Is Andy Burnham set to be PM? Poll marks him as clear favourite among Labour members… despite EU and fiscal rules flip-flop | Plus: why re-joining the EU would be national humiliation

The Julia Hartley-Brewer Show · May 19, 2026 · 25m

All eyes are on the Makerfield by-election, where Andy Burnham is hoping he can scrape through a tight race, beat Reform and become Labour leader… and then the PM.

His hopes are coming under strain as the media, and his political rivals, train their eyes on him. Both Wes Streeting and Keir Starmer said over the weekend they would want to (eventually) look at re-joining the EU.

That places Burnham in a bind – Labour members are generally pro-EU, while around 60% of Makerfield constituents voted for Brexit.

Lo and behold, following Streeting and Starmers’ statements, Burnham U-turned on a…