Andy Burnham represents Labour’s best hope of preventing Nigel Farage from becoming prime minister, according to Britain’s leading pollster, Professor Sir John Curtice. In a scathing assessment, Sir John accused Sir Keir Starmer of lacking a vision for the country and said he does not believe the prime minister can “learn to be a politician” in the new year.
Sir John told The Independent that only Greater Manchester mayor Mr Burnham has the support within the Labour Party and appeal to the wider electorate to be an effective replacement for Sir Keir. However, he noted that the route back into Westminster is “very difficult” for Mr Burnham, as he would need to be elected as an MP. “Andy Burnham is probably still the best possibility, but there are many barriers in his way,” said Sir John.
While Mr Burnham recently dismissed claims of a comeback to Westminster, a YouGov poll last month showed he was the clear frontrunner among candidates tipped to succeed Sir Keir, ahead of former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and health secretary Wes Streeting. Sir John was sceptical about their chances, noting that Mr Streeting is not popular within the party and has yet to prove his ability as a departmental minister, while Ms Rayner, though popular within the party, tends to be divisive among the electorate.
Sir John also cast doubt on home secretary Shabana Mahmood as a strong contender, despite praise from Sir Tony Blair, noting she fared poorly in Labour List surveys of party members. Looking ahead, Sir John predicted there could be at least one significant change of leadership by this time next year, as both Sir Keir and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have seen their popularity plummet.
