Exclusive: Andy Burnham is leaving the door open to a snap general election next year, The i Paper has been told. Multiple sources close to the No 10 operation have suggested that an early general election in May has not been ruled out, despite the Prime Minister publicly insisting that there will be no early poll. In a round of interviews last week, Burnham appeared to shut down the prospect of an election, saying: “No, no election any time soon. I’m focused on the job as prime minister doing what I said I would do.” Asked by ITV Calendar whether the next general election would be in 2029, he was even more emphatic: “Yes, that’s when the next election will be. All of this speculation on an early election, I can knock that dead.” He went on to say that calling an election would mean putting “self-serving politics” ahead of delivering for the public, adding: “I’m not going to do that.” However, behind the scenes, some of Burnham’s closest advisers concede there is still a chance he could go to the country in May. A source close to the PM told The i Paper: “There is a growing school of thought that there might be a ‘sweet spot’ for an early general.” The argument is that Burnham could call an election before the right has a chance to reunite, given Labour’s much weaker performance in 2019 when the right was more united than it was in 2024. Another No 10 source suggested Burnham would “give the country time to get to know the new PM” before making a final decision, which would likely depend on how well the Budget lands and the size of any “Burnham bounce”. Labour officials have also been instructed to “be ready” for an early election, although a senior party source stressed that no decision has been made. Story 👇 with @whazell and @singharj

Exclusive: Andy Burnham is drawing up plans to appoint metro mayors to the House of Lords as a first step towards making the Upper Chamber more representative of the nations and regions it serves, allies of the incoming prime minister have told The i Paper. According to multiple sources, Burnham will make an early announcement on further devolution reforms, with one option on the table being the appointment of indirectly elected mayors to the Lords on a cross-party basis. The move would mark the beginning of what Burnham has long argued should be a wholesale overhaul of the Lords. inews.co.uk/news/politics/bu…

NEW: Andy Burnham allies claim the Manchester mayor is poised for a dramatic political comeback and an MP is ready to step aside for him as soon as tomorrow. liveapp.inews.co.uk/category…