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Labour’s Bev Craig has been chosen to follow Andy Burnham as the Mayor of Greater Manchester. The election required a second round of counting after no candidate achieved more than 50% of the vote initially. In the final tally, Craig defeated Reform UK’s Sian Astley by receiving 309,525 votes to Astley’s 157,178 once second-preference votes were included.
The mayoral by-election was triggered when Andy Burnham became the Member of Parliament for Makerfield in Greater Manchester in June, which subsequently led to his appointment as Prime Minister this month. Bev Craig, who has served as the leader of Manchester City Council since 2021, also currently holds the position of deputy mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for economy, business, and inclusive growth.
Craig, who is the UK’s first female metro mayor, reflected on the historical significance of the region, noting, “the city region that had given the world the Suffragettes had ‘changed the world’ and would do so again in the future.” She emphasized her commitment by stating, “I will defend this city region with every bone in my body and I will fight for a better life for all of us.” Expressing gratitude to voters and those who contributed second-preference votes, Craig said, “The special ‘thank you’ has to go to the residents of Greater Manchester. I’m honoured, I’m humbled and I stand ready to serve.”
In the initial round of voting, Craig garnered 46.5% of first-preference votes, significantly ahead of Astley’s 22.2%. As no one won outright, ballots from other candidates’ supporters were examined for second preferences supporting either Labour or Reform UK, which expanded Craig’s lead. Voter turnout was just under 25% out of over two million eligible voters spread across the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester. Craig highlighted the importance of community well-being by saying, “Everyone deserves a quality home in a good neighbourhood,” and expressed her desire to move beyond divisive politics with the statement, “We have to move away from divisive politics, and we’ll do it together.” Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell congratulated Craig on her victory and thanked party activists for their efforts
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