A new survey conducted by Public First for POLITICO reveals a stark difference in perceptions of Andy Burnham, a likely new prime minister of the UK, between the north and south of England.
Nationwide, trust in Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, stands at +11%; however, when viewed regionally, the figures vary significantly.
Responding to the question “Do you trust Andy Burnham?” voters in the North of England answered “yes” by a margin of +22% compared with those who answered “no,” as those in the South are far more sceptical, giving Burnham a negative trust rating of -3%
Therefore, the 24-point difference between the north and south of England in terms of how satisfied voters would be with Burnham’s appointment as Prime Minister reached 100% of the total. In the north, the concept of Bernham taking office received a favourable rating of +22%, whilst among voters in the south, this received a negative rating of -2%.
In response to the question of who would “do the better job” as Prime Minister, Burnham leads Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on most points, including the NHS (+15); improving schools (+16); protecting the interests of ordinary working people (+14); representing the interests of the whole country (+10); managing the economy (+10); tackling the cost of living (+9); foreign relations (+9); and resolving international crises (+6).
Public First stated that both politicians are roughly equal in terms of effectiveness when it comes to challenging the establishment and tackling crime. Farage leads Burnham on only two issues, namely tackling illegal immigration (+18 points) and maintaining good relations with US President Donald Trump (+23 points).
Burnham is set to become the UK’s seventh prime minister in the last decade. Barring any last-minute surprises in the coming weeks, he will officially settle into 10 Downing Street at the end of July, as his election as Labour Party leader took place unopposed.
