Labour’s Bev Craig was elected mayor of Greater Manchester on July 31, 2026, succeeding Andy Burnham after he resigned to become the UK prime minister. Craig secured 66.3% of the vote in a runoff against Reform UK’s Sian Astley, marking a significant hold for the governing party in a key regional stronghold.
The transition of power in Greater Manchester follows a volatile period for the Labour Party. Andy Burnham, who served as mayor for nine years, vacated the post after winning a special election for a seat in Parliament and subsequently replacing Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on July 20. To maintain a connection to the region, Burnham established “No. 10 North,” a branch of the prime minister’s office located within the city.
The Runoff and Voter Apathy
The election, held on Thursday, July 30, utilized a supplementary vote system where voters selected first and second preferences. Because no candidate reached the 50 per cent threshold in the first round, the top two candidates advanced to a runoff. The final count, conducted on Friday at Co-op Live, saw Bev Craig secure 66.3% of the votes, while Sian Astley of Reform UK received 35 per cent in the run-off.
While the result was a decisive victory for Labour, the process was marred by historic levels of disengagement. Turnout was just 25%, the lowest in the history of the mayoral role in the region. This is a sharp decline from previous years.
Analysts suggest several factors contributed to this slump, including general political apathy, the summer holiday period, and students returning home for the university break.
Bev Craig’s Mandate and Regional Priorities
As the first female Mayor of Greater Manchester and the first LGBT leader of the city council, Bev Craig brings a background as the leader of Manchester City Council since December 2021. She previously served as deputy mayor with a portfolio covering the economy, business and inclusive growth. Her platform centers on the cost-of-living crisis, the creation of affordable housing, and the expansion of the Bee Network that freezes fares.
“Greater Manchester is special. To have trust placed in you… I’m honoured, I’m humbled and I stand ready to serve. I will defend this city region with every bone in my body and I will fight for a better life for all of us.”
Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Craig’s victory serves as a critical rebound for Labour. The party had previously suffered a “shellacking” in local council elections less than three months prior, where Reform UK saw significant gains. Rob Ford, a professor of politics at the University of Manchester, described Craig’s win as a really powerful moment
for a party seeking a show of strength in a region where it has long been dominant.
Ideological Friction and the Reform Challenge
Despite the party’s victory, the election highlighted internal and external ideological tensions. Sian Astley, the Reform UK candidate, attempted to frame the race as a choice between a career politician and someone with real-life experience of building successful businesses from scratch,
specifically targeting the perceived neglect of towns like Bolton and Wigan.
Further friction exists between Craig and her predecessor over transgender rights. While Andy Burnham recently shifted his position to support the protection of single-sex spaces based on biological sex, Craig has maintained her stance that trans women are women, trans men are men.
She has dismissed concerns over these issues as culture wars
and emphasized that Manchester has one of Europe’s most inclusive LGBT communities.
This divergence creates a nuanced dynamic: Craig is tasked with building on Burnham’s regional progress while simultaneously resisting the ideological shift Burnham adopted during his own campaign for the prime ministership.
The Road to 2028
Her immediate focus is the implementation of a New High Streets Fund and the continued effort to ensure economic success is shared across every borough of the region.
The stakes for Craig’s term are high. She must now prove that the Labour Party can reconnect with a disillusioned electorate, given that turnout was just 25% during this by-election. Her success will likely be measured by her ability to move past culture wars
and deliver tangible improvements to the cost of living for the region’s residents.
