Andy Burnham should call a general election after becoming prime minister to give him a mandate to govern, exclusive polling has found.

A clear majority of voters – 59 per cent – want Mr Burnham to go to the country within a year of entering No10 rather than wait until the end of the five-year term won by Sir Keir Starmer in 2024. Just 26 per cent want him to hang on until 2029.

The poll, conducted by former Conservative deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft and shared with The Mail on Sunday, comes as speculation swirls around Westminster that Mr Burnham will call a snap election to take advantage of his ‘honeymoon’ period after taking over from Sir Keir on July 20.

If he won, it would allow him to secure a mandate for the Leftist policies he hopes to introduce. A quick election would also take advantage of an apparent faltering in support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

His dilemma mirrors that faced by Gordon Brown when he took over from Tony Blair in 2007 – changing his mind about an election at the last moment, leading to ‘Bottler Brown’ headlines and questions over the legitimacy of his administration.

The point is emphasised in the survey when voters are asked whether Mr Burnham should be bound by Sir Keir’s manifesto promise not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT: 54 per cent say yes, while just 21 per cent of those polled think that he should be allowed to do what he likes.

The poll found that Mr Burnham is thought to be the most likely party leader to be prime minister after the next election, on 33 per cent, with Mr Farage on 20 per cent and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch on 6 per cent.

Mr Burnham’s post-Makerfield honeymoon helps him to the top of the ‘best PM’ ratings, on 38 per cent, with Ms Badenoch on 20 per cent and Mr Farage on 17 per cent.

It is clear that voters expect high taxes from a Burnham government, with 41 per cent believing he is more Left wing than Sir Keir, and just 21 per cent disagreeing.

Writing in today’s MoS, Lord Ashcroft says: ‘If change is on the way, how much of it has the country’s consent? I found most voters want an election within a year, if not immediately, though few expect to get one.

‘But if he enjoys any kind of honeymoon, he might wonder if he is looking at his one chance of winning another term, especially if Reform struggle to regain momentum.’