It feels like there's been a transfer of energy between Reform and Labour - this time last year Nigel Farage was summoning journalists several times a week to share his thoughts, but now he's pleading with voters to shun Count Binface15:24, 28 Jul 2026Updated 15:26, 28 Jul 2026It doesn't feel that long since a Nigel Farage-led government felt grimly inevitable.Labour was locked in a doom loop for over a year, while the not-usually-camera-shy Reform chief could barely contain his glee. For 15 months the insurgent right-wing outfit has been ahead in the polls - and just weeks ago showed it could translate this into votes in the local elections.But like a football team languishing near the bottom of the table, Labour MPs decided to jettison the manager and bring in someone new. And maybe, just maybe, it's paying off.For the first time since March last year, two major polls give Labour a narrow lead, suggesting there's been a 'Burnham bounce'. It helps that Mr Farage is trying to thrash his way out of troubled waters, all while locked in a humiliating showdown with a man with a bin on his head.‌The undeclared £5million 'gift' he received from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne has spectacularly taken the wind out of his sails. And news that police are looking at the source of donations to his party won't help matters.It certainly feels like there's been a transfer of energy between the parties. Last summer Keir Starmer's Labour got caught napping. While MPs headed off on their breaks, Mr Farage grabbed the initiative and called press conference after press conference, throwing policies around like a dog owner hurling a ball in the park.Contrast that to this year. Twelve months ago I was regularly summoned to hear the Reform leader's musings. Now it's been months since I was in the same room as him.‌His reluctance to put himself through the routine questioning he gladly faced until details of Mr Harborne's generosity broke doesn't point to a leader on the front foot. In the great battle of ideas that is British politics, his by-election mis-step means he's tied up in Clacton trying to prevent voters backing Count Binface.Enter Mr Burnham.The new PM spent the past week talking about hope, promising to turn around years of failure and - crucially - trying to reach voters who might not have been too keen on Mr Starmer.‌Polling by Survation which put Labour on 28% to Reform's 24% feels like a big moment - particularly on the back of More In Common also pointing to a narrow lead.Has the tide turned? As any football fan will tell you, changing managers is no guarantee of long-term success.All three relegated Premier League teams chopped and changed last season. But then so did Manchester United, and they qualified for the Champion's League.The test for Mr Burnham will be whether he can sustain the bounce when the honeymoon period is over. That won't be easy - there are a lot of thorny decisions around the corner, and he can't serve up sugar-coated policy forever.‌But for the first time in a while, Labour MPs are feeling cautiously optimistic. And with voters starting to question whether getting Nigel Farage to lead the country is really a good idea, it really is all to play for.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌