LABOUR is advancing in the polls, profiting from the relative popularity of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

For the first time in over a year, Labour is ahead of Reform UK, according to pollsters More in Common.

In the first survey published since Mr Burnham took over in Downing Street, Labour was up 4 per cent to 28, ahead of Reform, which dropped two points to 24 per cent.

The switch is likely to reflect Reform chief Nigel Farage’s troubles over undeclared millionaire donations, as well as the anticipated “Burnham bounce.”

In the poll, the Tories were unchanged on 22 per cent, while the Greens were down three points to 8, with the Liberal Democrats on 12 per cent.

Another survey, by YouGov, showed that voters feel Mr Burnham would make a better premier than any of his rivals, polling far better than Sir Keir Starmer by the same metric.

He led Mr Farage 48 to 22, Green leader Zack Polanski 45 to 9 and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch 38 to 26 per cent.

However, YouGov also found Labour, Reform and the Tories virtually neck-and-neck in voting intentions.

Mr Burnham said he “wouldn’t get carried away by any poll. I’m pleased to have kind of made a start where hopefully I’ve connected with people and I am talking a lot about Britain believing again and getting its hope back.”

The good news for Labour came as Mr Burnham sought to somewhat broaden the base of his government by giving junior roles to three left MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group.

The trio will all be parliamentary private secretaries, the lowest rung on the government ladder — Olivia Blake, MP for Sheffield Hallam, at local government; Durham’s Mary Foy at housing and Montgomery MP Steve Witherden at energy.

Some MPs in the campaign group had been disappointed at Mr Burnham’s failure to offer them any ministerial roles, after pledging to build a non-factional and broad-church front bench.

And left MPs have warned Mr Burnham against any attempt to go down the road of welfare cuts, as Sir Keir disastrously did.

Liverpool MP Kim Johnson told Bloomberg: “If the first instinct of a new leadership is to target disabled people and low-income families rather than challenge the wealth and inequality at the top of society, then nothing has been learnt.”

John McDonnell added that any welfare reform “must be based upon a strategy of providing positive support to people rather than punitive sanction.”

Mr Burnham has also named equalities minister Bridget Phillipson as Labour party chair.  

Ms Phillipson, who lost her role as Education Secretary in last week’s reshuffle, replaces right-winger Anna Turley.