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11 sources · 17 reports · updated 29d ago

Bev Craig elected Greater Manchester mayor, beating Reform UK in second round

Labour's Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, was elected Mayor of Greater Manchester on 31 July 2026, succeeding Andy Burnham who resigned the post after winning the Makerfield parliamentary by-election earlier this month. According to HuffPost UK, Craig secured 309,525 votes against Reform UK candidate Sian Astley's 157,178 in a second-round run-off, after no candidate cleared 50 per cent in the first round — Craig took approximately 47.1 per cent of first-preference votes. The BBC reports Craig secured nearly double the votes of the Reform candidate.

The contest is described by several outlets as the largest by-election in British history, given the size of Greater Manchester's electorate. The mayoralty carries a budget reported by the Daily Mail at around £3 billion and is considered the most significant directly elected office outside Westminster. Labour has held the position since it was created in 2017, but this was the first contest without Burnham on the ballot; he had never polled below 63 per cent in his three previous campaigns.

PoliticsHome notes Craig's win represents the first electoral test for Burnham since he became Prime Minister. Sky News cautions that while the margin was comfortable, the underlying vote share for Labour was notably lower than under Burnham. A Guardian opinion piece argues second-preference transfers from Green and other left-leaning voters were decisive. Burnham, according to the Mirror, urged Craig to "go further and do more." Reform has yet to respond publicly, per available material.

Key facts

  • Bev Craig received 309,525 votes against Reform UK's Sian Astley on 157,178 in the second-round run-off. source
  • Craig took approximately 47.1 per cent of first-preference votes, below the 50 per cent threshold needed to avoid a second round. source
  • The by-election was triggered by Andy Burnham's resignation after he won the Makerfield parliamentary by-election and subsequently became Prime Minister. source
  • Labour has held the Greater Manchester mayoralty continuously since the office was established in 2017. source
  • Burnham's previous campaigns never saw him poll below 63 per cent; Craig's first-round share of roughly 47 per cent marks a significant drop. source
  • Turnout was reported as under 25 per cent of the electorate. source
  • Andy Burnham urged Craig to 'go further and do more' following her victory. source

Sources

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Original synthesis from the sources above. The Order Paper writes its own headlines and summaries and does not republish source text. Headlines in the source list are each publisher’s own, quoted as a citation beside a link to their reporting. Contested claims are attributed to their reporters.