Mixed poll results for Corbyn as Burnham boosted

Jeremy Corbyn is the leadership candidate rated both most likely to improve Labour's fortunes and damage the party's chances, according to a new poll.

Some 21% of those surveyed by ComRes thought Mr Corbyn would boost Labour's chances at the next election, putting him ahead of Andy Burnham on 19%, Yvette Cooper on 15% and Liz Kendall on 11%.

The poll gives Andy Burnham the highest net rating, despite trailing Jeremy Corbyn in the survey of which candidate would boost Labour's election chances. Credit: Yui Mok/PA Wire

But the study, for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror, found 31% of those polled thought Mr Corbyn would worsen Labour's prospects of electoral success - with Ms Cooper on 18%, Ms Kendall on 17% and Mr Burnham on 14%.

The combination of the two poll results see Mr Burnham claim a +5 net gain while Mr Corbyn trails in fourth with a -10 rating.

It came as shadow health secretary Mr Burnham again insisted that only he was capable of beating Mr Corbyn and preventing the party from splitting after the leadership race, which concludes on September 12.

Mr Burnham told the Sunday People: "In the 80s, we started fighting each other and left the way clear for Margaret Thatcher to bulldoze her way through Labour communities. I'm not going to let that happen this time."

The ComRes study found Labour trailing the Tories by 11 points, with David Cameron's party on 40% to the opposition's 29%.

:: ComRes interviewed 2,035 adults in Britain online between August 12 and 13. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults and by past vote recall.