Following the appointment of Andy Burnham as the UK’s new Prime Minister on 20th July 2026, Survation’s most recent poll of Labour members for LabourList uncovers a positive and hopeful membership base, alongside a “Burnham Bounce” for continuing cabinet ministers, and a bow from members to Keir Starmer.

Andy Burnham’s new Cabinet team is proving highly popular

Our poll shows Andy Burnham opening his premiership with a net approval rating of +76 among Labour members – the highest net favourability of any figure in this round of polling.

His popularity even overtakes that of Ed Miliband, knocking him off the top spot for the first time in several waves. In Starmer’s cabinet, Miliband was recently the most popular Cabinet member (+65 in April), and he’s now second, 11 points behind Burnham’s +76.

Burnham’s rating also comfortably clears Keir Starmer’s record as Prime Minister in our tracking. Starmer’s net favourability was never higher than +50 amongst labour members, and his reading in March 2025 was +14, notably lower than most of his cabinet at the time.

Chancellor John Healey and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner also hold high approval ratings among Labour members, on +63 and +60 respectively, rounding off a strong top four.

Rising stars

Most ministers who have remained in Cabinet have also seen their favourability rise since April 2026. Nine out of the 14 continuing ministers see a bounce in their favourability among Labour members, while only one, Wes Streeting, has seen a sharp drop since our last poll and moves from a positive to a negative net rating.

Here’s who’s up and who’s down:

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has risen furthest, up from +32 in April to +52 – a 20-point gain. Chancellor John Healey has risen from +46 to +63 in the most recent wave of polling.

Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood are the only two ministers in negative territory, but their paths there look different: whilst Streeting’s favourability has fallen 32 points since April 2026 – from +21 to −11 in this most recent poll – Mahmood’s is actually recovering, up nine points over the same period.

Looking back at the Starmer administration: division and consensus

The verdict on Starmer’s record remains divided – 53% of Labour members believe he governed well, and 47% say badly. But that divide has softened since he left office: the same question returned 42/57 in February 2026 and 41/59 in April 2026, meaning his record has improved by more than 20 points since our last in-office reading.

When asked about his greatest achievement as party leader and PM, 22% of members said the Employment Rights Act, while 17% sided with reforming the Labour Party as his greatest accomplishment.

Starmer’s personal favourability has also improved, up from -2 in April to +16 now – something of a parting gift from the party membership.

Verdict on his exit

In spite of this rise in personal popularity and a softening of perceptions on his premiership, the verdict on Starmer’s exit is unambiguous: 82% of members say he was right to resign, and only 13% disagree.

The softening of opinion likely reflects a gratitude within the membership for the manner of his exit rather than a reappraisal of his record. Either way, the mood among members remains highly optimistic as Burnham’s premiership begins.

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