Labour Pulls Level With Reform as Burnham Inherits a Polling Boost
Labour has drawn level with Reform UK on 24 per cent apiece, according to a Survation poll, its largest jump since the 2024 general election and the first time it has caught Reform in the series for more than a year. The Conservatives trail on 21 per cent. A separate Ipsos poll found Mr Burnham is the public’s clear choice for prime minister on 30 per cent, well ahead of Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch.
The Labour surge, recorded before Mr Burnham even takes office, hands the incoming prime minister rare momentum after months in which Reform led every poll. Reform’s slide to its lowest share since the May 2025 local elections coincides with Mr Farage’s own troubles over party funding. Yet Ipsos cautions that the public is not convinced Mr Burnham is ready for the job, and Survation’s figures still show four parties clustered within striking distance of one another. Watch whether the “Burnham bounce” survives contact with government and his first appearance at the despatch box as prime minister.