Can Andy Burnham save the Labour Party?

Andy Burnham is quickly emerging as the obvious replacement for Keir Starmer. In a head-to-head leadership contest between the three likely forerunners, 29% of the public would want Burnham to win, compared with 16% for Starmer and just 8% for Wes Streeting. But beneath that headline is hesitation, with just under a quarter (23%) saying 'none of the above', with the same share unsure. When asked more broadly who should replace Starmer if he resigns, 20% chose Burnham, with a comparable amount (22%) saying 'none of the above' and 33% unsure.

As Tony Blair noted in a reflective, albeit awkwardly timed, essay this week, the instinct to reach for a Burnham reset as a silver bullet for Labour's governing problems misses the core of what has gone wrong. The problem is not only in the leadership, but in the condition of the party itself. Labour's 2024 victory owed much to Conservative unpopularity, rather than a clear long-term vision of its own. That absence cannot be resolved simply by changing leader.