Sir Keir Starmer arrives at his first Labour Party conference as Prime Minister this weekend in Liverpool, facing widespread speculation among attendees about the possibility of a snap election.
Recent polling projects that Labour would lose its parliamentary majority but remain the largest party in the House of Commons if an election were held immediately. Media reports have also suggested that some of the Prime Minister’s advisers have contemplated a vote as early as next year.
However, Starmer moved to quash those expectations during interviews with BBC regional political editors ahead of the conference opening on Sunday. Asked by BBC West political editor Paul Barltrop whether he was tempted to call an early poll, the Prime Minister replied: “No, not particularly. No, I’m not.”
“I see all the speculation and it just races ahead,” he said. “No election anytime soon. I’m focused on the job as prime minister, doing what I said I would do.”
