Labour's 'Burnham bounce' continues as the party are now four points ahead of Reform ahead of conference

Andy Burnham is preferred to Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch as PM, research for IPSOS shows.

And Labour is seen as more fit to govern than other parties.

27 per cent say they'll back Labour at the next election, 23 per cent Reform, 21 per cent the Conservatives, and 13 per cent the Greens. The Lib Dems are in the single figures on eight per cent.

Nearly two in three (58 per cent) say Reform UK are an "extreme" party and six in ten say they're not ready for government.

Read more: Labour ‘considers extending mansion tax’ to homes worth more than £1.5m

Read more: Michael Marra announced as new Scottish Labour leader

More than half (54 per cent) say the Conservatives aren't ready for government either.

The news will likely revive fresh calls within Labour for an early election, which is dividing top figures in the government.

Some want the PM to go early and secure his own mandate, especially when Reform's long-standing poll lead has taken a dent.

But others say the party will only lose seats from 2024, don't have the war-chest to pay for it.

The next election has to take place before 2029, but the PM has the power to call one early if they choose.

The Ipsos poll also shows that the government faces an uphill battle to make an impact, with distrust and dissastifcation remaining high.


Seven in ten people polled said they were dissatisifed with how the government's running.

And more people are unhappier with Mr Burnham this month than last.

Just 27 per cent agree that the current government is competent and 47 per cent disagree.

But that is up on last month, where 19 per cent saw the government as competent and 52 per cent disagreed.

When asked who they prefer as Prime Minister 35 per cent choose Andy Burnham, 15 per cent Kemi Badenoch and 14 per cent Nigel Farage.

6 per cent say someone else with the rest saying no one (10 per cent), it makes no difference (14 per cent) or don’t know (7 per cent).

Keiran Pedley, Director of Politics at Ipsos in the UK said: "As Andy Burnham approaches his first Labour Party conference as Prime Minister there are plenty of reasons for him to be cautiously optimistic.

"Perceptions of the Labour Party have improved on his watch, with Labour seen as more fit to govern than its main rivals, and Burnham himself is preferred to Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage as Prime Minister.

"Yet, despite public reservations about the Conservatives and Reform UK’s readiness for government there are still reasons for caution.

"Labour’s poll lead is narrow and 7 in 10 are still dissatisfied with how the country is being run. Furthermore, Burnham’s satisfaction ratings as Prime

Minister are nothing to write home about by historic standards.

"With a key by-election around the corner – and an even more important budget – Andy Burnham and Labour should not take their current poll advantage for granted."