the TUC conference this weekend in Brighton.
The Prime Minister, who worked for the Transport and General Workers’ Union in the 1990s, is expected to address delegates next week.
Mr Nowak’s comments about a snap election also came after the TUC chief admitted he was “angry” about the state of Labour under Sir Keir Starmer.
He warned that there was an “overwhelming sense of frustration” among trade unions and working-class voters and welcomed Mr Burnham’s return to Westminster following the Makerfield by-election.
However, he also told GB News that the TUC would need to work with Nigel Farage if he becomes Prime Minister.
Asked by GB News if he could work with a Reform government, Mr Nowak said: “I think it would be really difficult.
“But our job is to work with whoever is in Government. And we’ve got a practical test of this now, haven’t we?
“Reform do run 22 local councils up and down the country and they employ tens of thousands of workers.”
He added: “Unions in those local authorities will definitely be meeting with Reform councillors.
“That’s what they’ve got to do. They’ve got to represent their members, but we’ve still got to call them out when we think they’re getting it wrong.”
