Andy Burnham is encountering increased pressure to call a General Election, as recent polling suggests a substantial portion of the electorate doubts his mandate to become Prime Minister without a public vote. A Public First poll for Politico revealed that only 21 percent of voters believe Burnham should be installed immediately as Prime Minister. In contrast, 54 percent favor him first participating in a Labour leadership contest, a sentiment shared by 57 percent of Labour voters.
The upcoming leadership transition for the Labour Party is set to culminate on July 17, with nominations opening on July 9 and closing a week later. Candidates require the backing of at least 80 Members of Parliament to stand. However, indications point towards Burnham being the sole candidate, leading to what is being described as a Labour "coronation."
Former health secretary Wes Streeting recently announced his support for Burnham, reversing his earlier stance that a contest was essential. Cabinet Office minister Darren Jones withdrew his candidacy on Wednesday, and while former special forces officer Al Carns is reportedly considering his options, most MPs do not believe he has sufficient support. Some hard-left MPs have called for a contest but have not coalesced around a credible candidate.
Nigel Farage has publicly criticized the situation, stating it is "ridiculous to pretend that Andy Burnham has any kind of meaningful mandate to lead the country." He added, "If Labour thinks it can shove another professional politician into No 10, it has another think coming."
If Burnham assumes the premiership without a contest, he would hold one of the weakest mandates in history. His recent victory in the Makerfield by-election, securing 55 percent of the vote, translates to only 0.05 percent of the UK electorate. Burnham has not previously stood on Labour's general election manifesto and would be the first modern Prime Minister not to have held a senior cabinet position or served as Leader of the Opposition prior to entering No. 10.
While Burnham has publicly downplayed the possibility of an early General Election, fearing alienation of Labour MPs facing re-election, some allies privately acknowledge that he might call a snap poll to secure his own mandate if favorable polling emerges in the coming months. A separate YouGov poll indicates the public favors a General Election by a margin of 48 percent to 36 percent. This survey also found that only 18 percent of people anticipate Burnham will be a good Prime Minister, with 20 percent expecting an average performance and 26 percent predicting a poor or "terrible" tenure.