- Labour's Bev Craig has been elected as the new mayor of Greater Manchester, succeeding Andy Burnham, following a by-election triggered by Burnham's return to parliament.
- Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, won 47.15 percent of the votes in the first round of the election.
- The anti-immigration Reform UK party came in second place with a 21 percent share of the votes.
- Since Craig did not secure the 50 percent of votes needed to win outright, the counting proceeded to a second round.
- In the second round, Labour gained over 58,000 more votes when second preferences of eliminated candidates were counted.
- Ultimately, Craig received 309,525 first or second preference votes compared to 157,178 for Reform's Sian Astley.
- The by-election saw a turnout of just under 25 percent from more than two million eligible voters.
- Andy Burnham first won the mayoralty in 2017 and was re-elected twice, most recently in 2024 with 63 percent of the vote.
- Burnham's strong advocacy for the region earned him the nickname "King of the North".
- In May, Burnham announced his intention to fight a by-election in the Makerfield constituency to return to parliament.
- He successfully won the seat in June, allowing him to return to Westminster.
- Burnham's government recently announced plans to allow mayors to retain a share of taxes collected in their areas, part of his initiative to decentralize power from London.
Bev Craig has been elected as the new mayor of Greater Manchester, succeeding Andy Burnham, who returned to parliament as Prime Minister. Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, won 47.15% of the first-round votes, totaling 309,525 votes, while the Reform UK party, led by Sian Astley, secured 21% of the vote with 157,178 votes.16
The election was necessitated by Burnham's return to parliament, where he aims to challenge former Prime Minister Keir Starmer for leadership. Burnham, who first won the mayoralty in 2017 and was re-elected twice, most recently in 2024 with 63% of the vote, is known for his strong advocacy for the region, earning him the title of “King of the North”.9
In the first round, Craig did not achieve the required 50% of the votes, leading to a second round where Labour gained over 58,000 additional votes from eliminated candidates' second preferences. The turnout for the election was just under 25%, with more than two million people eligible to vote.5
Burnham's government has recently announced plans to allow mayors to retain a share of taxes collected in their areas, part of a broader initiative to decentralize power from London.
“Craig took 47.15 percent in the first round, short of the majority needed, before reaching 309,525 total votes after second preferences were counted; Reform UK's Sian Astley finished on 157,178. Turnout was just under 25 percent, with Reform UK second on a 21 percent first-round share.”
