Burnham's approval rating jumps 17 points after first week as UK Prime Minister

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LONDON — The reviews are in: Andy Burnham’s first week as the U.K.’s new prime minister couldn’t have gone any better.

Voters across the political spectrum are warming to him, back his plans to ease the cost of living and believe he’ll deliver on his promises, The POLITICO Poll by Public First has found.

The research gives the first comprehensive breakdown of voters’ opinions on the country’s new leader and his early policy decisions.

Outside of Greater Manchester, the Northern English metropolis where Burnham was previously mayor, the public did not know him well before he took over from Keir Starmer on July 20. But what they have learned so far, they seem to like.

Burnham’s net approval rating has risen by 17 points, from +2 at the end of June to +19 after his first working week in power. And respondents see him as more honest, good-humored, firm, patriotic, strong and competent than they did a month ago.

This boost in favorability has happened across all demographic and voter groups, except among Reform UK supporters — although even people who back Reform, led by Nigel Farage, give Burnham favorable verdicts on some key measures.

Burnham speaks in front of an anti Reform UK poster as Labour launches its local election campaign In Bury, England on April 2, 2026. | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The findings will be heartening to many Labour MPs who moved to oust Starmer after two dismal years in office during which he led the party from a landslide victory in 2024 to a catastrophic series of local and regional election defeats earlier this year.

“The good news for Burnham now is that the approval is broad, only clearly in the red among those who intend to vote Reform,” said Seb Wride, head of polling at Public First. “People do not yet have a reason to dislike him.”

First impressions

For the past 15 months, Farage’s Reform UK has been dominating headline opinion polls, with some predictions suggesting Labour was facing a wipeout at the next election.

While there are still as many as three years to go before the next general election is called, Burnham’s arrival in No. 10 Downing Street — on the initial showing at least — seems to have changed the picture dramatically. Several pollsters in recent days have given Labour a small lead over Reform for the first time since the spring of 2025.

The POLITICO Poll delves deeper into voters’ first impressions of the new prime minister.

More than half the public — 54 percent — watched Burnham’s first speech on the steps of Downing Street after becoming prime minister, in which he set out his initial priorities for the job — and they gave him rave reviews.

Majorities agreed that he set out a clear vision for the country, that he’ll do the things he promised, and that he understands the problems that people like them face. He delivered the speech without notes or a lectern and voters seem to have approved of his communication style : Most said he is a good public speaker and his speech made them “feel more hopeful about the future” — a potentially significant mood shift, especially as Burnham promised to “bring back hope.”

That seems to have helped the new prime minister to make inroads among Reform voters — some of whom are former Labour voters the party hopes to win back.

Some 60 percent of Reform voters who watched Burnham’s first speech said they thought he was “a good public speaker.” One in three trusted that he would “do the things he promised” and said his speech made them feel more hopeful about the future. An even higher number — 44 percent — said Burnham “understands the problems facing people like me.” That’s more than the 38 percent of Reform voters who saw the speech and thought Burnham did not understand their problems.

It may be downhill from here

The policies Burnham has put forward have also gone down well with voters. Public First found the cost of living remained by far the biggest issue facing the country, in voters’ eyes, with 68 percent naming it as a top national priority.

In his first week, Burnham moved to ease the strain on household finances with a cut to VAT on electricity bills and a national cap on bus fares. These policies received big majorities in favor — as did his proposal for the biggest council house building program since the post-war period.

But 46 percent of respondents said the government does not have a “credible plan to pay for these things,” while only 39 percent said the opposite.

Nigel Farage is facing pressure over his financial arrangements and a by-election gamble that looks unlikely to strengthen his position as he had hoped. | Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images

The risk for a new prime minister is that this is as good as it gets. Approval ratings tend to decline — sometimes rapidly — the longer a premier is in office and Burnham may find his initial momentum soon fades.

That fact of political life has fueled the debate over whether he should cash in on his early boost and call an election. A snap vote may be Labour’s best hope of beating Reform, especially at a time when Farage is facing pressure over his financial arrangements and a by-election gamble that looks unlikely to strengthen his position as he had hoped.

Voters think Burnham should call an election regardless because it would give his government a legitimate mandate. He was not a candidate for parliament at the last general election two years ago and won the Labour leadership without a contest even among his party colleagues.

Some 55 percent of respondents said Burnham should call and seek to win an election to gain legitimacy, up slightly from 51 percent when POLITICO asked the question a month ago. One in three — 33 percent — said he should not call an election as his government already had legitimacy, about the same as last time.

“Putting it together, these few weeks are the strongest Labour has seemed up against Reform, but it is an exceptionally turbulent few weeks,” said Wride. “Where it settles is what matters.”