ANDY BURNHAM would beat Keir Starmer in a head-to-head Labour leadership contest, according to a YouGov poll of party members, as the Greater Manchester mayor set out plans to move Labour to the left.
The survey found Burnham would win 59 per cent support against 37 per cent for Starmer. It also found Burnham would beat former health secretary Wes Streeting by 80 per cent to 10 per cent in a contest to replace the prime minister.
The poll, conducted among more than 700 Labour members at the end of last week, came after Streeting resigned as health secretary and Burnham announced plans to return to Westminster through the Makerfield by-election.
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In a speech in Leeds on Monday, Burnham backed public control of water, transport and social housing, and suggested support for rent controls. He said Britain had been “on the wrong path” for 40 years because of “deregulation, privatisation and austerity”.
Burnham also changed his position on two issues. He said he was not proposing that Britain rejoin the EU and backed the government’s fiscal rules.
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“I respect the decision that was made with the referendum,” he said. “My view is that Brexit has been damaging, but I also believe the last thing we should do right now is rerun those arguments.”
Starmer rejected calls to set out a timetable to step down, saying: “I do want to fight the next election.”
