Andy Burnham is best placed to take over as Labour leader from Keir Starmer, accoirding to a UK-wide poll.
The Manchester mayor, who raised his profile with an attack on Nicola Sturgeon’s travel ban to the north of England city this, found favour with a majority of 5,000 people asked who they thought had the best chance of leading Labour to victory at the next general election.
Of the twelve options, Burnham came top with 18 per cent of the vote. Keir Starmer was second at seven per cent and London mayor Sadiq Khan was next with just three per cent.
There is a strong preference for Burnham in the North East and the North West and in Scotland 20 per cent of respondents favoured Burnham over eight per cent supporting Starmer.
Those who voted Conservative in 2019 lean to Burnham at 18 per cen to Starmer’s seven per cent.
The vote is even more pronounced among those who voted Labour in 2019, at 27 per cent to Burnham and ten per cent to Starmer.
However, vast majority of people who responded were “not sure” as there is no vacancy for the Labour leadership although Starmer faces another looming by-election challenge in Batley and Spen next week where the party could be overtaken by the Conservatives.
Labour trailed in fourth behind the Green Party in the Chesham and Amersham poll last week.
It follows the party’s crushing defeat in May when Labour lost its heartland seat of Hartlepool to the Tories, triggering bitter recriminations against the leadership.
Find Out Now interviewed 5,128 people online on Tuesday 8 June.
