POLL – Would you vote Labour if Andy Burnham is prime minister?

Yesterday (June 22), Sir Keir Starmer resigned as Labour leader and prime minister after mounting political pressure, following the party’s disastrous local election results and growing unrest.

Speaking outside Downing Street, Sir Keir said he accepted he was "not best placed" to lead Labour into the next general election.

He will remain while Labour chooses a new leader, with nominations opening on July 9 and closing on July 16.

Now, attention is rapidly turning to Mr Burnham, who is widely seen as the frontrunner to replace him.

With this in mind, we’re asking south east Londoners: Will you vote for Labour if Andy Burnham is the Labour leader?

Mr Burnham won a crucial by-election in Makerfield on Thursday (June 18) with 55 per cent of the vote, beating Reform UK by more than 9,000 votes.

The result intensified pressure on Sir Keir and cleared the path for Mr Burnham to launch a leadership bid.

After his victory, Mr Burnham said: "This is a final chance to change.

"There will be no second chance."

The former health secretary and long-time Labour figure has become one of the party's most recognisable politicians outside Westminster, earning the nickname "King of the North" during clashes with the Conservative government over Covid restrictions.

As mayor of Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham oversaw the creation of the Bee Network, bringing buses back under public control in the first integrated transport system outside London.

One figure previously seen as Burnham’s biggest rival was Wes Streeting, the Ilford North MP and former health secretary.

Mr Streeting had publicly confirmed in May that he intended to stand in any Labour leadership contest after resigning from the cabinet, saying the party needed "a proper contest with the best candidates in the field".

However, on the same day Sir Keir resigned, Mr Streeting announced he would not run and instead endorsed Mr Burnham.

Mr Streeting said: "We could spend the summer exaggerating small differences, or we can roll up our sleeves and help him deliver the change our party and country needs."

The PM's resignation comes after Labour suffered major setbacks across London during May's local elections.

In Bromley, Labour dropped from 11 seats to eight while Reform UK doubled its representation from three seats to six.

Now News Shopper wants to know what south east Londoners think.

Would you vote Labour if Andy Burnham became leader of the party and prime minister?

Cast your vote in our poll and let us know your views in the comments.