Ipsos Political Pulse: Burnham and Streeting National Favourability Ratings Both Fall Ahead of Makerfield Vote
The latest Ipsos Political Pulse survey, conducted online between 5-9 June among 2,247 British adults, shows the national favourability ratings of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have both fallen ahead of Thursday’s Makerfield by-election. The Burnham favourability decline is the structural counter-signal to the Reuters/FT/Times/Manchester Evening News positive coverage; the Streeting decline is the structural confirmation of the cabinet-bargain scenario. The Manchester Evening News exclusive on the tense final days of the Burnham campaign captures the Labour Party’s internal pressure.
The Ipsos Political Pulse 5-9 June survey predates the Sunday Nandy endorsement, the Times opinion column, the Reuters right-wing-feud wire and the Starmer “chaos” intervention; the favourability decline therefore reflects the pre-final-week base position rather than the campaign-week dynamic. The structural pattern across both Burnham and Streeting suggests the broader Labour Party brand is under pressure rather than only the Burnham personal brand; the political-mathematical implication is that the leadership transition may not deliver the bounce the Labour parliamentary party expects. The Manchester Evening News exclusive on the tense final days captures the structural anxiety within the Burnham campaign about Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon’s ground operation in Makerfield.