Polling Results

See the full data tables here.

Andy Burnham’s first two weeks in Downing Street have delivered an immediate boost for both the prime minister and the Labour Party. Labour now leads voting intention for the first time since April 2025, while Burnham begins his premiership with a strongly positive approval rating and clear advantages over both Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage on who would make the best prime minister.

The public is cautiously optimistic about the new government, with more voters saying their views of Burnham and Labour have improved than worsened. However, many remain unsure how much his premiership will ultimately change the country, while support for a wealth tax comes with significant concerns about how it would work in practice.

Labour moves into the lead as Burnham receives strong opening ratings

Labour leads voting intention on 27%, up considerably since the previous poll and ahead for the first time since our poll conducted 9th-11th April 2025. Reform follows on 23%, while the Conservatives fall to 17%. The Greens and Liberal Democrats are both on 12%.

Andy Burnham begins his term as prime minister with a net approval rating of +16, a 20-point improvement since he was last tested before entering office. His approval has risen to 36%, while disapproval has fallen to 20%.

Ed Davey and Kemi Badenoch are both narrowly positive on +1. Nigel Farage remains strongly negative on -24, while Zack Polanski stands on -20. Chancellor John Healey begins on -2, although large numbers of voters have yet to form a view of him.

Burnham also holds sizeable leads on the best prime minister question. He leads Badenoch by 20 points on the net measure and Farage by 22 points.

The findings suggest Burnham has benefited from a substantial early honeymoon, combining improved personal ratings with a recovery in Labour’s electoral support.

Burnham improves across every leadership attribute

Public perceptions of Burnham have strengthened considerably since the beginning of July.

He receives positive net ratings across all 14 leadership attributes tested. His strongest scores are for being likeable (+25), decisive (+23), competent (+23), and having the nation’s best interests at heart (+22).

He also records strong positive ratings for being in touch with ordinary people (+21), being able to get things done (+19), and being a strong leader (+19).

The largest improvement is on whether Burnham has the nation’s best interests at heart, which has risen by 18 points. Ratings have also increased sharply on decisiveness, representing what most people think, and being trusted to take big decisions.

Kemi Badenoch has also improved across every attribute tested. She performs most strongly on sticking to her principles (+10), being decisive (+10), and being competent (+8). However, she remains negatively rated on being in touch with ordinary people, sharing voters’ views, and representing what most people think.

Public cautiously optimistic about Burnham’s first weeks

More voters say their view of Burnham has improved since he became prime minister than say it has worsened.

Around two in five (39%) say their opinion of him has become more positive, compared with just 12% whose opinion has become more negative. Labour has also benefited, with 35% saying their view of the party has improved since Burnham took office and 13% saying it has worsened.

The public remains divided over whether the government has already been a success. Some 38% say it has, compared with 30% who say it has not, while almost a third remain unsure.

A plurality also believes Labour under Burnham is performing better than it did under Keir Starmer. Around 37% say the current government is better, while 10% say it is worse and 32% think it is about the same.

Many remain unsure how much Burnham will change

Despite Burnham’s positive start, the public remains cautious about how much difference his premiership will make.

Around 36% believe he will make a great deal or fair amount of difference to how the country is run, compared with 44% who think he will make little or no difference.

When asked about the likely direction of the country, 30% think things will get better under Burnham, 35% expect them to remain about the same, and 16% think they will get worse.

Opinion is also divided on whether his premiership will bring substantive policy change. Around 27% expect a different style of government but similar policies, while 23% expect different policies and priorities. A further 29% think it will make little difference to either.

Burnham’s early policies gain widespread attention

The government’s early announcements have already reached a substantial share of the public.

The most widely recognised policy is the restoration of the £2 maximum bus fare in England, which 79% say they have heard about. This is followed by the proposed creation of a “Number 10 North” in Manchester (73%) and removing VAT from household electricity bills (72%).

Other widely recognised proposals include reforming business rates for high street businesses, reforming adult social care and expanding apprenticeships and technical education.

The findings suggest that Burnham’s initial programme has cut through quickly, although awareness is lower for some of the government’s broader industrial, housing and devolution plans.

Majority supports a wealth tax on assets above £10 million

There is broad public support for an annual 2% wealth tax on assets worth more than £10 million.

Just over half (53%) support the proposal, compared with 11% who oppose it. Around two thirds (67%) believe such a tax would be fair, while only 14% say it would be unfair.

When asked which assets should be included in a potential wealth tax, second homes receive the strongest backing, followed by buy-to-let properties and business ownership.

The public is more reluctant to include pensions, cash savings, cars or valuable personal possessions. Pensions are particularly unpopular as a potential part of the tax base, with 61% saying they should not be included.

However, support for the principle of a wealth tax does not translate into confidence about its implementation. Nearly half (47%) think it would be difficult to enforce, compared with 25% who believe it would be easy. Views are also divided on whether it would work in practice.

Commentary

Priya Minhas, political and social director at Opinium said: “Andy Burnham has enjoyed a significant honeymoon bounce, putting Labour ahead for the first time in 15 months and opening up its largest lead over Reform since January 2025. Much of that improvement appears to come from rebuilding Labour’s 2019 coalition, particularly by winning back voters who had drifted to the Greens at the last general election.

Burnham’s strongest personal attributes are that voters see him as likeable, competent and decisive. Those qualities aren’t just translating into strong personal ratings; they seem to be making voters more willing to give the Labour Party itself a second chance.”

Opinium conducted a nationally and politically representative survey of 2,050 UK adults between 29th and 31st July 2026.