Three in five Brits say Andy Burnham should call a snap general election after ousting Keir Starmer from No10

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 10:36, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 10:50, 16 July 2026 Three in five Brits believe Andy Burnham should call a general election within his first year as prime minister in order to secure his own mandate from the public. A Savanta poll revealed 61 per cent think Mr Burnham, who is set to replace Keir Starmer in Downing Street on Monday, should hold a national vote within 12 months. This compared to less than one in five (17 per cent) who thought Mr Burnham shouldn't call a general election in his first year as PM. It comes amid growing questions over Mr Burnham's mandate to lead the country, as he's not faced a public vote and given little detail over his plans for power. The former Greater Manchester mayor has spoken only once in the House of Commons since returning to Parliament as the new Makerfield MP. He also exited a major speech at the end of last month without taking questions from the media, instead opting to selectively answer 'softball' questions on website Reddit. Mr Burnham only spoke in vague terms about what he might do when he enters No10 during a light-hearted chat with ex-footballer Gary Lineker this week. He is set to replace Sir Keir as PM on 20 July without facing a vote of Labour's wider membership, after he secured the support of 94 per cent of the party's MPs. Your browser does not support iframes. Three in five Brits believe Andy Burnham should call a general election within his first year as prime minister in order to secure his own mandate from the public The Savanta survey, commissioned by the Institute of Research and Reforms (IRR) International, found mixed views on whether Mr Burnham is suitably experienced to be PM. Around half (46 per cent) of respondents said Mr Burnham's experience as Greater Manchester mayor would not be enough to help him govern the country effectively. This compared with 21 per cent who disagreed, while a quarter (26 per cent) neither agreed nor disagreed. But there was strong support for Mr Burnham's stated wish for greater devolution through the distribution of power and resources from Whitehall to the regions. Some 71 per cent agreed that every region of England should have more powers over areas such as transport, housing and skills like Greater Manchester. A similar proportion (69 per cent) agreed that too many economic decisions affecting local communities are made centrally in Westminster. Mr Burnham has pledged to create a 'No10 North' by locating some of his Downing Street operation in Manchester. The poll showed two-thirds (67 per cent) agreed that more Government departments and public bodies should be based outside London.  Ali Rehman Malik, Chairman of IRR International, said: 'This polling sends a clear message: the public wants the Government to feel closer to the people it serves. 'The findings suggest that many people believe trust in politics will not be rebuilt through Westminster alone, but by giving communities a greater voice in the decisions that affect their lives. 'One of the clearest findings is that people expect democratic legitimacy to matter. If Andy Burnham becomes PM, most voters believe he should seek his own mandate from the British people. 'That is about more than one politician - it reflects a wider expectation that significant political change should be endorsed by the electorate. 'At IRR International, we saw this first-hand through our philanthropic work in Lancashire. 'Time and again, we found that people have greater confidence in leaders who understand the places they represent and the challenges their communities face. This polling suggests those lessons extend far beyond Lancashire. They reflect attitudes shared across the country. 'The strength of support for devolution should not be ignored. People increasingly believe that decisions on transport, housing, skills and local growth are better made closer to the communities they affect. 'That represents an important shift in how the public thinks the government should operate. 'For whichever leader takes office next, rebuilding trust will require more than new policies. It will require rebuilding the relationship between Westminster and the communities it exists to serve.' Savanta interviewed 2,278 UK adults online between 3 to 6 July.