Andy Burnham doesn't speak for us, say voters in South - Mail poll

Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREE See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy JASON GROVES, POLITICAL EDITOR and MARTIN BECKFORD, POLICY EDITOR Published: 00:32 BST, 20 July 2026 | Updated: 01:22 BST, 20 July 2026

Andy Burnham faces an extraordinary crisis of legitimacy when he enters Downing Street today.Exclusive polling for the Daily Mail reveals that, outside of his Manchester stronghold, many question his right to be Prime Minister after he seized power by stealth.When he takes over from Sir Keir Starmer this afternoon, the former mayor of Greater Manchester will pledge immediate help with the cost of living as he tries to fend off calls for a general election.But the self-styled King of the North faces a battle to win over voters across the country, the survey has found.In the South East of England, fewer than a quarter (24 per cent) believe his rise to power – having only returned to the Commons a month ago – has been 'legitimate', compared with 40 per cent who say it was not. Just 1 per cent believe he will significantly improve the economy.In the South West, 42 per cent believe the new PM got the job by 'illegitimate' means. In the East Midlands, barely a fifth (21 per cent) think he has the right to seize power.The Survation poll found that, across the country, 51 per cent of people believe Mr Burnham should hold an election this year, while 31 per cent do not. The remaining 18 per cent said they did not know.He has little backing outside his Manchester fiefdom and London, with only four regions of the UK supportive of how he has ousted Sir Keir. Amid fears the Makerfield MP will pile taxes on middle-class Southerners to fund his plans, four in ten say they do not believe he will govern in the interests of the country as a whole.Mr Burnham will become Prime Minister today following an extraordinary coup against Sir Keir, just two years after Labour's election landslide. Addressing the nation at lunchtime, Mr Burnham will pledge to 'give Britain more breathing space' in the cost-of-living crisis, with plans to shave money off energy bills and cut bus fares expected to be announced in the coming days. Incoming PM Andy Burnham is seen during his afternoon run in Westminster on Sunday