Makerfield voters want Burnham over Starmer in Number 10, poll finds

More than half of voters in Makerfield, including nine in ten Labour supporters, would prefer to see Andy Burnham as Prime Minister over Keir Starmer, a new poll has revealed.

Polling conducted by Opinium on behalf of Forward for Democracy, shared exclusively with LabourList, found that 54 percent of voters in the constituency, including 89 percent of those planning to vote Labour on Thursday, would prefer the Greater Manchester Mayor in Downing Street over the current Prime Minister. Only four percent of Labour voters and five percent of the wider electorate in Makerfield backed Starmer in such a contest.

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Support for Burnham also extended to Reform supporters, with 42 percent wanting the ‘King of the North’ to take over as Prime Minister, with only seven percent backing Starmer. However, over half (55 percent) had no preference.

A poll of constituents likely to vote in Makerfield found that 41 percent will back Andy Burnham, with 37 percent supporting Reform’s Rob Kenyon with Restore Britain on six percent. Nine percent said they were unsure who they would vote for.

It comes just days before voters go to the polls, with Andy Burnham widely expected to challenge Keir Starmer as Labour leader and Prime Minister should he return to Westminster.

Founder of Forward Democracy Tom de Grunwald said: “Part of Reform’s current popularity may be a protest vote against the current leadership. Our finding that 35 percent of Reform voters in Makerfield would prefer Burnham to Starmer as Prime Minister clearly adds weight to that idea.

“The UK desperately needs its politics to hear and better honour diverse voices, reduce polarisation, and help the public find consensus on the issues that matter to people’s lives.

“As a staunch advocate of fair votes, Andy Burnham clearly understands this need, and that is why progressives of all stripes in Makerfield intend to vote tactically for him to keep the far-right away from power.”

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