Andy Burnham has said he will not call a general election.

Writing online, one Reddit user asked the MP: “I assume you’re going to call an election? If not, why not?”

Mr Burnham replied: “No. As I said in my speech on Monday, I’m going to work to the 2024 manifesto.”

Andy Burnham faced questions about how he would deal with foreign policy as prime minister as he took part in a Reddit session.

Asked if he would continue with Sir Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset and if he saw “scope for negotiating a more ambitious trade agreement than the one we currently have”.

He replied: “Yes, I will build on the good work the Government has already done in this area.”

Asked if he would provide the same level of support as Sir Keir Starmer had shown for Ukraine, Mr Burnham replied: “Yes 100%.”

Andy Burnham has said Kemi Badenoch’s suggestion he should “face a proper press conference” was a “fair challenge”.

The opposition leader wrote in an online Reddit forum: “Hi Andy, Kemi here.

“Whilst you’re answering softball questions on Reddit, I’ve been in Yorkshire answering questions from the press.

“You’re going to be prime minister soon so it’s time to start acting like one.

“Come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny and some tough questions. Are you up for it?”

Mr Burnham responded: “Fair challenge, Kemi – but don’t forget it’s only two weeks since I faced questions from 74,000 members of the public in Makerfield!”

Andy Burnham has said it is “important” to continue the Labour manifesto commitment to maintain the triple lock on the state pension for the current parliament.

A Reddit user asked in an online Q and A: “Is it time to abolish the triple lock? Or at least have that discussion?”

The Makerfield MP replied: “I appreciate there’s a lot of debate about this but it is important that the commitment in the manifesto stands.”

Labour’s manifesto commitment to the triple lock protects the rate at which the state pension rises.

Andy Burnham has said he will try to persuade Labour to campaign for electoral reform at the next general election.

Writing on Reddit in reply to a question about his stance on the issue, Mr Burnham said: “I am a strong supporter of electoral reform, partly because I believe it will enable the change to a more collaborative politics, and one that is less about point-scoring and more about problem-solving.

“I will seek to persuade my own party of the need for a manifesto commitment to it in the next manifesto.”

Labour’s party conference voted to support moving towards a proportional representation voting system in 2022.

The party’s 2024 manifesto instead focused its electoral and constitutional changes on extending voting to 16 and 17-year-olds and House of Lords reform.

Andy Burnham has vowed to ensure the defence investment plan is “fully funded” as he faces a £4.7 billion black hole.

A Reddit user asked him: “John Healy made it clear that it falls drastically short of what is needed to keep the UK safe, and now that it’s been published we can see why – as can our allies and enemies.”

Mr Burnham replied: “The world is changing fast and the challenges are multiplying. The defence investment plan represents a step change in Britain’s response to this new reality and I will ensure that it is fully funded.”

Asked how he can convince people from London and the South East on his No 10 North plans, Andy Burnham said: “As I said in my speech on Monday, I want to free up London with even greater devolved powers so it can go to the next level and maintain its status as the world’s greatest capital city.

“This could include powers over education, skills and housing and more fiscal devolution. Downing Street North will be at the service of London and the South East in helping it take powers out of Whitehall, in exactly the same way as it will help the North.”

Andy Burnham has responded to the first question on his Reddit session.

Asked about how he would like his relationship with the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to be, he replied: “I would like it to be as collaborative and pragmatic as possible. I want the same offer to power up places to be available in all parts of the UK. I will speak soon to First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to agree a positive way of working to this end.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has posted a question for Andy Burnham on Reddit.

She said: “Hi Andy, Kemi here. Whilst you’re answering softball questions on Reddit, I’ve been in Yorkshire answering questions from the press.

“You’re going to be Prime Minister soon so it’s time to start acting like one. Come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny and some tough questions. Are you up for it?”

Plans to move up to 83 migrants into new-build houses in a rural Shropshire village have been put on hold by the Home Office.

Asylum seekers already moved into Stoke Heath have been relocated after strong opposition from residents.

The row began after locals learned that 21 homes in the brand new development had been rented by outsourcing company Serco for asylum seekers.

It is understood the Shropshire development pre-dates new processes introduced by the Home Secretary which guide against housing asylum seekers in new-build properties that could increase social tensions.

Nigel Farage took to X to lash out at Kemi Badenoch for not calling for a general election as Andy Burnham looks set to replace Sir Keir Starmer in 10 Downing Street within weeks.

Reform UK is in the lead in the latest More in Common poll with 25%, while Labour is second on 21% and the Tories are third with 19%.

After dodging the media following his Makerfield by-election win, Andy Burnham will face an online question session this evening on the Reddit forum.

Questions are coming in for the PM-in-waiting ahead of him coming online at 5pm.

Officers forced to “gear up” have slammed the Government’s last minute U-turn on allowing pubs to stay open for England’s next World Cup match.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s last minute decision to let pubs stay open until 5am to allow people to watch the Three Lions’ game against Mexico.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts, NPCC lead for football policing, and acting Chief Constable Scott Green, NPCC lead for alcohol licensing and harm reduction, said the “late announcement” meant forces having to adapt plans and take officers away from communities.

The pair also asked England fans to be considerate to others and drink “sensibly” during the game.

Kemi Badenoch accused Andy Burnham of “running away” from media scrutiny ahead of the Makerfield MP’s “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit.

The Conservative leader told reporters on a visit to Thirsk, in North Yorkshire: “I don’t need to use Reddit because I’m happy to take questions from the media.”

She added: “Andy Burnham, I’m amazed was running away from being asked questions. Reddit is easy, he can filter which ones he wants to answer, just look at the easy questions.

“So I’m going to make sure that I do it the proper way, unbiased, neutral media scrutiny, questions from members of the public, I do town halls, I’m always happy to answer any questions, but I wouldn’t use Reddit as a way to show I was open to scrutiny.

“I think he can do a bit better than that.”

Mrs Badenoch also called on Mr Burnham to come to Parliament and set out his plans, saying: “I don’t think someone should become prime minister without being asked any questions at all.”

Andy Burnham has said there is “some room” in the Labour manifesto for “movement on tax”.

Speaking last night, he told LBC: “If you take business rates, for instance, I believe there is a case for higher business rates on warehouses and the major developments we see on the outskirts of our cities so that we can cut business rates for pubs.

“And I proposed a 20% cut and lift some high street businesses out of business rates altogether.

“I am not indisciplined when it comes to the public finances,” he added.

Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto ruled out hikes for “working people” on income tax, national insurance and VAT.

Andy Burnham has admitted he did not have “all of the details” about the £4.7 billion black hole in Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to raise defence spending until it was published.

In an interview with LBC last night, he said: “I didn’t have all of the details.

“I wasn’t in all of the discussions, but to be fair, the Government had had an internal process ongoing.”

Andy Burnham said he would not make “crude cuts to benefit levels”.

In an interview with Andrew Marr on LBC, the Makerfield MP said: “I’m not going to go with the crude cuts to benefit levels that then just put people who are struggling in even worse poverty, and that often creates the backlash, and understandably so.

“There’s a different approach, which is looking at two things that can be done differently to get the overall benefits bill down.

“One of those is how we support young people. I will not defend an education system that is overly focused on the university route and does not lay out paths to technical qualifications for our young people.”

Labour does not know where up to £15billion earmarked to make the armed forces battle-ready will come from. Outgoing Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, unveiled his long-awaited Defence Investment Plan earlier this week, promising to drive up funding for the military. But not only did it fall £13billion short of the £28billion demanded by armed forces chiefs, it now emerges the Government cannot say where the money it did pledge will be found – with some reports suggesting there is a funding black hole of up to £15 billion.

Labour had claimed £10.3billion would be clawed back through cuts to other departments, with a further £4.7billion shunted into the next budget. Speaking to the media, Labour Minister Jacqui Smith warned that ministers would need to take “difficult decisions” to fund the shortfall. Yet pressed to name a single scheme facing the axe, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman came up blank. Reporters were instead told to wait until “the autumn” and warned that hospital building programmes could be among the casualties. Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said the plan had “completely unravelled”.

Read more here.

The wannabe Prime Minister would not be drawn on whether or not he would agree to a bank holiday if England wins the world cup.

Mr Burnham, an Everton fan, told LBC: “We struggled, let’s say. And full respect to the Democratic Republic of Congo, but I think we might be getting ahead of ourselves.

“There’s a very big game coming up on Sunday. We do have to live in hope. I think, you know, it might be a bit premature to be speculating.”

Mr Burnham did admit that he felt there was some room for more taxes, most notable changes to business rates on large firms.

But the Conservatives panned the suggestion with Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride saying: “Britain needs to brace for yet another Labour tax bombshell from Andy Burnham.

“Despite more than £60 billion of tax rises under Rachel Reeves, sending the tax burden to a record high, Burnham thinks there is still ‘room for movement on tax’. Unless he urgently rules out raising taxes, we will see business and investor confidence draining in another summer of damaging speculation.

“Instead of raising taxes Labour should be getting a grip of spending – but Andy Burnham won’t touch the ballooning benefits bill. He will double down on all the mistakes Labour have already made.”

Andy Burnham has broken his silence on picking his Chancellor if he becomes Prime Minister. He gave his first interview since becoming the Makerfield MP on Thursday evening (July 2).

After being asked by LBC host Andrew Marr whether he has chosen his Chancellor, Mr Burnham replied: “No, I haven’t made those decisions. Deliberately not.”

He added: “I think it’s been a little frustrating for me, in the sort of last 10 days to two weeks, because Westminster goes into its normal mode and it wants to endlessly speculate about personalities before policy and direction.”

He also committed to stick to Labour’s manifesto commitment to not raise National Insurance, Income tax or VAT.

In a commitment Labour made 52 times, the party ruled out hiking those taxes, only to do so within months of getting into office when Rachel Reeves put up national insurance tax on employers.

She would also see many pensioners dragged into income tax for the first time.

But the Makerfield MP and wannabe PM also claimed he had not yet made a decision as to who his Chancellor would be.

He has been urged by opposition MPs to make that known soon, to avoid a summer of chaos.

And there has been mounting speculation that Ed Miliband, the net zero secretary, was being considered for the role.