LABOUR members back Andy Burnham to take over the party and the government, polling revealed today as the party confirmed that the Manchester mayor will be its candidate in the Makerfield by-election.

The party’s national executive committee (NEC) shortlisted no-one else for consideration in the poll on June 18. Mr Burnham said the by-election would be the most “consequential of our lifetime.”

Should he win, he will be well placed to force out Sir Keir Starmer, whose premiership is on life support.

The YouGov survey showed Mr Burnham was favoured for Labour leader by 47 per cent of party members, against 31 per cent for Sir Keir and 8 per cent for former deputy premier Angela Rayner.

In a straight clash, Mr Burnham would see off the incumbent by 59 per cent to 37 per cent.

However, party members like Ms Rayner the most, edging out Mr Burnham in a popularity contest with 80 per cent favourability against 77 per cent.

The only declared leadership contestant so far, Wes Streeting, who dramatically quit as health secretary last week, was viewed unfavourably by 60 per cent of members.

Three-quarters of Labour members believe that Mr Burnham would lead them to victory at the next general election, while only 28 per cent think the same about Sir Keir.

Left MPs are concerned at Mr Burnham’s drift, however. He has committed to keeping the Treasury fiscal rules which have forced the government towards austerity, dropping previous pledges to stand up to the bond market.

And they were angered at undenied rumours that Mr Burnham has privately promised Josh Simons, who resigned as Makerfield MP to make way for the mayor, a top Downing Street job when he takes over.

Mr Simons is regarded as a scheming rightwinger who was director of the Labour Together faction when it launched a smear and surveillance campaign against journalists probing its wrongdoing. The row forced him to resign as a minister.

Mr Burnham has to win the by-election first of course. Today he said that “it was growing up in and around these streets that I saw what Thatcher’s government did to places like this, the deindustrialisation, the draining away of economic, social and political power.”

Reform UK is his main rival and today it picked local plumber Robert Kenyon as its candidate. He won a seat on the local authority last week with twice the votes of his Labour rival.

The Tories have ruled out standing down in favour of Reform in the by-election.