'We want an election now!' Burnham faces mandate backlash before entering No. 10 Andy Burnham will walk into Downing Street on Monday under growing pressure to seek a general election, after a new poll found almost half of voters believe he has no mandate to push through his sweeping left-wing agenda. The incoming Prime Minister has promised the biggest political reset in decades, but critics say Britain's next leader has been "crowned, not chosen" by the public. Poll shows demand for a public voteAn exclusive Find Out Now poll for the Mail on Sunday found that 47% of voters believe Burnham should call a general election, compared with 31% who believe he should not. The findings are likely to intensify questions over Burnham's legitimacy after he replaced Sir Keir Starmer through an internal Labour leadership process rather than a nationwide election. One senior Labour MP admitted the issue could become impossible to ignore. Ambitious plans face immediate resistanceBurnham has pledged a radical programme that includes: Expanding public ownership of utilities. Building a new generation of council homes. Reforming social care. Cutting energy bills and bus fares. Introducing wealth taxes on Britain's richest households. He has also argued Britain took "wrong turns" during the Thatcher era and wants to reverse decades of economic policy. But voters appear sceptical about how those promises should be funded. The same poll found only 18% support raising taxes to repair the public finances, while 55% favour cutting public spending instead. Cabinet chaos overshadows first daysEven before taking office, Labour is facing accusations of confusion over senior ministerial appointments. Shabana Mahmood is reportedly edging ahead of Ed Miliband in the race to become Chancellor, despite many on Labour's left expecting Miliband to receive the Treasury brief. Other reports suggest: Wes Streeting could move to Defence, Health or even the Treasury. Angela Rayner is being considered for Health Secretary. David Miliband has even been linked with a return to frontline politics as Foreign Secretary. One veteran Labour MP joked: North Sea U-turn?One of Burnham's first major policy shifts could be approving new North Sea oil and gas drilling in response to energy pressures created by the war with Iran. Such a move would represent a significant departure from Labour's previous Net Zero stance and could place him on a collision course with environmental campaigners and some members of his own party. Conservatives smell weaknessConservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Burnham of avoiding scrutiny by taking office while Parliament is in recess. She dismissed his early rhetoric as lacking substance, saying voters still have little idea how he intends to deliver his ambitious promises. The Conservatives have also branded Burnham the "coronation chicken", claiming he is avoiding immediate questioning in the House of Commons. Pressure building inside LabourSome Labour MPs are already warning that Burnham may eventually have little choice but to seek his own electoral mandate. Veteran MP Graham Stringer argued that if Burnham intends to deliver reforms on the scale he has promised, the public should first be given the opportunity to endorse them at the ballot box. His warning summed up the growing dilemma facing the new Prime Minister. With Downing Street beckoning and expectations soaring, Burnham's honeymoon could prove remarkably short if questions over his democratic mandate continue to overshadow the start of his premiership. SOURCE
