The change of power in the UK

Labour again bigger than Reform in several polls

A week after Andy Burnham became the UK's prime minister, Labour has overtaken or caught up with Reform UK in several opinion polls, Reuters reports. It is the first time in just over a year that Labour has been the biggest party in public opinion.

In one poll, the party has climbed from 19 percent at the time of Keir Starmer's resignation as Labour leader in June to 26 percent today.

Andy Burnham tells The Guardian that he will not draw too many conclusions from opinion polls but that he is "happy to have reached people".

Since taking office, Labour has, among other things, abolished a tax on energy bills, introduced a cap on bus fares and reduced the tax for Britain's struggling pubs.

Reform has been the largest party in almost all polls for over a year and made major gains in local elections in May.

Analysis: Must show that the car is better, not just the driver

The new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham can rejoice in Labour's surge in public opinion, but the effect may be short-lived. Peter Kellner writes in an analysis in the New Statesman.

The boost is due to Burnham being more popular than his predecessor Keir Starmer. But the fundamental problem remains: Labour has a "deplorable brand reputation".

"Burnham must convince voters that he is not only offering a better driver, but also a better car", writes Kellner.

In the polls, Labour and Nigel Farage's Reform party are now level on the polls for the first time in over a year. The surge is being called the "Burnham bounce" in analyses by Sky News, The Guardian and The Independent.

The party has launched Burnham to the people in a skillful way, says political commentator Peter Walker on The Guardian podcast "Today in focus".

At first he was a relaxed, nice guy. In his first week in office, he picked “low-hanging fruit” with a few quick policy proposals, and now, in week two, he is throwing himself into the most important future issues.

– Very calculated, but it has been done quite well so far.