Labour surge ahead in polls for first time in 16 months - but Burnham insists he would 'rule out' a general election

By SOPHIE CHURCH - POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 13:56, 27 July 2026 | Updated: 14:29, 27 July 2026 Labour has jumped ahead of Reform in national voting polls for the first time in more than a year as voters respond positively to Andy Burnham as PM. Just over a quarter of Brits would now vote for Labour in a general election, catapulting the party ahead of Reform for the first time since March last year. In a boost for Labour, the former Manchester Mayor’s first week in office has seen the party’s lead climb by four percentage points to 28 per cent – with Reform falling back to 24 per cent. And Labour has enjoyed its highest vote share in just under two years with Mr Burnham at the helm, according to the polling from research firm More in Common. Mr Burnham this weekend said he would ‘rule out’ calling a general election, explaining the electorate had ‘voted for a manifesto’ in 2024 when voters last went to the polls. In an interview with the BBC, he said: ‘We’re in a parliamentary democracy and that is what people voted for and I will honour that manifesto’, adding that his focus would be on getting Britain ‘working’. But the poll will heap pressure on Mr Burnham to call a snap election to shore up his legitimacy in No 10. The new PM has insisted he will stick to the manifesto on which Labour was elected in 2024. Your browser does not support iframes. In a boost for Labour, Andy Burnham's first week in office has seen the party’s lead climb by four percentage points to 28 per cent – with Reform falling back to 24 per cent Police are investigating payments from Fiona Cottrell – the mother of 'Posh George' Cottrell (left), who secretly bankrolled his close ally Nigel Farage However, he has provided little detail on how he will pay for the raft of policy changes he has announced this week on cutting business rates for hospitality, ending rough sleeping in England, cutting VAT from electricity bills and creating the new No 10 North office. Calling a snap election would also allow Labour to capitalise on Reform’s waning popularity as the party is investigated over its donations. Reform UK's bank account was frozen during the last election after it received potentially illegal donations from a convicted criminal's mother, it emerged yesterday. Police are investigating payments from Fiona Cottrell – the mother of 'Posh George' Cottrell, who secretly bankrolled his close ally Nigel Farage. The More in Common poll marks the first time Reform has not led in voting intention since April last year. Commenting on the poll’s findings, More in Common’s Luke Tryl said: ‘It’s only been a week since he entered office, but it’s clear that momentum is on the Prime Minister’s side. ‘After a jam-packed week of high-profile policy announcements and media appearances, the Labour Party has surged in our weekly poll. ‘With all the caveats that it’s just one poll, Labour now leads for the first time since March of last year, and holds their highest vote share since the early months of this government in 2024. ‘And with both Reform and the Green Party dropping to their lowest vote share in months, it seems that this early focus on the cost of living has appealed to voters that Labour has lost across left and right. ‘It’s too early to see if this lead in the polls will be sustainable as Burnham makes his first moves and gets further into the practicalities of governing, but for the first time in a while, it seems that the government’s electoral fortunes could be lifting.’ While Reform has dropped back to 24 per cent in the poll, the Conservatives remain steady on 22 per cent. The Green Party however has dropped to eight per cent, giving the radical left party the lowest share of the vote since October last year when Zack Polanski became leader.