Full Breakdown
Poll Shows Majority of Britons Want Keir Starmer to Resign as Andy Burnham’s Popularity Slides
6/22/2026, 12:05:58 AM
Poll Shows Majority Want Starmer’s Resignation and Burnham’s Falling Favorability
An Opinium poll of 2,050 UK adults conducted 17-19 June found 55 % say Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer should quit as Labour leader, versus 25 % who support his stay. Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor and leading successor, recorded a net acceptability of +8 but fell 12 points since May. In a head-to-head prime-minister preference, Burnham leads Starmer 26 % to 19 % (a seven-point margin). A YouGov poll shows Burnham’s net favourability at -11 (30 % like, 41 % dislike) while Starmer’s approval sits at -42. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, net approval -4, was preferred over Starmer as PM (23 % vs 22 %).
Labour Turmoil and the Makerfield By-Election
Labour has faced internal upheaval this spring. In May, former health secretary Wes Streeting resigned from the shadow cabinet and MP Josh Simons stepped down, triggering a Makerfield by-election that Andy Burnham won. Opinium’s James Crouch says the victory “transformed the political narrative”. The win briefly lifted Burnham’s profile, but recent data show his favourability slipping.
Official Statements & Responses
Downing Street reiterated that Starmer’s position remains unchanged, stressing his resolve to “fight on” and to contest any leadership challenge. Opinium’s James Crouch noted that, before the Makerfield result, Labour voters wanted Starmer to stay in the contest and showed little appetite for a leadership election.
Criticism & Opposition
The poll underscores public dissatisfaction with Starmer’s leadership, with a clear majority calling for his resignation. Burnham’s falling favourability after his by-election win signals voter scepticism toward the party’s alternatives.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Opinium reports Burnham with a positive net acceptability (+8) while YouGov records a negative net favourability (-11). Opinium’s fieldwork was largely before the Makerfield result; YouGov’s data were collected after, explaining part of the discrepancy. Neither survey explains why Burnham’s ratings fell or details the 81-MP threshold needed to trigger a leadership ballot.
Verbatim Quotes
- “See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source More than half of voters want Keir Starmer to resign as Prime Minister - and his would-be replacement Andy Burnham is already declining in popularity, according to a new poll An Opinium survey found 55 per cent of respondents believe Sir Keir should quit as Labour leader and leave Downing Street.” — Daily Mail
- “Opinium's James Crouch said: 'Andy Burnham's victory in Makerfield has transformed the political narrative and given him the chance to ride a wave of Keir Starmer's unpopularity.” — James Crouch, Opinium
- “As a result, Burnham now takes a net favourability rating of -11 in our latest poll: 30% of Britons like the would-be PM, versus 41% who dislike him.” — YouGov
What’s Next
Speculation suggests Starmer could announce his resignation as early as next week if pressure intensifies. If a challenger secures the backing of 81 Labour MPs, a leadership ballot would be triggered, pitting Burnham against other contenders such as John Healey or Wes Streeting. Polling will track shifts in parliamentary sentiment ahead of any contest.
