In the first YouGov poll since Burnham became PM Labour is up a point, Reform posts no change, and the Tories are down one. YouGov says:
“Although all parties are within the margin of error of our final poll of Keir Starmer’s premiership, this is highest figure for Labour recorded in our tracker since January, and is up five points from the 16% low recorded for the party on four occasions between March and early May this year.”
As bounces go…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”