About a third of British residents view Prime Minister Andrew Burnham as a weak and indecisive leader, according to the results of a new YouGov survey published on social media platform X.
The poll revealed that 33 percent of respondents in Great Britain evaluated Burnham as weak, while the exact same proportion of 33 percent labeled him indecisive. These numbers mark a substantial increase in critical assessments over a short period, with perceptions of weakness climbing by 10 percentage points compared to a similar study conducted in early August 2026. Perceptions of indecisiveness experienced an even larger jump, rising by 12 percentage points over the same timeframe.
In contrast to the rising negative scores, 34 percent of those surveyed still described Burnham as a strong leader. However, that figure reflects a decline of six percentage points from the August findings. A higher proportion of voters, standing at 41 percent, indicated that they view the prime minister as a decisive figure.
Voter opinion on competence and trust
The YouGov findings also examined public perceptions regarding the head of government's competence. A total of 45 percent of participants judged Burnham to be competent in his role. Conversely, 30 percent of respondents reached the opposite conclusion, rating the British leader as incompetent.
Public sentiment remains tightly balanced when it comes to personal trust in the prime minister. The survey recorded that 36 percent of respondents feel Burnham is trustworthy and deserving of trust. By comparison, 35 percent of participants stated that the prime minister does not deserve trust.
Personal warmth and political background
Despite the notable erosion in his leadership ratings since August, Burnham continues to maintain a positive personal image with more than half of the country. A majority of 53 percent of Britons reported that they find the prime minister likeable. In contrast, 26 percent of respondents stated that the British leader is unpleasant or dislikeable to them.
Burnham became the Prime Minister of Great Britain on July 20, 2026, taking charge of the nation's executive branch. Prior to assuming the premiership at 10 Downing Street, Burnham established a long career in British public life, serving as Mayor of Greater Manchester and holding senior Cabinet positions under previous Labour administrations.
The opinion survey was conducted by YouGov, an international market research and data analytics firm headquartered in London. Founded in 2000, YouGov specializes in online panel polling to measure public opinion on politics, public policy and consumer brands across the United Kingdom and globally.
