Burnham has widest support if beergate costs Starmer his job

GREATER Manchester mayor Andy Burnham would have the broadest public backing to succeed Sir Keir Starmer if he is forced to resign over “beergate,” a new poll reveals today.

The former health secretary gets the support of 17 per cent of adults in Britain as the politician who would most likely make them vote Labour if elected leader to replace Sir Keir. This support includes 21 per cent from Labour voters and 18 per cent “not Labour”.

In second place is Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner on 12 per cent, with 22 per cent from Labour supporters but nine per cent “not Labour”.

Sir Keir has said he will resign if fined by Durham police for a beer and curry at a constituency office last April.

He insists he did not break the Covid laws on the campaign visit before the local elections. If he is forced to quit, though, Ms Rayner would probably also have to stand down as she was at the same gathering.

Mr Burnham’s challenge would be how to get back in the Commons. However, none of a series of other candidates gets double figures as the politician most likely to get people to vote Labour. Former cabinet minister Yvette Cooper gets seven per cent support on this question, ex-party leader Ed Miliband the same, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow levelling-up secretary Lisa Nandy both four per cent, and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves and shadow health secretary Wes Streeting two per cent.

The poll found 18 per cent saying “none” of the list of eight and 23 per cent “don’t know”.

Gideon Skinner, head of political Research at Ipsos, said the beergate row had not sparked an increase in the numbers who want Sir Keir to quit.