Majority of voters need Andy Burnham to name election to win his personal mandate
A poll by Public First found that 51% of voters believe the new Labour MP and likely PM ‘should call and try to win an election to give his government legitimacy’
Andy Burnham(Image: Getty Images)
A majority of voters believe Andy Burnham should call an election to win his own mandate to govern. According to a poll, 51% believe the new Labour MP “should call and try to win an election to give his government legitimacy”.
Only a third say he would lead a legitimate administration without a new general election, the Public First poll found. The results have highlighted the debate over the transition of power, with Mr Burnham certain to replace Sir Keir Starmer in No10 later this month.
He would follow in the footsteps of recent former prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, who also both held the post without a direct mandate from the people.
Seb Wride, of Public First, said the polling finds that the public “would rather not see someone become the prime minister” without going through an election.
“As with the Conservatives before them, the public responds badly to the idea that leaders of the country are decided in rooms they are not in,” he said.
“For Burnham, there is a risk that even before it exists his leadership is being challenged on its legitimacy. The public has largely already assumed he will be Prime Minister.
“They do not see this as a contest, and it is likely the accusations that Burnham’s ideas are ‘untested’ will therefore land more heavily.” The poll found 57% think a general election should be held to choose the next government, while 32% said the current Labour government should “see out their term.”
Reasons for not wanting an election was that it would be “too disruptive or costly,” supported by 37%, while 12% said they were “bored of voting in elections.”
But Mr Burnham’s allies have dismissed calls for an election. Mr Wride added: “Calling an election is undeniably a risk. Election polls remain fractured, and the result is far from predictable.”
