Kemi Badenoch has ordered the Conservatives to prepare for a pre-Christmas general election, as speculation grows that Andy Burnham could call a snap poll.
The Conservative leader said the party had been put on immediate election footing despite Mr Burnham’s claim last month that there would be “no election any time soon”.
“I’ve instructed the Conservative Party to be ready for an election at any point,” Mrs Badenoch said.
Her team is understood to believe the Prime Minister could seek to take advantage of a rise in Labour’s poll ratings while the Green Party and Liberal Democrats face internal difficulties.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski failed to win the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on Thursday and is under pressure over anti-Israeli activism. The party’s poll ratings have halved this year, with most of the lost support moving to Labour.
Sir Ed Davey is also facing a challenge to his position as Liberal Democrat leader after MP Charlie Maynard resigned from the front bench in what appeared to be an attempt to force a leadership contest.
A senior Conservative source said the party believed an election could come “sooner rather than later, possibly before the end of the year”. Tory strategists were reportedly on alert during Labour’s conference in case Mr Burnham used his speech to announce a contest.
The Conservatives have held election meetings since July and have prepared both a draft manifesto and a campaign grid setting out Mrs Badenoch’s planned visits and public appearances.
In a further message to activists, Mrs Badenoch said: “We know there’s a battle of ideas coming in British politics and I’ve instructed the Conservative Party to be ready for an election at any point. When that election comes there will be a simple choice between Conservative plans to get Britain working again and a Labour party that keeps putting up taxes, refuses to cut welfare and won’t fund our defence.”
Her party was encouraged by the response to her conference speech in Birmingham, where she emphasised lower taxes and home ownership and pledged to scrap inheritance tax on main residences as part of what she called a “battle for the soul of the nation”.
Mr Burnham does not have to hold an election until 2029, but policies outlined in his conference speech, including a national care service, would require tax rises ruled out in the 2024 manifesto.
The economic situation ahead of this month’s Budget has also underlined the difficulty of balancing the books while Chancellor John Healey remains committed to not raising income tax, VAT or National Insurance.
Changes to the state pension triple lock, reversing Brexit and introducing electoral reform have also been cited as possible reasons for the Prime Minister to seek a fresh mandate.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is preparing for the possibility of a snap election, with the party appointing a senior Armed Forces figure as its defence spokesman and seeking prominent experts on health policy, as well as figures from industry and the public sector.
Mr Farage has also begun a general election tour of the country and is launching an eight-page newspaper, The Reformer, which is due to be distributed to 15 million homes. It will contain articles on Reform policies and comment from Mr Farage.
The latest polling cited suggests that an election held now would give Labour 313 seats, 99 fewer than in 2024. The Conservatives would take 123 seats, while Reform UK would win 95, leaving Labour short of an overall majority but potentially able to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
