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Bev Craig elected Greater Manchester Mayor

Paul Burnelland
Ian Shoesmith,North West
News imagePA Media Bev Craig has short spiky red hair, dark glasses and wears a dark jacket with white roll-neck top.PA Media
Bev Craig said she felt humbled to be elected as Greater Manchester's Mayor

Labour's Bev Craig will succeed Andy Burnham as the new Mayor of Greater Manchester.

After no candidate secured outright victory in the first round by winning more than half of the vote, Craig beat Reform UK's Sian Astley by 309,525 to 157,178 after second-preference votes were added.

The by-election for a new mayor was called after Burnham was elected as MP for Makerfield in Greater Manchester in June, paving the way for him to become Prime Minister earlier this month.

As well as having led Manchester City Council since 2021, Craig is Greater Manchester Combined Authority's deputy mayor for economy, business and inclusive growth.

Craig, the UK's first female metro mayor, said the city region that had given the world the Suffragettes had "changed the world" and would do so again in the future.

She promised: "I will defend this city region with every bone in my body and I will fight for a better life for all of us."

Thanking those who voted for her as well as others who had "loaned their votes" as second preferences, she 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."

News imageA bar chart showing the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election first preference votes share, Labour and Co-operative Bev Craig 47.1%, Reform UK Sian Astley 21.0%, Green Party Geraldine Goggins 12.2%, Restore Britain Marlon West 8.7%, Conservative Phil Eckerlsey 7.7%, Lib Dem Richard Kilpatrick 2.8%, Independent Marcus Farmer 0.6%
How the first-preference votes were allocated

In the first round, Craig secured 46.5% of the vote, compared with Astley's 22.2%.

This meant the ballot papers from voters who did not select either of them as their first choice were brought back into play.

They were checked to see if the second-preference votes were for either the Labour or Reform candidate.

They were then added to the first-preference votes.

Craig expanded her already significant lead.

More than two million people across Greater Manchester's 10 boroughs were eligible to vote in the contest but turnout was just under 25%.

'Tireless activists'

"Everyone deserves a quality home in a good neighbourhood," said Craig, adding that people should be able to plan for their future and for that of their children.

She added: "We have to move away from divisive politics, and we'll do it together."

Congratulations came from Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell, the MP for Manchester Central, who posted on X: "Huge congratulations to @bevcraig our fantastic new Mayor of Greater Manchester.

"Thank you to our tireless activists who have worked so hard to help deliver this win."