Poll: UK voters wanted Starmer gone, but not an immediate Burnham coronation

Key Points:

• Andy Burnham is the clear front-runner to become the UK’s next prime minister following Keir Starmer’s resignation, having won the recent Makerfield by-election and receiving Wes Streeting’s endorsement, effectively clearing his path to Labour leadership.
• Despite Burnham’s popularity over Starmer and other rivals, a POLITICO poll reveals that only 20% of UK adults support immediately making Burnham leader without a full leadership contest, with 54% favoring a leadership election even if it delays appointing a new prime minister.
• The poll shows broad public discomfort with the current process of Burnham’s ascension, with many viewing it as unfair for one constituency’s by-election to determine the prime minister, and a significant portion of Labour voters also prefer a leadership contest to ensure fairness and debate.
• Although Burnham could call a general election to secure a democratic mandate, this is unlikely before 2029, and research suggests Labour would still fall short of a parliamentary majority even under optimistic scenarios, leaving the party reliant on coalition support.
• Burnham faces political risks either way: calling an early election could weaken Labour’s position, while governing without a fresh mandate could erode his popularity and invite criticism of lacking legitimacy during his premiership.