More signs of Burnham poll bounce for Labour as new PM starts with highest personal ratings since Theresa May

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 12:30, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 12:39, 23 July 2026 There were more signs of an Andy Burnham bounce today with polls showing voters are willing to give him a chance. A More in Common poll has found Labour on 24 per cent support, up two points since before Keir Starmer left office.  Reform was on 26 per cent and the Tories 22 per cent, meaning all three are effectively tied within the margin for error of the research. A separate YouGov survey suggested Mr Burnham's favourability has entered positive territory since he took charge at No10. He had a net score of three, up from minus nine at the start of last week. The rating is better than Sir Keir when he became PM in 2024, and higher than for any PM since Theresa May in 2016. A More in Common poll has found Labour on 24 per cent support, up two points since before Keir Starmer left office Mr Burnham took power on Monday vowing to bring back 'hope' after winning the Makerfield by-election and orchestrating a coup against Sir Keir The More in Common poll also found a big surge in Mr Burnham's personal ratings Mr Burnham came to power on Monday vowing to bring back 'hope' after winning the Makerfield by-election and orchestrating a coup against Sir Keir.  He has spent his first few days announcing a flurry of cost-of-living measures, such as trimming VAT on electricity bills and capping single bus fares at £2 instead of £3.  However, there has been criticism that the Government is not spelling out how the measures will be funded, with the public finances under massive pressure.  The latest hints at public opinion come after a Deltapoll survey found Labour's support had risen eight points since Sir Keir announced his resignation last month. It indicated Labour and Reform were both on 28 per cent, with Tories on 18 per cent and the Greens and Liberal Democrats tied on 10 per cent. Reform's level of support was unchanged since last month's poll, despite growing questions over party leader Nigel Farage's personal finances. It was the first time since April 2025 that Labour has not been behind Reform.  A Survation poll last week also showed Labour neck-and-neck with Mr Farage's party. Both were on 24 per cent in that survey, with the Tories not far behind on 21 per cent. A separate YouGov survey suggested Mr Burnham's favourability has entered positive territory since he took charge at No10 The rating is better than Sir Keir when he became PM in 2024, and higher than for any PM since Theresa May in 2016